COVID-19 State of emergency Public Comment from David WiggintonFrom:David Wigginton
To:Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Cc:Sandy Carlson; Kari Gabriel; Chad Graham; Sam Nunnally; Ryan Hunter; Kyle Waterman; Sid Daoud; Tim
Kluesner
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Comment on the Declaration of State of Local Disaster Emergency
Date:Monday, April 6, 2020 3:53:22 PM
To the Kalispell City Council:
I discovered only today that the Kalispell City Council is considering passing a Declaration of State ofLocal Disaster Emergency for the City of Kalispell in its meeting this evening. While I'm very aware of theCOVID-19 pandemic that is sweeping the globe, I'm confused and concerned that the City Council feelsit's necessary to declare a local state of emergency related to the virus. By the last count I observed, wehave 26 cases in Flathead County (0.03% of the County's population). I'm not sure that level of infectionseven comes close to warranting a state of emergency. We had 1,453 influenza cases for the 2018-2019season and 1,250 for the 2017-2018 season in Flathead County according to the Montana Department ofHealth and Human Services. A state of emergency wasn't declared under those circumstances. I realizethe potential for overwhelming our medical facilities is of concern but maybe we should take a moremeasured approach and monitor the growth of infections and any strain it may be causing on our localhealthcare system prior to taking extreme action.
While I'm sure Mr. Russell, the City Manager, is an intelligent and very capable man, I question whethergranting him, or anybody for that matter, emergency responsibilities is in the best interest of the citizensof our community. The citizens of our community didn't elect Mr. Russell to such a position of authority.Centralized power leads to sub-optimal and self-interested decision-making that usually is to thedetriment of the people subjected to such power. We can observe this phenomenon in authoritarianregimes throughout the world today and throughout history. As a concerned citizen, I hope the CityCouncil will seriously consider the ramifications of such a declaration on the people of Kalispell during aperiod of high uncertainty.
I'm sure one of the primary reasons for declaring a state of emergency is to be able to access emergencyfunding. In a state of emergency scenario, who controls the purse strings? Who holds that personaccountable? How will the best interests of the citizens of our community be ensured? I hope thesequestions are being considered in any decision-making process.
My final point relates to the unintended consequences of declaring a state of emergency. While much ofthe world is in panic, we need leaders who can keep a level head and maintain objectivity while being intouch with the minds and needs of the citizens of their respective jurisdictions. The citizens of ourcommunity, our nation and much of the world are currently subjected to restrictions they haven'texperienced before. While from my perspective the current restrictions appear reasonable and necessary,there are many who believe they are excessive. Imposing additional restrictions has the potential tofurther aggravate those who feel the current restrictions in place are already excessive. Such anaggravation could lead to unnecessary social instability in our community, which could lead to propertydamage as well as physical harm to the members of our community. I acknowledge this is an extremescenario, but there's no way to predict how people will respond to further restrictions. Before making asweeping decision such as this, serious thought, consideration and discussion need to be had. It'sdebatable whether such thought, consideration and discussion can be had in one City Council meeting.
As our elected officials, I hope you will take the concerns of the citizens of our community into accountand seriously reflect upon them, allowing for an appropriate amount of time to do so, before arriving atany decision especially one as significant as declaring a state of emergency.
Sincerely,
David Wigginton