Please click here to view a memo with Frequently Asked Questions from Governor Jared Polis regarding the Stay at Home Executive Order issued yesterday, March 25, 2020.

Also, please note that due to the Governor’s Stay at Home Executive Order, the Town of Palisade playgrounds, shelters, and outdoor court facilities are closed to the public until further notice.

At this time, restroom facilities remain open for use as long as we have the needed materials to safely clean and sanitize each facility daily.

Practice social distancing (maintain a distance of at least six feet apart), and please do not use any Town facilities if you are or have been exposed to someone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

The Town of Palisade is looking to fill three vacancies on the Planning Commission. The Palisade Planning Commission meets the first and third Tuesday of every month and review land-use projects within the Town. If you are interested, please send a letter of interest to lreynolds@townofpalisade.org or drop off at the outside payment drop box at Town Hall, 175 E Third Street. Letters of interest should be received no later than April 30^th, 2020. Thanks!

If you have questions, please contact Lydia Reynolds at the above email or 970-464-5602.

Below is the full Governor's order and details of the exempt businesses, similar to what is in place now.  The links throughout this document give further detail. 

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Gov. Polis Announces Statewide Stay-At-Home Order, Provides Update on Colorado Response to COVID-19 

Today Gov. Polis announced a statewide stay-at-home order beginning on Thursday, March 26, at 6:00 a.m. and will last until April 11, 2020. The Governor also provided an update on the state's response to COVID-19 and actions taken to limit the spread of the virus. 

"Coloradans are living through a global pandemic, and this decision was made to help save lives," said Governor Jared Polis. "We will continue doing everything we can to get the resources Colorado needs to address COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of all Coloradans. In true Colorado spirit, we're seeing our friends, family, and neighbors rise to the challenge, donating their time, money, or extra supplies to support relief efforts at the state and local levels. We are in this together, and this is the season to stay at home to save lives." 

This executive order means Coloradans should not be leaving their homes except for critical activities including: 

• Obtaining food and other household necessities including medicine
• Going to and from work if you are a critical employee
• Seeking medical care
• Caring for dependents or pets
• Caring for a vulnerable person in another location
• Cannabis and liquor stores will remain open 
• Or participating in outdoor recreation at a legally-mandated safe distance of six feet or more from other parties

Read the full order here. Read the FAQ here. Read the public health order here. Watch the press conference here. 

Colorado continues facing a shortage of resources in addressing this pandemic, which is why the Governor sent a letter to the Trump administration urging the president to declare a Major Disaster for the State of Colorado. A major disaster declaration would free up resources for medical care, housing, unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, hazard mitigation, and more. California, Washington, and New York have received these declarations. Read the request here.

While the state is facing a shortage of resources, Coloradans are stepping up to try and fill the gap. More than 7,000 Coloradans have already signed up to volunteer at www.helpcoloradonow.org, nearly 1,300 of which have medical training. The Colorado COVID Relief Fund has also raised more than $7 million since launching late last week. 

Gov. Polis requested and received dual-status commander authority to ensure unity of command, allowing regular, federal military units to be controlled by a single commander representing the Governor. This will help to eliminate confusion and conflict and allow the state to streamline the utilization of military personnel in this response.

The Governor announced that the state lab has eliminated its backlog, and there will be new labs coming online at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, University Hospital, and Children's Hospital. The Governor thanked CSU and CU for their willingness to test the personal protective equipment the private sector is ramping up that the state needs now. 

Governor Polis also provided an update on the federal stimulus package, which included $377 billion for small business loans and grants, $1200 in direct cash assistance to Americans based on income eligibility.

The Governor also provided an update on the Innovation Response Team, introducing two new members: Lucy Sanders and Tim Miller. Lucy is the CEO and a co-founder of the National Center for Women & Information Technology and will head up Isolation Services. The objective is to provide people who are in self-isolation or home quarantine with critical supplies like food and access to health care, and also ancillary services to make their at-home experience as comfortable as possible. Tim Miller is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rally Software and will head the Software Development Team. The objective is to build applications and web sites for both government and citizens to manage all aspects of the crisis and provide the state with key data. 

The Governor also noted that the Innovation Response Team is working as hard as they can to identify manufacturers and supply chains, but urged the private sector to help in this effort.

To the Citizens of the Town of Palisade,

The Board of Trustees and I know that we are all going through uncharted times. We want you all to know that the Town has been in contact with Mesa County Public Health daily and have been following all State and County suggestions on the ways to keep everyone healthy.

Things that each and every one of us can do in our daily lives is to keep our space distance, wash our hands, and above all, know that we will come out of this. We at Town Hall understand the anxiety that we have at present and are working through all of the options that are before us.

Know that the Town Board and staff are working for you during this time of unknowns.

Thank you, and stay well.

Mayor Roger Granat