CITY OF LANSING
PANDEMIC POLICY
PURPOSE
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2.
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To provide policy guidance that ensures continuity of government operations
during an extended pandemic.
To support community wide measures to combat the pandemic while providing
essential City services.
To support City employees as they face personal and family needs as well as
public service responsibilities.
POLICY
Community Goals for Pandemic Management
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Limit exposure and resulting illness and loss during a pandemic
Maintain continuity of essential services
Minimize social disruption
Reduce economic losses
DEFINITIONS
Pandemic:
Worldwide outbreak of influenza from a new virus for which humans have no immunity. The
virus would spread easily from person-to-person and cause serious illness because people do
not have immunity to the new virus, for which vaccines are not yet available. A pandemic may
come and go in waves, each of which can last for months at a time. Everyday life could be
disrupted due to people in the same community or of the same employer becoming ill at the
same time. These disruptions could interrupt or compromise the provision of health care
services, government services, including public safety, as well as private business operations.
Social Distancing:
Actions taken by the authorities or individuals to limit person-to-person contact during the
pandemic. These measures may include encouraging or requiring employees to
"telecommute", providing alternative means of conducting business such as
teleconferencing/video conferencing, and closing schools or public gathering places such as
theaters, restaurants, libraries, parks, and museums.
Essential City Public Services:
Governance, law enforcement, fire and life safety, emergency dispatch (911), potable water
and sewer systems, transportation, health care, utilities, food and fuel supplies in addition to
the work necessary to support the continuation of these services during the pandemic
emergency.
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PROCEDURES
1.
Continuity of Governmental Operations
City Departments will develop plans for the continuity of essential services of the
government, public safety (law enforcement and fire/life safety) and public health (water,
sewer and electric), the preservation of vital records, and the basic administrative
services needed to maintain these services. As is practical, other public services will be
provided when appropriate. City Departments shall follow these procedures in preparing
for a pandemic event.
2.
Mayor Activates Pandemic Emergency Response
State law authorizes the Leavenworth County Health Department to declare a pandemic
emergency. Based on this declaration and/or directives from federal and state
authorities, the Mayor shall activate the City's response under this policy.
3.
Special Duty to Assist Public
During a community emergency, the employees of the City have a duty to serve, maintain
vital services, and to take protective measures for themselves. It is critical that they
become an emergency work force that may be redeployed to deal with the emergency
situation.
4.
Orders of Succession and Delegation of Authority
In order to ensure continuity of government during a pandemic emergency, the City shall
have clearly written, published and readily accessible orders of succession and delegated
authority for:
1) Elected Officials
2) City Administrator
3) Department Directors
The order of succession and delegation of authority for elected officials shall be the
following:
1) Mayor
2) Council President
3) Most Tenured Councilmember
Under the authority of the City Administrator, Department Directors shall prepare orders
of succession and delegation of authority for their various departments. The following is
a list that has been provided by each department:
City Administrator
City Administrator
City Clerk
Police Lieutenant (LEOP Officer)
Economic Development
Economic Development/CVB Director
Economic Development/CVB Asst.
Public Information Officer
Museum Site Supervisor
Administration
City Clerk
Assistant City Clerk
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Finance
Finance Director
City Accountant
Accountant
Municipal Court Clerk
Assistant Municipal Court Clerk
Utility Billing Clerk
Utility Billing Clerk/Receptionist
Police
Chief of Police
Captain
Lieutenant
Public Works
Public Works Director
Community Development
Superintendent
Streets Superintendent
Engineering Technician
Library
Library Director
Children’s Librarian
Circulation Technician
Wastewater
Wastewater Utility Director
Wastewater Utility Superintendent
Chief Plant Operator
Parks & Recreation
Parks & Recreation Director
Parks & Recreation Superintendent
Recreation Programmer
5.
Departments Plan for Redeployment to Vital Functions
The impact of a pandemic is recognized to have potential effects on City operations in a
variety of ways. To ensure continuity of government, plans are being made for
redeployed personnel to carry out critical functions and priority support functions as
needed to ensure continuity of government. Department Directors will develop a list of
personnel and/or retirees from other departments to maximize assignment flexibility when
faced with multiple simultaneous absences. These need not be an employee whose
current position requires carrying out the function, but an employee or retiree who,
because of experience and training, could reasonably be expected to handle the function
at a reasonable and safe level.
