No mask? No matter
No one watching meetings anyway
Staff writer
County commissioners may have painted themselves into a corner with last week’s decision to overturn a state mandate to wear masks in public.
Early voting in the hallway of the courthouse will mean commission meetings can’t be viewed on a television there after Monday.
Commissioners voted last week to overturn a governor’s mandate to wear a mask and make it merely a recommendation.
But commissioners are reluctant to tell people who wanted to attend meetings that they will be required to wear a mask when crowded into a meeting space too small to permit social distancing.
Commissioner Kent Becker said he didn’t know how many people watched commission meetings in the hallway.
County clerk Tina Spencer said none.
She said commissioners could mandate wearing masks in commission meetings. She reminded them commissioners themselves do not wear masks and don’t practice social distancing.
Becker said he didn’t like that people wouldn’t have to wear a mask on the street but might be required to wear one when attending a meeting.
He suggested opening up the meetings and seeing what happens.
Commissioners voted to suspend viewing in the hallway after next week because of lack of participation, but no decision was made regarding whether to require people who attend meetings to wear a mask.