Emergency Proclamation 2020-1

WHEREAS, COVID-19 poses a serious threat to the public health and safety of the City of Osceola, Iowa, as outlined by the Center for Disease Control ("CDC"); and

WHEREAS, the Iowa Department of Public Health ("IDPH") has now determined that community spread of COVID-19 has occurred in the State of Iowa; and

WHEREAS, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has recommended that people should not congregate in gatherings of over ten (10) persons; and

WHEREAS, the CDC has recommended that persons do not congregate in gatherings of over ten (10) persons to attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the general public; and

WHEREAS, the Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has recommended that all school districts within the State of Iowa close for a period of four (4) weeks to help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the State; and

WHEREAS, the Clarke County Board of Supervisors has restricted public access to all county offices due to the COVID-29 virus, with all county offices open by appointment only, and

WHEREAS, the Clarke Community School District has heretofore closed for at least four (4) weeks from March 16, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Section 15.02(2) of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Osceola and Section 372.14(2) of the Code of Iowa (2019) grant the Mayor powers to declare an emergency and govern through proclamation to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Osceola

NOW, THEREFORE, I Thomas J. Kedley, the duly elected Mayor of the City of Osceola, Iowa, do hereby proclaim until further notice the following:

1. The the state of emergency or public danger exists within the city of Osceola because of the threat of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

2. I hereby declare that all non-essential operations of the City of Osceola and Osceola Chamber Main Street are shut-down through 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2020. Official meetings of the Osceola City Council shall be exclusively viewable through the City's online live-stream service. Agendas shall be viewable in the vestibule of City Hall, which shall remain open as normal. All scheduled city board or commission meetings through the end of March are cancelled.

3. All City-owned, non-essential public facilities shall be closed to the public.

4. The Budget Hearing and Adopting Meeting scheduled for March 24, 2020 is hereby postponed per the extension granted to the City by the Iowa Department of Management.

5. All recreation programming shall be suspended until further notice. All members of the public are asked to avoid play-ground areas, but trails, green spaces and public water access facilities shall remain open.

6. Gatherings of ten (10) or more people are strongly discouraged until further notice.

7. That this Proclamation of Emergency may be modified and/or superseded by future proclamation of the Office of the Mayor of Osceola, Iowa as future events warrant.

8. That this proclamation of the Office of the Mayor of the City of Osceola, Iowa, shall be enforceable by the Osceola Police Department and any violation of the same shall be a violation of Section 15.02(2) of the Code of Ordinances and punishable as a simple misdemeanor.

9. That Governor Kim Reynold's proclamation dated March 17, 2020 shall be enforceable by the Osceola Police Department, in its entirety.

10. More information will be shared with the public as it becomes available.