Burbank’s Disaster Council Meets, Chairman Issues Social Distancing Rules

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After the City Council declared an Emergency, the City Manager (Justin Hess) has been appointed the Chairman of the Disaster Council with the different department heads in the City making up the Disaster Council.  They can then appoint others as needed.The Chairman can issue orders and also can call for a meeting at any time of the Disaster Council.

When asked about the enforcement of the order, Burbank Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Derek Green said, “The ordinance applies to any store in the City of Burbank. Burbank Police will be working with stores in hopes of enforcing the ordinance together, as both the store and customer are responsible for adhering to the conditions.

We have been, and will continue to deploy officers who are specifically keeping an eye on our business districts, including gun stores, grocery stores, etc., for issues pertaining to social distancing and other nuisance concerns.

Violating the ordinance, like other Burbank Municipal ordinances, is considered a misdemeanor and enforceable by citation or arrest.

The purpose of the ordinance is to protect our community during the Covid-19 pandemic and provide a safe and healthy environment to help slow the spread of the virus.

For now, we are helping stores acclimate to the ordinance and explaining the conditions to them. They’ve been encouraged to make adjustments to their operations in order to adhere to the conditions and avoid any enforcement action. We always encourage our citizens to report suspicious activity and other violations.”

When asked about how quick officers will be to issue citations, Green said it will be totally up to the officers discretion and hopefully officers can educate the public for their own benefit and that of their friends, neighbors and family.

Friday the Burbank Disaster Council issued the following order for Burbank. Here is the complete order:

The Director of Emergency Services of the City of Burbank does hereby find:

  1. On March 13, 2020, a local emergency was declared in the City of Burbank due to COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. On March 17, 2020, the City Council by Resolution No. 20-29,135 confirmed the existence of the local emergency and confirmed the powers of the Director of Emergency Services to take all acts pursuant to Burbank Municipal Code Section 5-2-106 to protect life and property.
  3. On March 19, 2020, the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer issued an Order entitled Safer at Home for Control of COVID-19 (Order). This Order encompassed rules for events and gathering, social distancing and closure of non-essential business and areas, as well as listing categories of essential businesses allowed to stay open under the Order.
  4. On March 19, 2020, the Governor issued an executive order similar to the Safer at Home Order.
  5. On March 21, 2020, the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer issued a revised Safer at Home for Control of COVID-19 Order which further restricted gatherings and changed categories of non-essential and essential businesses under the Order. The Order is effective through April 19, 2020.
  6. The Order applies within the Los Angeles County Public Health jurisdiction, which is all unincorporated areas and cities within Los Angeles County except for the cities of Long Beach and Pasadena (who have their own public health officers.) The City of Burbank is subject to this Order.
  7. As stated in the Order, it is intended to deter the spread of COVID-19 by preventing people from being in unnecessary close contact.
  8. The Order provides, however, it does not supersede any stricter limitation imposed by a local public entity within the Los Angeles Public Health Jurisdiction.
  9. Essential Businesses under the Order must comply with social distancing requirements and other health prevention measures such as providing hand sanitizers.
  10. The City of Burbank is experiencing Essential Businesses allowing customers to queue in the public right-of-way including sidewalks and City-owned alleys; rather than on their own property.
  11. Furthermore, customers waiting to enter essential businesses are not practicing social distancing of six feet separation and are interfering with other members of the public safely navigating along sidewalks and other public right-of-way by not maintaining social distances.
  12. The rules and regulations being issued pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of Emergency Services under Burbank Municipal Code Section 5-2-106are reasonably related and necessary to the protection of life and property as affected by the spread of COVID-19.

The Director of Emergency Services of the City of Burbank does hereby order:

  1. The following rules and regulations are hereby instituted within the City Burbank:
  2. Any Essential Business under the Safer at Home Order operating in the City of Burbank shall not allow queuing of its customers while waiting to enter their business in the City’s public right-of-way including sidewalks and alleys.
  3. Any Essential Business under the Safer at Home Order operating in the City of Burbank shall only allow queuing of customers on their own property, if customers are able to maintain separation by a distance of six feet.
  4. Any Essential Business under the Safer at Home Order operating in the City of Burbank who is unable to meet the requirements under subsections 1 and 2, above, shall only be open to the public through appointments.
  5. Any customers waiting to enter an Essential Business in the City shall not line-up in the City’s public right-of-way including sidewalks or alleys.
  6. Pursuant to Burbank Municipal Code Section 5-2-301 it is unlawful to commit any act forbidden by this order. Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of this Code including violating this order may be guilty of a misdemeanor pursuant Burbank Municipal Code Section 1-1-105.
  7. This order is effective immediately through April 19, 2020 unless extended further.
  8. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this order is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this order.

DATED this 27th day of March, 2020.

Justin Hess-,  City Manager and Director of Emergency Services

 

    Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center