TITLE
Recommendation to direct City Manager to sunset LBMC Chapters 5.53, 5.55, and 8.110 no sooner than February 28, 2022.
DISCUSSION
Background
On May 12, 2020, the City Council adopted two Ordinances: the COVID-19 Citywide Worker Retention Ordinance (LBMC, Chapter 5.53) and the COVID-19 Citywide Worker Recall Ordinance (Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC), Chapter 5.55) to provide protections to workers in high-contact, high-risk industries during the COVID-19 emergency. Both Ordinances became effective on June 22, 2020.
On May 19, 2020, the City Council adopted the COVID-19 Paid Supplemental Sick Leave Ordinance (LBMC, Chapter 8.110) on an emergency and regular basis to gap-fill the federal supplemental sick leave benefits provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an emergency ordinance, the COVID-19 Paid Supplemental Sick Leave Ordinance became effective immediately upon its adoption on May 19, 2020.
In a November 1 memo to the City Manager, Economic Development Director John Keisler recommended a sunset date of December 31,2021 for all three ordinances. The memo cited "that both State and local health orders related to COVI 0-19 have been lifted or relaxed, that state and federal COVID-19 sick leave laws have expired, that many highcontact industries including hospitality, hotels, janitorial, and food services have been allowed to resume operation, and that large local event venues such as the Convention Center and the Grand Prix have been allowed to resume activities," as the reasons for recommending the sunset.' While it is not clear that the City Manager has the power to declare an end date to the ordinances' protections without city council approval, it is the understanding of the City Council that the ordinances will be sunset on December 31 unless Council acts.
The Problem
In the same memo, Director Keisler stated that, "there is still a long way to go before the local economy is expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels."
As it is ...
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