Cathedral City Declares a Local Emergency Due to the CoronaVirus

CATHEDRAL CITY, CA. – [March 16, 2020] The City Council of Cathedral City held an Emergency Meeting in response to the CoronaVirus pandemic.  The council voted unanimously in support of a resolution declaring a local emergency.   The declaration provides the following measures to be implemented immediately:

1. To Protect our Community:
   1. We will follow all orders or directives from Riverside County Health and Emergency Management departments; and California Health and Emergency Management departments.
   2. No park reservation permits will be issued until further notice.
   3. Cross coverage arrangements have been developed with Palm Springs and Riverside County for Dispatch coverage and existing mutual aid agreements for Police and Fire are available.

1. To Protect our Employees and those in contact with our staff&*:
   1. The permit counter is closed.  Staff will issue permits and review simple plans through the glass window.  Plan review and items taking a longer review time will be taken through the window and handled separately.
   2. Police and Fire records will be issued remotely only.
   3. No live scans will be completed at Police until further notice.
   4. Internal meetings will be done via teleconference unless a critical need exists that dictates otherwise.
   5. Employees (other than sworn police and fire and dispatch personnel) who need to shelter in place at home will be allowed to do so and to use accrued leave time.
   6. Employees who are new to the organization and don’t have adequate leave in their banks will be allowed to go negative on accruals so they can continue to get paid and receive medical benefits and use future leave accruals to cover such deficits.
   7. Employees required to quarantine may use accrued leave hours to do so.

*These will all be specified in written Administrative policies to be issued shortly

1. To protect the fiscal health of the City government
   1. All hiring is frozen except the Police Chief position and Dispatchers
   2. All travel is prohibited
   3. All departments are to cease any optional expenditures

1. Council and Commission Meetings
   1. Teleconference attendance will be available
   2. Public Comment electronically will be available

Agendas will be limited to essential items

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