For City Council Meeting [July 28, 2020]
TO: Honorable City Council
APPROVAL: Rod Foster, City Manager
FROM: Sean Grayson, Interim Community Services Director
Title
Request City Council to 1) 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; 2) Authorize the Director of Emergency Services / City Manager to Execute a Contract for a COVID-19 Testing Site at a City Facility; and 3) Provide any Direction/Input on Emergency Response and City Operations related to COVID-19.
(ACTION)
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; April 14, 2020; May 12, 2020; May 26, 2020; June 9, 2020; June 23, 2020; and July 14, 2020.
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 remained 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. The County of San Bernardino Health Officer ordered the cancellation of gatherings and closing of most businesses. 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 fields which maintain normal staffing and operations.
The County Order has been rescinded in favor of the State of California Roadmap to Modify the Stay At Home Order. Many business sectors have reopened but with restrictions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some sectors including youth sports outside of day camp settings, indoor playgrounds, live theater, saunas and steam rooms, nightclubs, concert venues, festivals, and theme parks remain closed.
The Rialto City Council approved the phased reopening of City facilities beginning June 29, 2020, consistent with state and county guidance. Although all departments are now open for in-person customer service, some services are not available including many Community Services offerings which were scheduled to reopen at future dates if allowed.
On July 1, 2020 Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health directed counties, including all of San Bernardino County, that have been on the County Monitoring List for three consecutive days or more to close indoor operations for certain sectors which promote the mixing of populations beyond households and make adherence to physical distancing and wearing face coverings difficult. The guidance applies for a minimum of three weeks and is subject to an extension based on epidemiologic indicators. In addition, all brewpubs, breweries, bars, and pubs in San Bernardino County were ordered closed immediately, both indoor and outdoor.
On July 13, 2020 Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health directed counties, including all of San Bernardino County, that have been on the County Monitoring List for three consecutive days or more to close indoor operations for additional sectors beyond those identified on July 1, 2020 including: fitness centers, places of worship, offices of non-critical sectors, personal care services, hair salons and barbers, and malls.
The City Emergency Management Team evaluates the spread and impact of COVID-19 on a continual basis. Initial adjustments were implemented based upon trigger points established in relations to case numbers in the County and City. With ongoing community transmission actual case rates continue to be assessed with additional assessment of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on City operations used to refine adjustments. Operational impacts largely focus on the available workforce, the closure status of various sectors, the ability to protect the workforce, the ability to protect the community while in City facilities, and the ability to provide essential and routine services to the community.
Based upon this continued assessment the City took a tactical pause in its reopening plans on July 1, 2020. City facilities open at that time remain open while all other reopenings or future events have been postponed. This tactical pause impacts all Community Services facilities and programs. In order to ensure protection of employees and the community consistent with guidance the City has made the following additional adjustments to its operations:
● The City will continue to offer most services via phone, email or other than in-person means where possible.
● All City departments will be open for in-person business. In many departments walk-up business can be accommodated in real-time.
● Appointments will be scheduled where convenient for customers, for activities that will take extended periods, or for customers that will need to enter facilities beyond shielding and in-place protections.
● Enhanced logging of employee and customer attendance has been implemented to assist with contact tracing and decontamination assessment.
● Additional employee training and assessment of the in-place protections in departments is ongoing and has been updated to reflect recent changes in guidance and orders.
Continue the Local Emergency
The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has continued to increase throughout the world, 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 modified reopening of City facilities, the closure of specific City facilities and their related programs and services, the reopening of various businesses with restrictions, the closure of a variety of businesses, and limitations on access to county and state resources. As such, a local emergency still exists in Rialto in response to COVID-19.
Contract for a COVID-19 Testing Site at a City Facility
The availability of COVID-19 testing is an essential element of COVID-19 response and recovery planning. Testing capacity and actual tests performed are metrics that the State holds the County accountable for in allowing for the County to move through the various stages of reopening.
Staff has coordinated partnered with the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services (located in Rialto) and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health to create additional free COVID-19 testing opportunities for Rialto community members. City facilities not currently in use are being evaluated by an interdisciplinary team with regard to space, traffic flow, and conflicts with other City uses to determine the optimal location. The final site would be planned for opening in August operating Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. All testing would be by appointment only with a maximum of approximately 500 appointments per day. The site would be made available by the City for operations through 2020 and be staffed by twenty-five County employees.
A contract or memorandum of understanding will be required for the County to staff and use the selected City facility. In order to expedite the opening of the site and consistent with existing practice between the City and other government entities staff recommends that the Director of Emergency Services / City Manager be authorized to execute any required contract on behalf of the City.
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 reviewed and supports this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The financial impact of the local emergency 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
● Authorize the Director of Emergency Services / City Manager to execute a contract for a COVID-19 testing site at a City facility.
● Provide any direction or input on emergency response/city operations related to COVID-19