WE'RE HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS ONE ITEM AND ONE ITEM ONLY, AND THAT IS A PROPOSED ORDINANCE
[1A. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 7893]
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REGARDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA A PUBLIC ADDRESS ITEM, BUT THE ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED ALSO HAS A PUBLIC HEARING POSTING.
SO I THINK FOR EFFICIENCY SAKE, WE WILL JUST COMBINE THAT AND WE'LL MOVE RIGHT TO THE ITEM. AND SO I AM GOING TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE WELL, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE'LL DO. WE'LL HEAR THE STAFF PRESENTATION ON THE ITEM.
AND THEN USUALLY COUNCIL HAS SOME QUESTIONS OF THE STAFF MEMBER THAT MAKES A PRESENTATION. THEN WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL HAVE SOME EXPLANATION FOR YOU AT THAT TIME. IF YOU'RE ON THE LINE AND YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT, WE WANT TO HEAR THAT COMMENT. SO WE'LL DO SOME EXPLAINING WHEN WE OPEN IT UP THERE.
THEN AFTER WE FINISH ALL THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE DO HAVE QUITE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO DO THAT.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TAKE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T SIGN UP TO DO THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE ON THE LINE AND HOPING TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING, AGAIN, JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS WHEN WE GET TO THAT PART OF THE MEETING AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS. AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLY A MOTION WITH REGARD TO THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, MR. CITY MANAGER, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
AND THEN [INAUDIBLE] DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TO GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF IT.
AND AS YOU SAID, WE'LL MOVE INTO THE QUESTIONS AND PUBLIC HEARING AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
COUNCIL AND OR CERTAIN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE BEEN CALLING IN, ASKING US TO [INAUDIBLE] HAVE BEEN GOING UP AND REACH TO THE POINT WE'RE AT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
HAD BEEN ASKING FOR SOMETHING MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AND THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH REGARD TO MASK ENFORCEMENT, THINGS LIKE THAT, ALTHOUGH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW IS NOT SOLELY A MASK ORIENTED ORDINANCE.
WE PUT TOGETHER AN INTERNAL TASK FORCE TO REVIEW OUR OPTIONS TO REVIEW WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE BEEN DOING, TO REVIEW THE EFFICACY OF THOSE EFFORTS AND HOW EFFECTIVE THEY HAVE BEEN. AND WORK ENDED UP LANDING ON UTILIZING WHAT A NUMBER OF CITIES USE.
AND THAT'S TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 341.011, PARAGRAPH 12.
AND ANTHONY'S GOING INTO SOME DETAIL ON THAT, BUT AS WE AS WE REALLY KIND OF REFINED THAT IDEA THIS PAST MONDAY, WE PRESENTED IT TO COUNCIL ON TUESDAY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISCUSSION AS A OPTION FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER IF WE IF WE WANTED TO TRY AND TAKE SOME TYPE OF STEP TO CURB OR REDUCE THE HOSPITALIZATION RATES THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
SO COUNCIL WAS RECEPTIVE TO THAT.
ON TUESDAY, WE SET UP THIS CALLED MEETING ON FRIDAY.
THIS ORDINANCE IS BEING READ AS AN EMERGENCY UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS BECAUSE OF THE DECLARATION OF DISASTER THAT WE ARE UNDER RIGHT NOW AND THE PURPOSE OF THE OF THE ORDINANCE. IF IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY TODAY OR IF IT FAILS, WELL, IF IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY TODAY, IT GOES INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
IF IT FAILS, IT GOES AWAY, RIGHT AWAY.
IF IT PASSES WITH LESS THAN A UNANIMOUS COUNT, FOR EXAMPLE, THREE TWO OR FOUR ONE.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING CALLED FOR MONDAY AT 11:00 A.M.
WHERE WE WOULD IN THE EVENT THAT HAPPENS, CONSIDERED ON SECOND READING BECAUSE THEN THE EMERGENCY EMERGENCY APPROVAL CONDITION IS NOT MET AND IT REQUIRES A SECOND READING, JUST LIKE ANY ORDINANCE. SO WITHOUT ANY MORE SAID THERE, I JUST WANTED TO LAY THE HISTORY IN THE BACKGROUND ON HOW WE CAME TO BE CONSIDERING THIS ITEM.
RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO GIVE IT TO ANTHONY SPANEL, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH I'M SORRY, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, TO PRESENT THE ITEM, GO THROUGH IT, ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS ON THE CALL AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL PRIOR TO MOVING INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION AND AFTER.
THANK YOU JARED. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO KIND OF EXPLAIN THIS ORDINANCE AND WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED. STEPHANIE WILL SHARE MY SCREEN HERE.
THIS IS A PANDEMIC EMERGENCY MEASURE ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY CALLED COVID-19 PANDEMIC EMERGENCY MEASURES, ORDINANCE NUMBER SEVEN EIGHT NINE THREE.
THERE'S REALLY THREE PARTS TO THIS ORDINANCE, ONE APPLICABILITY, SECOND MINIMUM STANDARDS AND THE THIRD ENFORCEMENT.
THE FIRST SECTION, THE APPLICABILITY SECTION.
THIS ORDINANCE WILL APPLY TO ANY BUSINESS WITH GREATER THAN 10 PERSONS PRESENT.
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THE ORDINANCE DEFINES A SITE USED FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES AND IT HAS SOME EXEMPTIONS THERE. IT EXCLUDES GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, MEDICAL FACILITIES, CHILD CARE PROGRAMS, CHURCHES AND RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS.AND ALSO THIS ORDINANCE WILL ONLY APPLY WHEN THE COVID-19 STATUS IS IN RED OR ORANGE LEVEL. SECOND, THE MINIMUM STANDARDS SECTION IS CONSISTENT WITH EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND OPEN TEXAS GUIDELINES. AND I WANT TO GO OVER A FEW OF THOSE.
FOR EXAMPLE, SUMMARIZING THE WEARING OF A FACE COVERING, FREQUENT CLEANING OF HIGH TOUCH SURFACES, POSING OF A NOTICE FACE COVERING IS REQUIRED AT EACH ENTRANCE, LIMITING GROUPS TO LESS THAN 10 PERSONS, SOCIAL DISTANCING, PRE SHIFT HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR STAFF, POSTING NOTICES FOR THE WORKERS, MANDATORY HANDWASHING FOR WORKERS AT DESIGNATED TIMES, AND WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THROUGH CONTACT TRACING.
THE LAST SECTION TALKS ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
IT IS. IT SETS ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS FOR THOSE ARE ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES FOR THOSE STANDARDS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT.
I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT PROCESS THOUGH.
KEEP IN MIND, MY DEPARTMENT REGULATES A LOT OF DIFFERENT PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS IN THE AMARILLO AREA PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT EVERY DAY.
THE MAIN GOAL, THE GOAL IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS IS AND WILL BE COMPLIANCE.
AND WE KEEP DOING THAT UNTIL A TIME WHERE WE'RE UNABLE TO MOVE PAST THAT.
WE ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION TO THE BUSINESS FOR OPERATING IN A MANNER WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE STANDARD.
AT THAT POINT, WE STILL ALLOW BUSINESSES THE OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT AND WE STILL WORK WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS BY DOING THAT.
THE LAST STEP IS ENFORCEMENT, AND THAT'S ONLY DONE AT A LAST STEP.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE OVER 10 YEARS, GOT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF INSPECTIONS UNDER MY BELT, AND I LEAD A TEAM THAT DOES THOUSANDS OF INSPECTIONS EVERY YEAR. IN THAT TIME PERIOD.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'VE ONLY EVER HAD TO GO TO ENFORCEMENT, MAYBE 10 OR 15 TIMES.
SO WE'RE VERY, VERY GOOD AT WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ON VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT ALONG WITH THIS MEASURE AS WELL.
[INAUDIBLE] STUFF, SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DONE TODAY, SO ENFORCEMENT TODAY.
WE'VE HAD NO ENFORCEMENT OF COVID PROTOCOLS TODAY.
