City Manager’s Weekly Report
for week ending April 3, 2020
Update from Police Chief Dan Yourkoski. Your police department is working hard to ensure public safety during this challenging time. We want to emphasize education over enforcement during the Governor’s “stay at home” order. We are taking guidance from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, and from our regional law enforcement partners. Law enforcement’s primary role is to help educate people about how to comply with orders to stay at home. We are not being asked to detain, arrest, ticket or establish checkpoints for compliance. We view our role as law enforcement officials during this period as education. Educating residents on how to keep themselves safe, how to keep their families safe and most importantly, to keep the rest of the community safe, especially our vulnerable populations.
We understand some people need to carry out essential services related to: 1) safety and security, 2) food, water, shelter, 3) health and medical, 4) energy (power and fuel), 5) communications, and 6) transportation.
Our community has shown it understands the severity of the situation and we are all doing what we can to keep ourselves, families, and neighbors safe and healthy. When officers encounter people not complying with an order, we will remind them, as appropriate, of the recommendation and restrictions. No law enforcement agencies have any desire to make any arrests or take anybody to jail for violations. Rumors of individuals or businesses needing “passes” or “licenses” to conduct essential services are not true. Rest assured we will continue to serve you every minute of every day and we will always enforce the laws that keep people safe. Do your part and Stay Home, Save Safe. Save lives.
Declaration of Emergency. A City of Normandy Park Declaration of Emergency is in effect. The City of Normandy Park Recreation Center, field rentals, playground equipment, active recreation, park restrooms and City Hall are closed to the public. All programs will re-open when Highline Public Schools re-open for regular student attendance. City employees will work from home during this period with limited, sequenced exceptions. Employees will be screened upon arrival at the office for temperature, and will go home for 14 days if any fever or symptoms are noted. All city meetings are cancelled during this period unless held remotely, consistent with OPMA. All business with City Hall will be by remote Zoom appointment or arranged drop-off only.
Essential WorkForce – Public Works. In a limited capacity, Public Works is operating as an essential workforce during Governor Inslee’s Executive Order. Crews are limiting activities to essential needs such as increased cleaning within City Hall, sanitation control, vegetation control that could present hazards or compounding problems if left unchecked, urgent street and stormwater repairs, and assorted tasks where social distancing requirements can be met. Due to Washington State and federal worker safety requirements, City crews have been paired into two-person teams with rotating schedules to limit interactions with other group members as much as possible. Stay Home, Stay Healthy! Save lives.
Mark E. Hoppen, City Manager
City of Normandy Park
801 SW 174th Street
Normandy Park, WA 98166
(206) 248-8246 (Direct Phone)
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