20-11RESOLUTION NO.20-11
COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES -MARCH 18, 2020
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER,
FLORIDA, CONFIRMING A DECLARATION OF A STATE OF
EMERGENCY AND ESTABLISHING EMERGENCY
MEASURES; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WH EREAS, a state of emergency in the Cityof Clearwaterwas proclaimed by Mayor
George N. Cretekos, upon recommendation by the Emergency Management Director (City
Manager William B. Horne), after certification of emergency conditions by the Emergency
Management Coordinator(Fire Division Chief of Emergency Man agementJevon Graham),
on March 18, 2020 due to the unmitigated spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19); and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a severe acute respiratory illness that can spread among
humans through respiratory transmission and presents with symptoms similar to those of
influenza, with no available vaccine orcure; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Health and
Human Services declared thata public health emergency exists nationwide as a result of
confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States; and
WHEREAS, on March 1, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-
51, declaring that appropriate measures to control the spread of COVID-19 in the State of
Florida are necessary, and therefore directed thata Public Health Emergency be declared
in the State of Florida; and
WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-
52 declaring a State of Emergency for COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on
March 11, 2020, which is defined as "worldwide spread of a new disease," and is the first
declared pandemic since the Hi N 1 "swine flu" in 2009; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, President Donald J. Trump declared a national
state of emergency; and
WHEREAS, on March 14 and 15, 2020 Governor Ron DeSantis said that there was
evidence of "community spread" in Broward County, Florida, and that he was encouraging
beach closures and restrictions on bars and restaurants; and
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
recommended thatfor the next8 weeks, organizers postpone in-person eventsthatconsist
of 50 people or more throughout the United States, in addition to implementing aggressive
measu res to slow and contain transmission of COVID-19; th at on March 16, 2020 the CDC
and White House reduced group sizes to 10; and
Resolution No. 20-11
WH EREAS, on March 17, 2020 GovernorRon DeSantis issued Executive Order20-
68 closing bars, pubs and nightclubs for30 days, recommending that public beachgoers
follow CDC guidelines limiting group sizes and social distancing, and ordering that
restaurants limit occupancy to 50% of current building capacities and begin employee
screening; and
WHEREAS, as of March 18, 2020 289 Florida residents (314 total cases in Florida
including non-residents), including 13 in Hillsborough County, 8 in Manatee County, 3 in
Pasco County, and 10 in Pinellas County, some of which are believed to be City of
Clearwater residents, have tested presumptively positive for COVID -19; and
WHEREAS, the City of Clearwater is threatened by COVID-19 because of the
apparent ability of the virus to spread rapidly among humans, and COVID-19 thereby
constitutes a clear and present threatto the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and
visitors of the City of Clearwater, and
WHEREAS, Chapter 15, Code of Ordinances and § 252.38, Florida Statutes
authorizes the establishment of emergency measures during a state of emergency; now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA;
Section 1. The March 18, 2020 state of emergency proclamation is hereby
confirmed.
Section 2. This state of emergency has seriously affected and threatened the safety
and secu rity of the lives and property of residents of the City of Clearwaterand requiresthe
establish ment of the following emergency measu res:
1. The following events and activities within the City of Clearwater are postponed,
cancelled, or suspended forthe duration of the emergency:
a. All Community RedevelopmentAgency meetings, City Boards, induding
all advisory and statutory boards, City committees and City working
groups. The Emergency Management Director shall have the authority
to bring together emergency groups as needed;
b. All Municipal Code Enforcement Board Hearings, Red Light Camera
Hearings, and Nuisance Abatement Board Hearings;
c. Any homeownerassociation and civic association meetings conducted or
held on City property;
d. All special events with any level of City co-sponsorship;
e. All City recreational programs and facilities, facility rentals, and organized
sports leagues.
Resolution No. 20-11
2. All in-person mass gatherings of any type, whether organized or otherwise,
consisting of 10 people or more are prohibited, EXCLUDING critical
infrastructure and public safety and health functions.
