HomeMy WebLinkAbout20-063RESOLUTION NO. 20-063
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNT COMMISSIONERS OF
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA RATIFYING A "REDUCED OPERATIONS' ORDER
OF THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St Lucie County, Florida has made the
following determinations:
1. Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") is a severe acute respiratory illness
that can spread among humans through respiratory transmission and presents with symptoms
similar to those of influenza; and
2. In late 2019, a new and significant outbreak of COVID-19 emerged in China; and
3. The World Health Organization previously declared COVID-19 a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern; and
4. In response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South
Korea, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") has deemed it necessary to prohibit
or restrict non -essential travel to or from those countries; and
5. On March 1, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order
Number 20-51 directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency;
and
6. On March 1, 2020, the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer declared a
Public Health Emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and
7. On March 7, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida directed the Director of the
Division of Emergency Management to activate the State of Emergency Operations Center to Level
2 to provide coordination and response to the COVID-19 emergency; and
8. On March 9, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order
Number 20-52 declaring that a state of emergency exists in the State of Florida as a result of the
spread of the COVID-19 virus and imminent threat to the health and welfare of the citizens of
Florida; and
JOSEPH E. SMITH, CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
SAINT LUCIE COUNTY
FILE # 4699107 04/16/2020 03:49:57 PM
OR BOOK 4409 PAGE 1265 - 1269 Doc Type: RESO
1 RECORDING: $44.00
9. The CDC currently recommends community preparedness and that everyday
prevention measures should be taken by all individuals and families in the United States, including
voluntary home isolation when individuals are sick with respiratory symptoms, covering coughs
and sneezes with a tissue and disposal of the tissue immediately thereafter, washing hands often
with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, using alcohol -based hand sanitizers with 60%-95%
alcohol if soap and water are not readily available and routinely cleaning frequently touched
surfaces and objects to increase community resilience and readiness for responding to an
outbreak; and
10. On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States issued a proclamation of a
declaration of national emergency; and
11. On March 13, 2020, the Coordinating Officer for the State of Florida Division of
Emergency Management issued Emergency Order No. 20-004, authorizing the Department of
Education to delay school assessments and to adjust school calendars including rescheduling,
extending or cancelling spring breaks; and
12. On March 16, 2020, President Donald J. Trump and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention ('CDC") issued the "15 Days to Slow the Spread" guidance advising individuals to
adopt far-reaching social distancing measures, such as avoiding gatherings of more than 10
people, and in states with evidence of community spread, recommending restrictions to certain
establishments conducive to mass gatherings and congregations; and
13. On March 29, 2020, the President extended such guidance to be in effect until April
30, 2020; and
14. On March 17, 2020, the St. Lucie County Public Safety Director declared a State of
Local Emergency COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ("St. Lucie County Declaration of
Emergency"); and
15. On March 24, 2020, the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order No.
20-83 directing the State Surgeon General and State Health Officer to issue a public health
advisory to all persons over 65 years of age and persons that have serious underlying medical
conditions that place them at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 urging them to stay home
and to take such other measures as necessary to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19; and
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1 16. Pursuant to Executive Order No. 20-83, the Governor of the State of Florida further
directed the State Surgeon General and the State Health Officer to issue a public health advisory
providing that individuals should cease all social or recreational gatherings of 10 or more people;
and
17. On March 25, 2020, the State Surgeon General issued a Public Health Advisory
consistent with Executive Order 20-83; and
18. On March 25, 2020, the President of the United States declared that a major
disaster exists in the State of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and
19. The State of Florida and St. Lucie County are continuing to experience reports of
illnesses and persons testing positive for the virus; and
20. There has been no indication that the spread of COVID-19 is slowing in the State
of Florida and St. Lucie County; and
21. St. Lucie County must continue to take emergency action to lessen the spread of
COVID-19; and
22. There is reason to believe that COVID-19 is spread amongst the population by
various means of exposure, including the propensity to spread person to person and the
propensity to attach to surfaces for prolonged periods of time thereby creating a dangerous
physical condition spreading from surface to person and causing increased infections to persons,
and also creating property or business income loss and damage in certain circumstances; and
23. COVID-19 has the propensity to spread from person to person causing widespread
infection and loss of life, and also because COVID-19 is causing property damage and business
income loss due to its proclivity to attach to surfaces for prolonged periods of time and thereby
creating a dangerous physical condition; and
24. St. Lucie County wants to take effective and reasonable steps to protect the health
of residents and the community; and
25. As St. Lucie County Administrator, I have determined that a Reduced Operations
Order for County employees is a reasonable and prudent action to take in order to ensure the
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healtrt safety, and welfare of the residents of St. Lucie County; and
26. A Reduced Operations Order is an Order that:
• Is less restrictive than total closure of County operations;
• Reduces the number of County employees reporting to work on specified
days in order to further reduce the possibility of community spread of
COVID-19;
• Provides for the County to continue to provide critical mission services to
County residents and businesses;
• Allows additional time for required cleaning and sanitizing County facilities
when non -critical mission or non -emergency employees are not present;
and
• Recognizes the significant contribution of critical mission and emergency
employees to maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of County
residents and businesses during this Declared State of Local Emergency
through additional compensation.
27. Paragraph 2 of the St. Lucie County Declaration of Emergency provides that the
County Administrator may take all actions necessary and appropriate to protect human life and
prosperity, to the extent necessary to accommodate the emergency.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of
St. Lucie County, Florida:
1. The County Administrator's Order effective April 2, 2020 at 12:00 a.m. is
hereby ratified.
2. This resolution shall take effect upon adoption.
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After motion and second, the vote on this resolution was as follows:
Commissioner Cathy Townsend, Chair
Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky, Vice Chair
Commissioner Sean Mitchell
Commissioner Linda Bartz
Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 7th day of April, 2020.
ATTEST:
0-
WiTY, Fvo!4
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By:
C air
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND
BY:
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