TL;DR: On Sept. 28, 2026, the City of Pico Rivera logged a council resolution adopting its updated 2026 Emergency Operations Plan for citywide disaster response.
Council action recorded Sept. 28
The City of Pico Rivera updated its Emergency Operations Plan to ensure the city is prepared to respond to a disaster, according to the state clearinghouse record titled Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pico Rivera California adopting the updated 2026 Emergency Operations Plan.
That record identifies the action as a resolution of the City Council adopting the updated 2026 plan. The filing carries State Clearinghouse Number 2026091180 and is listed as Document Type NOE — Notice of Exemption.
The same record shows Received 9/28/2026 and Posted 9/28/2026. In other words, the state-level posting and the city filing share the Sept. 28 date that defines this archive day.
The listed lead and applicant agency is the City of Pico Rivera. The contact listed is Hector Hernandez, Senior Planner, at 6615 Passons Boulevard, Pico Rivera, CA 90602, with phone (562) 801-4340 and email [email protected], according to that clearinghouse entry.
For residents tracking local readiness, the practical meaning is administrative but important: the council put a current, city-adopted playbook on file for how Pico Rivera organizes disaster response. The filing does not itself authorize construction or approve a development project.
Who the plan is for
The document description states, in full scope, that the beneficiaries are the residents of Pico Rivera. That beneficiary language mirrors how the city describes its parallel emergency code work.
The location fields list Cities: Pico Rivera, Counties: Los Angeles, and Regions: Citywide, Southern California. Other location information is listed simply as Citywide.
City Hall’s public address for general city business appears separately as 6615 Passons Boulevard, Pico Rivera, CA 90660, with phone (562) 942-2000 and hours Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., according to City of Pico Rivera service pages. The EOP filing itself uses ZIP 90602 for the planning contact address. Residents seeking the plan or meeting records should use the planning contact above rather than the general counter.
The Los Angeles County location matters for mutual-aid planning. Pico Rivera sits inside Los Angeles County’s emergency coordination system, where cities, the county operational area, state agencies and special districts coordinate alerts, resources and shelter functions during regional events.
Why the filing claims exemption from CEQA
The notice lists Exempt Status as Other and cites CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), according to the same clearinghouse record.
The stated reason for exemption is that the proposed actions are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5) as an approval that is not considered a “project” subject to CEQA but an administrative activity that will not approve a specific development project or result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
That language is significant for emergency planners. It signals that adoption of the plan, by itself, creates no ground disturbance, no new building footprint and no direct environmental change. Any future physical work that might be ordered under the plan — such as debris clearance, repairs or infrastructure protection — would be evaluated under its own authorities at the time.
The filing was routed through Los Angeles County Clerk processes and includes an attachment labeled NOE EOP PDF 39K. The Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation hosts the entry and notes that questions about attachment accessibility should go to the lead agency contact listed above.
Companion update to Municipal Code Chapter 2.52
Two weeks earlier, Pico Rivera advanced a related legislative update to its emergency authorities, according to the CLEATUS summary titled Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Pico Rivera California amending Chapter 2.52 Emergency Preparedness of the Pico Rivera Municipal Code.
That summary describes the city amending Chapter 2.52 of the Pico Rivera Municipal Code regarding emergency preparedness to enhance the city’s ability to respond to disasters. It likewise identifies residents of Pico Rivera as beneficiaries of a more robust response framework.
The CLEATUS overview states that a Notice of Exemption was filed on September 14, 2026, asserting exemption under Section 15378(b)(5) on the basis that the amendment is an administrative activity that does not result in physical environmental changes. It lists Hector Hernandez as primary point of contact and Place of Performance as Pico Rivera, CA.
Taken together, the two September filings show a two-part municipal sequence familiar to readiness professionals: first refresh the ordinance authority that empowers emergency action, then adopt the operations plan that guides how departments will use that authority.
Neither filing, as posted by the cutoff, publishes the full text of the code language or the operations plan itself. Residents who want operational detail — such as department roles, activation triggers or shelter assignments — will need to request the adopted plan from the city planning contact or review council meeting materials.
Statewide emergency backdrop in September 2026
Pico Rivera’s adoption landed one week after California’s statewide emergency proclamation for the developing 2026–2027 El Niño event, according to the Environmental Science Associates analysis titled El Niño Emergency Declaration Clears Paths for Permitting and Infrastructure Readiness.
