The following is a message posted to the Oceanport government website Monday, March 16:
To all citizens and persons within the Borough of Oceanport, New Jersey, and to all departments, divisions and bureaus of the Government of the Borough of Oceanport:
WHEREAS, pursuant to the powers vested in me by Chapter 251 of the Laws of 1942 as amended and supplemented, N.J.S.A. App. A-9-30 et seq., N.J.S.A. 40-48-1(6) and any and all municipal ordinances enacted pursuant thereto, N.J.S.A. 2C:33-1 et seq., and whichever law or laws of the State of New Jersey apply, and by ordinances adopted and resolutions passed by the Borough of Oceanport, I have declared that a local disaster/emergency exists within the Borough of Oceanport: and
WHEREAS, the aforesaid laws, ordinances and/or resolutions authorize the promulgation of such orders, rules and regulations as are necessary to meet the various problems which have or may be presented by such disaster/emergency: and
WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020 the Governor of the State of New Jersey issued Executive Order No. 103 (2020) declaring a statewide Public Health Emergency and a State of Emergency;
WHEREAS, on this date the Governor of the State of New Jersey issued Executive Order No. 104 (2020) wherein the terms and conditions of Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency are set forth with particularity; and
WHEREAS, the Mayors of the “Two River Council of Mayors” have consulted with each other, examined the facts attendant to the COVID-19 Virus crisis and agreed that the member municipalities would be best served by making individual declarations of a State of Emergency consistent with that which is set forth in Executive Order No. 104 (2020);
WHEREAS, serious conditions currently exist throughout the Borough of Oceanport as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 virus which pose a clear and immediate danger to the health, safety and welfare of the people of Oceanport; and
WHEREAS, the Borough of Oceanport has already undertaken measures intended to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus within Oceanport and to combat the spread of it in the municipal workforce; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative for the Borough of Oceanport to be able to act quickly in following the guidance and recommendations made by public health officials in order to successfully combat the impact of the virus upon the residents and workers of the Borough of Oceanport; and
WHEREAS, it has been determined that the entirety of the Borough of Oceanport should be declared a disaster/emergency area, and further that certain measures must be taken to ensure that the authorities will be unhampered in their efforts to maintain law and order as well as an orderly flow of traffic and further to protect the persons and property of the residents affected by the conditions attendant to the spread of the COVID-19 virus;
NOW, THEREFORE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH the aforesaid laws, we do hereby promulgate and declare that (a) a health and safety emergency exists within the Borough of Oceanport as a result of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, (b) the entirety of the Borough of Oceanport is hereby declared to be subject to a State of Emergency, (c) the terms and conditions set forth in the Governor’s Executive Order No. 103 (2020) and Executive Order No. 104 (2020) (a copy of which is attached hereto) are hereby adopted in full by the Borough of Oceanport and shall be operative, implemented, observed and enforced within the Borough of Oceanport effective immediately and (d) the Borough of Oceanport shall be permitted whenever necessary in order to combat the COVID-19 virus to purchase, acquire or retain goods and/or services which are not available under contracts currently in existence with the Borough of Oceanport without having to comply with the mandates of the New Jersey Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40:11-6 et seq.)
