ITEM TITLE:
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#21-08 - Authorizing the Continuance of the COVID-19 Local Government Disaster Declaration
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SUBMITTED BY: Mark Detter, City Manager/Incident Commander
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
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Approve Resolution revising and extending COVID 19 emergency declaration for the City of Valdez.
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SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The State of Alaska's COVID 19 emergency declaration is set to expire February14, 2021. Currently, it appears the Legislature and Governor will not have negotiated an extension to the emergency by the deadline on the 14th.
Staff would like to clarify the language in City of Valdez emergency declaration related to the expiration of the State and Federal emergency declaration. Section 1. of the emergency declaration dated March 17, 2020 states the emergency shall "remain in effect until March 3, 2021, or until COVID-19 is no longer a federal or state emergency, whichever occurs first."
As incident commander, I believe the emergency declaration of the Mayor and City Council sends a clear signal to the community and City staff that Valdez is operating under emergency conditions. As incident commander and City Manager, I believe my individual emergency powers are completely authorized by the emergency declaration of Council. These powers include:
?Procurement authorizations (The security booth on South Harbor Drive near the fish processors and testing contracts with medical clinics were negotiated with these powers).
?Allowing local businesses certain flexibility in operations to create mitigation strategies during COVID (closing Wrangell and authorizing usage of City parking spots for restaurant pick-up was authorized under such power).
?Justification for maintaining the Unified Command and Incident Management Team is provided to the City Manager due to the emergency declaration.
It appears the City of Valdez eligibility to receive FEMA funds will remain without ...
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