• Special City Council Meeting: Covid-19

Very brief meeting with only one agenda item. Mayor Dustin Nigg attended by way of phone, and also with his photo propped up in a chair (I loved that touch), which was made permissible when Governor Newsom relaxed certain parts of the Brown Act. 

Councilmember Ben Benoit gives the thumbs up when he hears Mayor Dusting Nigg compliment our "social distancing". At the far right you'll see the masked council member, Joseph Morabito (me) who had just learned from his (my) wife's doctor that I must wear a mask in public so as to protect her. 

3.1 Resolution Proclaiming the Existence of An Emergency Situation and Local Emergency Due to The Worldwide Spread Of COVID-19 
In brief, the emergency resolution is to allow the city to continue conducting business in these extraordinary times. Please watch the very short video at the bottom of this blog.

There was a proposal made by the Mayor that local grocery stores establish priority hours for the elderly and "other high risk groups of people". 

"The city council strongly encourages grocery stores to establish certain priority shopping hours each day for the elderly and other high risk groups of people. The council requests that the public respect this time period to allow elderly and other high risk customers to pick up the food and supplies they need."

— Mayor Dustin Nigg

I asked for a little clarification on that, if possible. 

My thinking was that the same type of people that disregard community needs when they use their wood burning fireplaces on "non burn days" (I'll burn my wood anytime I feel like it, why would I care if people with respiratory problems will be negatively affected) or that purchase cute little red vests for their dogs and then lie to people that their pet is a "service animal" would have no qualms about showing up and claiming to be in the "other high risk groups of people." (though I wasn't nearly that pointed during the meeting)

Ben Benoit got a good wide angle shot of the dais and the room... which had no members of the public present.

The city can't direct, but we are "highly recommending"... that means it's on the honor system... that applies to YOU too.

I wanted the Pikachu mask, but my wife had already called dibs on that one. 

link to original version of this blog

Later in the evening a press release was sent out: