Cal Cities Roundtable: El Niño Preparedness – Strengthening Public Works Infrastructure and Emergency Response

As California cities prepare for the potential impacts of El Niño and severe winter storms, public works professionals play a critical role in protecting infrastructure, maintaining essential services, and supporting emergency response and recovery efforts.

Join the Cal Cities Public Works Officers Department on Dec. 9 at 10:00 a.m. for an interactive roundtable focused on infrastructure readiness, operational challenges, and lessons learned from previous severe weather events.

This discussion will bring together public works professionals from across the state to share firsthand experiences, identify common challenges, and explore practical strategies for strengthening their communities' preparedness and resilience.

Discussion topics may include:

• Infrastructure preparedness: Assessing and preparing storm drains, culverts, pump stations, roads, bridges, and other vulnerable infrastructure.
• Emergency response and coordination: Maintaining essential services, coordinating with regional agencies and public safety departments, ensuring emergency responder access, and preparing for EOC activation and operations.
• Utility and transportation resilience: Preparing water and wastewater systems, managing power outages, and addressing flooded roads and transportation disruptions.
• Staffing, resources, and mutual aid: Planning for personnel, equipment, contractors, and emergency resources during significant storm events.
• Recovery and reimbursement: Sharing approaches to damage assessments, documentation, emergency contracting, and state and federal reimbursement processes.
• Lessons learned and best practices: Hearing from cities that have experienced significant flooding, infrastructure damage, and other storm-related emergencies.

Moderated by: 
Damon Conklin, Legislative Advocate, Cal Cities
Brendan Ottoboni, Director of Public Works – Engineering, Chico and President, Cal Cities Public Works Officers Department
Scott Smith, Public Works Director, Fountain Valley and Department Director, Cal Cities Public Works Officers Department

Roundtable Discussions are available as an exclusive member benefit and are open to Cal Cities member cities only. Discussions are member driven and will not be recorded. The Zoom meeting information will be provided after registration. For questions specific to registration, please contact Isaac Black.