OUR MAIN GOAL AND WHAT WE'VE DONE AS A CITY, AS A DEPARTMENT IS EDUCATE.
WE'VE DONE THAT THROUGH MULTIPLE CHANNELS.
WE'VE EDUCATED AND ASKED CITIZENS TO FOLLOW THE COVID PROTOCOLS.
WE'VE DONE THAT REPEATEDLY SINCE DAY ONE.
THE SECOND PORTION, WE'VE PROVIDED ONSITE TRAINING.
MY DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS SINCE APRIL AND WE RESPOND TO EVERY ONE OF THOSE COMPLAINTS. WE GO OUT, WE TRY TO VALIDATE WHAT'S GOING ON, BREAK DOWN PROCESSES AND SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT SITUATION FOR FOR THAT BUSINESS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, WE GET A MIXED BAG OR WE GET A MIXED BAG WHEN WE GO OUT THERE.
WE SEE SOME BUSINESSES THAT ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
WE SEE SOME BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T PUTTING FORTH MUCH EFFORT AT ALL.
AND THE THIRD, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TICKETING OF INDIVIDUALS, THIS IS A COMMON QUESTION WE GET AS GA29 ALLOWS US TO WRITE CITATIONS TO AN INDIVIDUAL AND IT TALKS ABOUT THAT IN THERE. AND WHY DON'T WE DO IT? WELL GA29 PERCENT VERY UNIQUE CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF ENFORCEABILITY AND THE OPTION OF TICKETING AN INDIVIDUAL IS JUST NOT PRACTICAL, AND THAT'S WHY WE DON'T DO THAT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE STEPH. SO WHY THIS ORDINANCE, WHY ARE WE PRESENTING THIS TO COUNCIL TODAY? WELL, THE GOALS ARE SIMPLE AND THEY ARE WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN FROM DAY ONE TO AID IN THE REDUCTION OF COVID-19, COVID-19 TRANSMISSION IN THE AMARILLO AREA AND REDUCE SUCH STRAIN ON OUR HOSPITALS.
THAT WAS GOAL ONE. THAT WAS GOAL FROM DAY ONE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE STEPH. IN DOING RESEARCH WITH THIS WITH THIS ORDINANCE, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO MANY DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES AND I'VE LISTED SEVERAL OF THEM HERE, INCLUDING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, AND I SPOKE TO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE.
AND I HEAR A VERY CONSISTENT MESSAGE FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS OR FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES WITH THIS APPROACH, THIS STYLE OF APPROACH.
THE MESSAGE IS WE HAVE INCREASED COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE, A VERY HIGH, SUCCESS RATE WITH BUSINESS VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE AND LOWER COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION AND AN EXTREMELY LOW CITATION RATE. ONE OF MY CLOSEST COLLEAGUES IN ONE OF THESE CITIES LISTED HERE, I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION WITH HIM ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ORDINANCE LIKE THIS.
AND IT WAS IT WAS GIVEN TO US THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING THE RULES ON THE BOOKS, TAKING
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THEM FROM, YOU KNOW, A VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE OR JUST A STANDARD TO AN ACTUAL REQUIREMENT, FOLKS, FOLKS TEND TO COMPLY WITH THAT AND TO WANT TO DO A GREAT JOB OF FOLLOWING THOSE REQUIREMENTS. AND HE HAD NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS TO SAY.NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT APPLICABILITY IN TERMS OF WHAT APPLIES WHERE, SO THIS ORDINANCE THAT I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERENCING, PANDEMIC MEASURES, ORDINANCE 7893 WILL ONLY APPLY IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
THE REASON I CALL THIS OUT IS BECAUSE WE WERE IN A HEALTH DISTRICT, WE'RE IN THE AMARILLO AREA PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT IN OUR JURISDICTION IS EVERYTHING AND POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY. BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY THIS ORDINANCE, 7893 ONLY APPLIES IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
FOR POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTIES AND ALL THE OTHER UNINCORPORATED OR INCORPORATED AREAS OF POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY, A SIMILAR TYPE STILL APPLIES, AND THAT'S UNDER THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE WITH THIS ORDINANCE IS BASED UPON.
THAT A STATE LAW, STATE STATUTE, AND THOSE STILL APPLY IN THOSE AREAS.
AND THAT'S UNDER THE AMARILLO PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT'S HEALTH AUTHORITY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. HERE'S JUST A VISUALIZATION OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, CITY OF AMARILLO IS THE ORDINANCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY, AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE OUTSIDE OF THOSE BOUNDS WOULD BE STATE LAW.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE STEPH. WANT TO TALK ABOUT IMPLICATIONS ON COVID 19.
WHAT THIS ORDINANCE TRULY DOES, IT SETS A VERY CLEAR STANDARD FOR AIDING IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'LL PROVIDE A VERY CLEAR SET OF STANDARDS, MUCH LIKE WHAT'S IN EXECUTIVE ORDERS IN THE OPEN TEXAS GUIDELINES.
AND IT PROVIDES ENFORCEABILITY TO THOSE STANDARDS.
I AGAIN WANT TO REITERATE THE GOAL IS COMPLIANCE.
WE EDUCATE WHEN THOSE WHEN WE HAVE TO WE WARN AND WHEN WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO AS A LAST CASE SCENARIO, WE ENFORCE.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS EXTREMELY LOW TODAY.
IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOWER, LESS EXPOSURE WITHIN BUSINESSES AND A LOWER HOSPITALIZATION RATE AND STRAIN ON OUR HOSPITALS.
SO WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR? WE'RE ASKING FOR EFFORT.
WE'RE ASKING BUSINESSES TO DO THEIR VERY BEST AND TO TRY THEIR VERY BEST IN FOLLOWING THESE STANDARDS TO LOWER THE DISEASE TRANSMISSION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
LOWER THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE AND GIVE OUR HOSPITALS SOME BREATHING ROOM.
AGAIN, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE MINIMAL STANDARDS.
JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE, THEY'RE VERY THEY'RE VERY SIMPLE.
WEARING OF A FACE COVERING, FREQUENT CLEANING OF HIGH TOUCH SERVICES, POSTING NOTICES, LIMITING GROUPS, ENSURING SOCIAL DISTANCING, A PRE SHIFT HEALTH SCREENINGS FOR STAFF.
AND MANDATORY HANDWASHING AT DESIGNATED TIMES AND WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WORKING WITH US THROUGH CONTACT TRACING.
I AM HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE OR CLARIFY ANYTHING THAT YOU THAT YOU'RE THINKING THERE, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS ITEM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANTHONY? AND THIS WON'T BE THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANTHONY OR ANYBODY ELSE QUESTIONS.
WE'LL BE [INAUDIBLE] AT ANY POINT DURING COUNCIL'S DELIBERATION, EITHER NOW OR AFTER PUBLIC ADDRESS. NOT AT THIS TIME.
IS THEIR ORDINANCE, GIVE THEM THE POSSIBILITY TO FINE A BUSINESS OR INDIVIDUALS OR BOTH? WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TAKE THAT ONE, SIR? YEAH, GO AHEAD. MOST OF THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT WE TALKED TO, COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH, ARE DOING IT AS A BUSINESS APPROACH.
THE ABILITY TO FIND AN INDIVIDUAL UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER GA29 PRESENTS SO MANY UNIQUE CHALLENGES THAT IT ALMOST MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE.
SO JUST ABOUT EVERY MUNICIPALITY THAT WE TALK TO IS DOING IT ON THE BUSINESS SIDE.
WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANYBODY THAT'S DOING IT WHERE THEY'RE FINDING THE INDIVIDUAL, PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT WITH GE29, WHICH IS NOT ALLOW.
SO JARED OR ANTHONY, EITHER ONE, CAN DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY IN AN ORDINANCE TO PUT A TIME LIMIT ON IT? YES, AND WE'VE DONE THAT IN THIS BY HAVING IT ONLY BE IN EFFECT WHEN WE'RE IN CONDITION, ORANGE OR RED UNDER CORONAVIRUS CONDITIONS.
