4.7. SR 08-03-2020
Request for Action
To Item Number
Mayor and City Council 4.7
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Consent August 3, 2020 Cal Portner, City Administrator
Item Description Reviewed by
Pandemic Plan Update
Reviewed by
Action Requested
Approve, by motion, an update to the city Pandemic Plan.
Background/Discussion
On June 15, 2020, Governor Walz issued an emergency executive order requiring critical businesses and
governmental agencies to establish a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and have them adopted by their
governing board.
The City of Elk River adopted their original plan on June 15 and an amendment on July 6.
Effective July 24, 2020, Minnesotans are required to wear facial coverings while indoors or when unable
to social distance outdoors. The Elk River COVID-19 Preparedness Plan was updated to facial covering
mandates.
Financial Impact
N/A
Attachments
City of Elk River Pandemic Plan
The Elk River Vision
A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional
service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity
Version 6 15 2020
COVID-19 Preparedness Plan for
the City of Elk River, Minnesota
Elk River is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for our workers, customers, and visitors. To
ensure we have a safe and healthy workplace, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Managers and workers are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our
goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, and that
requires full cooperation among our workers and management. Only through this cooperative effort can we
establish and maintain the safety and health of all persons in our workplaces.
The COVID-19 Preparedness Plan is administered by the city administrator, who maintains the overall authority
and responsibility for the plan. However, management and workers are equally responsible for supporting,
implementing, complying with, and providing recommendations to further improve all aspects of this COVID-19
Preparedness Plan. Elk River’s managers and supervisors have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this
plan.
Our workers are our most important assets. The city is serious about safety and health and protecting its
workers. Worker involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness
Plan. We have involved our workers in this process by initially holding daily meetings with department directors
and key managers to gather information, discuss areas of concern and identify policy and facility improvements
to resolve concerns. The directors and key managers met with their respective employees to share this
information and receive further feedback. Following the initial implementation, directors and key managers met
twice weekly to share operational information, discuss further employee feedback and the operational status of
their work areas.
Elk River’s COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows the industry guidance developed by the state of Minnesota,
which is based upon Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health
(MDH) guidelines for COVID-19, Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MNOSHA) statutes,
rules and standards, and Minnesota’s relevant and current executive orders. It addresses:
ensuring sick workers stay home and prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;
social distancing – workers must be at least six-feet apart;
worker hygiene and source controls, including face coverings;
workplace building and ventilation protocol;
workplace cleaning and disinfection protocol;
drop-off, pick-up and delivery practices and protocol; and
communications and training practices and protocol.
Elk River has reviewed and incorporated the industry guidance applicable to our business provided by the state
of Minnesota for the development of this plan, including the following industry guidance for critical and
governmental operations. Other conditions and circumstances included in the industry guidance and addressed
in the plan that are specific to our business include:
additional protections and protocols for customers, clients, guests and visitors;
additional protections and protocols for personal protective equipment (PPE);
additional protections and protocol for access and assignment;
additional protections and protocol for sanitation and hygiene;
additional protections and protocols for work clothes and handwashing;
additional protections and protocol for distancing and barriers;
additional protections and protocols for managing occupancy;
additional protocols to limit face-to-face interaction;
additional protections for receiving or exchanging payment; and
additional protections and protocols for certain types of businesses within an industry.
Ensure sick workers stay home and prompt identification and isolation of
sick persons
Workers have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The
following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess workers’ health status prior to entering the
workplace and for workers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms. Employees shall monitor
their temperature each day before reporting to work. If a fever or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are
identified they shall immediately notify their supervisor and/or Human Resources. Employees at the work site
who exhibit signs and/or symptoms of COVID-19 shall notify their supervisor and/or Human Resources. They will
be directed to leave the work site immediately. Upon consultation with their physician, they shall not report to
work until cleared by their physician, symptoms have subsided, and they are without a fever for three (3) days.
Supervisors shall notify HR as soon as possible. If an employee experiencing symptoms is unable to leave work
immediately, they shall immediately quarantine themselves from all other persons until they are able to leave
the job site.
Elk River has implemented leave policies that promote workers staying at home when they are sick, when
household members are sick, or when required by a health care provider to isolate or quarantine themselves or
a member of their household. Employees may utilize sick leave or other accrued paid leaves when they are sick,
or quarantined due to a potential exposure. If they have no leave balances, in a pandemic they may request
donated leave for illness or quarantine. Accommodations for workers with underlying medical conditions or who
have household members with underlying health conditions have been implemented. Employees are
encouraged to work from home as work exists if they have underlying medical conditions or have household
members with underlying health conditions. If work does not exist, employees may utilize sick leave, vacation,
or available compensatory time.
Elk River has also implemented a policy for informing employees if they have been exposed to a person with
COVID-19 at their workplace and requiring them to quarantine for the required amount of time. Human
Resources shall interview any person contracting COVID-19 at work and identify all potential personnel contacts.
Each potential contact will be informed of a possible exposure and required to quarantine for seven (7) days and
monitor for fever and other symptoms. If fever and symptom free at the conclusion of the quarantine, the
employee may return to work.
