HomeMy WebLinkAboutP - 01 (2020 Series)_COVID-19 Incident_Proclamation regulating alcohol serving businesses and congregations of persons on the St. Patrick's Day HolidayEMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR PROCLAMATION N0.1 (2020 SERIES)
A PROCLAMATION OF THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR OF
THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, REGULATING
ALCOHOL SERVING BUSINESSES AND CONGREGATIONS OF
PERSONS ON THE SAINT PATRICK'S DAY HOLIDAY WITHIN THE
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC OF VIRUS
KNOWN AS COVID-19
WHEREAS, section 2.24.060 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code empowers the
Emergency Services Director, in the event of the proclamation of a "local emergency" as provided
in this subsection, the proclamation of a "state of emergency" by the Governor or the Director of
the California Emergency Management Agency, a "federal declaration of emergency" or the
existence of a "state of war emergency," to make and issue rules and regulations on matters
reasonably related to the protection of life and property as affected by such emergency; provided,
however, such rules and regulations must be confirmed at the earliest practicable time by the City
Council; and
WHEREAS, section 2.24.020 of the Municipal Code includes an epidemic as one of the
proper grounds for proclaiming a local emergency; and
WHEREAS, the President of the United States has declared a State of National
Emergency; the Governor of the State of California has proclaimed a State of Emergency for the
State of California and issued Executive Orders directing measures to mitigate the spread of cases
of COVID-19 within the State of California; the San Luis Obispo County Emergency Services
Director has proclaimed a local emergency; and the San Luis Obispo County Public Health
Director has declared a public health emergency related the spread of cases of COVID-19 within
the State of California; the Emergency Services Director will request that the City Council declare
a local emergency at its regularly scheduled meeting of March 17, 2020; and
WHEREAS, conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen
within the City, caused by confirmed cases and the risk of spread of the pandemic of the virus
known as COVID-19 and the demands on public services to mitigate and respond to those risks,
as described in the President's Declaration of a National Emergency, the Governor's Proclamation
of a State of Emergency, the County Emergency Services Director's Proclamation of Local
Emergency and the County Public Health Director's Declaration of a Public Health Emergency,
and all recitals set forth therein, which are included as though fully set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the conditions of extreme peril concerning the spread of COVID-19 warrant
and necessitate measures to ensure social distancing and deter large congregations of persons that
increase the risk of community spread of the COVID-19 virus; and
WHEREAS, Governor Newsom has directed that all jurisdictions should limit gatherings
to 250 people or less, and that bars, pubs, and wineries in the state should close, and the Centers
for Disease Control has advised against gatherings of more than fifty people in order to mitigate
against the spread of COVID-19 for the next eight weeks; and
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ESD Proclamation No. 1 (2020 Series) Page 2
WHEREAS, the Saint Patrick's Day holiday typically draws large crowds to numerous
bars, pubs, nightclubs, and other alcohol serving establishments throughout the City and County,
encourages large concentrations and migrations of persons among alcohol serving businesses and
on the streets throughout the City, and results in widespread, often heavy, alcohol consumption
and associated adverse impacts on judgement and social behaviors detrimental to mitigating the
spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, in many other locations that are currently suffering an epidemic, testing has
showed that the virus has the ability to spread fast and result in serious illness or death to vulnerable
populations, including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions and the City of San
Luis Obispo will be required to help enforce all restrictions imposed by the State of California and
by the County of San Luis Obispo acting as the health agency; and
WHEREAS, heightened levels of public health and safety planning and preparedness have
been necessitated in preparation for the emergence of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and now that
cases have been confirmed in the County, immediate action must be taken to prevent the spread of
the virus and to limit high risk activities and gatherings in public serving spaces, requiring rapid
response not lending itself to otherwise applicable notice and approval timelines to mitigate against
the further spread of COVID-19 and its resulting public health and safety impacts; and
WHEREAS, in the absence of such actions, county wide health services may become
overwhelmed and unable to keep up with medical demand for care and availability of hospital or
care facility capacity and the health and safety of persons within the City will be endangered; and
WHEREAS, the County of San Luis Obispo Emergency Services Director has considered
the risk and has ordered the prohibition of sales of alcohol and on site consumption for the entire
County of San Luis Obispo for all on sale alcohol serving establishments from 17:00 hours on
Monday, March 16, 2020 until 12:00 hours on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED by the Emergency Services Director of
the City of San Luis Obispo that:
SECTION 1. Emergency measures are necessary to limit large scale social gatherings in
public serving spaces in order to advance social distancing and personal hygiene protocols
necessary to prevent or minimize the spread of COVID-19 and protect the public health and safety
of the citizens of san Luis Obispo.
SECTION 2. In order to deter and prevent large scale gatherings and alcohol consumption
related to the Saint Patrick's Day holiday that will impair judgement and adherence to necessary
social distancing and personal hygiene protocols, all on site alcohol serving establishments in
the City of San Luis Obispo are hereby prohibited from serving alcohol in the City from
17:00 hours (5 p.m.) on Monday March 16, 2020 until 12:00 hours (noon) on Wednesday,
March 18, 2020.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have her�to set my 1and and affixed the official seal of the City
of San Luis Obispo, California, this I ('2 day of 2020.
01 (2020 Series)