With no discussion and little fanfare, the Escalon City Council approved ratifying a ‘Local Emergency Proclamation’ regarding the severe storm that bore down on the area on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
City Manager Jaylen French noted that the item was on the consent calendar for the council’s Monday night, May 4 meeting.
“No questions, no discussion,” French said of the item, which was approved as part of the consent calendar.
The storm caused some major flooding, primarily in the downtown area, as more than two inches of rain fell in a short period of time on April 21. French said the approval of the proclamation opens some possibilities.
“As it pertains to the Emergency Declaration, given the recent hardship that local businesses experienced, the City felt it was important to take reasonable steps to assist them, including maintaining eligibility for federal assistance if available,” he explained. “With economic development as a top Council priority, this is an opportunity for the City to partner with, and advocate for, local businesses.”
French added that officials are “in active communication” with the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services regarding potential funding pathways, which require a declaration.
“While we do not yet know whether assistance will ultimately be available, or the level of assistance it could provide to the businesses, our goal is to ensure Escalon is positioned to access support if available,” French said.
The Monday night council meeting featured just three council members on the dais; with Mayor Andy Hagan, Mayor Pro Tem Malinda Walker and council member Jeff Kay in attendance. Councilmen Jeremy Engle and Shawn Strohman were absent.
Also at the roughly hour-long meeting, San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control Board representative Gary Haskin provided a quarterly update for the council on the board’s activities.
Police Chief Anthony Hardgraves offered information regarding some of his officers that assisted with a sideshow crackdown in San Joaquin County over the weekend, with two units assigned on Saturday and one unit assigned on Sunday. It was a multi-agency effort, the chief said, and the two Escalon units assigned to the crackdown on Saturday made 26 traffic stops, issued 22 citations had 14 vehicles towed. On Sunday, there were 21 traffic stops conducted by the Escalon unit, with 10 citations issued and one vehicle towed.
Upcoming, Starbucks and the police department will join in for Coffee With A Cop on Wednesday, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
French said a Coffee with City Hall event will be hosted at the local Soul Coffee on Main Street on Friday, May 29 at 9 a.m., giving residents the opportunity to meet with city staff.
Upcoming council meetings will include work on the budget in June in anticipation of adoption by the July 1 start of the new fiscal year; and a review of the 72-home Murphy Ranch hosing development planned for June 15.
