TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Jill Keimach, Town Manager
Andrew Miller, Town Attorney
DATE: March 17, 2020
CONTACT:
Staff Contact Andrew Miller, 480-348-3691
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AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Resolution No. 2020-08; Authorization for Public Meeting Action Plan
Body
Background
BACKGROUND:
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has also affected Arizona with infections now being documented here. On March 11, 2020 Governor Doug Ducey declared that a State of Emergency exists in Arizona due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Arizona. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now urging a nationwide halt to gatherings of people for the next eight weeks, citing the risk of the spread of COVID-19.
It is necessary and appropriate for the Town of Paradise Valley to follow the recommendations of the public health agencies and take actions to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is controlled and that the residents of Arizona remain safe and healthy. Given this need to curtail exposure to COVID-19 to the extent possible the Town should conduct its meetings by remote access and electronic means while still providing for the electronic accessibility of public meetings of the public bodies by electronic access, or other means, that will still include public participation and engagement while limiting potential COVID-19 exposure to the public. The access for the public will be consistent with the guidance provided by the Attorney General (see attached AG Opinion re COVID-19 and OML).
The Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Town Clerk should prepare means and methods of ensuring that remote public participation by members of the public and members of the public bodies can be enacted and publicized so that the public is aware of the alternate means of remote or electronic participation available for public meetings until such time that public health officials advise that the ne...
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