Submitted By
Cara Pavlicek, Village Manager
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 20 (“Public Health”), Article 1 (“Oak Park Department of Public Health”), Section 20-1-6 (“Authority and duties of the Director”) of the Oak Park Village Code to Permit the Public Health Director to Make Reasonable Rules, Regulations and Orders Due to the Outbreak of COVID-19 Disease
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Overview
Overview
On October 19, 2020, the Village Board adopted Ordinance 20-094 to provide ongoing COVID-19 public health response authority to the Public Health Director through February 16, 2021. Due to the continued outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in the State of Illinois and Oak Park staff recommends extending that authority through June 15, 2021. This will allow the Oak Park Public Health Director to continue to take the necessary steps to respond to the pandemic and adapt services, and allocate and administer vaccination campaigns.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
Adopt the Ordinance.
Fiscal Impact
N/A.
Background
It is noted that under separate action on the agenda for January 1, 2021, the Village Board is being asked to extend the declaration of an emergency affecting the public health through June 15, 2021 due to the ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in the State of Illinois as previously declared by Resolutions 20-120, 20-124, 20-128, 20-184 and 20-232.
On May 28, 2020, the Village Board adopted Ordinance 20-041 to amend Chapter 20 of the Village Board to provide the Public Health Director, through November 15, 2020, authority to continue manage the day to day response to the pandemic from a public health perspective, especial in the Village’s long term care and assisted living facilities without the tradition advance review and deliberation via the Board of Health and Village Board of Trustees. On October 19, 2020, by Ordinance 20-094, an extension of this authority through February 16, 2021 was adopted. This extension thru June 15, 2021 will continue to provide for the following authorities and duties, which have been performed by the Public Health Director in relationship to COVID-19:
Make such reasonable rules, regulations and orders as may from time to time be deemed necessary without review by the Village Board of Health and approval by the Village Board of Trustees due to the outbreak of COVID-19 disease in the State of Illinois through November 15, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Any rules, regulations and orders promulgated by the Public Health Director prior to June 1, 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 disease which are not due to expire on or before June 1, 2020 shall remain in effect through their respective expiration dates or through November 15, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. as applicable.
The Village continues the public health response to the pandemic in step with the State of Illinois, under the Restore Illinois five-phased plan in order to reopen the community guided by health metrics. In addition, on December 17, 2020 the Village received its first allocation of COVID-19 vaccine and began immediately working with Rush Oak Park Hospital and West Suburban Medical Center for vaccination of their health care workers and we have continue to work through a vaccination campaign in Oak Park that is focused on Heath Care workers as defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which are categorized as Phase 1a.
Alternatives
The Board could alternatively require such public health matters to come before the Village Board for approval.
Previous Board Action
On May 28, 2020, the Village Board adopted Ordinance 20-041 to amend Chapter 20 of the Village Board to provide the Public Health Director, through November 15, 2020, authority to continue manage the day to day response to the pandemic from a public health perspective and on October 19, 2020, by Ordinance 20-094, extended this authority through February 16, 2021.
It is noted that under separate action on the agenda for January 1, 2021, the Village Board is being asked to extend the declaration of an emergency affecting the public health through June 15, 2021 due to the ongoing outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in the State of Illinois as previously declared by Resolutions 20-120, 20-124, 20-128, 20-184 and 20-232.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
The Board of Health has not weighed in on this recommendation.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Subject to the course of the pandemic, further review of the ordinance may be required in the future.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
As a Certified Public Health Department, the Village’s staff works closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health and other local certified public health departments.