In addition, a policy has been implemented to protect the privacy of employees’ health status and health
information. Human Resources will be the sole contact for protection of health status and information.
Social distancing – Workers must be at least six-feet apart
Social distancing of at least six feet will be implemented and maintained between workers, customers, and
visitors in the workplace through the following engineering and administrative controls: City Hall, the
Wastewater Treatment Facility, Fire Stations 1 &2, Trout Brook Barn, Activity Center 55+ and the Public Works
Facility are closed to the public.
The Police Station has a physical barrier between the public and employees.
City Hall employees who can work from home have been allowed to take their laptop and desktop pc and
monitors home. VPN access is provided for those who need to access city servers. The remaining City Hall
employees are socially distanced in their offices or workstations. Cleaning supplies, latex gloves and masks are
provided as needed. Signs are posted reminding employees to social distance. Field staff have keys to their
vehicle and do not enter City Hall if they do not need to. Appointments are made when public meetings are
needed. Drop offs are at the front door with a number to call at the front desk.
Public Works employees each have their own vehicle and practice social distancing in the field. Critical or
emergency work interactions will utilize all necessary PPE. Noncritical work requiring close interaction will be
postponed.
Public Safety employees use social distancing and have sanitation and PPE materials posted throughout the
facility.
Employees, visitors, and customers are prohibited from gathering in groups. Employees and visitors are
prohibited from gathering in confined areas, including elevators, and from using other employees’ personal
protective equipment, phones, computer equipment, desks, cubicles, workstations, offices or other personal
work tools and equipment.
Council and Commission meeting rooms will have socially spaced seating. Public access and egress will be in a
one-way, counterclockwise direction. Rooms will be sanitized before and after each meeting as will door
handles, chair seat arms and speaker’s podium. Hand sanitizer and tissues with wastebasket will be in the
chambers. Overflow room is available when capacity is met. Participants may watch or present remotely
through Zoom or web streaming.
At polling stations for local elections voters will be kept at least 6 feet apart. When not feasible, efforts will be
made to keep individuals as far apart as is practical. Feasibility of strategies will depend on the space available in
the polling station and the number of voters who arrive at one time. Election judges can:
Increase distance between voting booths.
Limit nonessential visitors. (will be encouraged not to bring children, grandchildren)
Remind voters upon arrival to try to leave space between themselves and others. Encourage voters to
stay 6 feet apart if feasible. Signs will be provided to help voters and workers remember.
Discourage voters and election judge workers from greeting others with physical contact (e.g.,
handshakes). Include this reminder on signs about social distancing.
If feasible access and egress will be in a one-way direction. Rooms will be sanitized before and after each
election as will door handles, chairs, and tables. Election judges will clean and disinfect voting-associated
equipment (e.g., voting machines, laptops, tablets, keyboards) routinely as well.
Worker hygiene and source controls
Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented at our workplaces at all times. Workers are
instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but
especially at the beginning and end of their shift, prior to any mealtimes and after using the restroom. All
visitors to the facility will be required to wash their hands prior to or immediately upon entering the facility.
Some workplaces may have hand-sanitizer dispensers (that use sanitizers of greater than 60% alcohol) that can
be used for hand hygiene in place of soap and water if hands are not visibly soiled.
Hand sanitizers are available in areas where social distancing human interaction may take place. If there is no
sanitizer in a meeting area, employees shall contact their supervisor so sanitizer can be provided. In the
meantime, employees are encouraged to continue with proper handwashing after each interaction and to not
touch their face. Drop-off, pick-up and delivery contacts shall be minimized by requiring such deliveries to be left
at the front door or in the vestibule. Latex gloves are available to retrieve deliveries and employees shall wash
their hands after making such contact.
Employees and visitors shall properly wear a facial covering when inside a public space of a city facility including
lobbies, hallways, breakrooms, restrooms, locker rooms, and meeting rooms. You will not be required to wear a
mask when alone in a building, an office or a cubicle which is higher than face level, or in a socially-distanced
reception area with a protective barrier (sneeze guard). Please be respectful of workstations, cubicles and
offices and ensure both you and the inhabitant is masked before entering. We still need to ensure proper social
distancing despite the facial coverings. We will have masks available in each work area and will make them
available for the public. The executive order does allow those with certain medical conditions to wear a shield
and we will provide one on request.
Employees do not need to wear a mask when traveling alone in a vehicle. If you have another living human in
your vehicle you all shall wear facial coverings.
Face coverings must be worn outdoors when it is not possible to consistently maintain 6 feet of space between
you and another person. You may wish to consider carrying a covering in case you come upon a situation in
which you cannot social distance outside, such as waiting to enter a facility.
For those who attend or present at council or commission meetings, you shall wear a mask at the meeting but
may remove it while speaking, drinking or eating.
Employees and visitors are instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing
or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and eyes, with their hands. They
should dispose of tissues in the trash and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory
etiquette will be demonstrated on posters and supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all
employees and visitors. Reminder notes are placed throughout city facilities and employees are frequently
reminded of proper respiratory etiquette.
