Approve the City of Ramsey Employee COVID-19 Preparedness Plan

The purpose of this case is for the City Council to consider approving the City of Ramsey’s COVID-19 preparedness plan.  
 
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, some businesses have been defined "Critical Businesses" based on federal guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). These businesses were able to continue operations – with safety protocols in place – due to the essential nature of their work in areas such as healthcare, public safety, food and agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transportation and more.

In the weeks and months since Governor Walz first declared a peacetime emergency and Stay at Home order in Minnesota, we've now seen tens of thousands of businesses begin to safely reopen across our state. Businesses that are reopening are now required to adopt a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan to explain the policies, practices and conditions that the business will take to protect the health and safety of their workers and customers.

Critical Businesses have always been required to follow the same MDH and CDC guidelines and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards as non-Critical Sector businesses, but they had not previously been required to adopt and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan.

Governor Walz and state leaders have recognized that a more consistent approach across industries and businesses in Minnesota was important – and that workers at Critical Businesses deserve the same clarity about their employers' plans to protect health and safety as those at non-Critical Sector businesses. To ensure that happens, Executive Order 20-74 requires that by June 29, 2020, all businesses – including Critical Businesses – fully adopt and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. 

The City is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. The City's preparedness plan was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the plan is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplace.

Employee involvement has been essential in developing and implementing the COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. The City has strongly encouraged open communications between employees and management.  All employee feedback has been evaluated and, if feasible, integrated into this plan. Employees have been encouraged to continue to report any suggestions or concerns they have related to being at work and COVID-19.

Our Preparedness Plan follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines and federal OSHA standards related to COVID-19 and addresses:
•hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
•engineering and administrative controls for social distancing;
•housekeeping – cleaning, disinfecting and decontamination;
•prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;
•communications and training that will be provided to managers and employees; and
•management and supervision necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan.

The preparedness plan is attached to this case.
 

Not applicable.

Staff recommends approving the preparedness plan.  In addition, staff recommends granting the City Administrator the authority to revise the plan on an as needed basis as circumstances change. 

Motion to approve the City of Ramsey's COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and to grant the City Administrator the authority to revise  the plan as circumstances change in the future.