City Council

MINUTES OF THE CITY OF BRISTOL,TENNESSEE CALLED CITY COUNCIL MEETING April 28, 2020 CALL TO ORDER: The City of Bristol, Tennessee Called City Council Meeting was called to order by Mayor Margaret Feierabend at 9:05 a.m. on April 28, 2020. The meeting was held electronically via Zoom. ROLL CALL: Present were Mayor Margaret Feierabend, Vice Mayor Mahlon Luttrell, Councilman Chad Keen, Councilwoman Lea Powers, and Councilman Vince Turner. Others present were City Manager William L. Sorah, City Attorney Danielle Smith, and City Recorder Tara Musick. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION: A. Discussion of Necessity for Conducting Electronic Meeting: City Attorney Danielle Smith explained the changes to the open meeting laws. Mayor Feierabend asked if anyone on Council objected to holding an electronic meeting. No one objected since the electronic meeting is necessary to protect public safety, health, and welfare due to the Coronavirus pandemic. B. Ordinance 20-6 Amending Chapter 26 (Civil Emergencies) of the Code of Ordinances (Second Reading): City Manager Bill Sorah presented the item to City Council. This was approved on first reading at the called meeting on April 20'*^. The current code of ordinances allows for the Mayor or City Manager to declare a civil emergency. This amendment ensures that a majority of City Council supports the declaration of emergency. If passed, City Council must pass a resolution supporting the declaration within seven days for it to remain in effect. The effective date would be immediate if passed unanimously. Resolution 20-29 is therefore next on the agenda. Mayor Feierabend asked if anyone had any questions. There were none. Councilwoman Powers made a motion to approve the Ordinance as presented. Councilman Vince Turner seconded the motion. Ordinance 20-6 passed by a unanimous roll call vote.  Called City Council Meeting April 28, 2020 Page 2 of 3 C. Resolution 20-29 A Resolution Approving the Extension of an Executive Order Proclaiming a Civil and Local Emergency within the City of Bristol, Tennessee: City Manager Sorah stated Executive Order 20-01 was originally issued on March 30'^ and referenced Sullivan County Regional Health Department's Safer at Home Public Health Order No. 1. This was a request of the Sullivan County Regional Health Department of the local government bodies. Passing ofOrdinance 20-6 now requires any future declaration have the approval of City Council within seven days for the order to remain in effect. Also at the request of the Sullivan County Regional Health Department, Executive Order 20-05 was issued on April 27^*^ to incorporate Sullivan County Regional Health Department's Sullivan County COVID-19 Phase One Public Health Order No.2. This deals essentially with the reopening of the local economy. Public Health Order No. 2 became effective in Sullivan County as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 27^^. Ordinance 20-6 amended Section 26-7 of the Code of Ordinances to require any declaration of local or civil emergency by the Mayor or City Manager to have the majority approval of City Council within seven days of the declaration to remain in effect. Resolution 20-29 reflects that and is detailed on BoardDocs. Attached to the resolution is Sullivan County C0VID'l9 Phase One Public Health Order No.2. Councilwoman Lea Powers asked how closely our order mirrored the Governor's order. City Manager Sorah clarified that the Sullivan County order is less restrictive. The Governor is still rolling out his plan. It is rolling out in phases and is a tiered level ofroll out. The Sullivan County plan talks about social distancing, hygiene, the use of masks, temperature checks for employees, and encourages telecommuting. These are all things in the Governor's plan. The Sullivan County plan was discussed in more detail. It allows nonessenlial businesses to open while adhering to strict social distancing guidelines. Personal contact businesses that cannot maintain social distancing measures cannot reopen until public safety guidelines have been developed. Mayor Feierabend discussed the State task force and how information is rolling out. Guidelines in our order came from the State. The Center for Disease Control still recommends against gatherings of ten or more people. Vulnerable populations are recommended to be out of public interaction as much as possible. She emphasized that for opening back up to work we need to keep our numbers down and maintain the numbers that we have had with a slow increase or plateauing. Councilman Turner reiterated that we are following the local health department and if they make changes then we will need to also change our order. Mayor Feierabend stated that is her understanding. Councilwoman Powers said that we are in phase one. This phase requires a decline or stabilization in our number of cases for a fourteen day period. She asked what day we started  Called City Council Meeting April 28, 2020 Page 3 of3 the fourteen day period and the City Manager replied the order was passed yesterday. Mayor Feierabend said it is a public health question and it is not just based upon a decline. It also depends on the number of tests that are being done. She would count it two weeks from now and it may happen sooner, but that is just her opinion only. Things can change in a very short period of time. Councilwoman Powers made a motion to approve the Resolution and Vice Mayor Mahlon Luttrell seconded the motion. Resolution 20-29 passed by a unanimous roll call vote. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:19 a.m. by Mayor Feierabend. largaret Feierabend, Mayor Tara E. Musick, City Recorder