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Res No 018-21-15638RESOLUTION NO.018-21-15638 A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of South Miami urging the Florida Governor to amend Executive Order 20-315 to include teachers in the Phase One COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan priority list. WHEREAS, the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") is a severe acute respiratory illness that can spread among humans through respiratory transmission and continues to pose a public health threat to individuals across the planet; and WHEREAS, on March 1, 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-51 directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency and on March 9, 2020, issued Executive Order 20-52 declaring a state of emergency in the state of Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, the Miami -Dade County ("County") Mayor issued an emergency order declaring a local state of emergency in the County due to COVID-19; and WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the City Manager of the City of South Miami (the "City") declared a local state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS, on December 23, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-315 (the "Executive Order"), establishing a priority list of population groups eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during phase one of Florida's COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan (the "Vaccine Distribution Plan"); and WHEREAS, the Executive Order's Vaccine Distribution Plan does not include teachers in the COVID-19 vaccination priority list; and WHEREAS, teachers are among the most important essential workers in the State, educating our youth, providing children with essential skills to compete in the 21 st century economy, and deeply enriching and inspiring children; and WHEREAS, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that our teachers stay healthy so that they can continue teaching students to ensure a highly educated population; and WHEREAS, it is unfair and dangerous to open our schools and order teachers to attend in person teaching while our teachers remain unvaccinated; and WHEREAS, there are seven public and charter schools in the City limits - J.R.E. Lee Opportunity Center, Ludlam Elementary School, Somerset Academy Elementary School (South Miami Campus), Somerset Academy middle School (South Miami Campus) South Miami Elementary School, South Miami Middle School, Sunset Elementary; and WHEREAS, the opening of our schools requires that teachers are protect and, therefore, the City firmly believes that teachers should be included in the phase one Vaccine Distribution Plan priority list; and Page l of 2 Res. No. 018-21-15638 WHEREAS, the City respectfully urges Florida Governor DeSantis to move quickly to amend Executive Order 20-315 to include teachers in the phase one Vaccine Distribution Plan priority list. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The foregoing recitals are hereby ratified and confirmed as being true and they are incorporated into this resolution by reference as if set forth in full herein. Section 2. The Mayor and Commission of the City of South Miami hereby urges Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to amend and reissue Executive Order 20-315 to include teachers in the phase one Vaccine Distribution Plan priority list. Section 3. The Mayor and City Commission hereby direct the City Clerk to transmit a copy of this Resolution to Governor Ron DeSantis, the Governor's cabinet, the Florida League of Cities, the Miami -Dade County Legislative Delegation, all municipalities in Miami -Dade County, and the Miami -Dade County League of Cities. Section 4. Corrections. Conforming language or technical scrivener -type corrections may be made by the City Attorney for any conforming amendments to be incorporated into the final resolution for signature. Section 5. Severability. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the holding will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution. Section 6. Effective Date. This resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 16" day of February, 2021. ATTEST: APPROVED: CIT LER MAYOR READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM, COMMISSION VOTE: LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND EXECUTION THERE CITY ATTORNEY Mayor Philips: Vice Mayor Welsh: Commissioner Harris: Commissioner Liebman Commissioner Gil: 4-0 Yea Absent Yea Yea Yea Page 2 of 2 Agenda Rem No:3. City Commission Agenda Item Report Meeting Date: February 16, 2021 Submitted by: Thomas Pepe Submitting Department: City Attorney Item Type: Resolution Agenda Section: Subject: A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of South Miami urging the Florida Governor to amend Executive Order 20-315 to include teachers in the Phase One COMD-19 vaccination distribution plan priority list. 3/5 (Commissioner Harris) Suggested Action: Attachments: Reso to Governor re Coronavirus Vaccinations for Teachers in Phase One.doc