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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-06-24 - Minutes -Council Member Sonia Gutierrez Ward 1 Position I Council Member Sarah Marsh Ward I Position 2 Council Member Mark Kinion Ward 2 Position I Council Member Matthew Petty Ward 2 Position 2 Mayor Lioneld Jordan City Attorney Kit Williams City Clerk Kara Paxton City of Fayetteville Arkansas City Council Special Meeting June 24, 2020 Special City Council Meeting Minutes June 24, 2020 Page 1 of 5 Council Member Sloan Scroggin Ward 3 Position 1 Council Member Sarah Bunch Ward 3 Position 2 Council Member Teresa Turk Ward 4 Position I Council Member Kyle Smith Ward 4 Position 2 A Special meeting of the Fayetteville City Council was held on June 24, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 219 of the City Administration Building located at 113 West Mountain Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mayor Jordan called the meeting to order. In order to create social distancing due to the Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, Council Members Sonia Gutierrez, Sarah Marsh, Mark Kinion, Matthew Petty, Sloan Scroggin, Sarah Bunch, and Kyle Smith joined the meeting via online using a video conferencing service called Zoom. Absent: Council Member Turk Mayor Lioneld Jordan, City Attorney Kit Williams, City Clerk Treasurer Kara Paxton, Communications Director Lisa Thurber, Deputy Chief of Police Jamie Fields, Fire Chief Brad Hardin, Chief Financial Officer Paul Becker, IT Director Keith Macedo and two staff members from the IT Department were present in City Council Chambers while demonstrating recommended social distancing. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor's Announcements, Proclamations and Recognitions: Mayor Jordan: In light of the current health concerns, Fayetteville City Hall is closed to the public. This meeting is being held virtually. I am present in Council Chambers with a handful of essential support staff. City Attorney Kit Williams, City Clerk Treasurer Kara Paxton, 113 West Mountain Fayetteville. AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www fayetteville-ar gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes June 24, 2020 Page 2 of 5 Communications Director Lisa Thurber, IT Director Keith Macedo, Deputy Chief of Police Jamie Fields, Fire Chief Brad Hardin, Chief Financial Officer Paul Becker, and two representatives from the IT Department. Chief of Staff Susan Norton will be in attendance by Zoom. City Council Members, City Staff, and the public are participating online or by phone. Other than those of us you see before you, the voices you hear during the course of this meeting are being recorded for public record and piped into the Council Chambers. Participation remains of the upmost importance to the City of Fayetteville. We have provided many ways to participate in the meeting, which includes contacting Council Members, City Clerk office or city staff prior to the meeting. The meeting can be viewed through Fayetteville's government channel online, YouTube, joining the Zoom conference by smartphone, tablet or computer. Instructions are shown onscreen. Staff can view when you join the meeting and when you raise your virtual hand. We ask that you refrain from doing this until the public comment portion of the item on which you wish to comment. I will provide a longer than usual period of time for you to raise your virtual hand. When recognized, please state your name and address for the record. Each speaker is allowed five minutes to comment, which staff will monitor. City Council Meeting Presentations, Reports, and Discussion Items: None Agenda Additions: None New Business: Establish the Fayetteville City Board of Health and the Position of City Health Officer: A resolution to establish the Fayetteville City Board of Health and the position of City Health Officer, and to approve a budget adjustment in the amount of $50,000.00. City Attorney Kit Williams read the resolution Council Member Petty gave a brief description of the resolution. He thanked Council for attending the special meeting. He thanked Susan Norton and Blake Pennington who helped with the development of the idea. He stated by state statute that Boards of Health have special powers and duties during periods of infectious disease epidemics. He stated the intention for the board is an independent body that accesses and advises the city-wide public health campaign and helps the city to make strategic decisions about how to make the campaign most effective. He stated people may ask if this is an intention to challenge the state given the current context of the masks law and the answer is, no. He stated the City Board of Health is proposed in accordance with all the state statutes that apply and it's the state that has given us the power to have a City Board of Health. He stated there have been many emergency actions in the past weeks because the community is under an emergency. He stated the majority of the prospective board members insisted that they get the opportunity to take action this week. He stated if the resolution is passed, the board can have its first meeting before the end of the week and during the period of the pandemic will meet every two weeks. He stated since the board is independent, they will be setting their own agendas and meeting times. He spoke about the proposal including a City Health Officer, which the state 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes June 24, 2020 Page 3 of 5 empowers the city to have the position. He proposed that the City Board of Health help develop the job description and short list the candidates for the City Health Officer position. He stated this includes emergency funding of $50,000 to assist the Board of Health and City Health Officer with the execution of their duties. He stated if COVID goes into 2021, they may need to visit the funding again. He spoke about the board dynamics and listed the prospective members as Jay Gandy, PhD. Associate Provost, UAMS Northwest, Lenny Whiteman, Vice President of Managed Care, Washington Regional, Huda Sharaf, MD. Medical Director, Pat Walker Health Center, Gary Berner, MD. Chief Medical Officer, Community Clinic, Joey Gardner, DSW. Care Coordinator Supervisor, Beacon Health Operations. He stated the proposal allows Mayor Jordan to appoint two additional ex officio