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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-030 - ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 2020-030 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, CALLING ON GOVERNOR NEWSOM AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO SET A TIMETABLE AND BEGIN REOPENING BUSINESSES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA A. RECITALS: 1. International, national, state, and local health and governmental authorities are responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus named "SARS- CoV-2," and the disease it causes has been named "Coronavirus Disease 2019," abbreviated COVID-19, ("COVID-19"). 2. On March 4, 2020, the Governor of the State of California declared a state of emergency to make additional resources available, formalize emergency actions already underway across multiple state agencies and departments, and help the State prepare for broader spread of COVID-19. 3. On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States of America declared a national emergency and announced that the federal government would make emergency funding available to assist state and local governments in preventing the spread of and addressing the effects of COVID-19. 4. On March 18, 2020, the Rancho Cucamonga City Council adopted Resolution 2020-014, proclaiming the existence of a local emergency due to COVID-19 pursuant to Government Code Section 8630. 5. On March 18, 2020, the Rancho Cucamonga City Council adopted Ordinance No. 967 establishing a temporary moratorium on evictions of residential and commercial tenants unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 crisis. 6. On March 19, 2020, the Governor issued Executive Order N-33-20 to implement directives developed by the State Public Health Officer that require all individuals living in the State of California to stay at their place of residence (referred to as "Stay -at -Home" Order) except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure and other essential sectors, essentially closing most of the State's businesses and stalling the economy into a sudden and deep recession. 7. On April 14, 2020, the Governor outlined six indicators that the State will consider before modifying the Stay -at -Home Order which includes, to name a few, the ability to protect the community through testing, contact tracing, isolating and supporting those who are positive or exposed; ability of hospitals to handle surges; and the ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to maintain physical distancing. 8. On April 27, 2020, officials from six Northern California counties and 14 cities requested that the Governor allow them to exercise local authority and begin implementing a phased reopening of their local economies. Resolution No. 2020-030 - Page 1 of 4 9. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)' reports that the State's stay at home and physical distancing orders have resulted in "flattening the curve", as indicated by their data that: • Since April 22, the number of COVID-19 deaths in California has steadily fallen from its peak of 136 on that date; • 26,654 general hospital beds are available to support COVID-19 patients, nearly ten times the 2,730 projected to be needed by those patients; • 1,994 ICU beds are available, nearly three times the 722 projected ICU beds needed to care for these patients; and • Hospital beds are projected to be more than adequate to care for COVID-19 patients through the rest of 2020. 10. In San Bernardino County the average number of positive COVID-19 tests and the average number of positive COVID 19 tests as a percentage of total tests have been trending down, while at the same time testing capacity has significantly increased and the hospitals remain well within their existing and surge capacity for beds. 11. Due to the impacts of the Stay -at -Home Order, the State of California has experienced 2.7 million claims for unemployment in the last five weeks. 12. The State's second quarter economic growth is estimated to be in the range of 20-40%, the largest economic contraction ever experienced2. 13. With non-essential businesses closed and millions of workers unemployed, City revenues that fund local services have plummeted. California cities are projecting a nearly $7 billion general revenue shortfall over the next two fiscal years. This shortfall is project to grow by billions of dollars if the Stay -at -Home Order extends into the summer months. 14. According to the League of California Cities, ninety percent of cities project that shortfalls will impact core City services, including police, fire, emergency management, and planning and housing, and anticipate lay-offs or furloughs, which will further impact core services for residents. 15. On April 28, Governor Newsom released the "Update on California's Pandemic Roadmap", which outlined four stages for reopening, but did not include any specific timelines or triggers for moving through the proposed stages. The IHME is an independent population health research center at the University of Washington. Data cited is from the IHME website at https://covidl9.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/california 2 UC Riverside Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, "The Post COVID-19 Economy: The Case for the V", April 2020 Resolution No. 2020-030 - Page 2 of 4 B. RESOLUTION: NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Rancho Cucamonga does hereby find and resolve as follows: 1. Findings: a. The City Council recognizes the continued need to support thoughtful and strategic physical distancing measures, testing, contact tracing, and limits on large gatherings in order to continue to effectively manage the COVID-19 disaster and protect the lives of Californians. b. The City Council equally recognizes that this sudden and deep economic recession is having increasingly disastrous impacts on the lives of Californians. If allowed to continue, this economic disaster will inevitably deepen the crisis of homelessness, raise poverty levels, increase crime and blight, and most greatly harm our State's most vulnerable populations. C. In order to continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic while re -starting our State's economy and preventing further harm from both these disasters, it is critical that by May 22, 2020, we have a clearly defined, multi -phased plan for the re -opening of businesses in California. This plan must include specific dates and timetables, and not generalities. d. The State of California needs to provide additional flexibility within the State Health Order to allow individual counties, regions within counties, and types of businesses within regions to re -open at differing speeds based on a high risk/low risk determination, as well as the appropriate health data metrics. e. The City Council is calling upon Governor Newsom and our State Legislature to work with medical and business communities and define this plan together with all urgency, knowing that we all seek the good for our State and believing that together, we will be able to both bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end and re -start our economic engine so that businesses and families can thrive again. 2. Effective Date: This Resolution shall take effect upon adoption. 3. Distribution: Copies of this resolution shall be sent to Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Mike Morrell, Assembly Members Chris Holden and James Ramos, State Assembly and Senate Leadership, and League of California Cities Executive Director Carolyn Coleman. 4. Certification: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. Resolution No. 2020-030 - Page 3 of 4 PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 6th day of May, 2020. ATTEST: 4 anice C. Reynolds, City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO ) ss CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA ) 1, Janice C. Reynolds, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, at a Regular Meeting of said Council held on the 6th day of May 2020. AYES: Hutchison, Kennedy, Michael, Scott, Spagnolo NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAINED: None Executed this 7th day of May, 2020, at Rancho Cucamonga, California. AniceC.eynolds, Clerk Resolution No. 2020-030 - Page 4 of 4