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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-01-27 - AGENDA REPORTS - RPT EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE BLDG (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINES S City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: George Caravalho DATE: January 27, 1998 SUBJECT: REPORT ON STATUS OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND REPORT ON EQ RECOVERY EFFORT DEPARTMENT: Planning & Building Services Receive information. 1:3��t�i3i 1►I� On January 17, 1994, the Northridge Earthquake devastated the Santa Clarita Valley with over $400 million of damage to private and public property as well as economic losses. The City experienced $29 million in damages to its infrastructure. Over 4,200 buildings were damaged. Of these, 417 buildings were damaged extensively and seven were demolished as a result. Most of the damage occurred in the Valencia and Newhall areas, although Geologists believe that these areas were more vulnerable to this earthquake due to this earthquake's characteristics and epicenter location. Future earthquakes having different characteristics and with epicenters in other regions may affect the City differently. Thousands of safety and damage assessment inspections were conducted during the weeks and months following the earthquake. An Earthquake Recovery Unit was established in March, 1994 to conduct all Building and Safety permit and inspection services for the reconstruction effort. This Unit was established with the use of contract services. It allowed for the quick reinstatement of normal permit operations by City staff for non -EQ related projects. All earthquake related services were offered on a no -fee basis as .directed by the City Council to facilitate the recovery effort for earthquake victims who would have otherwise been further burdened by permit fees. Operations at the Earthquake Recovery Unit ended in March, 1997. Most costs for. the program were reimbursed by FEMA/OES. A total of 16,560 earthquake damage repair permits were issued for residential and non-residential buildings. Twenty-six projects are currently undergoing repairs or have been issued. permits for pending repair work. These will likely be completed in 1998. Only four significantly -damaged buildings remain unrepaired or unpermitted for repairs or reconstruction. These figures represent approximately 99% recovery in terms of building reconstruction in the City. As a basis for comparison, the recovery effort in the San Fernando Valley is estimated to be approximately 80-90% complete. APPH ��6lll� i ;. _:encl Item: CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS City Manager Approval: Item to be presented b George Caravalho DATE: January 27, 1998 SUBJECT: REPORT ON STATUS OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND REPORT ON EQ RECOVERY EFFORT DEPARTMENT: Planning & Building Services STATUS OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND REPORT ON EQ RECOVERY EFFORT The City Council has taken a proactive stance to help minimize building damage in future earthquakes by taking the following actions since January 17, 1994: 1. Adopted Ordinance # 94-2 to require permits and inspections for block walls to ensure they are constructed adequately. Block walls were previously unregulated by the County or the City Building Code thereby generating substandard construction practices that led to extensive block wall failures. 2. Adopted the latest edition of the Uniform Building Code in 1995 to ensure that the latest State building regulations are enforced locally. Adopted strict administrative provisions in 1996 (Ordinance # 96-3) to assist with Building Code enforcement. 4. Adopted Ordinance # 974 amending the Building Code to incorporate stricter design and construction provisions for all concrete, masonry and wood -framed buildings. 5. Adopted Ordinance # 97-2 and Resolution # 97-14 implementing a civil citation program for curbing flagrant Code violations such as illegal construction. 6. Approved a 50% increase in the City's Building and Safety training budget to enhance technical training for Building and Safety engineers and inspectors 7_ Approved the hiring of two additional Building Inspectors and one additional Building and Safety Engineer since 1995 to ensure more thorough enforcement of building regulations. Also, all buildings -known to have steel frame construction were either repaired, retrofitted or inspected by structural engineers to ensure their safety in future earthquakes. Steel framed buildings suffered an unexpectedly high degree of damage. The latest developments in steel frame design and construction are now being used in the permit approval process by our Building and Safety engineers and inspectors for all new steel frame buildings in the City. All related technical reviews and approvals are conducted and supervised by licensed Civil or Structural Engineers. To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) eligible expenditures are $23,899,000, and our total project approval is $26,234,000. Infrastructure damages were under the jurisdiction of FHWA totaling $2,094,000, of which $1,974,177 has been recovered. The $26,234,000 approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Stafford Disaster Assistance Act includes the cash advances awarded to the City to facilitate our rapid response to the earthquake. STATUS OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND REPORT ON EQ RECOVERY EFFORT FEMAIOES has written a total of 113 Disaster Survey Reports (DSWs). Two DSR's are still under appeal, and staff continues to negotiate for Disaster Assistance funds eligible under the State and Federal Acts. Our efforts to complete the reconciliation of funds reimbursement with FEMA is nearing closure. The process is expected to be complete this year. During the past four years the cost recovery process has been intensive and cumbersome. Confusion and an excessive number of appeals have been the result of many changes in the interpretation of the law by FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is currently proposing legislative changes to the National Disaster Assistance Act, "The Stafford Act" to emphasize mitigation efforts taken by local jurisdictions. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS None FISCAL IMPACT None ATTACHMENTS None RMB:ce s:lpbs\counci1\egrpt.`mb