That analysis dates Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proclamation to Sept. 21, 2026, and says the declaration cites the possibility of severe storms, flooding, coastal flooding, erosion, landslides, and mud and debris flows that could threaten life, critical infrastructure, natural resources and essential services.
The same analysis says the declaration arrived before the winter storm season and after Hurricane Marie’s storm surge in Southern California, providing a window to identify vulnerabilities and plan preventive work. It directs the California Environmental Protection Agency and California Natural Resources Agency, including their boards, departments and offices, to prioritize permitting, consultation and technical assistance for local preparedness efforts.
For local agencies, the analysis lists activities that may receive expedited support: levee and flood management infrastructure repairs, vegetation management, debris removal, sediment management, bridge scour protection, channel capacity improvements, coastal protection and preparation, and groundwater recharge using available flood flows.
It also describes an accelerated process for California Coastal Commission review, with coastal communities encouraged to submit permit applications for preparatory work, urgent emergency requests accepted orally or in writing, and action on an emergency permit request as quickly as possible and within 24 hours when immediate action is necessary.
What Los Angeles County agencies were staging
A Sept. 22, 2026 resource guide from Senator Lena A. Gonzalez titled El Niño Resources says the emergency proclamation directs state agencies to lead flood-risk-reduction efforts, stage flood-fighting supplies such as sandbags and pumps, and pre-position other critical equipment.
That guide says Caltrans will stage traffic-control, road-closure and snow-removal equipment along highways most at risk, and that the California National Guard is prepared to support flood response, search-and-rescue, engineering and logistics missions when needed. It adds that state environmental and natural resources agencies will support local efforts on flooding, landslides and debris flows by fast-tracking permitting and identifying ways to cut red tape.
For Los Angeles County specifically, the guide says Public Works crews prepare months in advance by inspecting dams and channels, removing debris and sediment from reservoirs, maintaining storm drains and pump stations, and ensuring flood control facilities are ready before winter storms. It points residents to the Public Works Sandbags Dashboard for distribution locations and lists (800) 933-0930 to speak to a Public Works engineer about property-specific preparation.
The guide also notes that the City of Long Beach proclaimed a local emergency as a result of impacts from Hurricane Marie and the developing El Niño event and winter storm season. That local proclamation illustrates why updated city plans like Pico Rivera’s matter in the same county system: each city documents how it will organize while county and state resources stage regionally.
Household readiness steps highlighted for this season
The Senator Gonzalez resource page urges households to develop a family plan before stormy weather, involve the whole family, customize for individual needs, designate a meeting location outside the hazard area, document important phone numbers, identify several different routes to leave home in case one or more are blocked, and watch for creeks, drainages or other areas that could flood.
The same page describes a “Go-Bag” with 72 hours of water, non-perishable food and essential medications, kept at home and in the car to support sheltering in place, power outage or evacuation. It directs readers to Ready LA County materials for kit guidance and low-cost assembly ideas.
The page advises residents to learn Los Angeles County evacuation terminology and be ready to act on an Evacuation Warning, Evacuation Order or Shelter in Place order. It points to FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and the county flood zone determination map for checking flood risk, and recommends inspecting property for areas vulnerable to flooding, waves or erosion.
For alerts, the guide lists LA County notifications at ready.lacounty.gov/emergency-notifications and Long Beach alerts through its city system, while noting that cities, special districts, employers, schools and universities may each operate their own notification systems. Pico Rivera residents should confirm which city and county alert lists cover their address and keep contact information current.
How to verify and follow up
The definitive proof of adoption on this archive date is the Sept. 28 clearinghouse posting itself, which can be found by searching SCH Number 2026091180 on CEQANet. The full resolution text and updated 2026 Emergency Operations Plan are attachments or council records held by the city, not summarized in the posting abstract.
Residents, businesses and community groups in Pico Rivera can contact Senior Planner Hector Hernandez at [email protected] or (562) 801-4340 to request the adopted plan, the resolution number and any staff report explaining changes from the prior version. Tracking the Chapter 2.52 ordinance through council agendas will show how legal authority and operational planning align.
For emergency managers elsewhere, the Pico Rivera sequence offers a concise template: codify authority, adopt a current operations plan, file the appropriate CEQA notice for the administrative action, and publish a clear public contact while county and state partners stage seasonal resources.