members which he listed as Stephanie Ho, MD. Physician, Vector Health & Wellness and Hershey Garner, JD MD. Physician, Highlands Oncology Group. He stated the proposal includes Brad Hardin, City of Fayetteville Fire Chief to assist the board and represent the city. He spoke about a prospective first agenda to guide the board. He gave a summary of jurisdiction and powers. He spoke about the proposal including a Sunset clause. He spoke about the duties of the board. He stated the board is intended to be as independent as possible to the maximum extent the law provides. He stated this is not a board that is set up for a political purpose. He stated the prospective agenda includes resolutions that are being suggested the board takes up at the first meeting. He stated they want the board to affirm Fayetteville is in a state of epidemic, advising the epidemiological necessity of Fayetteville's masks law, and requesting the state hold its press conference in Fayetteville in two weeks, while meeting with health care leaders. He stated they are asking the board to start off their discussion about the City Health Officer position. He spoke about not becoming complacent with accomplishments. City Attorney Kit Williams: Blake and I worked on this. We made sure it complied with the state law. We had a City Board of Health and Health Officer in the past. We can certainly have another one. They have extra territorial power that the City Council does not have. They would also be able to provide excellent advice to the City Council and citizens of Fayetteville, which will hopefully continue to create a good atmosphere where our citizens will wear masks and help us get control of this pandemic. Council Member Marsh: I am thrilled to see this move forward. Where did the $50,000 number come from and is it enough? Council Member Petty: Like most of the time when we talk in round numbers, it's a best guess with the information we have so far. The job description hasn't been developed yet. We should remain flexible about the answer to that question. I am hopeful that will be more than sufficient to see us through the end of 2020. Council Member Marsh: What funding source will this be coming out of? Council Member Petty: The intention is to use the Emergency Fund. Council Member Marsh: This board is stocked with a lot of really heavy hitters that are very busy in critical roles right now. Do they have the time, energy, and enthusiasm for this board? 113 West Mountain Fayetteville. AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www fayetteville-ar gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes June 24, 2020 Page 4 of 5 Mayor Jordan: Tonight, I will start calling the different folks from these professions to see if they have the time to serve on the board. If they don't, then we will ask somebody else. Council Member Petty: I have spoken with every prospective member on this list, except for Washington Regionals Representative, which Susan Norton pursued. Every person here has indicated their willingness to serve. I fielded many questions about the effectiveness of the board and how the business would be conducted. One of the things I felt I needed to promise was that a Council Member would not serve on the board and the board would not be political. This is a board of clinicians, administrators, and researchers. They are all busier than maybe they have ever been. They see the need of the board and value of it. They are eager to help improve the public health of the community. Council Member Marsh: It's an excellent slate of nominees. Moving forward, it would be wise if we also looked at some of the mental health issues, domestic violence issues, and poverty issues after this initial crisis peaks. Mayor Jordan: That is a good point and is one of the things I've been looking at through the course of the day. I have had two other people call that would like to be on the board. We will consider everybody before we decide this is the final list. This will be my appointments. Council Member Gutierrez thanked Council Member Petty, Susan Norton, and Blake Pennington for their work on the resolution. She spoke about the importance of the board and educating the public on why it is being done. She stated as a member of the Nominating Committee, she wants to make sure there is a good balance of gender representation and diversity on the board. She spoke about her excitement that the experts will be able to advise the public. Council Member Bunch requested to know about the five -mile boundary. Council Member Petty stated it refers to a state statute. City Attorney Kit Williams: The statute is within the City Council's power. It says the City Board of Health has authority for one mile normally beyond the city limits, but in case of a pandemic or epidemic, they would have jurisdiction up to five miles beyond the city borders. This statute was created more than 100 years ago. I would question whether beyond any county land that is beyond our borders that we would have any jurisdiction. I don't think the city would have any jurisdiction over any other municipal city limits with this, but it's possible this would be some county land within five miles. It is only for quarantine purposes. A quarantine purpose is not a facemask requirement purpose. It was designed so cities could make some efforts, even beyond their borders to control a pandemic and not come into the city. We can't have any purposes beyond a quarantine. Council Member Marsh moved to approve the resolution. Council Member Smith seconded the motion. Upon roll call the resolution passed 7-0. Council Members Bunch, Smith, Gutierrez, Marsh, Kinion, Petty, and Scroggin voting yes. Council Member Turk was absent. Resolution 173-20 as recorded in the office of the City Clerk 113 West Mountain Fayetteville. AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www fayetteville-ar gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes June 24, 2020 Page 5 of 5 Announcements: City Attorney Kit Williams: We have heard from Council Member Turk. She is out of town and is unable to join this meeting. Mayor Jordan reminded everyone to wear their mask, stay 6 feet apart, and wash their hands frequently. He reminded businesses to have employees and customers wear masks. _ 6:00 p.m. I Jorgpd, Mayor Kara Paxton, City C erk Treasurer 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteviIle-ar.gov