Mt. Juliet, Tenn. - Moments ago, at an emergency meeting, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution that approves an executive order to declare a State of Emergency for the City of Mt. Juliet in response to COVID-19. This Order follows a Declaration of Emergency by the President of the United States and also the Governor of Tennessee. The City of Mt. Juliet Board of Commissioners declared a Civil Emergency and a local State of Emergency with the City and adopts Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order #17 and all other Executive Orders concerning COVID-19.
City of Mt. Juliet Resolution 18-2020
The purpose of the local declaration of emergency is multi-faceted:
- It authorizes the City Manager to move forward with certain emergency management functions and authorizes the City Manager to request and respond to requests of aid from other jurisdictions when necessary.
- It suspends various procedures and formalities otherwise required under our local and state laws as it pertains to taking necessary action to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of our community.
- The city manager is now authorized to enter into contracts and incur obligations, as needed, to employ permanent and temporary employees as warranted, and otherwise appropriate and expend public funds as deemed necessary.
- This Order is the most aggressive approach our city is legally authorized to take concerning certain aspects of business-related regulations and adopts the Governor’s Executive Order No. 17 signed on March 22, 2020 and all further Executive Orders concerning COVID-19.
Executive Order No. 17 prohibits social gatherings of 10 or more individuals and also enacts the following provisions regarding restaurants, bars and any food or drink establishment:
- Social gatherings of 10 or more people are now prohibited;
- All dine-in restaurant offerings are prohibited, however, drive-thru, take-out and delivery options remain in place, and this includes food and alcohol;
- All gyms and exercise facilities are hereby temporarily closed. If you are questioning whether your facility qualifies as a gym or exercise facility, operate on the assumption that it does;
- All visits to nursing homes and assisted living facilities are prohibited, and Maury Regional Health facilities are closed to visitors, as announced late last week;
- This Order urges our citizens to practice the guidelines set forth by the CDC, including social distancing, proper hygiene, staying at home when possible, and remaining calm.
Also announced at the emergency meeting was a new webpage, www.safemtjuliet.com, to help disseminate information and resources about COVID-19 to the Mt. Juliet community. SafeMtJuliet.com includes a variety of resources that can benefit the entire community, which include:
- City & State COVID-19 Restrictions
- Senior Citizen Call Check Requests, where the police department will call and check on participants each day
- A list of restaurants that are open who provide takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery
- A Restriction Violation Reporting Form, where citizens can submit possible violations to and restrictions or precautions
- Information on local COVID-19 testing sites
- COVID-19 information from health officials
The site will be updated regularly as pertinent information changes or is made available. Community members are encouraged to stay up to date on the rapidly changing situation through information outlets provided by trusted sources, such as local health officials, Tennessee Department of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
###