Agenda Packet 4-13-20 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES – Eugene City Council Work Session March 11, 2020 Page 1 MINUTES Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 March 11, 2020 12:00 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Claire Syrett Councilors Absent: Betty Taylor, Greg Evans, Chris Pryor Mayor Vinis opened the March 11, 2020, work session of the Eugene City Council. 1.WORK SESSION: Emergency Preparedness UpdateInterim Fire Chief Chris Heppel and Communicable Disease Nursing Supervisor and IncidentCommander for Lane County Public Health Cindy Morgan gave an update regarding emergencypreparedness specifically regarding COVID-19. Items discussed were updates from Lane CountyPublic Health, role of the City, and current City actions.Council Discussion: •Councilor Zelenka – asked about viricide and bleach-based cleaning products; inquired aboutthe differences between COVID-19 and other similar viruses as they relate to transmission;talked about personal prevention tactics; asked about attending large events and socialdistancing measures; asked who has the authority to shut down events or large gatheringlocations, •Councilor Clark – talked about the fear many citizens feel and their frustration with the lack ofcommunication; asked about restricting activities and closing locations that are used byvulnerable populations; spoke about wanting more communication from Lane County PublicHealth and City staff to the citizens. •Councilor Syrett – reminded everyone about Oregon’s paid sick leave law; noted thepreparedness of health care workers, her availability for meeting with the City Manager duringthe council break, and her desire for more communications from Lane County Public Health andthe City. •Mayor Vinis – asked about plans for increasing the number of sanitation stations for theunhoused community members. •Councilor Semple – expressed concern about the lack of hand washing stations for theunhoused population; asked about next steps after the mitigation stage; expressed hope thatthe City’s response can be used as a model for what to do in the future. •Councilor Yeh – asked about the timeline and agenda of the task force and if they would beneeding funds to proceed; •Councilor Clark – talked about the concerns related to taking stricter precautionary measuresfor the city and what precautions have taken place in the world; appreciated the thoughtfulnessof taking into consideration small businesses and access to services; desired more calmingcommunication with the public. •Councilor Zelenka –thanked staff for the work being done on preparedness; spoke about themortality rates of the flu versus COVID-19; supported placing hand washing stations around thecity and at large events; inquired about testing and the actual number of cases. April 13, 2020, Meeting – Item 2A ATTACHMENT G CC Agenda - Page 21