News Flash

TOWN COUNCIL
ACTION ITEMS
MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2021

• Kyle Foster and Elley Votruba were introduced as our recently new Jackson Police Officers.
• The Council approved meeting minutes and disbursements as presented and the December Municipal Court Report was placed into the record.
• The Council approved the continuance of remote meetings through April 19.
• Bid 20-18 Award for Cache Creek Tube Phase 2D Project was approved.
• An Escrow Agreement for Cache Creek Tube Diversion and maintenance (P21-005) was approved.
• The Council approved an Agreement to Extend Deadline Related to AT&T Application for Small Wireless Facilities.
• Item P20-185, a Sketch Plan and BUP at 1675 Berger Lane and Item P20-166, a Subdivision Plat at 808 Upper Redmond were continued to the February 1 regular meeting.
• The Council adopted a resolution supporting the Public Health Officer’s recent release of Recommendation #11 limiting gatherings to household groups only.  This resolution can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
• Staff was directed to bring back a workshop item to open the discussion on the limitation of the number of persons in a household (Ordinance 473). 

Complete and detailed information regarding these items is available online at www.townofjackson.com under the Agendas & Meeting button.  

RESOLUTION # 21-03

A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE RE-ISSUANCE OF RECOMMENDATION #11 REGARDING LIMITING GATHERINGS TO HOUSEHOLD GROUPS ONLY

            WHEREAS, Dr. Travis Riddell, MD as the Teton District Health Officer, pursuant to Wyoming Statute §35-1-306(a), enacted the Re-Issuance of Recommendation #11 Recommendation from the Teton District Health Officer Gather in Household Groups Only on January 12, 2021, which recommends that gatherings be limited to household groups in order to help stop the spread of COVID. A “household group” is defined as a group of individuals who reside in the same residence.  A “gathering” is any planned or spontaneous event, public or private, bringing together, or likely bringing together, people from outside a person’s household group in a single room or a single confined space (whether indoor or outdoor) at the same time.  For clarification, persons should continue to go to work and to school, but should not gather outside of household groups that occur outside of work or school; and

            WHEREAS, Dr. Riddell supports the Town Council passing a resolution to affirm this re-issuance and encourage its widespread adoption with the specific objective of slowing viral spread over the next two weeks in hopes that the leadership of our community can simultaneously speak in a unified voice in order to see greater compliance and therefore greater efficacy with this approach; and

            WHEREAS, a significant number of Wyoming citizens are at risk of serious health complications, including death, from COVID-19. Although most individuals who contract COVID-19 do not become seriously ill, people with mild symptoms, and even asymptomatic persons with COVID-19, place other vulnerable members of the public at significant risk; and

            WHEREAS, Teton County is an isolated rural community with a single small hospital with limited resources including only six (6) Intensive Care Unit beds and no critical care specialists such that caring for many patients with COVID-19 can compromise the ability of the healthcare system in Teton County to deliver the necessary healthcare to the public; and   

WHEREAS, as of January 18, 2021 the number of active cases of COVID-19 in Teton County is 313; and

WHEREAS, as of January 18, 2021 there are 7 COVID-19 related hospitalizations at St. John's Health in Jackson, Wyoming; and

WHEREAS, as of January 17, 2021 the previous seven-day average of new cases in Teton County is 45; and 

WHEREAS, as of January 15, 2021 the two-week rolling average of test positivity rate for Teton County is 10.07%; and

WHEREAS, limiting gatherings to household groups could substantially reduce transmission of COVID-19 throughout the community and thereby reduce the infection rate, the death toll, and the economic impact of the disease.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF JACKSON, WYOMING, having duly met on January 19, 2021, at a Regular Town Council Meeting, which was properly noticed and open to the public, and having fully considered the matter at hand, that:

The Jackson Town Council supports the Teton County Health Department and Dr. Travis Riddell, MD, MPH, the Teton District Health Officer, with regard to the public health recommendation that gatherings be limited to household groups in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and strongly urge compliance therewith. 

PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 19th day of January 2021.