Westminster City Council
SUBJECT
Title
Professional Services Agreement with Anna M. Burton for Emergency Coordination Services in Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
End
From: Darin Lenyi, Chief of Police
Requested by: Administration
Prepared by: Karla Santillan, Business Services Manager
____________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommendation
A. Approve the professional services agreement with Anna M. Burton for emergency coordination services for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, in an amount not to exceed $82,560 per year with two optional one-year renewals, for an aggregate amount of $247,680 over three years; and
B. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the agreement, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
end
BACKGROUND
Emergency operations are an essential part of City functions and involve a wide range of projects and responsibilities. To ensure effective coordination and compliance with applicable laws, cities typically assign emergency management activities to individuals with expertise in disaster response, training, community preparedness, and grant administration. The City of Westminster previously executed an agreement with Ms. Burton in 2023, establishing a three-year term of service ending on October 31, 2026. Ms. Anna Burton has served as the City’s Emergency Operations Coordinator since November 2023 and has supported multiple Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activations, including the recent incident involving GKN Aerospace in the City of Garden Grove.
Staff recommends approval of the professional services agreement with Ms. Burton to continue providing emergency management services to the City. Under Westminster Municipal Code Section 3.44.080, this contract does not require competitive bidding for two independent reasons. First, contracts for professional services do not require a bidding process. Second, this contract is exempt because it is one where only one vendor can supply these services within the timeframe or conditions which meet the City’s needs. Given current priorities, including the update of the City of Westminster Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, maintaining continuity with an experienced coordinator familiar with Westminster is essential.
During her tenure, Ms. Burton has ensured Westminster remains engaged in regional discussions on grants, training, disaster response, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and overall preparedness. This involvement brings valuable resources to the City, supports staff participation in regional training, and helps ensure timely communication from County and State partners regarding emergencies and emerging threats.
Ms. Burton’s additional accomplishments include:
Grants
• Ensured reimbursement related to the FY 2023 Emergency Management Performance Grant.
• Processed and confirmed City allocation from the FY 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant.
• Conformed City inclusion in FY 2025 Emergency Management Performance Grant.
• Supported the development and acceptance of Hazard Mitigation grant funds intended to be used to update City Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Training
• Maintained a multi-year training strategy, ensuring the City remains compliant with state and federal emergency management training.
• Ensured the City remains compliant per the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Qualification System, a requirement for Homeland Security Grants.
• Conducted safety officer training, including update of the Building Emergency Plan which is used during building evacuation exercise.
• Participated in new employee orientations, ensuring compliance with Standardized Emergency Management System and National Incident Management System training requirements.
Exercises
• Conducted Emergency Operation Center (EOC) notification tests.
• Participated in monthly countywide communications exercises.
• Participated in Annual Regional “AlertOC” mass notification drill.
• Participated in West Justice Center earthquake exercise, ensuring city coordination and collaboration issues were included.
• Conducted citywide “ShakeOut” Earthquake Drill with full city building evacuation drill.
• Participated in monthly training and exercise meetings coordinated by the Orange County Office of Emergency Management.
Disaster Response
• Activated City EOC in support of the annual Tet Parade.
• Coordinated distribution of information related to earthquakes, wind, heat, fire, and tsunami warnings.
• Coordinated ongoing implementation of the “MyShake” App on all city-issued cellular telephones, ensuring advanced notice of earthquake shaking.
• Continued in the augmentation of disaster supplies supporting citywide response to emergencies.
Planning
• Completed annual review and update of citywide Building Emergency Plan.
• Conducted review of City Continuity of Operations Plan.
• Ongoing review of City Emergency Operations Plan.
• Updated Emergency Management Guidelines outlining duties and responsibilities of the Emergency Services Coordinator.
• Conducted ongoing coordination with Orange County American Red Cross to update Disaster Shelter Plan, including site visit of Westminster shelter location with updated guidelines, per California Office of Emergency Services.
Emergency Operations Center
• Managed city access to Orange County “AlertOC” mass notification system, allowing disaster messaging to all city employees and process for public messaging.
• Activated the City EOC in support of the 2025 Tet Parade.
• Coordinated disaster situational awareness based on wind and heat events, tsunami warnings, and repeated earthquake events, including damage and safety assessments ensuring possible future public assistance funding.
• Ongoing collaboration with the City’s Information Technology Division on EOC Enhancement Project.
Community Preparedness
• Participated in outreach during the City’s National Night Out/Safety Day event.
• Updated the city website with information related to disaster preparedness.
• Supported the distribution of emergency preparedness information using social media; and ensured regular preparedness information, checklists, and public health alert warnings were posted on social media platforms.
• Ensured emergency preparedness material/literature was available at public counters of city buildings in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese as required by Assembly Bill 1638.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Coordinated the 2025 CERT Training Academy with focused outreach to Westminster residents.
• Hosted West County CERT meetings in City EOC.
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)
• Assisted in the onboarding of new RACES volunteers.
• Coordinated the hosting of regular RACES membership meetings in City EOC.
• Identified funding for purchase of equipment enhancing connectivity and communications among RACES members.
Administration/Liaison
• Ensured City was represented at Orange County Operational Area emergency management meetings as required to receive Emergency Management Performance Grant funding.
• Served as liaison with contiguous jurisdictions based on disaster preparedness activities, plans, and outreach.
|
AGREEMENT HISTORY |
CONTRACT AMOUNT |
|
Expiring Agreement (3-year term) |
$247,680 ($82,560/yr) |
|
Proposed Agreement (3-year term) |
$247,680 ($82,560/yr) |
Continuing Ms. Burton’s agreement will maintain essential continuity in the City’s emergency operations, support completion of key projects such as the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and ensure Westminster remains engaged in critical regional preparedness efforts. Staff recommends approval of the professional services agreement to sustain this expertise and ongoing progress.
FISCAL IMPACT
The maximum expenditure will be $82,560 per year with funds already budgeted in Fiscal Year 2026-2027 under Police - Contractual Services Account No. 31000-43090. No additional budget appropriation is requested.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed as to form.
CONCLUSION
Natural and manmade disasters, including public health emergencies, are unpredictable. The City is committed to effective and adequate emergency preparedness and relies on the expertise of a qualified and experienced Emergency Services Coordinator. By approving the proposed agreement, the Emergency Services Coordinator will continue to work on training staff in emergency preparedness and bring forward regional resources critical to the safety and well-being of the community.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft 2026 Professional Services Agreement with Anna M. Burton.
REVIEWED BY
Erin Backs, Finance Director
City Attorney’s Office
Christine Cordon, City Manager