Mayor Daniel Terbrack Declares Local State of Emergency for the City of Berkley

Media contacts: Torri Mathes, City of Berkley; 248-658-3333; tmathes@berkleymich.net

Berkley, MI – March 17, 2020 – With the recent announcement of the City closing to the public, along with the executive order and mitigation strategies by the Governor and Oakland County, Mayor Daniel Terbrack has declared a local State of Emergency for the City of Berkley. 

"Our top priority is to make sure the Berkley community stays safe and healthy, as well as, minimize the public's and City employees’ exposure to the coronavirus." 

In accordance with Section 10 of 1976 PA 390, as amended, The Emergency Management Act and the City Charter, the Mayor has hereby declared that a "local state of emergency" exists within our jurisdiction as of March 17, 2020. 

This State of Emergency will allow the Mayor, City Council, and City Administration to make immediate decisions in the interest of the City’s health, safety, and welfare.

The declaration of this State of Emergency specifically asserts the following: 

• City Council and City Administration will be making decisions and undertaking necessary and appropriate actions to protect the public health of our City residents and the general public. They will be monitoring the monetary damage caused to businesses and families due to the mandatory closing of businesses and endangerment of health and safety of the residents of the City of Berkley and will further be undertaking measures designed to provide assistance and relief to those affected by the emergency conditions.

 City Council, Planning Commission, and ZBA meetings will continue but have been postponed at this time. We are currently working on virtual solutions for hosting our public meetings. Please stay tuned for more details. As always, residents will be able to view our meetings online at www.youtube.com/CityofBerkley or via WBRK. 

As a reminder, the City of Berkley has implemented the following measures to mitigate the challenges of COVID-19:

• City Hall, Public Works, the Community Center, and Library are closed to the public. 
• Public Safety will remain open, however, we encourage the community to call ahead before physically visiting at 248-658-3380. 
• Residents and community members can pay their water bills and other utilities online or at our secure dropbox located at City Hall (3338 Coolidge Hwy). To learn more about how to pay online, head to our Treasury page on our website. If you have additional questions, you can reach the Treasury Department at treasury@berkleymich.net. 
• All public meetings are canceled (e.g. City Council, Planning Commission, ZBA, and all advisory boards/commission) until the end of March. We are currently working on virtual solutions for hosting our public meetings. Please stay tuned for more details.
• Community Development will still be processing permits. These can be mailed or placed within the dropbox at City Hall. Inspections being done on new construction or exterior buildings will continue; Inside occupied structures will be postponed until further notice. 
• Code Enforcement will continue but at a limited capacity for the safety of the employees. 
• For any inquiries related to the Clerk's Office, please contact them at clerk@berkleymich.net. 
• Those who have registered for a Parks & Recreation program, event, or activity that is taking place this month will automatically receive a refund. Please call Parks & Rec at 248-658-3470 with any questions. 
• The Library has asked its patrons to hold onto items they have checked out and return them after the Library opens. Overdue fees will be waived for overdue items.
• We are no longer offering Senior busing transportation as an option due to the risk of exposure to our drivers and the residents. 

To stay up-to-date with the latest details regarding what the City is doing, head to berkleymich.org/coronavirus. Be sure to follow us via social media, the city website, and our email notification system as we will be sharing through those channels as more information is provided. 

Click here to view the official Mayoral Declaration of Emergency.