CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
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A RESOLUTION relating to the City Light Department; recording review of and adopting the City Light Department’s wildfire mitigation plan.
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WHEREAS, Second Substitute House Bill 1032 (“2SHB 1032”), the purpose of which is to mitigate the risk of wildfires through electric utility planning and identification of best management practices appropriate to each utility’s circumstances, was passed by Washington State Legislature on April 8, 2023, and signed by the Governor on April 20, 2023; and
WHEREAS, 2SHB 1032 requires electric utilities to adopt and implement wildfire mitigation plans and provides that electric utilities should be informed by best practices, as applicable to their geography, terrain, vegetation, and other characteristics specific in their service area for reducing wildland fire risk and reducing damage from wildland fires as may be ignited by electric utility equipment; and
WHEREAS, Section 4 of 2SHB 1032 was codified as Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 19.29A.170 which requires that by October 31, 2024, and every three years thereafter, each consumer-owned utility must review, if appropriate revise, and adopt its wildfire mitigation plan, and must use the recommended format and elements pursuant to RCW 76.04.185; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, the Washington State Legislature established the Wildland Fire Advisory Committee to advise the Commissioner of Public Lands (“Commissioner”) on all matters related to wildland firefighting in the state; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, the Legislature directed the Commissioner to convene a Utility Wildland Fire Prevention Advisory Committee tasked with advising the Commissioner on a variety of issues related to reducing the risks of wildland fires associated with electrical transmission and distribution network; and
WHEREAS, the City Light department (“City Light”) drafted a utility wildfire mitigation plan that includes all the elements required in RCW 19.29A.170 and RCW 76.04.185, including vegetation management along transmission and distribution lines and near associated equipment; infrastructure inspection and maintenance repair activities, schedules and recordkeeping; modifications or upgrades to facilities to incorporate cost-effective measurements to minimize wildfire risk; preventative programs, including adoption of new technologies to harden utility infrastructure; operational procedures; identification of appropriate widths for vegetation management and rights-of-way, including the consideration of fire-resistant vegetation alternatives; and protocols for disabling reclosures and deenergizing portions of the electric system along with associated communication plans for impacted parties and the public, including highly impacted communities, vulnerable populations, and persons reliant on electricity to maintain necessary life functions; and
WHEREAS, City Light shared the draft wildfire mitigation plan with relevant fire protection districts for their review and input; and
WHEREAS, City Light is providing the utility wildfire mitigation plan for review to the City Council, which is City Light’s governing board under RCW 19.29A.170; and
WHEREAS, after the City Council’s review of the utility wildfire mitigation plan, City Light will provide a copy of the utility wildfire mitigation plan to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, along with a list and description of wildland fires involving utility equipment within its customer service area over the previous two years as reported by the Department of Natural Resources; and
WHEREAS, the utility wildfire mitigation plan will be submitted to the utility wildland fire prevention advisory committee, created in RCW 76.04.780, to be posted on its website in accordance with RCW 76.04.780; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. Pursuant to Revised Code of Washington (RCW 19.29A.170), the City Council has reviewed and adopts City Light’s utility wildfire mitigation plan, attached as Attachment 1 - Seattle City Light’s Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2024, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
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President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
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Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2024.
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Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Seattle City Light’s Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy