Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2020 10:41:42 GMT -5
Union Considering Mask Mandate, Fines for Noncompliance
Jul 18, 2020 Updated 16 hrs ago
The Union Board of Aldermen will consider declaring an emergency and passing an ordinance
requiring that a face mask be worn in much of the city to help combat COVID-19.
The board also will consider canceling Union’s final two youth baseball tournaments of the summer
at the special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, July 20.
The proposed ordinance reads that, “due to the escalating spread of the COVID-19 pandemic it is
necessary for the immediate preservation of public health, safety and welfare of the residents of
Union to take steps to mitigate the spread of the disease.”
Mayor Rod Tappe, who initiated the ordinance, said Saturday he has received several dozen calls
on the mask issue, and felt it is important to put the issue before aldermen, even if it doesn’t pass.
He decided to call the special meeting after talking with Columbia Mayor Brian Treece, whose city
passed a mask ordinance July 6.
“The mayor of Columbia would point out, do you want someone to come into your business with a
mask and buy something because you’re open, or do you want to be shut down again, where
nobody can come in?” Tappe told The Missourian. “I’ve got to look at both sides of the coin. I can’t
look at heads. I can’t look at tails.”
Violations of the ordinance can lead to fines of up to $15 for individuals or $100 for businesses,
nonprofits or government entities.
“By way of example, where two people who are not members of the same household are in a
business vehicle and are not wearing masks, each individual is subject to a fine of $15 and the
business is subject to two fines of $100 each for a total of $200,” the ordinance reads.
Tappe, who only votes with the aldermen to break a tie, acknowledges that enforcing the law would
be challenging, and said it would be enforced on a complaint basis.
The ordinance would go into effect immediately upon passage.
The law does have several exemptions for wearing a mask, including when able to maintain six feet
of social distance outdoors or taking part in sports or exercise outdoors.
Also exempt are people in a house or car exclusively with members of a person’s own family. A
mask also is not required in a restaurant, as long as the restaurant enforces a six-foot social
distancing requirement.
Exemptions are allowed for people who have a medical or mental health condition or disability that
prevents wearing a mask, as well as people who are hearing impaired and not wearing a face mask
is essential to communication.
Face masks also are not required in a business, commercial or office setting if people are not within
six feet of each other, but the mask must be worn when people move from place to place in a
business.
The law includes a clause that separates any part of the ordinance found invalid or unenforceable
by a court, meaning the rest of the law stays in place.
Separate ordinances would cancel contracts for two baseball tournaments at Veterans Memorial
Park -- one scheduled for July 24-26 with Greater Midwest Sports, the other Aug. 1 and 2 with
Game 7 Baseball. Those agreements, which aldermen approved at their Monday, July 13, meeting,
were “passed before area-wide information was received of the city’s increase in positive COVID-19
cases,” the new ordinances read.
Two earlier tournaments brought dozens of teams from as far away as Wisconsin and Tennessee to
Union. Long concession lines sometimes formed, with not everyone social distancing, while family
members of players packed the parking lots.
“I would like to see them canceled because of the sheer numbers they’re bringing in,” Tappe said.
“It’s good for the economy, but who knows where these kids are coming from? Some of them might
be coming from the hot spots. I don’t know if that’s a risk we want to put to our citizens.”
The mask law would be the latest shift for Union in how it handles the coronavirus.
The board of aldermen voted May 4 to close park facilities, including the Splash-N-Swimplex and
ballfields, while canceling events like Founders Day and upcoming concerts in the park.
Despite concerns raised by then-City Administrator Russell Rost, who remains as emergency
management director, the board did an about-face June 1, unanimously voting to open park
facilities, including the pool, and allowing events that were scheduled to move forward, under
discretion of Parks Director Chad Pohlmann.
The board took the reopening a step further, voting June 22 to allow baseball tournaments, at
Veterans Park. The park hadn’t hosted tournaments since opening in 2017, and the pandemic
provided an opportunity since tournament promoters weren’t able to use some of their regular fields.
Officials reported that the Super 8, Union’s only hotel, and local restaurants saw brisk business
during the first two tournaments.
But COVID-19 cases also were on the increase in Union. When the board voted to allow park
facilities to reopen, the city had only two active cases. As of July 17, it had 34.
Rost sent a letter to the mayor and board July 8, asking that city employees who are unable to
social distance be required to wear masks. He also said he is ordering more personal protective
equipment for the city and was working on including an infectious disease response plan in Union’s
emergency management plan.
While saying “we all need to be concerned,” Rost stopped short of calling for the city to impose
restrictions on private businesses in his July 8 letter. He said different government orders have
caused confusion and are “extremely difficult to enforce.”
The meeting will be held at Union’s outgoing city hall at 500 E. Locust Street.
This story was updated at 5:57 p.m
www.emissourian.com/covid19/union-considering-mask-mandate-fines-for-noncompliance/article_f801b6fa-c8fe-11ea-ad7e-57c72799f449.html#utm_source=emissourian.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1595152811&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline
Good idea I think
Jul 18, 2020 Updated 16 hrs ago
The Union Board of Aldermen will consider declaring an emergency and passing an ordinance
requiring that a face mask be worn in much of the city to help combat COVID-19.
The board also will consider canceling Union’s final two youth baseball tournaments of the summer
at the special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, July 20.
The proposed ordinance reads that, “due to the escalating spread of the COVID-19 pandemic it is
necessary for the immediate preservation of public health, safety and welfare of the residents of
Union to take steps to mitigate the spread of the disease.”
Mayor Rod Tappe, who initiated the ordinance, said Saturday he has received several dozen calls
on the mask issue, and felt it is important to put the issue before aldermen, even if it doesn’t pass.
He decided to call the special meeting after talking with Columbia Mayor Brian Treece, whose city
passed a mask ordinance July 6.
“The mayor of Columbia would point out, do you want someone to come into your business with a
mask and buy something because you’re open, or do you want to be shut down again, where
nobody can come in?” Tappe told The Missourian. “I’ve got to look at both sides of the coin. I can’t
look at heads. I can’t look at tails.”
Violations of the ordinance can lead to fines of up to $15 for individuals or $100 for businesses,
nonprofits or government entities.
“By way of example, where two people who are not members of the same household are in a
business vehicle and are not wearing masks, each individual is subject to a fine of $15 and the
business is subject to two fines of $100 each for a total of $200,” the ordinance reads.
Tappe, who only votes with the aldermen to break a tie, acknowledges that enforcing the law would
be challenging, and said it would be enforced on a complaint basis.
The ordinance would go into effect immediately upon passage.
The law does have several exemptions for wearing a mask, including when able to maintain six feet
of social distance outdoors or taking part in sports or exercise outdoors.
Also exempt are people in a house or car exclusively with members of a person’s own family. A
mask also is not required in a restaurant, as long as the restaurant enforces a six-foot social
distancing requirement.
Exemptions are allowed for people who have a medical or mental health condition or disability that
prevents wearing a mask, as well as people who are hearing impaired and not wearing a face mask
is essential to communication.
Face masks also are not required in a business, commercial or office setting if people are not within
six feet of each other, but the mask must be worn when people move from place to place in a
business.
The law includes a clause that separates any part of the ordinance found invalid or unenforceable
by a court, meaning the rest of the law stays in place.
Separate ordinances would cancel contracts for two baseball tournaments at Veterans Memorial
Park -- one scheduled for July 24-26 with Greater Midwest Sports, the other Aug. 1 and 2 with
Game 7 Baseball. Those agreements, which aldermen approved at their Monday, July 13, meeting,
were “passed before area-wide information was received of the city’s increase in positive COVID-19
cases,” the new ordinances read.
Two earlier tournaments brought dozens of teams from as far away as Wisconsin and Tennessee to
Union. Long concession lines sometimes formed, with not everyone social distancing, while family
members of players packed the parking lots.
“I would like to see them canceled because of the sheer numbers they’re bringing in,” Tappe said.
“It’s good for the economy, but who knows where these kids are coming from? Some of them might
be coming from the hot spots. I don’t know if that’s a risk we want to put to our citizens.”
The mask law would be the latest shift for Union in how it handles the coronavirus.
The board of aldermen voted May 4 to close park facilities, including the Splash-N-Swimplex and
ballfields, while canceling events like Founders Day and upcoming concerts in the park.
Despite concerns raised by then-City Administrator Russell Rost, who remains as emergency
management director, the board did an about-face June 1, unanimously voting to open park
facilities, including the pool, and allowing events that were scheduled to move forward, under
discretion of Parks Director Chad Pohlmann.
The board took the reopening a step further, voting June 22 to allow baseball tournaments, at
Veterans Park. The park hadn’t hosted tournaments since opening in 2017, and the pandemic
provided an opportunity since tournament promoters weren’t able to use some of their regular fields.
Officials reported that the Super 8, Union’s only hotel, and local restaurants saw brisk business
during the first two tournaments.
But COVID-19 cases also were on the increase in Union. When the board voted to allow park
facilities to reopen, the city had only two active cases. As of July 17, it had 34.
Rost sent a letter to the mayor and board July 8, asking that city employees who are unable to
social distance be required to wear masks. He also said he is ordering more personal protective
equipment for the city and was working on including an infectious disease response plan in Union’s
emergency management plan.
While saying “we all need to be concerned,” Rost stopped short of calling for the city to impose
restrictions on private businesses in his July 8 letter. He said different government orders have
caused confusion and are “extremely difficult to enforce.”
The meeting will be held at Union’s outgoing city hall at 500 E. Locust Street.
This story was updated at 5:57 p.m
www.emissourian.com/covid19/union-considering-mask-mandate-fines-for-noncompliance/article_f801b6fa-c8fe-11ea-ad7e-57c72799f449.html#utm_source=emissourian.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1595152811&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline
Good idea I think
