Savannah’s City Council unanimously supported Mayor Van Johnson’s declaration of a local state of emergency to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and also approved a resolution to transition all municipal operations to clean energy by the year 2035, during the council’s regular meeting on Thursday, March 26, held via teleconference.

Johnson originally issued his state-of-emergency order over the coronavirus pandemic on March 19 — and since amended this order with a shelter-at-home declaration on Tuesday, March 24 — but the directive required ratification by council at their Thursday meeting. After Johnson moved this item up on the agenda for consideration toward the beginning of Thursday's meeting, the council members voted to approve the emergency order without dissent.

"We realize that this is uncomfortable. It’s inconvenient," Johnson said of the shelter-at-home directive. "We’re appreciating your support and asking people to stay at home and practice social distancing."

City Manager Pat Monahan remarked that since the emergency declaration, 30 notices had been issued to parties that were not in compliance.

Following up on this matter toward the end of Thursday's meeting, Johnson mentioned that some of his family members in New York had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and that his father was currently under observation for COVID-19 symptoms.

"This is real," Johnson said of the coronavirus threat. "People have to take this absolutely seriously."

In other business, the council unanimously approved a motion pledging that Savannah would begin "transitioning to clean, renewable energy for both City operations and the community as a whole, with a goal of achieving 100% clean and renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% clean and renewable energy for all other energy forms by 2050," according to the agenda description of the resolution.

"I’m elated to see all the energy behind this," said Alderman Nick Palumbo, a longtime supporter of the resolution, adding that this action could provide positive direction for Savannah after the coronavirus crisis. "It’s not just what we’re going through right now, but how we emerge from it."

At different points in the meeting, some council members questioned the prudence of approving ordinarily routine municipal expenditures and agreements while Savannah experiences massive revenue losses because of the coronavirus crisis.

"Our citizens are having to cut back and not spend as they were spending when times were good," said Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter, while inquiring about the necessity of consent-agenda items like the purchase of painting materials for Savannah’s Summer Home Repair Program and a contract renewal for water-sample analysis.

"All of these items are necessary," said Monahan. After further discussion, the consent agenda was unanimously approved.

Later, during discussion about approving a water and sewer agreement with the Savannah College of Art and Design for dormitories under construction on Victory Drive, Alderwoman Estella Shabazz inquired about the possibility of delaying this agenda item to a future meeting, which would provide time to arrange a conversation with SCAD about how the college could participate in rejuvenating the surrounding neighborhood.

"It would be a wonderful thing to have more involvement with SCAD," Shabazz said, while emphasizing that she wanted to see the dormitory construction continue. "I do not want to hinder."

After Monahan explained that SCAD’s development plan for the dormitory project satisfied all requirements and was ratified long ago, all council members voted to approve the water and sewer agreement, with the exception of Gibson-Carter, who recused herself from the vote.

At the end of the teleconference meeting, which was occasionally beset with technical difficulties and a mysterious loud exclamation of a curse word rhyming with "hit", Johnson noted that city staff was researching other technological alternatives for the council to continue meeting remotely during the pandemic’s indefinite duration.

"We will get through this," Johnson said in concluding remarks.

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