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ALTERNATIVELY.IF WE CHOSE TO CHANGE THAT, COULD WE COULD IS THAT COULD THE TIMING BE CHANGED EVEN? YES SIR. WE COULD ADD A DATE CERTAIN AND HAVE IT RECONSIDERED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
ALTERNATIVELY, WE COULD ALSO TIE IT TO OUR DECLARATION, WHICH IS ALSO TIED TO THE GOVERNOR'S DECLARATION.
IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD RESCIND OUR DECLARATION PRIOR TO THE GOVERNOR'S BECAUSE IT DOES ASSIST US WITH GETTING REIMBURSEMENTS AND ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE.
BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE COULD TAKE, AND WE'RE OPEN TO ANYTHING THE COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THERE. OK, THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS COUNCIL? IN THESE OTHER CITIES WHERE THEY HAVE A SIMILAR THING, WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING IS A.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE FINING A LOT OF PEOPLE OR JUST? EDUCATE THEM AND THAT TAKES CARE OF IT OR WHAT? I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE SISTER CITIES THAT I TALKED TO, THERE WAS I'VE GOT GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE ROUGHLY SEVEN THOUSAND, 7500 PERMANENT FACILITIES AND THEY'VE ISSUED CITATIONS TO LESS THAN 100.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT AT A RATE, IT'S A VERY SMALL RATE CITATIONS.
THE RATE OF VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE IS ASTRONOMICAL.
CAN YOU HEAR ME, ANTHONY? THERE YOU GO. ANTHONY WHY DOES THE ORDINANCE CHOSE TO EXCLUDE GOVERNMENTAL OFFICES? MY UNDERSTANDING, MAYOR, IS THIS FOLLOWS HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SO TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE IS A STATE STATUTE.
THAT'S THE UNDERLYING OR UNDERLYING STATE STATUTE THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS BASED UPON.
IN THOSE STATE STATUTES, EXEMPT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I CAN SAY THAT THE CITY OF AMARILLO WILL BE FOLLOWING THIS EXACT SAME ORDINANCE.
I SHOULD HAVE DIRECTED THAT TO THE PERSON OR THE TEAM THAT DRAFTED THAT ORDINANCE.
THAT'S A QUESTION I'VE HAD FROM CITIZENS.
AND THE ANSWER THAT, BRYAN, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE POSSIBLY GIVEN FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I KNOW THE ANSWER, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IS BECAUSE THIS ORDINANCE IS BASED ON THAT HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE LAW THAT WAS PASSED BY STATE LEGISLATURE AND THAT LAW EXCLUDED GOVERNMENTAL OFFICES AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE EXCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE.
THAT IS CORRECT, IT IS VERY TYPICAL THAT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES ARE NOT PART OF THIS FOR VARIOUS REASONS, OPERATIONALLY SPEAKING.
THERE'S A THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF PROVISIONS IN STATE LAW WHERE THAT OCCURS.
SO AND IT ALSO COULD BE JUST THE DIRECTION OF THAT GOVERNING BODY AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD PLAY INTO IT.
BUT I DO AGREE WITH THAT GENERALLY.
SO YOU WERE JUST TRYING TO TRACK THAT STATUTE AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS EXEMPTED IN THAT STATUTE IS WHAT YOU EXEMPTED IN THIS ORDINANCE? THAT IS CORRECT.
BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRACTICAL THINGS THAT KEEP THE INDIVIDUAL MASK ORDER FROM BEING ENFORCEABLE? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT? GA29 IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING, CORRECT, MAYOR? YES. OK, YEAH, THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF ISSUES, LEGAL HURDLES, IF YOU WILL, THAT YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME WITH IT. THERE'S ALSO SOME OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS THAT LIMIT YOUR ABILITY.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE TO GIVE WRITTEN WARNINGS.
THAT MEANS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO SEE THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES.
SO JUST WITH AN OFFICER OR SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY ENFORCING THAT PARTICULAR GA29, REFERENCING THAT PARTICULAR PROVISION IN THERE ABOUT SOMEONE NOT WEARING A MASK, THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO DOCUMENT THAT, YOU HAVE TO DOCUMENT IT IN SUCH A WAY SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE WHO MIGHT GO OUT THERE, THEY KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN A WARNING.
THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE OFFICERS, MULTIPLE PEOPLE WORKING IN DIFFERENT SHIFTS, DIFFERENT BEATS ALL THE TIME.
AND IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DOCUMENT THAT SO THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY GET A CASE TO
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MUNICIPAL COURT. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES.YOU ALSO YOU'RE SAYING THAT OUR RECORD SYSTEM, AS WE HAVE IT RIGHT NOW, JUST NEVER ENVISIONED GIVING PEOPLE ON THE STREET TICKETS AND HAVING OFFICERS ON THE STREET ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION. IS THAT A GOOD SUMMARY? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, BECAUSE, I MEAN, YOU'VE ALMOST HAD TO HAVE THE INFORMATION REAL TIME BECAUSE IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT YOU COULD SEE THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES IN AN EVENING. SO, YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
MAYOR, YOU'RE CORRECT. QUESTIONS COUNCIL FOR ANTHONY, JUST OFF OF THE PRESENTATION? OK, I THINK THEN WE'RE READY TO OPEN OUR PUBLIC HEARING, SO AT THIS TIME, ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK FOR, ON OR AGAINST THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO DO SO.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SPEAK.
AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO LIMIT THE NORMALLY WE SAY, 30 MINUTES FOR PUBLIC ADDRESS.
BUT IN THE INTEREST OF GETTING TO EVERYONE WHO DOES WANT TO SPEAK, WE ARE GOING TO ASK THAT YOU KEEP YOUR COMMENTS LIMITED TO A TWO MINUTE WINDOW.
SO, STEPHANIE, I'M GOING TO PASS THE MICROPHONE TO YOU TO START, IF YOU DON'T MIND EXPLAINING TO THE CALLERS WHO ARE WANTING TO SPEAK WHAT THE PROCESS IS GOING TO BE FROM HERE. YES, MA'AM.
MAYOR, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE COGGINS, AND I WILL BE MODERATING OUR PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY. I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHO IS UP NEXT AND WHO'S ON DECK.
ONCE WE START, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS.
AT THE END OF THAT, TWO MINUTES TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE'S TIME THAT'S HERE TODAY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CALLER.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR LIST THAT SIGNED UP.
AND ON DECK WILL BE SHERYL COOPER, MS. HENDRIX. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE ON HERE.
I BELIEVE YOU MIGHT BE LABELED HENDRICK IF YOU COULD PRESS YOUR RAISE HAND BUTTON OR PRESS STAR NINE ON YOUR PHONE IF YOU'RE HERE, KARA HENDRIX.
HERE. I KNOW THIS IS A VERY EMOTIONAL ISSUE.
I KNOW THAT ALL OF US ARE SOMEWHAT FATIGUED AND TIRED.
AND I REALLY WISH WE WEREN'T HAVING TO HAVE COVID CONVERSATIONS STILL.
BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR, OUR PUBLIC COMMENT, OUR PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE MEETING WILL BE DONE BY THE RULES OF DECORUM, AND THAT EVEN IF YOU DISAGREE WITH A POSITION, YOU CAN DO THAT IN A WAY THAT'S RESPECTFUL AND WITHOUT FOUL LANGUAGE OR JUST EMOTIONS RUNNING RAMPANT. SO THAT'S OUR REQUEST.
AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT EVERYBODY SIGNED UP TODAY WILL BE ABLE TO MEET THAT MEET THAT GOAL. WELL, SAID MAYOR.
I DO NOT SEE MS. HENDRIX ON HERE, SO WE WILL COME BACK TO HER DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING PIECE. SHERYL COOPER IS ON.
DEBORAH WELCH, YOU WILL BE ON DECK.
SO, SHERYL COOPER, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF NOW AND GIVE YOUR COMMENTS.
SHERYL COOPER CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH US.
OK. YES. MY COMMENTS ARE THIS.
