Mask wear to be required in Stillwater even though only 2 covid patients in Stillwater Regional Hospital. But total cases had risen to 378 as of Monday. Statewide, Oklahoma had 478 new cases for the most ever reported on a Monday.
Stillwater City Council advances mask ordinance for residentsAfter receiving hundred of emails, social media messages and phone calls, and hearing from 20 speakers during their live meeting, the members of the Stillwater City Council voted unanimously Monday to advance what may be the first ordinance in Oklahoma requiring people to wear face coverings in public.
The ordinance is supported by Oklahoma State University and Stillwater Public Schools, whose representatives appeared to express that support.
Norman Mayor Breea Clark, who appeared via Zoom to collect on a bet she made with Mayor Will Joyce over census response rates, said the Norman City Council will be considering a similar ordinance on Tuesday.
Stillwater’s ordinance will go to second reading at a time that has yet to be announced, with some changes to its original language. They include an exemption for pre-school age children and softened language regarding the responsibilities businesses have under the ordinance.
Although most of the councilors expressed a desire for more clarity in the language and several speakers asked that it be given more “teeth,” City Attorney John Dorman said it isn’t necessary to include a lot of specific penalties in the new ordinance because those are already provided in other ordinances already on the books.
The revised language the councilors discussed, at Joyce’s urging, includes changes to the phrasing regarding some issues from “shall” to “may,” to provide flexibility.
For example, the amended ordinance will require businesses to post signs – which the City of Stillwater will provide – informing people they are required to wear face coverings in the businesses. They have the option of asking people who refuse to wear face coverings to leave and having them charged with trespassing if they refuse, but the business owners won’t face a penalty for not confronting people who refuse unless their business becomes a consistent problem and begins to fall under nuisance or public health ordinances.
Business owner Austin Ray expressed concern about his employees being on the front line, charged with enforcing the ordinance and dealing with irate customers.
“… I’m not paying them to risk their safety,” he said.
The Stillwater Fraternal Order of Police also addressed the ordinance, with Miguel Najera, a former city councilor who is now a police officer, addressed the councilors and asked them to consider the ramifications for law enforcement.
Najera said the officers are not anti-mask. Most wear them regularly, and all wear them while working, as required.
The FOP argument centered on whether the ordinance is truly necessary. He said the public trusts them to enforce laws that are meaningful and have a purpose and noted that businesses already have the ability to require masks and ask people to leave if they refuse.
“The people who want to wear masks are already wearing them,” Najera said. “The people who don’t want to wear them are the ones we’ll have to deal with … the risk doesn’t outweigh the reward.”
He said the union is worried about staffing issues when the limited officers on duty are called on repeatedly to deal with mask issues.
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