Officials plan county coordination and infrastructure checks ahead of a strong El Niño

City staff told attendees they are preparing for a potentially strong El Niño this winter and are coordinating with other Monterey County city managers on storm readiness and mutual aid.

The Moderator said that "Some people are already calling it a Godzilla El Nino" and that staff will hold internal and intercity meetings to review storm drains, safety plans and how to set up an emergency operations center with backup power. She cited lessons from recent drills and previous storms, saying the city learned how to improve communication during outages.

Officials said they will review evacuation alert procedures and other operational steps learned from recent drills to better prepare for extended outages or storm impacts. There was no formal vote or policy adoption during the briefing; staff said planning and coordination work will continue.

The city did not present a budget or specific timeline for capital upgrades during the meeting, only that near-term planning and intercity coordination will be prioritized.