For City Council Meeting [April 28, 2020]
TO: Honorable City Council
APPROVAL: Rod Foster, City Manager
FROM: Sean Grayson, Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council to Receive an Update on and Confirm the Continued Existence of a Local Emergency Throughout the City of Rialto in Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak and take other actions as deemed appropriate by the City Council.
Body
BACKGROUND
On March 12, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution 7600 declaring a local emergency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In the action staff indicated that the item would be brought back to the City Council for updates at each City Council meeting for the duration of the local emergency. The City Council received an update on and approved continuation of the local emergency on March 24, 2020 and April 14, 2020. In the April 14, 2020 action, the City Council confirmed the continued closure of City facilities to the public through May 31, 2020 and the cancellation of all City events through the end of fiscal year 2019/2020 (June 30, 2020). The City Council also provided direction with regard to follow-up action with grocery stores for COVID-19 safety.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
On March 16, 2020, the City of Rialto cancelled all City events and activities and closed all City facilities to the public. City facilities remain open to provide services via phone, email, fax and scheduled meetings through means other than face-to-face.
Since the City’s declaration of a local emergency and actions on March 16, 2020, there have been significant directives from the State of California and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. Effective March 18, 2020, the County of San Bernardino Health Officer ordered the cancellation of gatherings of any number of people within the County through at least April 6, 2020. The order also requires the closure of all movie theaters, gyms, health clubs, bars, adult entertainment establishments, and other businesses that serve alcohol but do not serve food. Food and beverage establishment must follow guidance issued by the California Department of Public Health that requires restaurants be closed for dining and open only to drive-through, pick-up and delivery.
On March 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Stay-At-Home order for all of California. This order limited the continued operations of businesses and entities to those that are critical infrastructure as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. After the order the City made modifications to the work environment, has provided work from home assignments and moved to a platoon staffing model rotating personnel weekly outside of Police, Fire and Public Works field which maintain normal staffing and operations.
The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has continued to grow throughout the world. Additional cases are reported daily in California and San Bernardino County specifically with cases reported in Rialto. The increased number of cases and compliance with state and county orders have generated citywide impacts including: the closure to all City facilities to the public, the closure of specific City facilities and their related programs and services, the closure of a variety of businesses, the closure of County facilities and resources within the City, limitations on access to county and state resources including the closure of County courts.
Based upon direction at the April 14, 2020 City Council meeting staff has visited all grocery stores within the City and shared standards previously communicated through the Community Development Department, as well as presented the City’s expectations for facility, staff, and patron safety related to COVID-19. Relevant enforceable standards from the State of California and County of San Bernardino, as well as City of Rialto best practices were promulgated to help ensure continued social distancing practices, capacity limitations, employee safety procedures, and patron safety procedures in grocery stores.
With increasing cases and profound impacts on the community, a local emergency still exists in Rialto in response to COVID-19. Staff recommends maintenance of the local emergency declaration without modification.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The requested action is consistent with General Plan goals 5.7 “Maintain a high level of emergency response capability” and 5.8 “Provide effective and comprehensive policing services that meet the safety needs of Rialto.”
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The financial impact remains unknown at this time. Expenditures related to the event to date have been accomplished within existing purchase orders and the City Manager’s authority and have been attributed as an event expenditure.
Any additional expenditures using the Director of Emergency Services authority under the local emergency will be presented in subsequent reports to the City Council for the duration of the local emergency.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
• Receive the update on and confirm the continued existence of a local emergency throughout the City of Rialto in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; and,
• Take other actions as deemed appropriate by the City Council.