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Th'rs is an advanced copy of a Grand Jury report that will be puhlicly released on <br /> '••"•• ° '�12. Penal Code sectior� 933.05 (f} prohibits any officer, agency, <br /> 6.1.K. - Page 5 Qr go�verning body of a public agency from disclosing any contents <br /> of th� repart prior ta the public release of this reporE. <br /> {the pertinent joint agency (see, discussion below) through a Joint Powers Agreement that <br /> includes the 20 cities an.d towns and the County a�San Matea. The Grand Jury therefore <br /> reco�x�.mends that the Emexgency Services Council direct and suffaczently �und OES to develop <br /> and coz�unicate standards to those responsibie for levees (levee owners) and to finalize, by <br /> December 31, 2012, an Err�ergency Operatians Plan tl�at includes coznpliant EAPs from the levee <br /> owners. The Grand Jury therefore also recommends that t�e San Mateo County Board of <br /> Su.pervisars and the City Coun.cils of East Palo Alto, �oster City, Redwood City, San Carlos, San <br /> Mateo, and South San Frazacisca direct the respective departments to create or rnodify existing <br /> EAPs based upon OES guidelines to be iss�ed. <br /> Background <br /> The Code of Federal Regulations, Tztle 44, Section 59.1 de�ines a levee as "a man-made <br /> structure, usually an earthen embankzz�ent, designed and constructed in accordance with sour�d <br /> engineering practices to contain, control, ar divert ihe flow o�water so as to provzde protection <br /> from temparary flooding." <br /> Fazlure of dams or levees could threaten the Iives of Co�nty residents and cause serious damage <br /> to pro�erty. Property owners with�ederally backed mortgages in those areas that the Federal <br /> Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designates as a"100 year fload plain," are required <br /> by fe�erally backed mortgage holders to purchase flood insurance. <br /> A dam or ievee failure may occur withiz�the Caunty as a result of weather daz�age,poor <br /> rnaintenance, flash flooding, rising water Ievets, earthquakes or other acts of nature. <br /> The presence of 13 dams and as m.any as 23 levees zn San Mateo County, a seismicalIy active <br /> axea, underscores the need for adequate pratection as well as an adeq�ate response should those <br /> levees fai1.3 <br /> In 20a7, San Mateo County and nine County ctties were responsible for dams and Ievees, <br /> including Belmont, Burlingazne, East Palo Alta, Foster City, Paci�ica, Redwood City, San <br /> Carlos, San Mateo, and South San Francisco. In order to ascertain the level of safety and <br /> emergency preparedness in the County and these cities the 2006-2007 Gzand 3ury issued a xeport <br /> titled Eme�gency Planning for Danz or Levee Failures in San Matea County.4 <br /> 2a06-2007 Grand Ju Recoxnmendations for Dams and Leveea <br /> The 2006-2007 Grand Tury Report made the following Recomzx�endations: <br /> 3Emai1 of Apri]4,2012 to Grand Jury from a'I'echnical Specialist af Michael Ba�Cer Jr.,Inc., explaining that <br /> determining the number of levees is not exact due to the somewhat axbitrary starting and end points of levee <br /> segments_ FEMA tends to focus on 4evee systems in its accreditation process. <br /> 4 h ://www.sanmateoeourt.or6 cfocumentsl�rand 'u 12006/DamLeveeFinal. df. <br /> 2 <br />