That the City Council:
A.  Receive this report; and
 

B.  APPROVE AND ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. ______ ENTITLED:  A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA HABRA, CALIFORNIA, REAFFIRMING RESOLUTION NO. 5934 WHICH RATIFIED THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES DECLARATION OF THE EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY

On January 31, 2020, the United States federal government declared a nationwide emergency in response to growing concern for public health related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  For this same reason, on February 26, 2020, the County of Orange declared a local health emergency, and on March 4, 2020, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in California.

 

On March 16, 2020, in response to these actions, and pursuant to Government Code Section 8550 et seq., including Section 8558(c), City Manager Sadro, acting in his lawful capacity as Director of Emergency Services for the City of La Habra, proclaimed the existence of a local emergency in La Habra.  On that same day, the City Council ratified the proclamation through its approval of Resolution No. 5934.

Pursuant to Government Code Section 8630, the City Council is required to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the governing body (i.e. the City Council) terminates the local emergency.  Given continuing actions by the federal government, the State of California, and the County of Orange to control the spread of COVID-19, the City Council reaffirmed the 60-day emergency declaration by approving Resolution No. 5943 on May 4, 2020, and again on June 15, 2020, through Resolution No. 5955, and again on August 3, 2020, through Resolution No. 5967, and again on September 21, 2020, through Resolution No. 5974, and again on November 2, 2020, through Resolution No. 5976, and again on December 21, 2020, through Resolution No. 5983, and again on February 16, 2021, through Resolution No. 5985, and again on April 5, 2021, through Resolution No. 5990, and again on May 17, 2021, through Resolution No. 5996 (Attachment 1).

Although the COVID-19 vaccine is now being widely distributed, it will take time for enough of the population to be inoculated to slow the spread of the disease, and while the State of California took action to reopen the economy on June 15, 2021, staff recommends the local public health emergency be reaffirmed until such time as the State formally rescinds its public health emergency declaration.  Therefore, staff recommends the City Council adopt the attached draft resolution (Attachment 2) and reaffirm the local emergency declaration for an additional 60-day period. Staff will continue to monitor County, State, and Federal actions regarding the pandemic emergency and will advise Council at a future date whether the local emergency declaration should once again be extended, or if it can be terminated.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate and ongoing impact on City finances, most notably in revenues from fee based services and costs associated with COVID-19 response efforts.

ED 9.1 Balanced Fiscal Practices