After a unanimous vote, City Council is declaring a state of local emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement will allow the city to acquire additional resources to deal with the outbreak.

“We are navigating a truly unprecedented time in our city’s history,” Mayor Brian Bowman says. “The declaration of today’s state of local emergency will enable access to the tools needed to respond to challenges in a timely fashion.”

The city says they are acting on the advice of experts in order to balance the health and safety of residents with the continuation of required services for residents.

The city says they remain committed to maintaining essential services to its residents. By declaring a state of local emergency the city hopes to ensure the appropriate policies and procedures are in place to allow essential services to continue and continue critical infrastructure work.

This will allow the city to authorize the procurement and distribution of essential resources, control, permit or prohibit travel, along with various other powers.