City Council
Declaration of Disaster Emergency Extended Until May 30.
The City's disaster emergency declaration now runs until May 30. It allows waiving contract rules, clearing fallen trees on private property, and documenting the response for possible State or federal aid. Meanwhile, residents can drop off yard waste at City sites for free. A council member worried about misuse, and the deputy mayor promised a public record of all purchases.
Written by Amy Whipple
- Declarations of disaster emergency allow, among other things, waiving contract provisions and accessing private property to remove fallen trees blocking rights-of-way or imperiling public safety.
- Under a state of emergency, the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security can document response activities and later submit them for potential state or federal financial support.
- The declaration also waives fees for residents disposing of yard waste at City collection locations.
- Councilperson Gross expressed concern about misuse of the declaration to purchase unrelated items—as happened during COVID with surveillance software.
- Deputy Mayor Pawlak committed to providing Council with a public record of all purchases.
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