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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020.03.19 - Minutes - Special MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MARCH 19, 2020 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Tye called the Special City Council meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. in the City Hall Windmill Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA. Mayor Tye stated that consistent with the governor's executive order, members of the public are encouraged to maintain social distancing. As such, the public were encouraged to submit public comments in writing by yesterday, all of which will be read into the public record today. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Tye led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Council Members Andrew Chou, Ruth Low, Jennifer "Fred" Mahlke appeared telephonically; Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Lyons and Mayor Steve Tye were present at the dais. Staff in attendance: Dan Fox, City Manager, David DeBerry, City Attorney, Anthony Santos, Assistant to the City Manager, Marsha Roa, Public Information Manager, Kristina Santana, City Clerk APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented. 1. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The following was read into the record by CC/Santana: Patricia Mares (resident) statement sent via email: "Hello City Council Members, I reviewed the agenda items and support social distancing and the city workers receiving administrative leave during this time; and implementation of COVID-19 testing for everyone who may have been exposed. With everyone practicing shelter in place, means more trash and greens to be disposed. If the City of DB goes on lockdown, will Waste Management be an exception to the rule so they can continue the weekly schedule of waste pickups at curbside? Thank you, Patricia Mares, Resident of Diamond Bar" M/Tye acknowledged that the audience for this special meeting consisted of staff and law enforcement and no further public comments were offered. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS: CC/Santana indicated she responded to Ms. Mares to let her know that Waste Management will continue its regular schedule until further notice. 3. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: MARCH 19, 2020 PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL 3.1 CONSIDERATION TO DECLARE A LOCAL EMERGENCY REGARDING NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19). CM/Fox stated that novel coronavirus has become a global pandemic and that the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer declared a local health emergency, the LA County Board of Supervisors has declared a local emergency, Governor Newsom declared a State of Emergency, and the President of the United States declared a National Emergency. LA County Public Health is the public agency that is responsible for monitoring, responding and reporting COVID-19 issues. There were 190 cases and one death reported in LA County and there are two known active cases in Diamond Bar with no deaths at this point. Staff expects these numbers to increase as more testing becomes available and as a result, the City is encouraging everyone to heed the warnings and recommendations of public and state health officials to Shelter -in-place, to minimize daily activities, stay at home and work from home, and continue to provide sanitary conditions for everyone. Regarding City operations, last week City Hall, Diamond Bar Center and Heritage Park were closed to the public and staff began cancelling community events through the remainder of March. These closures have now been extended through April 30th. Street sweeping will continue; however, street sweeping and parking enforcement has been suspended. City services, continue to be available electronically and by phone with limited staff within the City's facilities. Staff will be working remotely and remain available to respond to inquiries and provide services to the greatest extent possible. Staff is asking everyone to please be patient if there is some delay in getting back to the public under the circumstances. Additional closures include the library through March 31St, Pomona Unified School District through April 6th and Walnut Valley Unified School District through April 20th. The Governor and the school districts are monitoring information and recommendations that may affect those closure dates moving forward. As ordered by LA County, all bars, breweries, wineries, nightclubs, theaters, gyms and entertainment centers will be closed for an unspecified period of time. Restaurants are permitted as long as they provide take-out and delivery service. Grocery stores remain open as well. The Council is being asked to declare a Local Emergency which is done in situations of extreme peril, to provide safety of persons in the City and extends beyond the control, services, personnel and equipment of the City's resources. Staff believes this is the current situation which warrants this declaration. Many cities within LA County have either taken these steps or will do so before the end of the week. The Local Emergency provides the City with the ability to procure resources and direct personnel more quickly. This declaration will be in effect for 60 days unless ended sooner, which would require the action of the City Council. Activation of the EOC will be at the lowest level (remote