HomeMy WebLinkAbout031620_ca01 Consent Agenda
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Willie Bence,Emergency Management Director
DATE: March 16,2020
SUBJECT: Declaration of Emergency re: COVID-19 Pandemic
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
COVID-19 is currently a global pandemic that some experts believe may eventually impact 40%
to 70%of Americans barring extraordinary intervention. This virus is especially harmful to the
elderly and the immunocompromised, whose fatality rates are far higher than the rest of
population. COVID-19 threatens the health and well-being of a large portion of the population,
and has already begun to disrupt the economy and everyday lives of those in our community. In
Jefferson County, the Department of Public Health and Department of Emergency Management
are working with numerous other stakeholders to prepare the community and lessen the impacts
of this unprecedented event.
ANALYSIS:
A Declaration of Emergency will empower the Department of Emergency Management to
activate the county's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan in response to this pandemic,
and will enable County departments to incur obligations necessary to combat this threat.
RECOMMENDATION:
The BOCC is asked to approve the attached Resolution declaring a state of emergency in
Jefferson County in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
REVIEWED BY:
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". Philip Mgrley, unty.. 'nistrator Date
STATE OF WASHINGTON
COUNTY OF JEFFERSON
In the Matter of Resolution No. - 20
Declaration of Emergency of the
COVID-19 Pandemic
WHEREAS, counties across the state and the nation are currently preparing for or are
actively combating a pandemic known as COVID-19, which threatens to impact a large portion
of the population and can be life-threatening, especially for the elderly population, and
WHEREAS, Jefferson County has already seen one positive case of COVID-19, and can
expect to see additional cases in the coming months, and
WHEREAS, Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in response to new cases
of COVID-19 in Washington state on February 29th, 2020, and
WHEREAS,the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management activated its
Emergency Operations Center organization as of March 9th, 2020 to support Jefferson County
Public Health, Jefferson Healthcare, and other stakeholders and to improve coordination in
response to this event, and
WHEREAS, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in response to
COVID-19 on March 13, 2020; and
WHEREAS, human life may be threatened and the local economy disrupted as a result of
this unprecedented pandemic, and immediate extraordinary action must be taken to respond to
this crisis and mitigate its impacts,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,that the Board of Jefferson County
Commissioners hereby declare that a state of emergency exists, and that,
1. The Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management is directed to implement
the county's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan as necessary for this
emergency to preserve public health,protect life, and provide relief to the impacted
community.
2. Jefferson County is authorized to enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to
combat this emergency to protect the health and safety of persons in light of the
exigencies of an emergency situation without regard to time consuming procedures and
formalities prescribed by law, with the exception of mandatory constitutional
requirements.
3. Jefferson County is authorized to exercise such other actions authorized by state law
during a state of emergency as may be necessary to combat this emergency.
ADOPTED this 16th day of March, 2020
SEAL: JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Greg Brotherton, Chair
David Sullivan, Member
Kate Dean, Member
ATTEST:
Carolyn Gallaway, Deputy Clerk of the Board