HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 20-7933 - Ratifiying the Proclamation of a Local Emergency & Authorize CM as Director of Emergency ServicesV=Riol ILII 9 [*1\ \ 16AW111IF1W
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WHEREAS, pursuant to Article II, Chapter 4, Part 4 of the Downey Municipal Code,
Section 2434(a)(1) and Government Code Section 8630(a), the City Manager acting as the
Director of Emergency Services is authorized to proclaim the existence or threatened existence
of a public emergency when the City is affected or likely to be affected by a public calamity and
the City Council is not in session;
WHEREAS, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that may result in
serious illness or death and is easily transmissible from person to person and poses conditions
of extreme peril to the public health and safety of persons; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Public Health and
Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public emergency for COVID-19 beginning on
January 27, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency
in the State of California due to the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the State; and
WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, Los Angeles County declared an emergency due to the
number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the County, thus enabling Los Angeles County to
take extraordinary measures; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19
outbreak a global pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Los Angeles County announced that the number of confirmed COVID-19
cases in the County is approximately 144 with 1 death; and the Los Angeles County Department
of Public Health on March 16, 2020 issued a Health Order prohibiting all indoor and private
gatherings and all outdoor public and private events of no more than 50 people; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 therefore has and will continue to cause conditions of peril to the
health, safety, and welfare of persons and property in the City of Downey; and
WHEREAS, preparing for, responding to, mitigating, and recovering from the spread of
COVID-19 requires the City to divert resources from normal day-to-day operations, and has and
will continue to impose extraordinary requirements on and expenses to the City; and
WHEREAS, on March 18, 2020, the City Manager acting as the Director of Emergency
Services proclaimed the existence of a Local Emergency within the City of Downey; and
WHEREAS, the City Council hereby finds that the above described conditions related to
the COVID-19 outbreak did warrant and necessitate the proclamation of the existence of a local
emergency in the City of Downey by the City Manager acting as the Director of Emergency
Services;
WHEREAS, the conditions related to the COVID-19 outbreak has caused the need to
make city staffing modifications and to expend public money to protect the public health and
safeguard life, health, and essential public services; and
WHEREAS, the Local Emergency will require financial and other assistance from State
and Federal authorities.
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SECTION 1. The above recitations are true and correct.
SECTION 2. That said Proclamation of a Local Emergency, as issued on March 18,
2020 by said City Manager acting as Director of Emergency Services, is hereby ratified by the
Downey City Council; and
SECTION 3. Based on the Recitals above, that the City Council does hereby finds and
orders the following:
A. A Local Emergency now exists throughout the City;
B. During the existence of said Local Emergency the powers, functions and duties
of the Emergency Organization of City shall be those prescribed by state law, by
ordinances and resolutions of City, as approved by the City Council;
C. During the existence of said Local Emergency, City shall follow and impose all
directives, mandates, Executive Orders and any other emergency related
restrictions issued by the State of California and/or the County of Los Angeles,
including any and all social distancing recommendations;
D. The City Manager is authorized to direct the immediate closure of City facilities
(including City Hall) during normal business hours should he deem it necessary
and make any necessary city employee staffing changes if required to address
the Local Emergency;
E. Persons doing essential business with the City are requested to the extent
possible to conduct business remotely using technology (i.e., phone, email, fax);
F. If it is necessary to close Downey city facilities or if a shelter in place order is in
effect in the City of Downey, the City will be unable to timely respond to requests
for public records or meet other deadlines including the Permit Streamlining Act.
In such event, the City considers such deadlines to be tolled during the period in
which Downey Facilities are closed or a shelter in place order is in effect in the
City of Downey;
G. The City Manager's purchasing authority is hereby increased to meet the needs
of addressing this Local Emergency;
H. The normal City goods and service procurement requests and purchase
practices, including bidding requirements, are stayed during this period of the
Local Emergency;
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I. Purchases of items that are not budgeted are authorized to be purchased in
order to respond during this period of the Local Emergency;
J. All City officers and employees to assist the City Manager to qualify the City for
reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for other
state and federal relief as may be available to reimburse the City for the
expenses it incurs in addressing this Local Emergency;
K. Any other actions deemed necessary by the City Manager to reasonably respond
to the emergency shall be taken to effectively serve the community within the
City.
SECTION 4. That the City Council finds based on substantial evidence that the public
interest and necessity demanded the immediate expenditure of public money by the City
Manager, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, to safeguard life health, or essential
public services; and that the emergency would not not permit a delay resulting from a
competitive solicitation for bids; that this action was necessary to respond to the Local
Emergency, and that the City Manager's action, in responding to the Local Emergency prior to
the adoption of this Resolution, is hereby ratified.
SECTION 5. That the City Manager is hereby directed to report to the City Council at
least every thirty (30) days or more often as required until the emergency action is terminated.
SECTION 6. That the City Manager is authorized to request financial assistance from
the State of California and Federal Government on behalf of the residents and City of Downey;
and
SECTION 7. That said local emergency shall be deemed to continue to exist until its
termination is proclaimed by the City Council of the City of Downey, Los Angeles County,
California.
SECTION 8. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 24 th
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AR�ALI�CIA D�UANACMC
City Clerk
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I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the City Council of
the City of Downey at a regular meeting held on the 24 th day of March, 2020, by the following
vote, to wit:
F�J'ES:
Council Members:
Ashton, Rodriguez, Saab, Frometa, Mayor Pacheco
NOES:
Council Member:
None.
ABSENT:
Council Member:
None.
ABSTAIN:
Council Member:
None.
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City Clerk