3. All non-essential businesses within the city limits of the City of Clearwater shall
be required to CLOSE by no later than 10:00 p.m. (including weeknights and
weekends). The term "non-essential businesses" shall EXCLUDE the following:
restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, private offices,
banks, hotels, hospitals, medical service providers, medical supply stores,
hardware stores, gasoline service stations, and automotive supply/repair
centers.
4. Pursuantto the Florida Governor's Executive Order 20-68, all bars, pubs, and
nightclubs (alcoholic beverage licensee deriving more than 50% gross revenue
from the sale of alcoholic beverages) shall suspend all sales of alcoholic
beverages until April 16, 2020 at 5 p.m. or as further ordered by the Governor.
5. Pursuant to the Florida Governor's Executive Order 20-68, all restaurants shall
limit occupancy to 50% of their pre -emergency building occupancy and
implement employee screening.
6. All restaurants shall cease daily sales of all alcoholic beverages no later than
10:00 p.m. (including weeknights and weekends).
7. All public bathing beaches, public beach accesses, the Courtney Campbell
Recreation Area, Beach Walk, Sand Key Bayside Park, and pu blic beach parking
lots in the City of Clearwater as determined by the Emergency Management
Director are CLOSED for2 weeks, effective Monday March 23, 2020 at 6 a.m.
8. All City of Clearwater Libraries are CLOSED.
9. All City of Clearwater Recreation Centers are CLOSED.
10. Every public place, building, and facility, including all businesses, restaurants,
bars, and retail establishments, but excluding public parks, shall have alcohol -
based hand sanitizer (so long as publicly available) at every entrance for use by
patrons and employees upon entering and exiting.
11.The Emergency Management Director is empowered to close any City of
Clearwater parking facilities and the Clearwater Ferry (routes servicing the City
of Clearwater only) as needed.
12. No person or business entity offering goods or services for sale within the City of
Clearwater shall charge more than the normal average retail price as defined by
§ 15.01, Code of Ordinances, during the period of the declared emergency.
Resolution No. 20-11
13. Pursuant to § 15.07(3)H., Code of Ordinances, the City of Clearwater's
procurement code is hereby waived. Emergency procurement is hereby
authorized to be signed by the Emergency Management Director/City
Manager.
Section 3. Pursuantto § 252.50, Florida Statues, any person violating the provisions
of th is emergency measu res resolution afterfirstbeing warned by a law enforcementofficer
is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. All violations shall be subject to
prosecution under § 1.12, Code of Ordinances.
Section 4. This resolution shall take effecton March I & , 2020 at !0 % 05 (a.m.
or p.m. and the measures in Section 2. (except Section 2., paragraph 7, as therein
in• . ed) shall remain in effect for 30 days thereafter or as otherwise amended and
ordered, or until competent authority declares the state of emergency and measures in
Section 2. terminated. The state of emergency must be renewed in seven-day increments
Pursuant to § 15.07(5), Code of Ordinances.
Attest:
RESOLUTION NO.20-11
COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES -MARCH 18, 2020
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of March, 2020.
Rosemarie CaII
City Clerk
Approved as to form:
Pamela K. Alti
City Attorney
Resolution No. 20-11
George N. Cretekos
Mayor
CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, pursuant to § 15.04, Code of Ordinances City Manager William B.
Horne is the Emergency Management Director; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to § 15.05, Code of Ordinances Fire Division Chief of
Emergency Management Jevon Graham has been appointed by the City Manager as
Emergency Management Coordinator, and the Emergency Management Coordinator
has certified that the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created an
emergency situation; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 15, Code of Ordinances, authorizes certain emergency
measures to be taken under emergency conditions; and
WHEREAS, a state of emergency must be declared by proclamation to authorize
such actions as may be necessary to manage such state of emergency; and
WHEREAS, the issuance of emergency resolutions are necessary to enable the
proper control of and response to the emergency conditions certified above; now,
therefore,
I, George N. Cretekos, Mayor of the City of Clearwater, do hereby proclaim and
declare that a state of emergency exists within the City of Clearwater and that all proper
and lawful actions necessary to swiftly resolve the emergency and return the community
to a condition of normalcy shall be taken.
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George N. Cretekos
Mayor
Date
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