RESOLUTION NO. RES-2023-049
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA TERMINATING THE PROCLAMATION OF EXISTENCE OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE THREAT TO COMMUNITY HEALTH POSED BY COVID-19 WHEREAS, beginning on March 2, 2020, and until the present, the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID19) presented extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within City of Santa Rosa; and WHEREAS, on March 2, 2020, the Sonoma County Health Officer and the County of Sonoma Director of Emergency Services proclaimed a Local Health Emergency due to the potential introduction of COVID-19 in Sonoma County; and WHEREAS, on March 2, 2020, following the Declaration of Local Health Emergency by the Sonoma County Health Officer and the County of Sonoma Director of Emergency Services, the City Manager, acting in his capacity as Director of Emergency Services, issued a Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency within the City of Santa Rosa due to the emerging threats posed by COVID-19; and WHEREAS, on March 3, 2020, by Resolution RES-2020-035, the Council of the City of Santa Rosa ratified the Proclamation of the Existence of a Local Emergency issued by the Director of Emergency Services; and WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide State of Emergency as a result of the growing threats posed by COVID-19 across the state; and WHEREAS, since March 2020 and continuing until recently, the Sonoma County Health Officer and the State Public Health Officer issued a series of declarations and orders in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and well-being of the community; and WHEREAS, for several years, despite evolving and on-going State and regional public health efforts, including the availability of vaccinations, COVID-19 infections continued to spread in the community, particularly impacting vulnerable populations; and WHEREAS, for several years, new outbreaks continued to occur, new variants continued to emerge and COVID-19 continued to pose an immediate hazard to the health and safety of City residents and visitors, placing significant burdens on the health care system, and threatening the continued vitality and viability of the local economy; and WHEREAS, as a result of the continuing threats, the Council extended the City’s proclamation of existence of a local emergency due to COVID-19 every sixty days through to January 24, 2023; WHEREAS, over the last several months, however, COVID-19 cases have begun to decrease in numbers and severity; and WHEREAS, on February 16, 2023, the Sonoma County Health Officer announced that she would lift the County local public health emergency for COVID-19 as of February 28, 2023, stating “The end of the emergency does not suggest that we have eliminated COVID-19 but rather that we are nearing the endemic phase of the virus that has altered so much of our lives for the past three years. The variants of COVID-19 in circulation today are not as severe as those of the early days of the pandemic. Armed with widely available vaccines and much more knowledge about the virus, we no longer have to treat COVID-19 as an emergency;” and WHEREAS, on February 28, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation finding that the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property from COVID-19 no longer exist and terminating the statewide Declaration of Emergency due to COVID-19 as of 11:59 p.m. on February 28, 2023; and WHEREAS, the Council finds that circumstances as described in the City’s Proclamation of Existence of a Local Emergency dated March 2, 2020 and extended since that time, no longer exist.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Santa Rosa declares the City’s Proclamation of Local Emergency due to COVID-19, proclaimed by the City Manager on March 2, 2020 and ratified by the Council on March 3, 2020, is hereby terminated effective immediately upon the adoption of this resolution.
IN COUNCIL DULY PASSED this 14th day of March, 2023.
AYES: (7) Mayor N. Rogers, Vice Mayor MacDonald, Council Members Alvarez, Fleming, Okrepkie, C. Rogers, Stapp
NOES: (0)
ABSENT: (0)
ABSTAIN: (0)
ATTEST: _________________________ APPROVED: ______________________________ City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: ________________________
City Attorney
Reso. No. RES-2023-049