To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Steve Potter, City Manager
Prepared By: Justine Leuthold, Administrative Support Associate
TITLE:
Title
Resolution Termination of Local Emergency for COVID-19
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Napa, State of California proclaiming the termination of local emergency regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Body
DISCUSSION:
In early March 2020, the City of Napa became aware of the threat the newly identified Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) posed to the safety of persons within the City of Napa. The City Manager, acting in the capacity of the Director of Emergency Services, declared an emergency existed and proclamation P2020-01 was signed. The following day, Monday, March 16, 2020, City Council ratified that Proclamation by Resolution (R2020-037). 12 subsequent Proclamations by Resolution were approved by City Council on March 31, 2020 (R2020-039, R2020-040), April 21, 2020 (R2020-49, R2020-055), August 18, 2020 (R2020-102), October 20, 2020 (R2020-123), December 15, 2020 (R2020-152), January 19, 2021 (R2021-005), April 20, 2021 (R2021-024), May 4, 2021 (R2021-031), September 21, 2021 (R2021-093), and January 18, 2022 (R2022-001).
Pursuant to Napa Municipal Code Section 2.89.060, which requires an evaluation by City Council of the need to continue the proclamation of local emergency every 21 days, the impacts of COVID-19 on the community and the City’s operations have been documented and described in public reports at each regularly scheduled Council meeting since April 2020.
In addition to the proclamations by resolutions identified above, the City Manager also took actions by proclamation which were subsequently ratified by the City Council during the Pandemic intended to address specific concerns raised by the community or experienced by City Staff. These included:
• Proclamation No. P2020-002 authorized the limited waiver of outdoor dining permit fees after determining it was in the best interest of the City to facilitate the issuance of Outdoor Dining Permits to allow restaurants to open and operate on a larger outdoor footprint, which will allow the restaurants to comply with required social distancing protocols. The City Manager authorized the Community Development Director to waive the Outdoor Dining permit fee of $620, under the terms set forth by this proclamation (June 16, 2020);
• Proclamation No. P2020-003 established a Temporary Outdoor Commercial Activity Permit Program, which authorized the issuance of permits to allow businesses to temporarily open and operate outdoor activities on a larger outdoor footprint, including the use of private and public property. (July 21, 2020)
• Proclamation No. P2020-004 established the temporary placement of signage on City property and within City right of way to communicate public health messaging in response to the local Emergency (August 4, 2020);
• Proclamation No. P2020-005 established a Temporary Closure of City Property Program, which authorized the issuance of administrative directives to temporarily close City property (including streets, sidewalks, other right of way, or other property in which the City has a right of ownership or use) for the duration of any health order issued by the state of California or Napa County that requires public health precautions in response to COVID-19 (August 18, 2020);
• Proclamation No. P2020-006 authorized the temporary rounding of charges for services at the materials diversion facility to offset a shortage of coins resulting from the Coronavirus Pandemic (September 1, 2020);
• Proclamation No. P2021-001 extended the duration of the temporary outdoor commercial activity permit program and the temporary closure of City property program in response to the local emergency (May 4, 2021);
• Proclamation 2021-002 authorized submission of the grant application for California water and wastewater arrearages payment program and designating authority to the Utilities Director to administer the program resulting from the Coronavirus Pandemic (December 7, 2021);
• Proclamation No. P2022-001 authorized the City Manager to direct the City Clerk to prepare for meetings of the City of Napa City Council, Housing Authority of the City of Napa (“Housing Authority”), and Planning Commission to be held via teleconference in compliance with Government Code Section 54953 through February 8, 2022 (January 18, 2022);
• Proclamation No.P2022-002 extended the duration of the Temporary Outdoor Commercial Activity Permit Program and the Temporary Closure of City Property Program, until August 31, 2022 (February 15, 2022); and
• Proclamation P2022-003 extended the duration of the Temporary Outdoor Commercial Activity Permit Program and the Temporary Closure of City Property Program, until December 1, 2022 (May 17, 2022)
Through the course of the Pandemic the City has continued to operate under an emergency declaration. On October 17, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his intent to end the COVID-19 State of Emergency on February 28, 2023.
On January 30, 2023, President Joe Biden informed Congress that he will end the National Emergency and Public Health Emergency declaration for addressing COVID-19 on May 11, 2023.
Over the past 35 months City staff have been following County of Napa Public Health Officer orders, State of California Department of Public Health orders and guidance, State of California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) regulations and Federal Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. The conditions of local emergency have abated so that the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the City are now sufficient to handle the conditions without relying on the Emergency and Disaster Preparedness authority under Napa Municipal Code Chapter 2.89. City staff recommends that the Council adopt the attached resolution to terminate the proclamation of a local emergency in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19).
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
None by this action; however, adoption of this resolution will terminate the authority for the City Manager to exercise the authority identified by City law under Napa Municipal Code chapter 2.89.
CEQA:
The City Manager has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
NOTIFICATION:
None