HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #2 - Amberg (2)
City of San Luis Obispo, City Attorney’s Office, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7140,
slocity.org
DATE:January 6, 2021
TO:Administrative Review Board Agenda Correspondence
FROM:Mark Amberg, Assistant City Attorney–Advisorto City Code Enforcement Staff
SUBJECT:Response to Questions
Staff has received the following questions or requests for information, the responses to which are being
shared as supplemental information for all participants and the public.
Question 1:Page 1 of the City’s staff report provides that “City Council, pursuant to its emergency
authority under Municipal Code Section 2.24.020, issued City Resolution 11099 (2020 Series) Proclaiming
A Local Emergency Within the City of San Luis Obispo Related to COVID-19.” In the following
paragraph, the staff report states: “This declaration of a local emergency makes any violation of any
COVID related public health orders (Federal, State or County) a violation of City Code via Municipal Code
Chapter 2.24 –Emergency Services.” Can staff please identify where in Resolution 11099 does it provide
that “any violation of any COVID related public health orders (Federal, State or County) \[is\] a violation of
City Code. . . .”?
Response:
The staff report should have included an additional reference to City Resolution 11106 (2020 Series)
(attachment 5 to staff report), issued April 7, 2020. Resolution 11106 established a City-wide safety
enhancement zone and is based on Council Resolution 11099 which proclaimed a local emergency within
the City pursuant to Municipal Code Chapter 2.24 due to COVID-19.Under Resolution 11106, the safety
enhancement zone shall remain in effect so long as the local emergency declared under Chapter 2.24 by
Resolution 11099 remains in effect. Section 6 of Resolution 11106 provides as follows:
“ . . . a city wide safety enhancement zone shall be in effect at all days and times for the entire City
of San Luis Obispo for the period that a local emergency or shelter at home order regarding COVID-
19 is effect(sic) and all violations specified in Section 9.22.020B and any violation of any public
health ordershall be subject to an immediate fine not to exceed one thousand dollars.”
(Emphasis added)
Resolutions 11099 and 11106 constitute “rules or regulations” issued pursuant to Municipal Code Chapter
2.24 with regard to the city-wide COVID-19 emergency declared by City Council. They incorporate by
reference the public health orders issued by the State and County and provide that those public health orders
can be enforced as violations of City code. Since the City is not a public health authority, it can only enforce
within City limits public health orders issued by State or County public health authorities who do have
authority to issue public health orders.
The November 23, 2020 Notice of Violation issued to Kennedy Club Fitness (attachment 26 to staff report)
citesResolution 11106 as the direct basis for the Notice and citation:
“As a result of additional complaints, City of San Luis Obispo staff visited the subject property on
November 18, 2020 and found the following violations of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code and
other relevant state and local orders incorporated by reference and made enforceable via
administrative citation via City Resolution 11106 (2020 Series).”
Question 2:It appears that the appellant was cited on November 23, 2020 for violating the Tier 1
restrictions under the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Are the Tier 1 restrictions a “public health
order”? If so, what is the legal mechanism or authority that renders the Tier 1 restrictions a “public health
order”?
Response:
The State’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy”(attachment 13 to staff reportand Attached to this
correspondence) was issued by the State on August 28, 2020, and is administered by the California State
Department of Public Health (CDPH) under its statutory authority to control threats of communicable
diseases. Division 105 of the Health and Safety Code outlines the statutory authority of CDPH and local
healthauthorities to take measures to prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases. The
functions and authorities of the CDPH are outlined in Chapter 2 of Division 105. More specifically, Health
and Safety Code Section 120140 authorizes the CDPH to “take measures as are necessary to ascertain the
nature of the disease and prevent its spread.” This gives CDPH broad authority to adopt and implement
public health measures to control the spread of a communicable disease such as COVID-19.
Additionally, although the State Department of Public Health has independent statutory authority to issue
orders and directives to prevent and control the spread of a communicable disease such as COVID-19, the
Governor has also issued executive orders which are based, primarily, on the California Emergency
Services Act, Government Code Sections 8550, et seq. Under this authority, the Governor, among other
orders, issued Executive Order No. N-60-20 (attachment 6 to staff report) which includes the order that all
residents are to obey State public health directives:
1)All residents are directed to continue to obey State public health directives, as made available at
https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/and elsewhere as the State Public
Health Officer may provide.
This executive order has not been rescinded and remains in effect.
The Blueprint for a Safer Economy is available on the CDPH website and, under the authority of the CDPH,
assigns counties to “tiers” based on factors including COVID-19 cases and positivity rates (the tiers are
designated as either widespread (purple) or tier 1, substantial (red) or tier 2, moderate (orange) or tier 3 and
minimal (yellow) or tier 4). Attached is an outline of the county tier system published by the CDPH on its
website. Businesses are required to adhere to the requirements and restrictions of the Blueprint, depending
on the “level” to which the county they are in has been assigned by CDPH.
Attachment –Blueprint to a Safer Economy
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