Hillsborough County Issues Safer At Home Order; Most Construction Activities Still Deemed Essential

Earlier today, the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners voted to issue a “safer-at-home” order requiring people to remain at home, absent certain exceptions. The City of Tampa has posted a great summary of the order, along with many frequently asked questions. You can access that by clicking here.

While the order impacts many businesses, I want to zero in on the impact on construction. First, the order restricts businesses, unless they are engaged in providing Essential Services or conducting Necessary Activities. As an initial matter, the following construction-related professions/businesses are listed as Essential Services:

- Hardware and building supply stores and nurseries

- Pool supply stores

- Plumbers, electricians, exterminators, custodial/janitorial workers, handyman services, funeral home workers and morticians, moving services, HVAC installers, carpenters, landscapers, gardeners, pool maintenance, property managers, private security personnel and other service providers who provide services to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation to properties and other essential activities.

Further, the construction and infrastructure are expressly addressed as Essential Services in another section of the City of Tampa’s explanation of the order as follows:

Infrastructure and construction falls within the 1st and 2nd categories of Essential Services, therefore, individuals may travel as necessary to perform work in one of the listed critical infrastructure sectors. For example,

- Construction of new, and renovation/repair of existing, public works projects and private commercial, institutional, retail, and residential buildings and housing

- Airport operations, food supply, concessions, and construction

- Port operations and construction

- Water, wastewater, gas, electrical, oil extraction and refining

- Roads, highways, public transportation and rail

- Solid waste collection and removal

- Flood control and watershed protection

- Internet and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services, business infrastructure, communications, and web-based services)

- Manufacturing and distribution companies deemed essential to the supply chains of the above industries

Once a full copy of the order becomes available, I suggest printing and keeping a copy of it with you, so you can show it to anyone who asks if you are engaged in providing Essential Services.