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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11a - Termination of a Local Emergency DATE: March 21, 2023 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager By: Chen Suen, Fire Chief SUBJECT: RESOLUTION NO. 7487 ADOPTING AND PROCLAIMING THE TERMINATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY REGARDING NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) CEQA: Not a Project Recommendation: Adopt SUMMARY On March 16, 2020, the City Manager, acting as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly thereafter, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 7300 ratifying and declaring the existence of a local emergency regarding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Today, knowledge about the spread and effects of COVID-19 has significantly improved, including the widespread availability of vaccines, and COVID-19 no longer presents conditions of extreme peril. Throughout the local emergency period, the City of Arcadia was able to effectively manage services, personnel, equipment, and facilities with limited disruption to the public, and that remains the case now. As such, these sustained conditions warrant the termination of the local emergency. Under the same reasoning, the County, State, and Federal governments have all declared the end of emergency conditions. It is recommended that City Council adopt Resolution No. 7487 proclaiming the termination of a Local Emergency regarding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). BACKGROUND On February 26, 2020, the Center for Disease Control confirmed the first possible case of COVID-19 through community transmission in the United States. In the initial weeks of the pandemic, COVID-19 quickly spread globally to over 155 countries/regions, infecting hundreds of thousands of people around the globe and leading to millions of deaths worldwide. Resolution No. 7487 Termination of a Local Emergency RE: the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) March 21, 2023 Page 2 of 3 On March 4, 2020, the Health Officer of Los Angeles County determined that there was an imminent and proximate threat to public health from the introduction of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County and declared a Local Health Emergency. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors concurrently proclaimed the existence of a local emergency for the County of Los Angeles. Also on March 4, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to make additional resources available, formalize emergency actions that were already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and help the State prepare for broader spread of COVID-19. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) publicly characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a National Emergency due to the continued spread and the effects of COVID-19. On March 16, 2020, the City Manager, acting as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, proclaimed the existence or threatened existence of a local emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly thereafter, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 7300 ratifying and declaring the existence of a local emergency regarding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). DISCUSSION California Government Code 8630, et seq., requires the governing body to review the continued need for a declared local emergency at least once every 60 days until the governing body terminates the local emergency, and the governing body shall proclaim the termination of the local emergency at the earliest possible date that conditions permit. Governor Newsom’s State of Emergency Proclamation, issued on March 4, 2020, waived the 60-day time period in California Government Code 8630, within which local government authorities must renew a local emergency. Under California’s emergency proclamation, any declared local emergency will remain in effect until each local governing body terminates its respected local emergency. The City of Arcadia has been operating under a proclaimed local emergency for COVID- 19 since March 17, 2020. During the past three years, the spread and effects of COVID- 19 constituted conditions of extreme peril to the health and safety of persons and property within the City of Arcadia. Today, the spread and effects of COVID-19 have significantly decreased and no longer constitute conditions of extreme peril. Despite the challenges during this unprecedented period, the City of Arcadia has been able to effectively control services, personnel, equipment, and facilities. As such, these sustained conditions warrant the termination of the local emergency. Under the same reasoning, on October 17, 2022, Governor Newsom announced that the COVID-19 State of Emergency for California would end on February 28, 2023. On February 10, 2023, United States President Joseph Biden Jr. announced that the COVID- 19 National Emergency is anticipated to end on May 11, 2023. Further, the Los Angeles Resolution No. 7487 Termination of a Local Emergency RE: the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) March 21, 2023 Page 3 of 3 County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on February 28, 2023 to terminate the COVID-19 Local Emergency on March 31, 2023. With the terminations of local emergencies at the federal, state, and county levels, it is recommended that the City Council pursue a similar action through the adoption and proclamation of Resolution No. 7487. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), per section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3), no environmental review is required. FISCAL IMPACT This item does not have an impact on the Fiscal Year 2022-23 City Budget. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that City Council adopt Resolution No. 7487 proclaiming the termination of a Local Emergency regarding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Attachment: Resolution No. 7487