07/14/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final July 14, 2020 Vice Chairman Flescher was not in support of the proposed mask mandate. He felt that the practice was common sense and did not require a mandate. He discussed his concern that confrontations between non-compliant individuals and business employees and/or law enforcement officers would become a problem if the mask mandate was approved. Commissioner O'Bryan spoke in favor of the proposed mask mandate and offered his belief that if all parties wore a face covering, individuals would be protecting each other. He stated his concern that, although the data may not be completely accurate, hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients were increasing. Commissioner O'Bryan clarified to the public that the judicial system had given local government the ability to make mandates to protect citizens during times of uncertainty. Commissioner Solari thanked Administrator Brown and his staff for the extensive and exceptional COVID-19 research that had been done. Although supportive of the practice of mask wearing, Commissioner Solari was not in favor of the mandate due to his concern for enforcement and for the protection of individuals who were exempt. Commissioner Zorc also discussed his concern for enforcement of the Face Covering Ordinance. Although he was supportive of the wearing of masks, he was not supportive of the proposed Ordinance as it was drafted. He suggested looking at the emergency/executive orders that had been signed in nearby counties to make changes that would work for everyone including businesses with a medium -to -large number of employees. Chairman Adams supported the proposed Face Covering Ordinance. She discussed her concerns related to fear among the citizens, the economy, and the limited hospital resources. It was her belief that approving a mask mandate was a .way to err on the side of caution, and she felt it was the Board's responsibility to assist in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Additional discussion ensued with Vice Chairman Flescher suggesting that the Commissioners record a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to reiterate the importance of social distancing and mask wearing. Commissioner Zorc discussed making changes to the proposed ordinance in order to come up with something agreeable and enforceable. Attorney Reingold agreed to make changes if it was the Board's will, and mentioned that he had also drafted a less restrictive ordinance that could replace Emergency Order 2020-15, allowing the fines to be set by the Board. Indian River County Florida Page 13