Submitted By
Cara Pavlicek, Village Manager
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Declaring an Emergency Affecting the Public Health through February 16, 2021 Due to the Outbreak of COVID-19 Disease in the State of Illinois
End
Overview
Overview
The Village Board is being asked to approve a new declaration of an emergency affecting the public health through February 16, 2021 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in the State of Illinois as previously declared by Resolutions 20-120, 20-124, 20-128 and 20-184. This is a necessary procedural step under state law and the Village Code to respond to recent changes in data related to increasing positives cases experienced in October 2020 and the new State Resurgence Mitigation measures that became effective on October 28, 2020 related to the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19.
Body
Staff Recommendation
The Coordinator of the Oak Park Emergency Service Disaster Agency (ESCA), who is Police Chief Reynolds, has recommended the adoption of a new declaration of emergency affecting public health through February 16, 2020 in accordance with Section 2-27-9 of the Village Code.
Fiscal Impact
Adoption of the Resolution authorizes any purchase or contracts necessary to place the Village in a position to protect the public health and safety and protect property. Section 2-6-10 of the Oak Park Village Code further provides that urgently needed material or urgent repairs involving labor and material may be obtained through negotiated contract without formal advertising with the approval of the Village Manager, when it is in the best interest of the Village and when it is impractical to convene a meeting of the Board of Trustees. In addition, the Resolution will allow the Village to enter into license agreements for the temporary use of Village property for outdoor dining as well as temporary zoning waivers to use private parking for outdoor dining at restaurants.
Background
Following cessation of the previously enacted Declaration of an emergency affecting public health which ended September 14, 2020, the Village Board is being asked to adopt a new Declaration, a procedural step under state law and the Village Code, that empowers municipal administrators to continue to respond more quickly to the recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases in Oak Park.
The novel coronavirus disease is rapidly changing and as such presents challenges as staff works to support economic reopening, respond to the public health impact of the disease which is disproportionately affecting black residents in Oak Park and consider public health orders that are intended to reduce community spread. A declaration of emergency will provide staff additionally tools to respond to these issues by giving the legal authority for rapid mobilization of resources as needed and create the mechanisms necessary for any future reimbursements by the state and federal governments.
Oak Park has a certified Public Health Department, one of six others that exist in Cook County along with Cook County, the City of Chicago, City of Evanston, Village of Skokie, and the Stickney Public Health District. While the Village Board adopted Ordinance 20-241 and 20-094 which established specific authorities for the Public Health Director to respond to the pandemic thru November 15, 2020 and extended to February 16, 2021, respectively, as positive cases increase, broader response measures can be accomplished by staff under the recommended Emergency Declaration.
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, demographic data will be updated and attached to this item which will illustrate the changing nature of COVID-19 in the community. Currently, Public Health Director Charley report the following data is informative:
|
Age Range |
Total |
% of Cases |
|
0-4 |
16 |
1.8% |
|
4-13 |
31 |
3.4% |
|
14-19 |
90 |
9.9% |
|
20-29 |
166 |
18.3% |
|
30-39 |
142 |
15.7% |
|
40-49 |
143 |
15.8% |
|
50-59 |
136 |
15.0% |
|
60-69 |
86 |
9.5% |
|
70-79 |
61 |
6.7% |
|
80-89 |
28 |
3.1% |
|
90-99 |
7 |
0.8% |
|
Total |
906 |
|
Nearly one in every 58 residents in Oak Park is known to have contacted COVID-19 since March of this year. The Public Health Director has additionally reported 32 deaths associated with the virus.
Of the total cases in Oak Park, forty-three (43) are associated with residents of Long term care facilities and twenty (20) of the thirty-two (32) deaths are associated with these facilities as well.
|
Facility Name |
# of Resident Cases |
# of Resident Deaths |
|
Belmont Village of Oak Park |
2 |
3 |
|
Berkeley Nursing & Rehab Center |
4 |
3 |
|
Brookdale Oak Park |
8 |
1 |
|
Oak Park Arms |
6 |
1 |
|
Oasis of Oak Park |
23 |
12 |
Public Health Director Charley also reports “New cases per 100,000 People”, a metric that looks at the number of recent COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people to describe the potential number of people who are currently ill and may be infectious. This is the number of new cases reported by IDPH in the previous week. Calculated as a rate = [Village of Oak Park case count for 7 days] / [Village population] x100,000. The State is using this metric, https://www.dph.illinois.gov/countymetrics?county=Cook as one of several indicators that measure the health burden of COVID-19 in each Illinois County.
• Oak Park rate: 130/100,000
• Cook County rate: 188/100,000 10/11 through 10/17
• Target for County-level data: Cases for the week are fewer than 10 or the rate is fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people
• Warning for County-level data: New case rate is greater than 50 cases per 100,000 people
Through October 21, 2020, the following demographic data has been reported as well.
Alternatives
The Village Board could delay action or seek additional information.
Previous Board Action
The Village Board approved Resolutions 20-120, 20-124, 20-128 and 20-184 declaring an emergency affecting the public health due to COVID-19.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
The Village Board may be asked to take further such action as necessary.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
The Village is working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) as a certified public health department.