Canby Mayor Brian Hodson has declared a state of emergency in the city of Canby as of March 17, effective until June 30. This action follows the lead of Clackamas County and the state, as leaders continue to grapple with the unprecedented public health crisis of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Hodson told the Canby Now Podcast he made the call after a series of meetings with Canby Fire District Chief Jim Davis, Interim City Administrator Amanda Zeiber, Canby Police Lt. Jorge Tro and Council President Tim Dale.
“The declaration is for precautionary measures only,” Mayor Hodson stressed. “By declaring the emergency, this allows the myself and city staff greater flexibility to quickly address hazards posed by COVID-19, as well as access resources.”
As of the morning of March 18, there are no suspected cases or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canby, the mayor said. Per the municipal code, Mayor Hodson’s declaration must be approved by the City Council.
“The next Council meeting is scheduled for April 1, 2020, but we may consider a special emergency meeting to address a few timely issues,” Zeiber said in an email. “We are working on the logistics of a remote or virtual public meeting.”
Click to access SKM_C65820031716350-1.pdf
According to the declaration signed by Mayor Hodson at 5:34 p.m. Tuesday, the action allows the mayor and city staff greater flexibility to quickly address hazards posed by the COVID-19 by facilitating more expedient coordination with public agencies and quicker deployment of resources and staffing to safeguard the community.
It also provides for the ability to modify work schedules of emergency responders to meet reduced staffing or increased emergency responses due to the COVID-19 situation. The state of emergency declaration provides the city with the latitude to coordinate an effective response by redirecting funding for emergency use as needed and suspending standard procurement procedures, per the city code.
Additionally, the designation aids the city’s efforts when requesting assistance and/or reimbursement for expenditures related to COVID-19 response.
Clackamas County had been one of the first local governments in Oregon to declare a state of emergency on March 2, calling it a “precautionary measure.” Initially set to expire March 16, the county’s state of emergency was later extended through June 30.