ANY CITY ORDINANCE THAT DARE PIT BUSINESS OWNERS AGAINST PATRONS USING THE THREAT OF FINES AND CITATION AND PIT NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR IS INHERENTLY EVIL AND WITHOUT QUESTION UN-CHRIST LIKE. THERE IS NO LAWFUL ORDINANCE REGARDING MASK, DISTANCING, LIMITING THE NUMBER OF PATRONS. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GUIDELINES AND NOT LAWS.
THEREFORE, THEY'RE NOT ENFORCEABLE BY LAW.
PLUS THEY ARE NOT ROOTED IN SCIENCE.
THERE IS NO EMERGENCY BY THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF THE WORD.
SO ALL OF THESE ORDERS ARE NULL AND VOID.
FOR THE CITY TO FORCE BUSINESS OWNERS TO ENFORCE THESE SHAM COVID-19 GUIDELINES, WHICH AGAIN ARE NOT LAW.
IT PUTS THAT BUSINESS OWNER IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION, THE US CONSTITUTION FIRST AND FOURTH AMENDMENT, THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW, TITLE 11, SECTION 2000 AND THE HUMAN RESOURCES CODE 121.003A.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE PUNISHABLE BY A LARGER FINE IF CONVICTED.
EVEN THE GOVERNOR'S UNLAWFUL MANDATE ALLOWS FOR EXEMPTIONS, AND THIS ORDER LOOKS LIKE IT'S SEEKING TO DO AWAY WITH LAWFUL EXEMPTIONS.
IT'S UNETHICAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO FORCE HEALTHY PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT SAID THAT HEALTHY PEOPLE ARE SPREADERS.
THEY'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVE THAT.
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AND IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO FORCE THEM TO ABIDE BY MEASURES THAT CAN RESULT IN PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HARM AND IMPINGE THEIR ABILITY TO MOVE FREELY THROUGHOUT THE SOCIETY WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION.FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DEEPLY HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, MASK MANDATES VIOLATE THEIR ABILITY TO ABIDE BY THE NATURAL LAW AND FOLLOW THEIR CONVICTIONS TO WALK AND FAITH AND NOT IN FEAR.
NOW, THESE MEASURES THAT YOU'RE HOPING TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY, THEY ARE IN EFFECT THAT IF THEY HURT INDIVIDUALS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO SINCE THE GOVERNMENT'S AUTHORITY COMES ONLY FROM THE CONSENT OF THOSE GOVERNED AND THAT'S US, WE DO NOT CONSENT WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MRS. COOPER, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT ON DECK WAS DEBORAH WELCH.
CAN YOU PLEASE CLICK YOUR RAISE HAND BUTTON OR PRESS STAR NINE IF YOU'RE WITH US.
AND IF NOT, RICHARD HERMAN WILL BE NEXT ON DECK.
I'M NOT SEEING MRS. WELCH, MR. HERMAN, ARE YOU WITH US? PLEASE CLICK YOUR RAISE HAND BUTTON OR PRESS STAR NINE.
ON DECK AFTER MR. HERMAN WILL BE [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE PRESS YOUR STAR NINE OR PRESS RAISE HAND.
IF NOT, NEXT ON THE LIST IS MS. NORMA BERNY, MS. BERNY, IF YOU'RE WITH US, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE OR YOUR RAISE HAND BUTTON.
GRACIE TAYLOR, IF YOU'RE WITH US, PLEASE, PRESS STAR NINE OR THE RAISE HAND BUTTON.
NEXT IS WHIT WALKER, I KNOW WHIT'S WITH US, SO MR. WALKER, YOU'LL BE NEXT.
DALLAS ARNOLD WILL BE ON DECK.
AND I SHOULD JUMP IN RIGHT HERE BEFORE MR. WALKER STARTS, [INAUDIBLE] COUNCIL ASKING FOR IT TO BE BROADCAST DURING HIS COMMENTS.
OUR PRACTICE IS NOT TO BROADCAST THINGS THAT ARE NOT PROVIDED BY PART OF THE STAFF PRESENTATIONS OR REQUESTED BY COUNCIL.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT UP RIGHT NOW UNLESS COUNCIL WANTS THAT UP.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IT. OK, MR. WALKER, IF YOU'D LIKE TO START YOUR COMMENT, START YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I GRADUATED FROM [INAUDIBLE] IN 1982.
I'M A SANDY. I WENT AWAY TO SCHOOL AND I RETURNED TO AMARILLO IN [INAUDIBLE].
I WANT TO DISCUSS SEVERAL THINGS.
I'M A MEDICAL DOCTOR. I CARE FOR PATIENTS WHO DIE FROM COVID.
ALSO I'VE SAID A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION THAT SHOWS MASKS DO HELP WITH COVID.
I BELIEVE THESE THINGS CONFIRM THEM.
IF THIS DISEASE, THIS DISEASE IS LETHAL TO MANY PEOPLE, PLEASE [INAUDIBLE].
THIS DISEASE IS STOPPED VERY WELL BY WEARING MASKS.
OUR HOSPITALS ARE OVERWHELMED.
I WORKED FOR 10 WEEKS AT THE COVID SITE RUN BY THE CITY OF AMARILLO.
I DID NOT GET COVID, DID A CORRECT USE OF PPE, INCLUDING MASKS.
I WOULD LIKE TO COMPARE THE RATE OF DEATHS IN UNITED STATES FROM COVID VERSUS WORLD WAR II.
WORLD WAR II LASTED FOUR YEARS AND KILLED FOUR HUNDRED FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
THAT'S ABOUT EIGHT THOUSAND PEOPLE PER IN THE UNITED STATES DUE TO WORLD WAR II DEATHS.
COVID HAS BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES FOR A FEW MONTHS AND KILLED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE. THAT'S ABOUT THIRTY ONE THOUSAND DEATHS EACH MONTH.
THAT NUMBER IS RAPIDLY RISING.
I ALSO WANT TO COMPARE THE DEATHS IN AMARILLO, PEOPLE FROM [INAUDIBLE] FOR WORLD WAR II VERSUS COVID.
WORLD WAR II KILLED ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE PEOPLE FROM AMARILLO.
COVID HAS KILLED TWO HUNDRED FORTY ONE.
THAT NUMBER IS RISING RAPIDLY.
I WANT TO DISCUSS CIVIL LIBERTIES.
IF A MOTORCYCLE RIDER CHOOSES NOT TO WEAR A HELMET AND CRASHES AND DIES.
AND THAT PERSON MADE A CHOICE NOT TO WEAR A HELMET AND THAT PERSON DIED.
COMPARE THAT TO A DRIVER WHO MADE A BAD CHOICE IN DRIVES HIS CAR IN THE WILDCAT BLUFF AND KILLS THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING THERE.
THE PEOPLE WHO DIED DID NOT MAKE THE BAD DECISION.
THE DRIVER MADE A BAD DECISION AND CAUSED PEOPLE TO DIE UNDER HIS WHEELS, BUT HE DID NOT DIE. THERE WAS A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
IF TWO HEALTHY PEOPLE ARE INSIDE A STORE LAUGHING AND TALKING AND COUGHING AND PERSON NUMBER ONE GIVES PERSON NUMBER TWO COVID.
NEITHER OF THESE PEOPLE MAY SUFFER ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES.
INSTEAD, THE PERSON WHO SUFFERS ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES IS THE ELDER GRANDFATHER OF PERSON NUMBER TWO, WHO DID NOT MAKE A DECISION TO NOT WEAR A MASK.
BECAUSE A PERSON IN THE STORE DID NOT WEAR A MASK.
AN ELDERLY PERSON IS EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS MAY BECOME ILL OR DIE.
EITHER WAY, THE PERSON WHO DIED DID NOT WEAR A MASK, DID NOT SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE BAD DECISION. PLEASE PASS THIS MEASURE.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.NEXT UP, WE HAVE MR. DALLAS ARNOLD.
