Title
Extending the Declaration of Local Emergency issued March 19, 2019, by the Mayor of Saint Paul, to expire on April 18, 2019.
Body
Whereas the City of Saint Paul, located within Ramsey County, Minnesota, has received rapid snow melt combined with heavy rains and warmer temperatures expected to cause major flooding in the City of St. Paul beginning March 11, 2019; and
Whereas the 2019 Spring Flood event has potential to cause a significant amount of public and private property damage; and
Whereas the National Weather Service forecasts the Mississippi River in Saint Paul to enter major flood stage shortly as a direct result of the ongoing snow melt and flooding; and
WHEREAS the resources of the City protective measures for our residents and infrastructure are fully committed; and
WHEREAS the 2019 Spring Flood event has placed the population of Saint Paul at risk and threatened critical infrastructure and essential City services and river flooding will exacerbate these impacts; and
Whereas the necessary resources to respond to and recover from this disaster exceed those resources available within the City, and additional resources will be needed from Ramsey County, and state and federal sources; and
WHEREAS the Mayor of Saint Paul, Melvin Carter III, has declared a local emergency effective Tuesday March 19, 2019, due to escalating conditions and in response to a flood warning for the City of Saint Paul, issued by the National Weather Service; and
WHEREAS the April 2019 Winter Storm impacts on the Mississippi River and will cause river levels to increase to Major Flood Level that extends our flood response protection measures to ensure City of Saint Paul critical infrastructures are protected, and that recovery efforts will necessarily need to be extend; and
WHEREAS the Mayor of Saint Paul, Melvin Carter III, has determined that the emergency declared and affirmed by the City Council in a resolution adopted March 20, 2019 has continued and will continue past the emergency declaration’s expiration date of April 18, 2019; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor of Saint Paul, Melvin Carter III, requests the City Council of City of Saint Paul extend the March 19, 2019 Declaration of Emergency for the City of Saint Paul for the 2019 Spring Flood event; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, the City council finds that a local emergency does continue to exist in the City of Saint Paul, as a result of the 2019 Spring Flood event and extends the Declaration of Emergency for a period not to exceed 30 days from date of passage, April 17, 2019.