BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Ratification and Declaration of State of Emergency COVID-19 Resulting in the Threat To Public Services.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Ratify the declaration of emergency declared by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on March, 13, 2020; and
B. Determine by a four-fifths vote of the Board that there is a need to continue the emergency action declared by the CEO on March 13, 2020, due to the threat to public services posed by the novel coronavirus - COVID-19.
Body
SUMMARY:
On March 13, 2020, CEO Norma Camacho declared an emergency for the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) as a result of the threat to public services posed by the novel coronavirus - COVID-19 (Attachment 1). This declaration of emergency is intended to expire in seven (7) days of its issuance unless ratified by the Santa Clara Valley Water District's Board of Directors. This item allows the board to ratify and continue the emergency declared by the CEO.
The County of Santa Clara has issued a local health emergency as a result of the spread of COVID-19. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. On March 12, 2020, California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency for California, and on March 12, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency. Given the challenges facing the nation, the state, and the region, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that Valley Water fulfill its mission in providing water supply and flood control to Santa Clara County. Given the speed of the local spread of COVID-19 and the fast-paced nature of recommendations and restrictions by the national, state, and county governments, Valley Water needs to be able to implement changes in its workplace and personnel practices upon short notice, and will meet and confer over negotiable subjects with its bargaining units as soon as is practicable. Continuing the emergency will allow Valley Water to maintain this critical flexibility in accordance with the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The efforts required to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from the increasing spread of COVID-19 have and will continue to impose extraordinary requirements and expenses on Valley Water, requiring potential diversion of resources from day-to-day operations.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Declaration of Emergency
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Tina Yoke, 408-630-2385.