activation) and it will not necessarily be staffed but it will provide communication with LA County MARCH 19, 2020 PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL Emergency Management, Sheriff's Department personnel, and other communities in the area and, potentially sets the City up for the opportunity to receive cost reimbursement for the City's extraordinary costs in dealing with the pandemic. The City has limited staff at City facilities with the majority of employees working remotely to continue providing some level of services to the public. The City has continued to receive and process building permit applications as well as, respond to inquiries. Staff is respectfully requesting that the City Council provide authorization to offer paid administrative leave for those employees who are impacted by COVID-19. There is pending legislation as well as, legislation at the federal level that was signed by the President this morning requiring all agencies and all businesses to pay two weeks of additional sick leave. Staff believes that we are all in this for the long haul and certainly two weeks is not enough, but the desire is to keep the City's employees whole if they exhaust their leave banks or are adversely affected where they cannot be in the office or work from home. The alternative would be to institute furloughs or layoffs. Staff is working hard to provide updates on the City's website with a link on the homepage www.diamondbar.ca.gov and people can call City Hall at 909-839-7000 with their questions or concerns. C/Low asked if upon declaration of the emergency the City would expect to receive the same level of public safety service through the Sheriff's Department as well as, continued public landscaping, clearing and water service. CM/Fox responded to C/Low that at this point the City is providing those essential services. The Sheriff assured staff yesterday via a telephone call that they are continuing to operate at full capacity and enhancing their patrols around commercial centers to deal with potential grocery store lines, fast food restaurant traffic, provide more visibility in the community and to deal with facilities that may be shuttered or closed as well as, conducting welfare checks for the City's elderly population. At this point staff is unaware of any other service provider, utility or otherwise, that has altered their delivery of services. C/Low asked if administrative leave was included in the School Crossing Guard contract or whether the contract needed to be amended. CM/Fox responded that school crossing guards are not City employees and therefore would not apply. C/Mahlke felt the presentation was very thorough and informative and she did not have any questions. MARCH 19, 2020 PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL MPT/Lyons wanted confirmation that when the City says Heritage Park is closed that the park and all other parks are open for individual and family recreation. CM/Fox responded that the parks and trails are still open, it is the interior facilities of Heritage Park that are closed. MPT/Lyons asked CM/Fox to comment on what is happening with the functions and events that were scheduled for the Diamond Bar Center and what will happen with individual deposits. CM/Fox responded that some of the major events that have been canceled include Breakfast with the Bunny on April 11th, the Arbor Day event at the AQMD parking lot on April 25th, the Mayor's State of the City address on April 29th as well as, events such as Let's Talk Public Safety and Healthy Diamond Bar events throughout the community. Regarding rentals and private events for the Diamond Bar Center, staff is working with the affected individuals to reschedule events. If for some reason they are unable to reschedule, the City is offering a full refund or credit for a future event. MPT/Lyons said she was somewhat concerned that with respect to Item 3.1.B there was no end date and she would be more comfortable if the issue were scheduled to be revisited in 30 or 60 days. M/Tye commented that this issue is fluid and may change hourly and things discussed now might not happen the way they are envisioned to happen. Street sweeping fines are being suspended as of March 16th and any fines that may have been issued since that time will be dealt with administratively. He urged everyone to be as diligent as possible. His son told him yesterday morning that Congress passed and the President signed, a fiscal program bill. He received an email this morning that said his check is ready — all he has to do is provide information. So, this points out that we all need to be cautious. Please, if it sounds too good to be true, it's too good to be true. So please be aware of that and practice diligence and caution. He asked if items A and B could be voted on separately. CM/Fox confirmed that the motions should be considered separately. In addition, staff has presented a revised resolution with updated numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases, for Council's Consideration. MPT/Lyons moved, C/Chou seconded, to Adopt revised Resolution No. 2020-04 declaring a Local Emergency regarding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MARCH 19, 2020 PAGE 5 CITY COUNCIL MPT/Lyons, M/Tye NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None C/Chou moved, C/Mahlke seconded, to authorize the City Manager to offer paid administrative leave to City Employees that are adversely impacted by COVID-19. