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Home My WebLink AboutOrdinance 56621 027072325 Ordinance No. ϱϲϲϮ Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto adopting the 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map Issued by the State Fire Marshal The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: SECTION 1. Findings and Declarations. The City Council finds and declares as follows: A. To better prepare for wildfires, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is required to periodically review its recommended classifications of fire hazard severity zones throughout California. The state legislature has found that the prevention of wildfires is a matter of statewide concern, not a municipal affair. B. The State released updated 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps, and requires all local jurisdictions, including Palo Alto, with moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zone recommendations to designate those zones by ordinance. C. State law also requires that the City post the maps indicating CAL FIRE’s FHSZ recommendations publicly for comment within 30 days of receipt, which the City conducted from March 26 - April 30, 2025. D. After consideration of public comments, the City will rely on the latest recommendations of CAL FIRE in its published FHSZ maps, notwithstanding local discretion to impose more restrictive fire and public safety requirements. SECTION 2. Adoption of 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for Palo Alto. The City hereby designates the Fire Hazard Severity Zones as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Government Code Section 51178. The map, approved by the Council of the City of Palo Alto, is hereby incorporated by reference, and entitled, “Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Area - City of Palo Alto”, dated February 24, 2025 (Exhibit A). The official map is also located electronically on the following website: https://www.paloalto.gov/wildfire SECTION 3. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be effective on the thirty-first date after the date of its adoption. // // // 2 027072325 SECTION 4. CEQA. The City Council finds and determines that this Ordinance is not a project within the meaning of section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines because adoption of the state FHSZ map and updating a statutory definition involves no action with potential for resulting in physical change in the environment, either directly or ultimately. In the event that this Ordinance is found to be a project under CEQA, it is subject to the CEQA exemption contained in CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty to have no possibility of a significant effect on the environment in that this Ordinance simply clarifies existing local regulations. _______________________________________________________ City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED: _______________________________________________________ City Attorney or designee City Manager _____________________________ Fire Chief, Palo Alto Fire Department INTRODUCED: AUGUST 11, 2025 PASSED: SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 AYES: BURT, LAUING, LU, LYTHCOTT-HAIMS, RECKDAHL, STONE, VEENKER NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City and County boundaries as of 10/22/24 (CA Board of Equalization) CAL FIRE State Responsibility Areas (SRA25_1) CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZSRA23_3, FHSZLRA_25_1) Data Sources: Daniel Berlant, State Fire Marshal, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Joe Tyler, Director/Fire Chief, CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Wade Crowfoot, Secretary for Natural Resources, CA Natural Resources Agency Gavin Newsom, Governor, State of CaliforniaThe State of California and the Department of Forestry and FireProtection make no representations or warranties regarding theaccuracy of data or maps. Neither the State nor the Department shallbe liable under any circumstances for any direct, special, incidental,or consequential damages with respect to any claim by any user orthird party on account of, or arising from, the use of data or maps. and other relevant factors including areas where windshave been identified by the Office of the State Fire Marshalas a major cause of wildfire spread. statewide criteria and based on the severity of fire hazard that isexpected to prevail in those areas. Moderate, high, and very high firehazard severity zones shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, Government Code section 51178 requires the State FireMarshal to identify areas in the state as moderate, high,and very high fire hazard severity zones based on consistent Waterbody Federal ResponsibilityArea (FRA)Unzoned LRA Incorporated City Projection: NAD 83 California Teale AlbersScale: 1:97,000 at 11" x 17" 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Km 0 1 2 3 4Mi Very High High Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones in State Responsibility Area (SRA), Effective April 1, 2024 Very High High Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) in Local Responsibility Area (LRA), as Identified by the State Fire Marshal Palo Alto UNINCORPORATEDSAN MATEO CO. UNINCORPORATEDSANTA CLARA CO. elCam i n o Real 101 82 35 ATHERTON CUPERTINO EAST PALOALTO FREMONT LOS ALTOSLOSALTOS HILLS MENLO PARK MOUNTAIN VIEW NEWARK PORTOLAVALLEY REDWOOD CITY SAN CARLOS SAN JOSE SAN JOSE SANTACLARA SARATOGA SUNNYVALE WOODSIDE ALAMEDA CO. SANTA CLARA CO. SAN MATEO CO. SANTA CLARA CO. )HEUXDU\, 2025 As Identified by the State Fire MarshalLocal Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones CITY OF PALO ALTO – SANTA CLARA COUNTY ǆŚŝďŝƚ Certificate Of Completion Envelope Id: A08932F2-1E69-4F5C-9359-6F16DB02F935 Status: Completed Subject: Signature Needed: ORD 5662 - 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map Source Envelope: Document Pages: 3 Signatures: 5 Envelope Originator: Certificate Pages: 2 Initials: 0 Francesca Reyes AutoNav: Enabled EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) 250 Hamilton Ave Palo Alto , CA 94301 Francesca.Reyes@CityofPaloAlto.org IP Address: 170.85.54.96 Record Tracking Status: Original 9/16/2025 2:11:37 PM Holder: Francesca Reyes Francesca.Reyes@CityofPaloAlto.org Location: DocuSign Security Appliance Status: Connected Pool: StateLocal Storage Appliance Status: Connected Pool: City of Palo Alto Location: Docusign Signer Events Signature Timestamp Aylin Bilir Aylin.Bilir@paloalto.gov Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 165.225.242.127 Sent: 9/16/2025 2:16:40 PM Viewed: 9/16/2025 2:19:51 PM Signed: 9/16/2025 2:21:19 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign Geo Blackshire geo.blackshire@PaloAlto.gov Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Drawn on Device Using IP Address: 199.33.33.245 Signed using mobile Sent: 9/16/2025 2:21:21 PM Viewed: 9/16/2025 5:17:27 PM Signed: 9/16/2025 5:17:53 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign Ed Shikada Ed.Shikada@paloalto.gov Ed Shikada City of Palo Alto Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 199.33.32.254 Sent: 9/16/2025 5:17:55 PM Viewed: 9/17/2025 9:43:41 AM Signed: 9/17/2025 9:43:49 AM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign Ed Lauing Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 2601:647:6880:a6f0:a862:e344:2c5a:8cb8 Sent: 9/17/2025 9:43:51 AM Resent: 9/23/2025 7:46:06 AM Viewed: 9/23/2025 1:42:35 PM Signed: 9/23/2025 1:43:15 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign Signer Events Signature Timestamp Mahealani Ah Yun Mahealani.AhYun@paloalto.gov City Clerk Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None)Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 165.225.242.120 Sent: 9/23/2025 1:43:16 PM Viewed: 9/23/2025 1:57:22 PM Signed: 9/23/2025 1:57:31 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign In Person Signer Events Signature Timestamp Editor Delivery Events Status Timestamp Agent Delivery Events Status Timestamp Intermediary Delivery Events Status Timestamp Certified Delivery Events Status Timestamp Carbon Copy Events Status Timestamp Christine Prior christine.prior@paloalto.gov Deputy City Clerk Copa Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Sent: 9/23/2025 1:57:33 PM Viewed: 9/23/2025 3:40:57 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via Docusign Witness Events Signature Timestamp Notary Events Signature Timestamp Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps Envelope Sent Hashed/Encrypted 9/16/2025 2:16:40 PM Envelope Updated Security Checked 9/17/2025 3:39:46 PM Certified Delivered Security Checked 9/23/2025 1:57:22 PM Signing Complete Security Checked 9/23/2025 1:57:31 PM Completed Security Checked 9/23/2025 1:57:33 PM Payment Events Status Timestamps