Mayor Keith Johnson sat alone at the dais as he gaveled the Litchfield City Council into emergency session Friday afternoon.
While only a few administrative staff joined Johnson in the council chamber, he had the required quorum of members by virtue of the virtual — six council members joined the meeting via a video conferencing program.
The emergency meeting, of course, was called in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which brought a flurry of health warnings and governmental actions to close schools, businesses and restrict access to some health care facilities.
And though the meeting got off to a rough start, with Councilor Darlene Kotelnicki eventually being summoned to join the meeting in person because of technical difficulties, the technology worked well enough for the City Council to unanimously approve a pair of resolutions that give the council and administration broader powers during the emergency.
The resolution enacting the emergency declaration says, in part, the city is enacting the powers because “conditions in Minnesota and the threat to the visitors and inhabitants of the City has worsened considerably as a result of the Emergency” and “this situation threatens the provision and delivery of city services as a result of the Emergency.”
“These are unprecedented times here,” Cziok told council members. “While we continue to think about our community members and those impacted… we need to make sure we’re accomplishing our goals.”
Those goals, he explained, include police and fire protection, safe drinking water, wastewater service and electricity.
“We need to protect as many staff members as possible in order to ensure the core of local government can serve the public,” Cziok added. “If we can’t serve and fulfill our duties, our health care facilities won’t be able to fulfill theirs either.”
Later, Cziok also shared a copy of a COVID-19 Response Plan that covers four stages of effect of the pandemic, from a first stage with regional spreading virus with no known local cases to Stage 4 where the pandemic has “major staff impacts.” After brief explanation of the document, Cziok asked City Council members to review it and to offer feedback over the next couple of weeks, so that a final draft can be created and approved by the council.
Some council members asked about other city functions, such as the golf course, splash pad, campground.
“We’re so early into this, those are not questions we really want to be answering right now,” Cziok said, adding the golf course and splash pad will remain closed until further notice, though some golf course maintenance might be necessary.
Finally, Cziok turned to the financial impact of the pandemic and the community standstill it has created.
“I’m not concerned at this stage about the expense side of this thing,” he said. “Revenues is the real impact. I’m extremely concerned about what’s going to happen … if we see property tax (payment s delayed) and if people can’t afford to pay utilities.”
If revenues declined by 40 percent, it would mean a $9.5 million hit to the city’s budget, Cziok explained, which would lead to a $7.5 million deficit on a “business as usual” approach.
“Obviously, that’s not something we can sustain very long,” he said.
The good news, Cziok said, is “Staff is extremely talented. I have the utmost confidence in staff.”
Added Johnson: “I know we’re in good hands.”
