Members of the Ipswich City Council met in special session on April 1, 2020 to discuss COVID-19.

They met online via teleconference.

Mayor LeRoy Kilber presented Ordinance 2020-02, “an emergency ordinance of the city of Ipswich to address a public health crisis by implementing certain measures which have been deemed necessary to slow the community spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).”

The ordinance outlines steps the city will take to implement social distancing as part of the national emergency declared by President Trump on March 13 and Governor Kristi Noem’s Executive Order 2020-04 declaring a state of emergency to respond to the spread of COVID-19.

The council members passed the first reading of the ordinance. The ordinance will become effective after the second reading is passed. The City Council met on Tuesday night for their regular meeting. The agenda included the second reading acceptance. The ordinance would become effective after the second reading is passed.

The ordinance calls for all restaurants and bars that offer on-site consumption of food and beverages, including alcohol, are closed to on-site/on-sale patrons. The businesses may continue to operate to provide take-out, delivery, curbside service and drive-thru service.

The council also passed Resolution 2020-01 “an emergency resolution of the City of Ipswich to address a Public Health Crisis by implementing certain measures which have been deemed necessary to slow the community spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).”

The Resolution, with similar wording as the Ordinance, became effective after the April 1 meeting until the passage of the second reading of Ordinance 2020-02.

The text of Resolution 2020-01 can be found in the Ipswich City Council proceedings on page 9 of this week’s Ipswich Tribune.

If it is passed Ordinance 2020-02 will be effective until the City Council votes to take it off the books.