In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared the virus to be a severe public health threat. As of April 1, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 827,419 confirmed cases of COVID-19 leading to 40,777 deaths in 206 countries. 1,279 of those cases and 32 of those deaths were reported in Nevada.

Between the time COVID-19 was first detected and April 1, 2020, various government agencies have taken a series of actions to slow the spread of COVID-19:

• WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020;
• The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020;
• On March 11, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic;
• Governor Steve Sisolak declared an emergency in the State of Nevada due to the impacts and risks of COVID-19 on March 12, 2020;
• On March 13, 2020, the President of the United Stated declared a national emergency and Governor Sisolak closed all Nevada schools until at least April 6, which date has since been extended until at least April 30;
• City Manager Neil Krutz declared a local emergency in the City of Sparks related to the outbreak of COVID-19; and
• On April 1, 2020 Governor Sisolak issued a stay at home order for Nevada

These actions have necessitated several agreements between and involving the City of Sparks and its regional partners including a cost-sharing agreement governing the payment of expenses incurred by an appointed Incident Commander and Incident Management Team who are responsible for unified regional incident command and coordinated response.

Sections 1.30.010 and 2.20.025 of the Sparks Municipal Code empower the City Manager to proclaim the existence of a local state of emergency and to request state and federal assistance when the City of Sparks is affected by, or in imminent danger of, a public calamity and the City Council is not in session. State law authorizes local governments responding to an emergency to “enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to combat such an emergency or disaster, protect the health and safety of persons and property and provide emergency assistance to the victims of such an emergency or disaster.”  NRS 414.090(3).

The City Manager signed an interlocal agreement with the City of Reno, Washoe County and the Washoe County Health District establishing an Incident Commander and Incident Management Team, which are responsible for cost effective management of the COVID-19-realted response in the Washoe County (which interlocal agreement immediately precedes the present agenda item on the City Council Agenda for April13, 2020). The Incident Commander is empowered to use and acquire property in support of this effort, which property will be paid for initially by Washoe County. Washoe County will be reimbursed first by FEMA and then by the regional partners in accordance with this contemporaneously entered cost-sharing agreement that is attached to the interlocal agreement as an exhibit. For expenses not paid by FEMA, the regional partners agreed to divide the remaining costs three ways - between Washoe County and the cities of Sparks and Reno. Wahoe County will pay 50% of the total cost, with the City of Sparks paying 15% and the City of Reno paying the balance of 35%. The total cost of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is not known at this time.

1. The City Council may ratify the cost-sharing agreement as recommended.

2. The City Council may reject the cost-sharing agreement, which could have the effect of terminating the interlocal agreement as it relates to the City of Sparks, and provide further direction to the City Manager.

I move to ratify the cost-sharing agreement (AC-5660) between the City of Sparks, the City of Reno and Washoe County for incident response costs incurred by the Incident Commander of the Incident Management Team for the purpose of effectuating a coordinated regional response to the COVID-19 global pandemic event.