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County Resolution and Ordinance Assign Powers

03/18/2020

In emergency session Bernalillo County commissioners passed a resolution declaring all of Bernalillo County’s unincorporated area as an emergency area as the result of positive cases of COVID-19 within the county limits and passed an ordinance that gives civil emergency powers to the county manager, if needed.

As of today, none of those powers have been enacted by the county manager and the county continues a calm concern approach in reaction to the COVID-19 virus and associated cases in the county.

Under the ordinance passed by the commission, the county manager is granted the ability to enact the following, if needed:

Declare curfew hours and designate those exempt from curfew with violators subject to arrest
Close streets, alleys or other public thoroughfares
Order the closing of mass assembly to include theaters, clubs and performance or athletic spaces
Order the closing of child care or education facilities such as daycares, preschools or private educational institutions
Order that places of private employment take reasonable measures to minimize exposure to unusual infectious diseases or health risks to employees or customers to include additional cleaning and sanitizing protocols, partial or full closure, or allowing employees to work from home or take leave, and deploying social distancing protocols
Cancel county sponsored events and gatherings, cancel or impose limitations or special protocols for the provision of county services and the use of county facilities, distribution or redistribution of county resources and budgetary appropriations
Enter into agreements authorizing the use of county-owned properties by third parties, or agreements for the county’s use of non-county owned property outside the usual requirements for county real property transactions
Issue other orders as are imminently necessary for the protection of life and property

These actions by the county commission are only a measure to give the county manager the ability to take immediate action, if needed, but none have been enacted at this time. County residents can go about their business as directed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham with regard to gatherings and social distancing.

Both the emergency area resolution and the emergency powers act were passed by the commission on a unanimous vote.

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