24.4.6.030 Findings

The Council hereby finds that:

(a) The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a public health emergency that threatens the health and safety of the citizens of the Pueblo; and

(b) Health experts recommend that individuals who contact or are exposed to COVID-19, quarantine away from others for at least fourteen days or for a longer period of time as may be medically necessary to reduce the possibility of further transmission of the disease; and

(c) Many of the households at the Pueblo include multi-generational families so that an individual who has been exposed to COVID-19 or who has contracted COVID-19 will put other household members at risk due to the inability to adequately isolate and the use of shared facilities by all household members; and

(d) Due to the risks of community spread of the COVID-19, the Pueblo has been forced to issue stay-at-home orders and other similar protocols that may increase tensions among family and household members and may also increase domestic violence; and

(e) On March 27, 2020, the federal government enacted the CARES Act to provide new funds to States, Indian tribes, and others to help pay for costs and expenses caused by COVID-19 including allowances for the costs of a quarantine house and/or safe house, and the Pueblo received its share of the CARES Act funds; and

(f) The current approved Annual Budget of the Pueblo does not include funds for the purchase of a quarantine house and/or safe house to address the critical health and safety issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; and

(g) The purchase of property in the El Rancho area, which is located within the Pueblo's Territory, will allow family members of individuals who are staying at the quarantine house and/or safe house to be nearby, which will help individuals who are experiencing health and safety issues and will ensure compliance with health protocols issued by the Pueblo for the safety of all citizens; and

(h) Due to the 2020 deadline for the Pueblo to expend CARES Act funds, it is not feasible for the Pueblo to design and construct a quarantine house or safe house, and the need for a move-in ready home for citizens in need of immediate care and health services is paramount; and

(i) Recently the owner of a home in the El Rancho area contacted the Pueblo about a proposed sale of her home (the "Stover Property") and the problems she has experienced obtaining clear title to her home due to an alleged encroachment of a portion of the home onto the Pueblo property; and

(j) The Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the Pueblo to authorize the Governor to negotiate and execute an agreement for the purchase of the Stover Property and/or similar property at or near fair market value for the purpose of providing a quarantine house and/or safe house for the citizens of the Pueblo.