Superior mayor declares state of emergency

Superior Mayor Roni Phillips declared a state of emergency in the town Thursday, April 9, due to the COVID-19 virus.

“The declaration makes us eligible for state and federal money, if we need it,” Phillips said. “If we don’t need it, we won’t use it.”

Philipps said there are no current plans for curfews.

“People seem to be doing a good job of social distancing, so we have no plans for that now.”

Tonight’s council meeting was cancelled, but Phillips said there will likely be a teleconference meeting Monday, May 11.

While the deadly illness has claimed the lives of seven Montanans and nearly 23,000 in the U.S. and its territories, Mineral County still has yet to record a case.

Its neighbor to the north, Sanders County, also has yet to record a case, but Missoula County, just to the east, has 30 cases with one death. Lake County has recorded five cases and Flathead County has 36 cases with one death.

Gov. Steve Bullock issued an Executive Order declaring an emergency to exist within the State of Montana related to COVID-19 March 12 and the Mineral County Commissioners declared a public health emergency March 17.

Part of the reason for the declaration is that the pandemic could exceed the capacity of the services, personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, funding, and other resources of Superior.

It allows town officials the availability and utilization of all necessary town services, equipment, and other resources to protect health and safety and to preserve the lives, property, and resources of the people of the town.

According to the declaration, a state of local emergency activates the response and recovery aspects of any and all adopted local disaster emergency plans, including the Mineral County Emergency Operations Plan, which includes Superior, and authorize the furnishing of aid and assistance in accordance with such plan.

It also gives the mayor the authority to prevent ingress to or egress from all or part of the town and to direct law enforcement to enforce quarantines and curfews in all or parts of the Town concurrent with or at the direction of the County Board of Health Officer.

Here is the rest of the declaration as issued by the Town of Superior:

4. The Mayor will adhere to and implement all directives provided by the Governor of the State of Montana and the County Health Officer or Board of Health regarding the COVID 19 pandemic.

5. Regular meetings of the Superior Town Council, as required by Section 2.08.010 of the Superior Town Code will be held but only essential legally required actions will be considered until such meetings can be held via electronic means with audio and visual communications.

6. Meetings of boards, commissions, and advisory groups and all other scheduled public meetings and hearings of the Town Commission are temporarily postponed, unless the meeting is legally required to take an action. In such case, the meeting shall be held for the purpose of taking such legally required action only, and may be held via electronic means with audio and visual communication.

7. The Mayor has the authority to administer all affairs and departments of the Town, including, but not limited to, implementing orders for employees to work from home and self quarantine.

8. The Mayor has authority to approve contracts and expenditures in furtherance of implementing the Mineral County Emergency Operation Plan, which includes the Town of Superior and this Declaration, and taking all measures deemed necessary to address the emergency, subject to retroactive approval by the council.

9. The Mayor, upon ratification of this Declaration by a 4/5th vote of the Town Council, is authorized to enter into agreements and contracts, and make purchases and expenditures without adhering to state and local procurement requirements, including those in Titles 7 and 18, MCA and to the Town’s purchasing procedures. This authorization is limited only to agreements, contracts, purchases, and expenditures reasonably necessary to implement the Declaration and to no other agreements, contracts, purchases, or expenditures.

10. All Town agencies are authorized to take appropriate action to assist the Mayor, federal, state, and local agencies, and other individuals in containing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from this emergency, to protect Town and local property, and to provide such other assistance as is necessary to protect the public health, welfare, and safety of the residents of the Town, including any personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, funding, and other resources deemed necessary to assist with finding, preventing, and combating COVID-19.

11. This Declaration is effective immediately and shall terminate upon subsequent order from the Mayor of the Town of Superior.

12. Copies of this Declaration be filed with the County Clerk and Recorder, the Town Clerk, and the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services Division in Helena.

13. The public shall be notified of this Declaration as soon as reasonably feasible through general dissemination to the news media, posting on the city website and social media accounts, or using other means of communication appropriate for informing the general public.

Declared by the Mayor of the Town of Superior, Montana, on this 9th day of April, 2020.

- Roni K. Phillips, Mayor