Workplace building and ventilation protocol
Operation of the building in which the workplace is located, includes necessary sanitation, assessment, and
maintenance of building systems, including water, plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems. The city follows ASHRAE & CDC Reopening Guidelines which increases airborne
exposures by increasing ventilation and increasing filtration. Specifically, building air will be flushed for two full
hours prior to the first expected occupancy and the air will be flushed again for two full hours post-occupancy or
after closing. The maximum amount of fresh air is being brought into the workplace, air recirculation is being
limited, and ventilation systems are being properly used and maintained. Steps are also being taken to minimize
air flow blowing across people. HVAC systems have been inspected and will continually be inspected to ensure
they are commissioned correctly. All zones and spaces throughout buildings will be monitored for temperature
and humidity. They will use outside air economization to maximize airflow and free cooling. And, temperatures
in each zone or office will be kept above the recommended dew point temperature at all times.
Workplace cleaning and disinfection protocol
Regular practices of cleaning and disinfecting have been implemented, including a schedule for routine cleaning
and disinfecting of work surfaces, equipment, tools and machinery, vehicles and areas in the work environment,
including restrooms, break rooms, lunch rooms, meeting rooms, checkout stations, locker rooms, and drop-off
and pick-up locations. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting is being conducted of high-touch areas, including
phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles, elevator panels, railings, copy machines, credit card
readers, delivery equipment, etc. General daily cleaning is completed by city custodial staff. Special meeting
cleaning will be completed by city staff facilitating the meeting. Employees are expected to maintain their own
office and workstation in a sanitized manner.
Appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfecting supplies have been purchased and are available for use in
accordance with product labels, safety data sheets and manufacturer specifications, and are being used with
required personal protective equipment for the product. Clorox wipes or other approved materials are available
for cleaning surfaces. Custodial staff will utilize at prescribed intervals an ionizing fogger upon receipt. The same
products will be used to disinfect all areas contacted by an employee diagnosed with COVID-19.
Drop-off, pick-up and delivery practices, and protocol
For city buildings not open to the public, signs with phone numbers are posted for delivery personnel to drop off
items. Upon delivery, the package will be left at the front door or foyer and the phone number shall be called to
inform employees. For city buildings open to the public, packages will be left behind the sneeze guard.
Employees will have latex gloves available for handling deliveries and shall follow general pandemic hygiene
protocols. Employees who make deliveries shall wear protective equipment and maintain safe social distancing
and hygiene protocols.
Communications and training practices and protocol
This Preparedness Plan was communicated by email from Human Resources and verbally by management staff
to all employees on June 16 and updated effected June 29 and necessary training was provided. Additional
communication and training will be ongoing by city email from Human Resources and verbally from
management staff and provided to all employees who did not receive the initial training.
Instructions will be communicated to all workers, including employees, temporary workers, staffing and,
independent contractors, subcontractors, vendors and outside technicians customers and guests about
protections and protocols, including: 1) social distancing protocols and practices; 2) drop-off, pick-up, delivery
and general in-store shopping; 3) practices for hygiene and respiratory etiquette; 4) recommendations or
requirements regarding the use of masks, face-coverings and/or face-shields by workers, customers, guests and
visitors will also be advised not to enter the workplace if they are experiencing symptoms or have contracted
COVID-19.
Managers and supervisors are to monitor how effective the program has been implemented by periodically
observing employee interactions and work, regularly reviewing sanitation and PPE supplies and frequently
soliciting feedback from employees regarding their efforts, comfort level, expectations, and suggestions to
improve safety and performance. Management and employees are to work through this new program together
and update the training, as necessary. This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan has been certified by Elk River
management, approved by the Elk River City Council, and was posted throughout the workplace on June 16,
2020. It will be updated, as necessary.
Certified by:
Calvin P. Portner
City Administrator
Appendix A – Guidance for developing a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
General
Centers for Disease Controal and Prevention (CDC): Coronavirus (COVID-19) – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
nCoV
Minnesota Department of Health (MDH): Coronavirus – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus
State of Minnesota: COVID-19 response – https://mn.gov/covid19
Businesses
CDC: Resources for businesses and employers – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html
CDC: General business frequently asked questions – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/general-
business-faq.html
CDC: Building/business ventilation – www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-
response.html
MDH: Businesses and employers: COVID-19 – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/businesses.html
MDH: Health screening checklist – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/facilityhlthscreen.pdf
MDH: Materials for businesses and employers – www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/materials
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED): COVID-19 information and
resources – https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI): Updates related to COVID-19 – www.dli.mn.gov/updates
Federal OSHA – www.osha.gov
Handwashing
MDH: Handwashing video translated into multiple languages – www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQuPGVcceg
Respiratory etiquette: Cover your cough or sneeze
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
CDC: www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/prevention.html
Social distancing
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/businesses.html
Housekeeping
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-facility.html
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/disinfecting-your-home.html
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-
sars-cov-2
Employees exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/basics.html
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/facilityhlthscreen.pdf
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/returntowork.pdf
State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/covid19/for-minnesotans/if-sick/get-tested/index.jsp
Training
CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-small-business.html
Federal OSHA: www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
MDH: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/about.pdf