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Proclamation and Declaration of Emergency <br />WHEREAS, the virus named COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously <br />been identified in humans and can easily spread from person to person; and <br />WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, Governor Tim Walz declared a Peacetime State of Emergency to <br />authorize all necessary resources to be used in support of the COVID-19 response; and <br />WHEREAS, COVID-19 has been identified by the World Health Organization as a pandemic, <br />and the United States Centers for Disease Control has provided guidance for individuals, healthcare <br />professionals, and businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19; and <br />WHEREAS, on March 25, 2020, Governor Timothy J. Walz issued a stay at home order requiring <br />non -essential employees and public officials to limit interaction with the public; and <br />WHEREAS, the current pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the City of Elk River (the <br />"City"); and <br />WHEREAS, on March 26, 2020, the City Administrator issued a declaration calling for City <br />meetings to be held by electronic means; and <br />WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 12.29 authorizes the mayor of a municipality to declare a <br />local emergency for a period of up to three days; and <br />WHEREAS, the Elk River City Council may consent to an extension of a declaration of local <br />emergency beyond three days; and. <br />WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 12.37 an emergency declaration authorizes the City <br />to enter into contracts and perform other duties without following many of the time-consuming <br />legal procedures normally required, including: <br />■ Arranging for the performance of public work <br />■ Contracting <br />■ Incurring obligations <br />■ Employing temporary workers <br />■ Renting equipment <br />■ Purchasing supplies and materials <br />■ Complying with limitation on tax levies <br />■ Appropriating and expending public funds, including publication of ordinance and <br />resolutions, advertisement for bids, provisions of civil service laws and rules, competitive <br />bidding, and budget requirements; and <br />WHEREAS, the Mayor finds that the emergency is sudden and could not have been anticipated; <br />and <br />