Vancouver, Washington – Vancouver City Manager Eric Holmes today issued two new sets of emergency orders designed to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents and businesses within the city.

The orders will be reviewed by Vancouver City Council at their meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 6.

Unless modified, extended or terminated by Vancouver City Council or the city manager, these emergency orders are effective immediately and will remain in effect through April 30, 2020.

Emergency Order No. 2020-07:

• Suspends collection of city business license fees and business license fee surcharges.
• Allows the Vancouver Farmers Market to resume operations with required safety measures in place to mitigate the risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19.
• Puts measures in place that will ensure city water and sewer utility customers don’t have their service disconnected due to lack of payment, waives late payment fees, and allows use of payment plans for outstanding balances.
• Provides city funding for its Help to Other (H20) program, which helps qualifying low income water and sewer utility customers pay their bills. This program is typically funded by private community donations.

Emergency Order No. 2020-08:

• Makes private residential foreclosures illegal, except in situations where there are proven threats to the safety of others or protection of the property.
• Makes it illegal for landlords to evict small businesses for lack of payment. Small businesses are defined as those holding a valid Vancouver Business License with fewer than 50 employees.
• Requires all residential property owners, property managers or their agents wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and adhere to social distancing requirements whenever they enter the interior of a tenant’s home.

To learn more about the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including links to the full text of all city emergency orders, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/coronavirus.

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