Mayor Feinen Declares Local Emergency Related to the COVID-19 Virus
City Council to Hold Special Emergency Meeting Tomorrow
Today, Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen issued an Executive Order declaring the existence of a local emergency in the City of Champaign related to the COVID-19 virus, which is causing or is anticipated to cause widespread impacts on the health of members of the community. Provisions in Chapter 12 of the Champaign Municipal Code provide the Mayor authorization to declare an emergency for a limited period of time. This allows the Mayor to exercise significant emergency powers at the inception of the emergency, and then to provide an opportunity for the City Council, as a whole, to deal with an emergency.
The Champaign City Council will hold a Special Emergency Meeting to consider passing an Ordinance related to the Executive Order tomorrow – Friday, March 13, 2020. The Council meeting will be held at 9:30 am in the Champaign City Council Chambers, 102 N. Neil St. If passed, the Ordinance would provide the City increased flexibility in many different areas to allow the City to continue to function effectively during emergency operations. Some of these areas include City Council meetings, meetings of boards and commissions, gatherings and licensed activities, purchases, personnel policies, bargaining units, City facilities, ordinance violations, amounts due and owing the City, and other emergency powers as outlined in the municipal code.
The meeting agenda and Report to Council are available on the City’s website at champaignil.gov/CouncilAgenda. The meeting will be telecast live on Champaign Government Television and live streamed at champaignil.gov/live.