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O-2021-060 - 2/25/2021 I EMERGENCY ORDINANCE NO. 0-2021-060 2 3 PURSUANT TO SECTION 3.14 OF THE ROUND ROCK HOME RULE 4 CHARTER, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE DECLARING THAT 5 A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY EXISTS BECAUSE OF THE WORLD- 6 WIDE COVID-19 PANDEMIC; ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS 7 RELATED TO THE POSTING OF A PUBLIC NOTICE BY COMMERCIAL 8 ENTITIES AND THE WEARING OF FACE COVERINGS AND 9 PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE AND REPEALING 10 CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS. 11 12 13 WHEREAS, on June 29, 2020, the City Council adopted Emergency 14 Ordinance No. 0-2020-0189 in response to the world-wide novel coronavirus 15 ("Covid-19") pandemic; and 16 17 WHEREAS, by its terms, and in compliance with the City's Home Rule 18 Charter, said Ordinance was set to expire on August 29, 2020; and 19 20 WHEREAS, on August 27, 2020 the City Council adopted Emergency 21 Ordinance No. 0-2020-0227 to extend the expiration date to October 28, 2020; 22 and 23 24 WHEREAS, on October 22, 2020 the City Council readopted Emergency 25 Ordinance No. 0-2020-0311 to extend the expiration date to December 28, 2020; 26 and 27 WHEREAS, on December 17, 2020 the City Council readopted Emergency 28 Ordinance No. 0-2020-0374 to extend the expiration date to February 28, 2020; 29 and 30 31 WHEREAS, the Council has determined that the Covid-19 pandemic 32 continues to cause a public health emergency; and 33 34 WHEREAS, the Council wishes to re-enact the terms and provisions of said 35 Emergency Ordinance, NOW THEREFORE 36 37 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK, 38 TEXAS: 39 40 41 W034I�MA797-abfc-0a6982cal ff4 1 I. 2 DECLARATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY 3 1.01 Pursuant to Sec. 3.14 of the Round Rock Home Rule Charter, the City Council 4 hereby declares that a public health emergency exists in the City of Round Rock because of the 5 world-wide novel coronavirus ("Covid-19") pandemic. 6 7 1.02 On March 13, 2020 Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas issued a disaster 8 proclamation that Covid-19 poses an imminent threat of disaster for all counties in the State of 9 Texas. 10 11 1.03 The Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services has 12 determined that Covid-19 continues to represent a public health disaster. 13 14 1.04 On June 17, 2020, Governor Abbott publicly announced that according to 15 his interpretation of his executive orders, "local governments can require stores and 16 businesses to require masks" and further that every city and county is authorized to 17 impose this "requirement on business operations." 18 19 II. 20 MANDATORY NOTICE FOR COMMERCIAL ENTITIES 21 2.01 Effective as of 11:59 p.m. on February 28, 2021, and continuing through 22 11:59 p.m. on April 29, 2021, all commercial entities in the city that provide goods or 23 services directly to the public shall post a notice to the public that all employees and 24 visitors to the commercial entity's business premises or other facilities, are required to 25 wear face coverings when in an area or performing an activity which will necessarily 26 involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public, where six feet of separation 27 is not feasible. 28 2.02 The aforesaid notice shall be posted in a conspicuous location sufficient to 29 provide notice to employees and visitors of the health and safety requirements. 30 2.03 A sample Health and Safety Notice containing the minimum requirements 31 is attached as Exhibit A and may be used by a commercial entity. A commercial entity 32 may add its own additional requirements as determined by the entity. 33 34 III. 35 MANDATORY FACE COVERINGS FOR INDIVIDUALS 36 3.01 Except as provided below, effective as of 11:59 p.m. on February 28, 2021, 37 and continuing through 11:59 p.m. on April 29 2021, all persons 10 years or older shall 38 wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when 39 a) inside a commercial entity or other building open to the public, where 40 it is difficult to keep six feet away from other persons or where working 2 1 in areas that involve close proximity with other people or co-workers; 2 or 3 b) outside with a group of people where it is difficult to keep six feet away 4 from other persons in the group. 5 3.02 The requirement to wear face coverings does not apply to the following 6 situations: 7 a) When exercising or engaging in physical activity; 8 b) When in a building that requires security surveillance or screening, 9 such as banks; 10 c) While consuming food or drink; 11 d) When doing so poses a greater mental or physical health, safety, or 12 security risk, 13 e) When outside with a group of only members of a single household; 14 or 15 f) When other mitigation strategy, such as plexiglass provides 16 adequate separation. 17 18 IV. 19 PENALTIES 20 4.01 For the first instance that a person is determined to have violated any 21 provision of this Ordinance, the penalty shall be a verbal or written warning. 22 4.02 Any person found guilty of violating this ordinance after previously receiving 23 a warning, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $200.00. 24 25 V. 26 EXPIRATION DATE 27 5.01 Pursuant to Sec. 3.14 of the Round Rock Home Rule Charter, this 28 Emergency Ordinance shall be automatically repealed on the sixty-first day following the 29 day of its adoption, unless terminated sooner, or re-enacted by the Council. 30 31 VI. 32 6.01 All ordinances, parts of ordinances, or resolutions in conflict herewith are 33 expressly repealed. 34 6.02 The invalidity of any section or provision of this ordinance shall not 35 invalidate other sections or provisions thereof. 3 1 6.03 The City Council hereby finds and declares that written notice of the date, 2 hour, place and subject of the meeting at which this Emergency Ordinance was adopted 3 was posted and that such meeting was open to the public as required by law at all times 4 during which this Emergency Ordinance and the subject matter hereof were discussed, 5 considered and formally acted upon, all as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 6 551, Texas Government Code, as amended. 8 By motion duly made, seconded and passed with an affirmative vote by _ 9 of the Council members present, this Emergency Ordinance was 10 11 READ, PASSED, and ADOPTED on this 25th day of February, 2021. 12 13 14 CRAI MO AN, Mayor 15 City of Rounh Rock, Texas 16 17 ATTEST: _ 18 19 20 MEAGAN SPI KS, Deputy City Clerk 4