DALLAS, IF YOU'RE WITH US, WILL YOU PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE OR CLICK YOUR RAISE HAND BUTTON? AND IF DALLAS IS NOT WITH US, THEN NEXT WE WILL GO TO LOGAN GRIM, WHO IS ON THE LINE. AFTER LOGAN, GRIM WILL BE CONNIE DANNER.
LOGAN, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO START YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? WE GOT YOU. YES, SIR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I BELIEVE YOU'RE ENTRUSTED WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF AMARILLO, NOT THE CONTROL OF THE PEOPLE OF AMARILLO. IN REMARKS TO WHAT ANTHONY HAD SAID IN HIS PRESENTATION, HE HAD NOTED THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE OF VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FROM BUSINESSES AND THIS WAS VERY HARD TO ENFORCE. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT TO BE AN ISSUE OF VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
I BELIEVE IT TO BE AN ISSUE OF COMPLIANCE UNDER THREAT.
AND THAT'S WHY EVERYONE COMPLIES.
HE SAYS THIS IS A VERY CLEAR STANDARD.
IT SETS VERY CLEAR STANDARDS FOR HEALTH PROTOCOLS.
I BELIEVE IT SETS VERY CLEAR STANDARDS FOR CONTROL.
I HAVE A BUSINESS HERE IN TOWN THAT I KNOW WHO IS UNDER THREAT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF BEING SHUT DOWN FOR NOT ENFORCING THE MASK MANDATE.
UPON SEVERAL HOURS OF CONVERSATIONS THAT THE BUSINESS LEADER HAD WITH THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THERE WAS NO LEGAL EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE SHUTDOWN WOULD OCCUR.
THERE WAS NO LEGAL EXPLANATION OF PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER OF COVID CASES IN AMARILLO IS RISING, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT IS A CONCERN. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST TO ISSUE A CONTROL OF THE CITIZENS UNDER A FORCED MASK MANDATE.
I DO BELIEVE IF THE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO AND THE CITY COUNCIL GIVE THIS POWER TO THE CITY OF AMARILLO, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY EASILY.
I AM CONCERNED FOR THE HEALTH OF THE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO AND THE HEALTH OF THIS NATION.
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS IN THE GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST TO ISSUE THIS CONTROL OF PEOPLE'S DECISIONS. WE ARE IN AMARILLO, TEXAS.
WE ARE IN TEXAS AND WE ARE IN AMERICA.
AND THIS SPIRIT OF CONTROL IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY.
I BELIEVE IT IS PEOPLE'S CHOICE TO DECIDE WHETHER TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES WITHOUT A FACE COVERING. AND I BELIEVE THAT CHOICE SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE PEOPLE IF YOU.
MR. GRIM, YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MOVE TO THE NEXT CALLER. CONNIE DANNER.
AFTER MS. DANNER, WE WILL HAVE MR. MIKE FISHER. HELLO? OK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN AMARILLO AND HAVE BEEN FOR 20 YEARS.
I WILL TRY TO GET RIGHT TO THE POINT.
I HAVE. I UNDERSTAND OR TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT FOR APPLICATION AND MINIMUM STANDARDS.
MY CONCERN IS WITH ENFORCEMENT.
THIS ORDINANCE 7893 IS ASKING THAT I CHOOSE TO VIOLATE HIPPA WITH FINES.
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PROVIDES THAT ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES CAN BE FINED UP TO SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND FOR THE FIRST VIOLATION AND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS.
A VIOLATION IS ENFORCING THIS ORDINANCE.
THIS SITUATION IS USELESS, UNLAWFUL, ILLEGAL, CORRUPT AND NOT FAIR TO MY BUSINESS OR ANY OTHER BUSINESS IN TOWN OR THEIR PATRONS.
WHAT LAW WOULD YOU PREFER THAT I WOULD BREAK? YOUR PROPOSITION OR ORDINANCE OR HIPPA? WE ALL SUFFER EITHER WAY.
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST THIS EFFORT AND PLEASE VOTE NO, BECAUSE THIS IS THE SITUATION, WE WILL FINED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WHETHER WE ENFORCE IT OR NOT.
AND SO I ASK FOR COMPASSION IN THIS SITUATION.
WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEXT CALLER, WHO IS MIKE FISHER AND ON DECK AFTER HIM WILL BE MS. CLAUDETTE SMITH. MR. FISHER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE AND SPEAK WHEN YOU'RE READY.
[00:35:02]
MR. FISHER, ARE YOU THERE? YOU MAY HAVE TO CLICK ON UNMUTE ON YOUR TELEPHONE.CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, DANIEL HOROWITZ WITH THE BLAZE STATED THAT EL PASO COVID PATIENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY BEING SENT TO AMARILLO.
IS THAT TRUE? EPISODE [INAUDIBLE] AT ABOUT THE 18 MINUTE MARK.
DO WHAT? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
OK, WELL, I GOT PEOPLE HERE SAYING THEY CAN'T HEAR ME ON THE LIVE BROADCAST SO.
LAST WEEK, IN REFERENCE TO EL PASO'S COUNTY'S SHUT DOWN ORDER, A DISTRICT JUDGE RULED, QUOTE, IF CONDUCT IS ALLOWED UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS, THAT COUNTY CANNOT PROHIBIT IT.
IF ACTIVITIES ARE PROHIBITED UNDER THE GOVERNMENT ORDER, THE COUNTY CANNOT ALLOW THEM.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF BUSINESSES ARE ALLOWED TO OPEN, THEY CAN STAY OPEN.
NOWHERE IN THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER DOESN'T ALLOW A CITY TO DECLARE BUSINESS A PUBLIC NUISANCE. NOR DOES IT SAY THAT THEY CAN FINE BUSINESSES SIMPLY.
AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FINE THEM.
BUT IT DOESN'T SAY, YOU'RE GOING YOU'RE TELLING US TO ENFORCE.
WHAT IS ENFORCEMENT MEAN? WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF ENFORCEMENT? I HAVE A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST EACH ONE OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE EXACT REASON OF THIS MEETING YOU'RE ABOUT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN TODAY.
[INAUDIBLE] ENFORCEMENT OF RULES AND LAWS PROTECTED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
TIDE DRY CLEANERS BEHIND MY HOME WAS DUMPING RAW SEWAGE AND THEIR CHEMICALS INTO THE PARKING LOT, WHICH RAN INTO THE GUTTER WITHIN FEET OF MY HOME.
BURGERFI WAS WAS DUMPING GREASE IN THE DIRT BEHIND MY HOME.
NO NUISANCE WAS EVER DECLARED, NOR WERE THESE BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN OR FINED.
SO IF YOU GUYS ARE SELECTIVELY ENFORCING AND ASK ANY BUSINESS AROUND HERE THAT.
MR. FISHER? YOU'RE TWO MINUTES IS UP, WE'LL HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON.
NEXT, JUST MS. CLAUDETTE SMITH.
AND ON DECK AFTER CLAUDETTE SMITH WILL BE JIMMY CAMPBELL, WHO I DO NOT SEE.
SO, MR. CAMPBELL, PLEASE, PRESS STAR NINE OR THE RAISE HAND BUTTON FOR ME.
MS. SMITH, YOU MAY UNMUTE AND START WHEN YOU'RE READY.
YOU'RE COMING THROUGH. OK, FIRST, LET ME JUST START BY SAYING THAT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS ARE NOT LAW AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEY'RE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BUT YOU GUYS ARE REFERRING TO THEM AS LAW. WE'LL GO WITH THAT.
GA32 STATES THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER LOCAL OFFICIALS WITH THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER MAY ACT TO ENFORCE TRESPASSING LAWS AND REMOVE VIOLATORS AT THE REQUEST OF A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT OR OTHER PROPERTY OWNER.
NOWHERE IN THIS ORDER DOES IT STATE THAT PRIVATE CITIZENS OR BUSINESS OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS OR TRESPASSING LAWS.
