Council to Ratify Emergency Declaration, Get Update on Battery Storage Fire Tuesday
The council will also hear updates from fire officials, environmental agencies and Metropolitan Water District staff as the investigation into the Sept. 22 battery fire continues.
City Council will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Community Center, 3680 D. St., to discuss the recent battery fire at Metropolitan Water District's F. E. Weymouth Water Treatment Plant. This meeting is open to the public, and community members will have a chance to speak.
🔗 Council Special Meeting Agenda packet (PDF)
You can comment in person at the meeting, on Zoom at LaVerneCA.gov/zoom (enter meeting ID 863 9472 4114) or by emailing cityclerk@LaVerneCA.gov by noon Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The La Verne City Council will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, to formally back the City's local emergency declaration over the lithium-ion battery fire at the Metropolitan Water District's Weymouth Water Treatment Plant. The council will also get an update on the incident.
The meeting is at the La Verne Community Center, 3680 D St.
City Manager Ken Domer, acting as the City's director of emergency services, signed the emergency proclamation on Sept. 25. Under the City's municipal code, the council has seven days to ratify it, or it expires. Once ratified, the emergency stays in effect until the council ends it. State law requires the council to keep reviewing whether it's still needed.
According to the staff report, ratifying the declaration will help the City assist businesses and residents with potential claims. The proposed resolution also says the declaration clears the way for mutual aid, faster purchasing of supplies and possible state and federal reimbursement.
The fire broke out around 11:40 a.m. Sept. 22 in the battery energy storage system at MWD's property at 3201 Wheeler Ave. City documents say about 500 homes and roughly 28 to 30 businesses were under mandatory evacuation orders. Grace Miller Elementary School was closed for three days.
Evacuation orders were lifted Sept. 25. The staff report says the incident, "while not concluded, entered a new phase" at that point, and that the investigation into the cause is ongoing and expected to be lengthy.
The update will include the La Verne Fire Department, outside agencies speaking to environmental concerns and MWD staff, who are expected to address the solar and battery system and assistance for residents and businesses. Staff is asking the council to hear from responders, residents and businesses.
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