Examples: An Administrative Assistant in Public Works with some financial background
may be deployed to Accounts Payable. A Clerk in the Finance Office could be deployed
to the Police Department. The Community Development Superintendent with prior work
history in the Wastewater Department could be deployed to operate the plants.
6.
Social Distancing
It is recognized that social distancing is necessary and inevitable in a pandemic
emergency to:
1. Limit the spread of disease,
2. Protect essential service personnel when performing their duty.
3. Ensure continuity of operations.
Departments shall identify in advance and prepare for implementation of telecommuting
for vital City business. This includes necessary arrangements for home work stations
with computer/phone access.
The City Administrator will make necessary arrangements for video and teleconferencing
public meetings. As authorized and deemed necessary under the emergency authority
granted by law, the Mayor may close City services such as the Community Library, the
Historical Museum, Parks, and other public places.
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7.
Minimum Staffing
The Human Resources Department shall manage a central clearinghouse for
redeployment of employees not otherwise assigned to an essential function through their
regular job assignment.
To prepare for maximizing staff resource availability for the emergency situation, HR
and the Departments develop and maintain a list of employees capable of performing
critical jobs necessary to maintain and/or support essential City operations and
continuity of government.
During an emergency, the availability of capable staff shall be monitored. When
necessary to ensure adequate service, discretionary leave shall be cancelled.
8.
Deployment of Personnel
Flexible scheduling shall be maintained to reduce or to lengthen hours of operation as
need in order to provide a variety of alternative work shifts and work schedules.
9.
Protection of Personnel and Citizens
In taking measures to ensure continuity of operations, the City will also help protect the
health, safety and welfare of the community. However, a special obligation exists to help
prevent disease spread when performing Municipal functions. Therefore, personal
protective equipment and additional disinfection procedures will be provided to safely
conduct City business and limit the spread of disease. The use of such will be required if
recommended by health authorities. Other efforts will be made such as the posting of
public health reminders in City facilities and restrooms for hand washing; the closing of
public gathering places as ordered by the Mayor and/or the City Council; providing and
encouraging alternative processes to conduct vital business and maintain continuity of
City services. At the discretion of the City Administrator or his/her designee, the City may
also require employees to take paid or unpaid leave to protect personnel and citizens.
10.
Education
Information shall be provided to employees regarding the nature of a pandemic event to
include personal protective measures at home and work. The essentials for home
measures for preparedness and how they can provide educational assistance to their
own neighborhood shall also be provided.
11.
Family Support Plan
City employees can be expected to experience significant family support needs because
of school closures and/or the need to care for family members. Because of the
extraordinary situation such an emergency may present to the City’s ability to maintain a
public service workforce, discretion by the City Administrator or his designee is granted
to include pay, leave, and other benefits such as expanded availability of leave;
accommodation of dependents in the workplace; assistance with coping with loss and
grief (primarily through the Employee Assistance Program); assistance with fatigue from
prolonged work assignments and family care responsibilities. The City Administrator
may also exercise discretion in administering compensation and benefits to recognize
extraordinary service during a pandemic emergency.
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/familyguide.html
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12.
Communications
Timely and accurate communications with employees and citizens shall be a priority.
Established procedures for timely, coordinated, and approved dissemination of
information regarding City operations and the status of the emergency shall be utilized.
Communication procedures for contacting and communicating with individual employees
shall be developed. Employees shall provide the City with home and family contact
information and will keep such information up to date. The City will provide periodic
reminders to employees of this responsibility.
13.
Return to Normal Operations
It is recognized that recovery from a pandemic event will need careful assessment,
organization, and planning. Because of the likely significant impact of the pandemic on
the community and City operations, a structured and coordinated recovery plan will
include:
1. Determining the of timing and a manner of formal notice of the end of the
pandemic emergency;
2. Evaluating short and long term economic and social impacts on the community;
3. Assessing losses to the City, both financial and staff losses;
4. Adjusting services because of staff and revenue losses;
5. Planning for handling back logs of normal business;
6. Evaluating the handling of the emergency and planning for the future.
References/Sources
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, PLAN TO STAY IN BUSINESS, Continuity of Operations Planning, City of
Bellingham, Washington, http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/statelocalchecklist.html#disease
Updated: 9/21/2009
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