March 21, 2020
The Honorable Kate Brown
Office of the Governor
900 Court Street NE, Suite 254
Salem, OR 97301
Dear Governor Brown,
We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your leadership to date in providing statewide
policies that keep Oregon residents safe and healthy.
It goes without saying that we are in the midst of an unprecedented national emergency as a result of
the COVID-19 global pandemic. Now, more than ever, we need decisive, clear and swift guidance
from our state leaders.
Lane County, the City of Eugene, the City of Springfield and local governments throughout Oregon
are working around the clock to respond to community needs as a result of COVID-19. Our focus at
the local level includes ensuring the safety of first responders, advising health care professionals on
testing guidelines, tracking test results, monitoring positive cases, verifying quarantine protocols are
adhered to, advising those exposed to the virus, developing and implementing plans for vulnerable
populations including unhoused residents, assisting local businesses, and keeping the public
informed and educated. All of this is in addition to maintaining regular services that are critical to the
health and safety of our community.
The recent discussion about local “stay at home” policies in the Portland metro area is cause for
concern. Any “stay at home” policy should be statewide. Forcing local governments to make this
decision will inevitably lead to a checkerboard implementation, limited public health benefits and
significant confusion for the public. Our residents and businesses are already stressed, anxious and
uncertain about the unknown. All of us, as elected representatives, need to provide coherent, reliable,
honest and decisive leadership.
We should move as one state, swiftly and decisively with unity of vision, unity of purpose and unity
of effort. Therefore, we urge you to provide swift and clear statewide guidelines regarding “stay at
home” procedures. Importantly, any statewide guidelines must include clarity on how
implementation should apply to certain populations, particularly unhoused residents. It is also
important for the state to assist in clearly defining essential versus non-essential services and types of
businesses impacted.
We appreciate the work you have done and the challenge you face in helping our state respond to the
needs of this unprecedented pandemic. Your clear and decisive leadership on a statewide level is
critical to assisting local communities and residents throughout Oregon remain safe and healthy
during this crisis, and recover in the aftermath.
Sincerely,

Mayor Lucy Vinis
Eugene

Commissioner Heather Buch
Lane County

Mayor Christine Lundberg
Springfield