Title
Affirming the Extension of Declaration of Local Emergency issued January 3, 2022 by Mayor Melvin Carter III.
Body
WHEREAS, Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly known as COVID-19, a respiratory disease-that can result in serious illness or death, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously identified in humans and can easily spread from person to person; and
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, Mayor Carter declared under the authority given in Minnesota Statutes § 12.29, that a local emergency exists within Saint Paul, effective March 15, 2020, with all the powers and responsibilities attending thereto as provided by Chapter 12, Minnesota Statute, and Saint Paul Legislative Code, Chapter 13; and
WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the Saint Paul City Council, in Res 20-550 approved that declaration and extended the emergency for ninety days, until June 15, 2020 and the Emergency has been extended and is still in effect; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present unprecedented and rapidly evolving challenge to our City. As of May 21, 2021, there were 51,795 reported cases of COVID-19 in Ramsey County, and 855 COVID-19 related deaths; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Saint Paul and Ramsey County as a result of the Delta variant and the Omicron variant continuing to present serious threats to health and safety of persons and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt in the City; and
WHEREAS, in addition to action necessary to safeguard the health and safety of Saint Paul citizens, it remains necessary for the City to provide support to individuals and businesses alike to ensure that Saint Paul recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic disaster; and
WHEREAS, during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency, Mayor Carter has exercised executive authority through Executive Orders to provide relief and further protect and support our City during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic; and
WHEREAS, these Executive Orders remain in effect only as long as the emergency continues; and
WHEREAS, the necessary resources to respond to and recover from this pandemic will exceed those resources available within the City, and additional resources will be needed from Ramsey County, and state and federal sources;
WHEREAS, on January 3, 2022, Mayor Melvin Carter III again declared a local state of emergency pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 12.29; and
WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. § 12.29 and St. Paul Administrative Code § 13.06 provide that a local state of emergency not be continued for a period in excess of three days except by, or with, the consent of City Council; and
WHEREAS, Council finds it necessary to continue the state of emergency; and
WHEREAS, in the judgement of the Council immediate consideration of the emergency declaration is required; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that Council hereby continues the local state of emergency for a period of 40 days.