DOTHAN, Ala. — Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba proclaimed a local state of emergency in the city of Dothan due to the coronavirus during Tuesday’s city commission meeting.
“There it is hereby proclaimed a local emergency now exists throughout the city, and it is further proclaimed in order that during the existence of said local emergency, the powers, functions, and duties of the director of emergency management agency and the emergency organization of the city shall be those prescribed by state law, charter, ordinances, and resolutions of this city approved by the city commission dated March 17, 2020,” Saliba said.
The city issued the proclamation after it was determined that “conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property” were present in Dothan. State law allows municipalities to make such proclamations in these cases.
Currently, no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the Wiregrass’s Alabama counties. Thiry-nine have been reported in Alabama, with 21 of those cases being in Jefferson County.
City manager Kevin Cowper told the Dothan Eagle that gives officials the freedom to make decisions and makes certain types of spending eligible for federal reimbursement.