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, M/Tye NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None 4. COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS: C/Chou reminded everyone to stay at home. This is about to get a lot more serious before it gets better but we can, as a community, get through it together. As everyone has heard, they can rest assured that he and his colleagues and staff will do everything possible to make sure the community pulls through. In the meantime, he encourages everyone to frequent local restaurants for take-out and curbside pickup and support local businesses. Once this is over, we can all get together and celebrate as a community. C/Low thanked staff for their continuing hard work in preparing this Emergency Resolution for the City and its employees. She agrees with C/Chou that everyone needs to keep supporting local businesses and doing everything possible to help each other and that as a community, we will get through this together. In addition to supporting local businesses by ordering take-out, she suggested everyone look out for each other and for local businesses. As the Mayor pointed out, any time there is a situation there will be some who continue to do mischief and we can take care of each other by making sure that no one is harmed. C/Mahlke said she feels this is going to be a big issue but she is so comforted by how competent staff and the executive team is during this time. Like everybody else, she thinks there is a lot of uncertainty, but she feels very confident that staff will make decisions that are the best for Diamond Bar. She and her boys took a walk yesterday because they are trying to do things that make them happy each day, especially things that are good for their physical and mental health. They waved to neighbors and sat in the sunshine and enjoyed the beautiful City and it was very rewarding. She hopes that as diligent as we are with all of the things the City needs to do, that everyone stays in touch with things they enjoy, particularly at this time, because there is a lot of uncertainty and unknowns, and as we figure out how to weather all of this together, she hopes that everyone can remember the things that are really important and take care of themselves and each other and do things that are meaningful. MPT/Lyons thanked CM/Fox and staff for all of the thought, creativity and MARCH 19, 2020 PAGE 6 CITY COUNCIL strategy they put into the planning of this interruption to the way the City normally does business. CM/Fox told her yesterday that the City had already issued six building permits under the new system, which she believes is outstanding. Along with serving residents, it is important to keep staff safe and she appreciates everything that is being done for them as well. Yesterday her husband wrote the following: "Schools may be canceled, travel may be canceled, conferences may be canceled, events may be canceled, Disneyland may be canceled, but Hope is not canceled, Encouragement is not canceled and Love is not canceled, so please keep yourself and your loved ones safe". M/Tye said these are scary times. Things are changing very, very rapidly. There are people in the Walnut Valley Unified School District and the Pomona Unified School District that need services and meals. Both districts have implemented a plan called "Grab and Go" which, if one goes to the school, has been set up to provide breakfast and lunch. The receiving child must accompany their parent to receive this service and it might provide a good opportunity to get out of the house. Please check their websites which have a lot of great information and to verify the times as that can also be fluid. It is during unprecedented times like this that builds and reveals character. He is asking everyone to not be the person that cleans out supermarket shelves to hoard products. Please do not be that person that grabs the third or fourth pack of ground beef when there is an elderly woman behind you waiting her turn. He loves Supervisor Hahn's email sent earlier this week talking about closures and social distancing when she talked about food and panic shopping saying that it is critical that you stay calm and do not panic shop. There is no shortage of food in Los Angeles County. Please do not hoard food or supplies, especially if you are not elderly or do not have a condition that makes you more vulnerable to COVID-19. His favorite part of Supervisor Hahn's email said, please - this is important. Cut it out. Don't be that person. Let's buy what we need. Albertson's, Smart & Final, and Sprouts will all be open tomorrow and the next day and the next, God willing. I am asking you to please exhibit calm, exhibit patience and do something nice for someone. Check on an elderly neighbor — see if they need something. It could be a meal, it could be a prescription that they need picked up. It could be something as simple as a smiling face. Let's work hard at practicing "random acts of kindness" as we work through this difficult time. M/Tye said that it is really important that everyone choose "joy" — he believes that is more important than anything and it is a choice. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to conduct, M/Tye adjourned the Special City Council Meeting at 9:31 a.m. Respectfully submitted: IA55?�� Kristina Santana, City Clerk MARCH 19, 2020 PAGE 7 CITY COUNCIL The foregoing minutes are hereby -7 Steve Tye, Major approved this 7th day of April, 2020.