PASADENA, Calif.—City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, March 17, to receive an update on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from Pasadena Public Health Director, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, ratify the recent Local State of Emergency Declaration, and consider relief measures to reduce the economic impacts on residents and businesses.
Council approved the following actions during the meeting: 1. Suspension of any new late fees and penalties for City-provided services, including water, power and garbage pickup. 2. Suspension of any new all utility shut-offs for non-payment; 3. Modification of various parking policies to reduce the financial burden on residents and support local businesses, including: · Temporary suspension of metered parking enforcement to facilitate delivery and curbside pickup zones for food from restaurants. · Temporary suspension of non-critical vehicle impounds; and · Temporary suspension of impounds of vehicles with five (5) or more past-due parking citations or expired registrations. 4. Approval of $150,000 to provide meals to for seniors, as well as disabled and other vulnerable citizens. 5. Enactment of a moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent if a residential or commercial tenant has been impacted by COVID-19 and, therefore, unable to pay. Councilmembers also asked City Manager Steve Mermell to begin formulating a mandatory stay-at-home order should local public health officials deem it necessary. As of March 18, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pasadena is two (2). During her comments, Dr. Goh stated it’s likely that more cases of COVID-19 exist in the community, and she stressed the vital need for residents to follow social distancing guidelines (keeping a safe distance of at least six feet between one another when possible) to reduce community transmission and avoid hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with new COVID-19 cases. For accurate information about COVID-19, including citywide updates, visit cityofpasadena.net; follow us on Twitter at @PasadenaGov, and Instagram and Facebook at @CityOfPasadena; or call the Citizen Service Center, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (626) 744-7311. |
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