HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2020.04.29 - 33140REQUESTING SUSPENSION
OF THE BOARD RULES FOR
IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION
UNDER NEW BUSINESS
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #20126
BY: Commissioner Kristen Nelson, District #5
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT AND FEDERAL
ADMINISTRATORS TO LEAD ON BUILDING ADEQUATE NATIONAL COORDINATED COVID-19
TESTING PROGRAM AND SUPPLIES TO HELP OAKLAND COUNTY RESIDENTS STAY SAFE AND
GET BACK TO WORK
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS in the absence of a breakthrough treatment or vaccine, public health experts agree that the
widespread availability of COVID-19 testing is a key element for the containment of the virus and the safe
and successful re -opening of our economy and the resumption of public life; and
WHEREAS according to the Harvard Global Health Institute, states performing at least 152 tests per day
per 100,000 residents by May 1, 2020 would be able to re -open their economies; and
WHEREAS Oakland County has been rapidly increasing testing capacity with drive-thru COVID-19 sites
and other testing efforts; and
WHEREAS securing testing supplies and equipment continues to be a challenge in Oakland County's
efforts to have enough testing capacity to adequately manage the large scale, and still growing demand to
contain the virus; and
WHEREAS Oakland County Executive David Coulter, along with U.S. Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, and
Michigan State Representative Andrea Schroeder wrote a letter to Peter Gaynor, FEMA administrator, and
Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declaring the need for additional
rapid testing machines, testing kits, and expressed our regions need for rapid testing technology and robust
testing capacity; and
WHEREAS as reported in Bloomberg News on April 28, 2020, in the article "Virus Test Shortages
Undermine Drive to Restart U.S. Economy", public health experts agree that the lack of leadership and
coordination from the federal government on COVID-19 testing has created significant problems, "The
consequence of the lack of federal leadership on U.S. testing strategy to date is a free-for-all among states
that drives up prices, eats up time, and ultimately dictates how many tests a state can do and how prepared
it will be, experts agree.'; and
WHEREAS the article further notes that the President and his administration's approach of encouraging
competition rather than coordination among states and localities has reduced potential testing capacity by
as much as 50% as crucial supplies like swabs and transport media have been unavailable; and
WHEREAS the call for a more active leadership role from the administration on testing has come from
governors and municipal leaders from both political parties, including Republican Governors Larry Hogan
of Maryland and Mike DeWine of Ohio, and Democratic Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Jay
Inslee of Washington; and
WHEREAS the bipartisan U.S. House Problem Solvers Caucus has recognized that the federal government
must take the lead on implementing rapid mass testing for the novel coronavirus, rejecting the position of
the President and his administration; and
WHEREAS the health, safety and welfare of Oakland County residents as well as the recovery of our
economy requires the widespread availability of COVID-19 testing to the public. Leadership from the
President and the federal administration for a coordinated, robust national COVID-19 testing program is
necessary to deliver the supplies needed to keep Oakland County residents safe and allow our workers to
get back on the job.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners urges the
President and the federal administration to provide additional necessary COVID-19 testing equipment with
rapid result capabilities to accurately and adequately serve and protect Oakland County residents to fight
the COVID-19 pandemic.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners joins governors and
leaders of all political parties who have called upon the President and members of his administration to
develop and maintain a robust, coordinated national COVID-19 testing program and provide communities
like Oakland County that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 virus with testing supplies needed
to protect their residents, re -open their economies and put workers back on the job.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward
copies of the adopted resolution to the President of United States, the Secretary of the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland
Security, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and members of the Oakland
County congressional delegation.
Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing resolution.
Commissioner Kristen Nelson
District #5
Resolution #20126 April 29, 2020
Moved by Nelson seconded by Miller to suspend the rules and vote on Miscellaneous Resolution #20126
— Board of Commissioners — Calling on the President and Federal Administrators to Lead on Building
Adequate National Coordinated COVID-19 Testing Program and Supplies to Help Oakland County
Residents Stay Safe and Get Back to Work.
Vote on suspension:
AYES: Markham, McGillivray, Miller, Nelson, Powell, Quarles, Woodward, Zack, Gershenson,
Jackson, Luebs. (11)
NAYS: Middleton, Spisz, Taub, Weipert, Gingell, Hoffman, Kochenderfer, Kowall, Kuhn,
Long. (10)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the motion to suspend the rules and vote on Miscellaneous
Resolution #20126 — Board of Commissioners — Calling on the President and Federal Administrators to
Lead on Building Adequate National Coordinated COVID-19 Testing Program and Supplies to Help
Oakland County Residents Stay Safe and Get Back to Work carried.
Moved by Nelson seconded by Miller the resolution be adopted.
Moved by Gingell seconded by Long the resolution be amended as follows:
Strike the 7th WHEREAS paragraph:
tryr.c" i .rncdki ``w.,e-been
Discussion followed.
Vote on amendment:
AYES: Middleton, Nelson, Spisz, Taub, Weipert, Woodward, Zack, Gingell, Hoffman,
Kochenderfer, Kowall, Kuhn, Long, Luebs. (14)
NAYS: McGillivray, Miller, Powell, Quarles, Gershenson, Jackson, Markham. (7)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the amendment carried.
Vote on resolution, as amended:
AYES: Miller, Nelson, Powell, Spisz, Taub, Weipert, Woodward, Zack, Gershenson, Gingell,
Hoffman, Jackson, Kochenderfer, Kowall, Kuhn, Long, Luebs, Markham, McGillivray. (19)
NAYS: Middleton, Quarles. (2)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolution, as amended, was adopted.
' 77y APPROVE THE FOREGOING RESOLUTION
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true nd
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on April 29, 2020,
with the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Circuit Court at Pontiac,
Michigan this 29th day of April, 2020.
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Lisa Brown, Oakland County