City Council Votes to Adopt Joint Resolution from San Joaquin County

On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, the Ripon City Council held a Special Council Meeting regarding a Joint Resolution from San Joaquin County to petition Governor Newsom.

Watch the full special meeting here.

Read the full resolution;

JOINT RESOLUTION OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE CITY COUNCILS OF THE CITIES OF ESCALON, LATHROP, LODI, MANTECA, RIPON AND TRACY PETITIONING THE GOVERNOR TO ALLOW COUNTIES TO IMPLEMENT LOCAL DIRECTIVES REGARDING RESUMPTION OF ACTIVITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

WHEREAS, on March 4, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency (“State of Emergency”) to formalize emergency actions and help prepare for the broader spread of the COVID-19 disease; and

WHEREAS, on March 19, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20 ordering all individuals in California to stay in their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of federal critical infrastructure sectors, thereby reducing and stopping non-essential businesses from continuing operations (“Stay at Home Order”); and

WHEREAS, the stated intent of the State of Emergency and subsequent Stay at Home Order (“State Actions”) was to prevent the catastrophic failure of the hospital system due to an anticipated surge of COVID-19 cases; and

WHEREAS, the key implementation step of the State Actions was designed to “flatten the curve”, so as to avoid overwhelming the hospital systems; and

WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors ratified the declaration of a local health emergency to address COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, on March 24, 2020, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors ratified the proclamation of a Local Emergency within the County requesting State and Federal assistance be provided to San Joaquin County; and

WHEREAS, through the actions of frontline staff, hospital and medical staff, elected and appointed leaders, and most importantly the actions of the citizens of San Joaquin County, the curve has flattened in the County and has remained flat since April 25, 2020; and

WHEREAS, the Variance Attestation criteria adopted by the State is inconsistent with Governor Newsom’s oft repeated adage that a one-size-fits-all criteria does not recognize the diversity within the State of California; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin has met all of the criteria, within its control, to move ahead of the State to re-open the economy; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin has exceeded the testing capacity prerequisite set by the State of 1.5 tests per 1,000 residents; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin exceeds the State criteria for providing more than a 35% hospital surge capacity and a robust plan to protect the hospital workforce with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin has issued clear directives to all employers and essential critical infrastructure worksites to adopt social distancing protocols to protect employees and the public; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin has made significant advancements to meet the State mandated contact tracing capability and temporary housing units to shelter at least 15% of county residents experiencing homelessness; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin is assisting skilled nursing facilities in the County to procure a supply of PPE from non-state supply chains; and

WHEREAS, the County of San Joaquin has established epidemiological stability within the County with a minimal rate of new cases and COVID-19 related deaths; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of San Joaquin County have demonstrated the ability to moderate their behavior to flatten the curve; and

WHEREAS, despite efforts by the County, State and Federal governments, individuals are not receiving sufficient aid to withstand the economic hardships caused by the Orders; and

WHEREAS, many local businesses are reporting that they have exhausted all of their reserves and are on the brink of failing.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors, County of San Joaquin, and the City Councils of Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon and Tracy jointly petition the Governor to immediately allow counties, under the direction and with the approval of the Public Health Officer, to craft and implement local directives necessary to allow individuals, businesses, and schools to resume activities in a manner that does not menace public health.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at a special meeting of the City Council of the City of Ripon this 19th day of May, 2020, by the following vote:

THE CITY OF RIPON,

A Municipal Corporation

By: ________________________________

JACOB PARKS, Mayor