THEREFORE, HOW ARE YOU DEEMING IT ACCEPTABLE TO PUNISH LOCAL BUSINESSES WHO DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE SUCH AN ORDINANCE OR EXECUTIVE ORDER? NOW, EVEN IF THIS COUNCIL IS TRYING TO LOWER THE FIELD OF DEATH, AS YOU DO WITH MOST EVERYTHING THAT [INAUDIBLE] YOURSELF AND CHARGE A HIGHER FINE IN THE NAME OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE. GA32 STATES WITH THE FINE FOR A VIOLATION OF ANY ORDER PUT INTO EFFECT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CANNOT EXCEED ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING IS ESSENTIALLY GOING TO EXPEND VALUABLE AND COSTLY RESOURCES THAT WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE AT THIS TIME DUE TO BEING 50 PLUS POLICE OFFICERS UNDERSTAFFED. THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE, ALONG WITH LACK OF NECESSARY RESOURCES TO TAKE ON THE TASK, WILL PUT THE CITY IN A VULNERABLE POSITION TO BE HELD LIABLE.
WITH RESPECT TO INCIDENTS WHICH MAY OCCUR OUT OF, YOU KNOW, ARISE OUT OF A SITUATION WHERE PRIVATE CITIZENS ENFORCE THIS ORDINANCE AS WELL AS IT KICKS THE DOOR WIDE OPEN FOR ADDITIONAL LAWSUITS CONCERNING UNEVEN ENFORCEMENT, UNEQUAL AND OR UNFAIR TREATMENT.
THIS ORDINANCE ALSO EXPOSES BUSINESSES TO POTENTIAL LAWSUITS AND HAVING TO DETERMINE WHO IS EXEMPT AND WHO IS NOT DUE TO THE BROAD EXEMPTION FOR HEALTH CONDITIONS, DISCRIMINATION, ETC, ETC..
THE LIST GOES ON, BUT IT LEAVES THE DOOR WIDE OPEN, EXPOSING THESE PRIVATE BUSINESSES TO POTENTIAL LIABILITIES.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE LOCKDOWNS, MASKS, ET CETERA DO NOT STOP THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT THEY DESTROY SMALL BUSINESSES, JOBS AND THE OVERALL ECONOMY, AND
[00:40:01]
THEY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR FAMILIES TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.AS LEADERS WHO SHOULD NOT BE ENFORCING SUCH ORDINANCES AND FORCING CITIZENS TO ENFORCE MASK WEARING OR OTHER [INAUDIBLE].
MS. SMITH? YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP.
WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON, JIMMY CAMPBELL, CHECKING ONE MORE TIME, PRESS STAR NINE ON YOUR PHONE IF YOU'RE WITH US, MR. CAMPBELL. AND IF NOT, ROSIE POWELL WILL BE NEXT.
MS. POWELL YOU MAY UNMUTE AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
MS. POWELL, YOU MAY HAVE TO CLICK THE UNMUTE BUTTON ON YOUR TELEPHONE.
AFTER MS. POWELL WILL BE JENNIFER TUCKER.
OK, MS. POWELL, ARE YOU WITH US? YES, I AM. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. GO AHEAD AND START YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
I UNDERSTAND EACH SIDE OF IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW TO LET YOU KNOW THAT TRULY MY HEART GOES OUT TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON SO VERY MUCH, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS HEALTH WISE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MRS. POWELL. NEXT, WE'LL HAVE JENNIFER TUCKER.
AFTER JENNIFER TUCKER WILL BE SHELLEY MIXON, WHO I DON'T SEE ON HERE, SO MS. MIXON, IF YOU'LL PRESS STAR NINE ON YOUR PHONE, IF YOU'RE WITH US TO LET US KNOW.
ALL RIGHT, MS. TUCKER, I THINK I CAN HEAR YOU.
PLEASE START YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
OK, THANK YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.
I AM DEFINITELY AGAINST THE MEASURE.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN PITTING BUSINESS OWNERS AGAINST THEIR CLIENTS OR CUSTOMERS.
YOU'VE GOT YOU'VE GOT A PNEUMONIA THAT KILLS POINT 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE PER YEAR PER YEAR.
WE DON'T PUT THEM MASK ON FOR THAT SO THAT THE ACCIDENT OF THIS WE'RE KILLING EVERYBODY BY NOT WEARING A MASK. THIS IS JUST PART OF LIFE.
AND I'M SORRY THAT WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION.
I DON'T WANT TO BE IN THIS SITUATION, BUT ASKING US TO DO THESE SUCH THINGS AND ALSO BELIEVING THAT THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF THE HOSPITAL RESIDENTS, FIVE OF THE THIRTY EIGHT PERCENT ARE AMARILLO AND THE REST ARE OUTSIDE COUNTIES.
I SPOKE WITH FRANCES YESTERDAY AND SHE STATED THAT WE ARE NOW TURNING THOSE COUNTY RESIDENTS AWAY. WOULD THAT NOT GO AHEAD AND DROP OUT RATE? HOW CAN ANYTHING WE DO IN AMARILLO KEEP OUR RATE DOWN WHEN WE'RE ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF THE RESIDENTS PER THE DASHBOARD? I'M JUST LOOKING AT YOUR DASHBOARD.
I DID CONFIRM THESE NUMBERS WITH FRANCES YESTERDAY AND TODAY IN CASE I WAS MISREADING THEM. AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT KNOWN I AM AGAINST IT.
I WANT TO I WANT TO LEAVE US WITH THE WORDS.
THE MAYOR SPOKE ON NOVEMBER 14TH WHERE SHE SAID EACH OF US HAS AUTHORITY OVER OURSELVES, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE WEARING A MASK, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE CHOOSING TO GO TO THAT SOCIAL EVENT, WHETHER OR NOT THE EVENT WE ARE LEAVING THE HOUSE FOR IS ESSENTIAL TO US, IN OUR MIND OR WHETHER IT CAN BE POSTPONED FOR A MONTH OR TWO.
EACH OF US HAVE THAT CHOICE, IS WHAT SHE SAID, WHAT OUR MAYOR SAID, THAT WE HAVE A CHOICE . THE BOTTOM LINE. WE SHOULD GET TO CHOOSE.
WE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED BY A HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ELECTED.
WE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO DO THIS.
AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MS. TUCKER. WE DO HAVE SOMEONE THAT RAISED THEIR HAND THAT MAYBE MR. CAMPBELL OR MS. [INAUDIBLE].
SO WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO TALK AT THIS TIME IF YOU'D LIKE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
THIS IS SHOWING UP AS [INAUDIBLE].
YES, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT.
I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CORRECTED, THAT PEOPLE SAY MASKS ARE NOT WORKING AND I MEAN, EVEN LOCKDOWN IS WORKING, BUT WE WANT TO AVOID LOCKDOWN BY THESE MEASURES.
SO JUST REPEATING THAT FALSE INFORMATION THAT MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCE IS NOT WORKING IS COMPLETE NONSENSE.
[00:45:01]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.CAN I ASK A QUESTION REAL QUICK, BASED ON A COMMENT MADE REALLY QUICK? DR. MILTON OR CASIE? EITHER ONE, IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT, THAT ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR HOSPITAL, THAT'S FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSITIVE CASES END UP IN THE HOSPITAL? IT'S NOT FIVE PERCENT OF THE HOSPITAL ARE POTTER, RANDALL RESIDENTS.
IS THAT A CORRECT STATEMENT? YES, SIR. SOME FIVE PERCENT OF THE ACTIVE CASES ARE REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION.
YEAH, IT'S NOT ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF THE HOSPITAL.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS FROM OUT OF TOWN, FIVE PERCENT IS FROM POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY.
THAT'S A COMPLETE MISSTATEMENT.
RIGHT. SO FIVE PERCENT OF ALL OF THE ACTIVE CASES ARE CURRENTLY REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION.
OK, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THAT LIKE THREE OR FOUR TIMES. YES, SIR.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO WHAT IS THE ACCURATE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN AMARILLO CITY RESIDENTS AND OUTSIDE CITY RESIDENTS IN OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY NUMBERS RIGHT NOW? I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT'S A LONG TIME SINCE THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY TRANSFERS BECAUSE MOST OF THE HOSPITAL, THE HOSPITAL CAPACITY IS MOSTLY AMARILLO RESIDENTS.
THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ACCEPT VERY MANY TRANSFERS.
SO THERE MAY BE THERE MAY BE ONE OR TWO VERY, VERY FEW PATIENTS COMING IN FROM THE REGION. BUT MOST OF THE PATIENTS ARE AMARILLO RESIDENTS.
WAS IT AN ACCURATE REPORTING THAT WE TOOK TRANSFERS FROM EL PASO WITHIN THE LAST MONTH? NO, MA'AM. THAT IS NOT ACCURATE.
CASIE, AT SOME POINT, BETWEEN AMARILLO CITY RESIDENTS AND OUTSIDE CITY RESIDENTS IN OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY RIGHT NOW, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE DO HAVE THE HOSPITAL IS FULL OF AMARILLO PEOPLE, SO THE MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL, COVID OR NON COVID, ARE AMARILLO RESIDENTS OR AT LEAST POTTER, RANDALL COUNTY RESIDENTS.
THE [INAUDIBLE] REPORT WAS FALSE.
BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAYING OUR HOSPITAL DISTRICT IS NO LONGER RECEIVING ANY TRANSFERS FROM OUTSIDE, THAT MEANS YOU'RE KIND OF RIGHT NOW WE'RE FULL. THE DOORS CLOSED. SO ANY NEW PATIENTS ARE GOING TO BE FROM OUR CITY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT QUESTION THAN THE ONES WHO WERE ALREADY ADMITTED.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN THERE A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS.
AND SO JUST UPDATES ON THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND IT HAS BEEN THAT AT LEAST THAT LONG SINCE THEY HAVE, ON OUR WEDNESDAY NEWS CONFERENCES. THE DOCTORS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TAKE TRANSFERS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
OK, SO RETURNING TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, OUR NEXT CALLER IS JOSH KNAPP.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE SHELLEY MIXON WHO MAY HAVE HER HAND RAISED RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THIS PHONE NUMBER ENDING IN 1141.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE AND SPEAK.
NOW, CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, HI, MY NAME IS VICTORIA.
IS MY TIME READY, AM I GOOD? YES, GO AHEAD, VICTORIA.
I JUST WANTED TO COME OUT AND SAY THAT THIS IS REALLY JUST EMBARRASSING.
I'M REALLY EMBARRASSED TO BE FROM THIS CITY.
I'M OUT. I'M STILL RESIDENT IN AMARILLO.
BUT JUST SEEING THIS GO ON IS EXTREMELY DISHEARTENING, ESPECIALLY JUST SEEING THE DIRECT PARALLELS BETWEEN OUR VERY LIBERAL, VERY AGGRESSIVE, VERY SOCIALIST MAYOR DE BLASIO AND SEEING THAT CONTRAST WITH OUR ALLEGED REPUBLICAN MAYOR, SENATOR NELSON.
IT'S JUST IRONIC TO ME, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU THINK THAT WE'RE STUPID OR IF YOU THINK THAT WE JUST WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO NOTICE THIS.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE ALL OF YOU HAD SLEPT THROUGH YOUR HISTORY CLASSES WITH THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION STARTED FROM OVER TAXATION.
IT STARTED BECAUSE WE WERE JUST BEING TAXED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE THOUGHT WE WANTED TO. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO JUST DOWNPLAY THE MATH, DOWNPLAY OF US WEARING IT, DOWNPLAY THE EFFECTS OF THAT, YOU ARE MISTAKEN.
IT'S REALLY INSULTING TO ALL OF US TO ASSUME THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD JUST
[00:50:04]
BEND OVER AND TAKE.SO THAT BEING SAID, I'M JUST ABSOLUTELY HUMILIATED TO BE FROM THIS CITY.
I'M HUMILIATED BY YOUR CHOICES.
I AM VERY HAPPY THAT THE [INAUDIBLE] DID NOT PASS IN THIS PAST ELECTION BECAUSE I WANT GINGER NELSON AND ALL OF YOU OUT OF OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO JUST PUTTING THAT ON THE TABLE, LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
BUT THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
MR. KNAPP. YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
AND ON DECK WHILE HE'S ON UNMUTING IS MICHAEL [INAUDIBLE].
MR. KNAPP, WE GREAT. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR TO LISTEN TO US.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LOSS OF LIFE IN AMARILLO, IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.
JUST THIS WEEK. I ACTUALLY LOST ANOTHER FRIEND TO COVID.
SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I TAKE THIS VIRUS VERY SERIOUSLY.
I KNOW BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN THROUGH A TOUGH YEAR.
THEY'VE HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF COSTLY FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DECISIONS.
THE MARK THIS VIRUS HAS LEFT ON SOME OF AMARILLO'S MOST ICONIC TREASURES IS SAD.
THE MARK THIS VIRUS IS MADE ON AMARILLO CITIZENS IS PERMANENT.
WITH A VOTE IN FAVOR OF PENALIZING THESE RAVAGED BUSINESSES, [INAUDIBLE] CITY COUNCIL ARE COMMITTING AN ACT OF WAR ON AMARILLO BUSINESSES.
WE NEED BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF JOBS IN AMARILLO ARE FROM THE VERY BUSINESSES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO PENALIZE.
I WORK WITH SMALL AND MID-SIZED BUSINESSES IN AMARILLO.
MOST OF THESE BUSINESSES WORK TIRELESSLY COMPLIANCE WITH THE CURRENT MANDATES.
THESE BUSINESSES CAN'T AFFORD OUTRAGEOUS GOVERNMENT FINES.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE COST OF COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ORDER? BUSINESSES WILL HAVE TO HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES TO POLICE THEIR CUSTOMERS.
AND TO WHAT DATE? EVEN THE CDC SAID IF YOU HAVE AN ANGRY CUSTOMER THAT REFUSES TO WEAR A MASK, DON'T FORCE COMPLIANCE. HOW WILL THE BUSINESS OWNER HAVE A CHOICE WITH THIS ORDINANCE? WHO DOES THE BUSINESS OWNER FOLLOW? THE CDC OR YOUR ORDER? THIS ORDER PUTS BUSINESS OWNERS AGAINST THEIR CUSTOMERS.
THIS WILL CAUSE BUSINESSES TO LOSE CUSTOMERS THAT REFUSE TO WEAR A MASK.
THE LOSS OF CUSTOMERS WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF BUSINESS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN EVEN MORE JOBS LOST.
THOSE CUSTOMERS WILL WALK OUT AND TAKE THEIR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE TO PLACES LIKE AMAZON, PULLING FUNDS AWAY FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
MOST TEXANS DON'T TAKE TOO WELL TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT SIDESTEPPING OR MAKING UNFOUNDED DEMANDS. SO OVER STEP OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS DISGUSTING.
BUSINESS OWNERS DON'T FORCE THEIR CUSTOMERS TO WEAR MASKS BECAUSE THEY RESPECT EACH PERSON'S INDIVIDUAL RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A HEALTH CRISIS.
I KNOW THAT IS SEVERE AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH HOSPITAL BEDS.
HOWEVER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
MR. MICHAEL FORD IS NEXT AND ON DECK AFTER MR. FORD WILL BE HENRY MOSES.
MR. FORD, YOU CAN UNMUTE AND START YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
YOU MAY HAVE TO CLICK THE UNMUTE BUTTON ON YOUR PHONE.
MR. FORD, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, CLICK THE UNMUTE BUTTON ON YOUR PHONE TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS. OK, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES SIR.
CAN I CAN I MAKE A QUICK PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY ACTUALLY TWO? THIS IS NOT BROADCAST OR NOTICED AS AN EMERGENCY MEETING.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES, YOU CAN ONLY PASS AN ORDINANCE IN ONE READING UNDER AN EMERGENCY MEETING YOUR NOTICE.
