PUBLIC ORDER NO. 2020-8

PUBLIC ORDER NO. 2020-8 OF THE CITY MANAGER UNDER CITY OF TORRANCE'S EMERGENCY AUTHORITY DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO CLOSE PARKS AS NEEDED TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH
THE ORDERS OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH,
AND THE CITY OF TORRANCE'S PUBLIC ORDERS TO
SLOW THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19

WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8634 empowers the City Council and delegated officials to promulgate orders and regulations necessary to provide for protection of life or property during a local emergency; and;
WHEREAS, the City Council has specifically delegated this authority to the City Manager as Director of Emergency Services in Chapter 6 of Division 1 of the Torrance Municipal Code. Further, the City Council confirmed this delegation of authority by Resolution on March 16, 2020; and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference the March 19, 2020, Executive Order issued by Governor Newsom, Order N-33-20 wherein the Governor ordered all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, as outlined at
https://www.cisa.aov/identifvinq-critical-infrastructure-durina-covid19: and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference the March 13,2020, Proclamation and Order of the President of the United States declaring a national emergency in response to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference the March 12, 2020 Proclamation by the City Manager proclaiming a local emergency as a result of the threat of COVID-19, which said Proclamation and order was ratified by the City Council on March 17, 2020; and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference the March 4, 2020, Executive Order issued by Governor Newsom, Order N25-20 wherein the Governor proclaimed a State of Emergency in California as a result of the threat of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend guidelines to maintain hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and social distancing to protect public health and slow the transmission of COVID-19;
and
WHEREAS, the California Department of Public Health has issued guidance to postpone or cancel all gatherings across the State of California to protect public health
PUBLIC ORDER NO. 2020-8
and slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19. Gathering is defined as any event that brings together people together in a single room or single space at the same time; and
WHEREAS, the California Department of Health states that the timely implementation of aggressive strategies that create social distance and those that reduce dose contact of people not regularly together, including limiting gatherings, has proven effective in prior pandemics at delaying rates of transmission and reducing illness and death; and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference the Health Officer of the Los Angeies County Department of Public Health's Order of March 16, 2020. The Order states that in the absence of a specific immunization or treatment for COVID-19, social distancing is the only and most readily available tool to prevent this disease; and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference the Health Officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Safer at Home Order for Control of COVID-19 of March 21, 2020 which amended and supplemented the March 16, 2020 and March 19, 2020 orders; and
WHEREAS, this order is issued in accordance with, an incorporates by reference the Health Officer of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Home Isolation Order (issued March 25, 2020) and Home Quarantine Order (issued March 25, 2020);
and
WHEREAS, despite the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended guidelines to maintain social distancing and despite the California Department of Public Health's issued guidelines to postpone or cancel all gatherings across the State of California, individuals have continued to congregate at parks and disregarded social distancing guidelines; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary and appropriate to close parks and park parking lots as needed to slow the transmission of COVID-19, so that residents and visitors in Torrance remain safe and secure.
By virtue of the authority vested in me as City Manager of the City of Torrance pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code 8634, the City Charter, Torrance Municipal Code 16.2.6, the laws and the Constitution of the State of California to promulgate, issue, and enforce rules, regulations, orders, and directives, I hereby declare the following orders to be necessary for the protection of life and property, effective immediately. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
1. The Director of Emergency Services delegates authority to close any parks and park parking lots as needed to the Director of the Community Services Department to comply with the various orders issued by the Governor of the State of California, the Health Officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and the City of Torrance's Public Orders to slow the transmission
of COVID-19.
PUBLIC ORDER NO. 2020-8
2. The Director of the Community Services Department is directed to inform the public by posting signs at any park and park parking lot that is ordered to be
closed. 3. The Director of the Community Services Department is directed to use its Park Ambassador program to inform the public of any park and park parking lot that is
ordered to be closed. 4. The Director of the Community Services Department is directed to use the City's website and the City's social media to inform the public of any park that is
ordered to be closed. 5. If the Director of the Community Services Department decides at any point to close Wilson Park and the Wilson Park parking lot, he has the authority to allow the Torrance Certified Farmers' Market to remain in operation on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the Wilson Park Parking Lot.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that violation of this Order and any Order or Directive by the Director of the Community Services Department closing parks as a result of this order shall be punished as provided by Torrance Municipal Code Section 16.2.13, California Government Code Section 8665, or any applicable state or municipal law. The violation of any provision of this Order is declared to be a nuisance and may be abated by the City in accordance with its authority to abate nuisances. The remedies listed in this Order are not exclusive of any other remedies available to the City under any applicable Federal, State, or local law and it is within the discretion of the City to seek cumulative remedies.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED this Order shall apply Citywide until rescinded by the City Council or City Manager.