In an emergency meeting Tuesday, the Eugene City Council voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency in Eugene in response to the coronavirus.  This decision follows the city of Springfield, which declared a state of emergency yesterday.

The declaration allows City Manager Pro Tem Sarah Medary to take a number of actions that she otherwise could not to address concerns surrounding the COVID-19 emergency, she said at the meeting. A Eugene Police spokesperson said these potential steps include acquiring local resources from county, state and government agencies to help prevent or alleviate “damages, loss, hardship or suffering.”

“The purpose of the emergency declaration is to increase the amount of state and federal resources that can be used to address COVID-19 in our community,” Eugene Fire Chief Chris Heppel said at the meeting. “It also provides authorization for agencies to expand their ability to respond to the situation with updated or new policies, including working with vulnerable populations and businesses.” 

The city’s code states that the city manager may declare a state of emergency when a coordinated response is required “beyond that which occurs routinely,” when the required response cannot be achieved with resources from mutual aid or cooperative assistance agreements and when the emergency is categorized as being Level 3. 

Medary said there is “a whole list” of responses to the emergency that she could not make without the declaration.

“I can establish rent controls and provide temporary or permanent housing by purchase lease or otherwise, and to enter into agreements necessary to prepare or equip the living units for occupancy,” Medary said.

Prior to the declaration being approved, Medary said it would be a precautionary measure that she believed the community was expecting.
Regarding what would lead the city to determine that it is no longer in a state of emergency, Heppel said, “Once the state starts to withdraw many of their restrictions then we will start our transition back to our previous normal.”

Medary noted that the state’s declaration of emergency and executive orders from Governor Kate Brown take precedence over Eugene, similarly to how the declaration from the federal government takes precedence over the state.