HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 03/16/2020 - City Council Emergency Meeting McHen
MINUTES
EMERGENCY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
City Council Chambers, 333 S Green Street
Monday, March 16, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Call to Order: The City Council of the City of McHenry, Illinois, met in a special
emergency meeting on Monday, March 16, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. in the McHenry City
Council Chambers, 333 S. Green Street, McHenry, IL.
Roll Call: Mayor Jett called the roll call.
Members present: Alderman Santi, Alderman Glab*, Alderman Schaefer, Alderman
Harding, Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Devine, Alderwoman Miller, and Mayor Jett. Others
present: Attorney McArdle, Administrator Morefield, Interim Director of Public Works
Strange, Director of Community Development Polerecky-absent, Finance Director Lynch-
absent, Director of Parks and Recreation Hobson, Director of Economic Development
Martin, and Chief of Police Birk, and City Clerk Ramel.
*Clerk's Note: Alderman Glab attended remotely via a telephone conference call per
McHenry Code 1:6:6, C.1. Personal illness or disability
Pledge of Allegiance: Mayor Jett led the pledge.
Public Comment: None
Attorney McArdle explained that the emergency meeting is being held to enact an
emergency measure under the Illinois Municipal Code and under the City of McHenry
Code to delegate emergency powers to the Mayor on an executive order basis.
Bonafide Emergency Finding
A motion was made by Alderman Harding and seconded by Alderman Schaefer to
find that there is a bonafide emergency, pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS
1.20/2.02(a), warranting this special meeting of the City Council based on the
following findings of fact:
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially severe acute respiratory
infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-
CoV-2), The virus was first identified as the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia
of unknown cause in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019;
and
0 On March 9, 2020, Governor J.B. Pritzker declared all counties in the State of
Illinois as a disaster area; and -�
• On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the COVID-19
outbreak as a pandemic; and
• On March 11, 2020, McHenry County Board Chair Jack D. Franks proclaimed
that a disaster emergency exists for the County of McHenry; and
Following these actions, Mayor Wayne S. Jett issued a Proclamation of Local Disaster
Emergency for the City of McHenry on March 11, 2020; and Since Mayor Jett's
Proclamation of Local Disaster Emergency, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order
2020-04 (COVID-19 Executive Order No. 2), cancelling all public and private gatherings
in the State of Illinois of 1,000 people or more to implement social distancing; Governor
Pritzker issued Executive Orders 2020-05 and 2020-06 (COVID-19 Executive Order
Nos. 3 and 4), closing all public and private schools through March 30, 2020; and
Governor Pritzker announced on Sunday, March 15, 2020 that all bars and restaurants
in the State of Illinois will be closed to the public through March 30, 2020.
Roll Call: Vote: 7-ayes: Alderman Santi, Alderman Schaefer, Alderman Harding,
Alderman Glab, Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Devine, Alderwoman Miller. 0-nays, 0-
abstained. Motion carried.
Motion to approve an Ordinance Amending Title 6, Public Safety, Chapter 1,
Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, of the City of McHenry's Municipal
Code Pertaining to a Local State of Emergency providing for the exercise of -,
extraordinary powers by executive order of the mayor during a state of
emergency within the City
Attorney McArdle explained the proposed ordinance which grants the Mayor certain
powers during a Local State of Emergency. These powers are outlined in the Illinois
Municipal Code, and the City has the ability to put these powers into the City's Municipal
Code. There were eight specific orders that can be authorized, and the Council
discussed which they did not believe should be given to the Mayor of McHenry.
Proposed orders that were taken out of the City's ordinance were:
• Order the closing of all retail liquor stores, including taverns and private clubs or
portions thereof wherein the consumption of intoxicating liquor and beer is
permitted
• Order the discontinuance of the sale of alcoholic liquor by any wholesaler or
retailer
• Order the discontinuance of selling, distributing, dispensing or giving away of any
firearms or ammunition of any character whatsoever
A motion was made by Alderman Schaefer and seconded by Alderman Devine to
approve an Ordinance Amending Title 6, Public Safety, Chapter 1, Emergency
Services and Disaster Agency, of the City of McHenry's Municipal Code -1
Pertaining to a Local State of Emergency providing for the exercise of
extraordinary powers by executive order of the mayor during a state of
\.. emergency within the City, subject to a typographical correction in 6-1-15 B.
Declaration: the following phrase needs added "Whenever an emergency, as
defined in subsection (1) of this section exists." The motion is also subject to the
elimination of paragraphs 5, 6, and 8 in Section 3. D. of the proposed ordinance.
Roll Call: Vote: 7-ayes: Alderman Santi, Alderman Schaefer, Alderman Harding,
Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Devine, Alderwoman Miller. 0-nays: Alderman Glab, 0-
abstained. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Alderman Santi and seconded by Alderwoman Miller to
activate the powers under Ordinance No. 20-13, previously adopted above,with the
limitation that all executive orders are responsive to the Coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19 and a copy of each Executive Order be filed with the City Clerk, be sent
to the Council, and posted on the City's website within 24-hours of being ordered
by the Mayor. Roll Call: Vote: 7-ayes: Alderman Santi, Alderman Schaefer, Alderman
Harding, Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Devine, Alderwoman Miller. 0-nays: Alderman
Glab, 0-abstained. Motion carried.
Adjourn: A motion was made Alderwoman Miller and seconded by Alderman Santi
to adjourn the meeting at 7:33 PM. Roll Call: Vote:7-ayes: Alderman Santi, Alderman
Glab, Alderman Schaefer, Alderman Harding, Alderman Mihevc, Alderman Devine,
Alderwoman Miller. 0-nay-, 0-abstained. Motion carried.
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