AND I SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE CITY SECRETARY WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY MEETING AND SO THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON THE NOTICE THAT SAYS THIS IS POSTED AS AN EMERGENCY MEETING. SO MY POINT OF INQUIRY, AND THIS IS NOT PART OF MY PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT NUMBER ONE IS WAS THIS POSTED IS AN EMERGENCY MEETING AND UNDER WHAT PORTION OF THE OF THE CITY CODE ORDINANCES?
[00:55:01]
I HEARD, MR. MILLER. OK.THE OTHER THING I WANT TO, THE OTHER THING IS SINCE I'M NOT GETTING A QUICK ANSWER TO THE FIRST QUESTION, WHICH I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, BECAUSE YOU SIR? PARDON ME, SIR.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT.
AND WE'LL JUST WE'LL SCROLL THROUGH, LISTEN TO EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK THROUGH AND GIVE YOU AN ANSWER.
AND SECOND QUESTION, THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS, IS THIS IS THIS THE ACTUAL HAS THE PUBLIC HEARING CONVENED OR THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS? PUBLIC HEARING HAS CONVENED SIR.
OK, SO YOU'RE ALLOWING US TO TWO MINUTES TO DISCUSS A SIX PAGE ORDINANCE THAT YOU JUST ISSUED ONE HOUR BEFORE THIS MEETING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF POSSIBLY BEING ABLE TO DESCRIBE THIS IN TWO MINUTES.
SO THAT'S VERY GRACIOUS OF YOU.
AND THE FACT THAT THE PUBLIC NOTICE IS NOT LABELED AS AN EMERGENCY MEETING, I THINK VOIDS YOUR ABILITY TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE ON A FIRST READING.
THAT BEING SAID, UNDER THE TOPIC OF PUBLIC NUISANCE, YOU'RE THE ENTIRE PREMISE OF THIS IS THAT MASKS ARE ACTUALLY PREVENTING TRANSMISSION OF A VIRUS.
THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN TOLD TO WEAR MASKS WITHOUT TRAINING, NO FAMILIARITY WITH INFECTION CONTROL. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN YOUR ORDINANCE ABOUT HIGH TOUCH ITEMS, HIGH TOUCH ITEMS ARE THE MASKS THEMSELVES.
I ASSURE YOU, IF I WAS TO COME AND SAMPLE WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON AT THIS TIME.
NEXT UP IS MR. HENRY MOSES. AND ON DECK AFTER MR. MOSES WILL BE SEAN TUCKER.
MR. MOSES, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF TO GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS.
MR. MOSES, CAN YOU HEAR US? IF YOU CAN HEAR US, MR. MOSES, YOU MAY NEED TO UNMUTE ON YOUR PHONE.
TO BE RESPECTFUL OF TIME, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO MR. SEAN TUCKER, WE'LL COME BACK TO MR. MOSES.
MR. TUCKER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE AND GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, MR. MOSES WILL COME BACK TO YOU NEXT, SIR.
MR. SEAN TUCKER, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, GO AHEAD AND CLICK UNMUTE ON YOUR TELEPHONE.
AFTER SEAN TUCKER IS APRIL [INAUDIBLE].
WHILE WE'RE WAITING, CAN'T WE JUST QUICKLY ANSWER MR. FORD'S QUESTION AND IF I'M CORRECT, THAT THIS WILL REQUIRE TWO, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN PASS IN ONE READING.
BRYAN? OUR CHARTER PROVIDES THAT EMERGENCY MEASURE CAN BE PASSED IN ONE READING, IF IT IS UNANIMOUS.
THAT MEETING HAVE TO BE NOTICED, BRYAN, AS SOON AS A LABELED EMERGENCY MEETING, OR DOES IT JUST HAVE TO RELATE TO A QUOTED EMERGENCY SITUATION OR A CITY ISSUED EMERGENCY? THE LATTER, IN OTHER WORDS, I BELIEVE WHAT THE CALLER WAS WAS TALKING ABOUT WAS AN OPEN MEETING SITUATION OF EMERGENCY MEETING.
THIS MEETING WAS POSTED WITHIN THE 72 HOUR LIMIT OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
SO THAT REALLY ISN'T THAT REALLY ISN'T WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE.
THE EMERGENCY MEASURE HAS TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL CONTEXT OF THE ORDINANCE ITSELF.
VERIFY WE POSTED THIS MEETING, IT'S A SPECIAL MEETING THAT'S NOT OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BUSINESS MEETING, BUT WE GAVE 72 HOURS NOTICE, SO WE DID NOT USE THE EMERGENCY MEETING PROVISIONS UNDER THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT TO POST THE NOTICE AND MEET QUICKLY.
[01:00:01]
HOWEVER, WHAT YOU'RE STATING IS IF WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE TODAY RELATED TO AN EMERGENCY ORDER THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE, AND THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE ON ONE VOTE IF IT'S UNANIMOUS, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT. AND THE ORDINANCE IS CLEAR ABOUT THAT TOO.OK. APRIL [INAUDIBLE], I BELIEVE, IS WITH US AND READY, APRIL, CAN YOU HEAR US? APRIL, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, YOU'RE READY TO START AND GIVE YOUR COMMENTS.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW, GO AHEAD AND START WHEN YOU'RE READY.
OK, SO PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY'S COVERED KIND OF WHAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING TO HURT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY EFFECTIVE WAY FOR ANY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER TO ENFORCE AND FORCE PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW YOU EXPECT THAT.
LIKE ME BEING A BUSINESS OWNER, I WOULD NEVER TELL SOMEBODY I CAN'T HELP YOU UNLESS YOU PUT A MASK ON, BECAUSE THAT'S MY LIVELIHOOD.
SO I JUST I THINK IT'S ABSURD.
I DO THINK IT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PANDEMIC IS A SERIOUS SITUATION AND PEOPLE DO DIE.
BUT I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE I KNOW THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID HAVE VERY LITTLE SYMPTOMS. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAT DON'T SUFFER AT ALL FROM THIS THAN THERE ARE THAT DO.
AND THAT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DISEASE OR VIRUS OUT THERE.
WE'RE ALWAYS TAKING A RISK GOING ANYWHERE WITH ANY KIND OF DISEASE OR ILLNESS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH OUR CITIZENS, THEY'RE. I KNOW TONS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER WORN A MASK.
DAY ONE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC AND THEY WILL REFUSE TO GO TO THESE SMALL BUSINESSES IF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS, WHICH IS PUSHING MORE BUSINESS ON ONLINE COMPANIES LIKE AMAZON AND SO FORTH.
AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO MR. MOSES AT THIS TIME.
SO, HENRY MOSES, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO UNMUTE FROM YOUR PHONE AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS, WE'RE READY FOR YOU. CLICK UNMUTE FROM YOUR PHONE, MR. MOSES.
WHILE MR. MOSES IS CLICKING UNMUTE, WE HAVE TWO OTHER CALLERS THAT SIGNED UP, REBA RUSSELL AND CHRISTY SHRADER, THAT I DO NOT SEE ON HERE.
IF YOU ARE HERE AND YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, GO AHEAD AND PRESS STAR NINE OR PRESS THE RAISE HAND BUTTON AT THIS TIME.
WE WILL ALSO MOVE INTO OPEN COMMENTS FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT SIGN UP.
SO PLEASE, ANYONE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK PRESS STAR NINE TO RAISE YOUR HAND OR CLICK THE RAISE HAND BUTTON AND WE WILL MOVE THROUGH THESE AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN.
MR. MOSES, GOING TO GIVE YOU JUST A COUPLE MORE SECONDS, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE.
MR. MOSES, GO AHEAD AND START WHEN YOU'RE READY.
OK, FIRST I JUST I JUST, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A HARD TIME FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
THIS IS THE DEAL. AND WE'RE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT DOING THE MASKS ON THAT, ON THE PRETENSE THAT THESE MASKS ARE ACTUALLY STOPPING ANYTHING.
THEY'RE NOT, IT'S WELL KNOWN THEY'RE NOT.
I HEARD A DOCTOR COMPARE IT, JUST TRYING TO STOP A MOSQUITO FROM FLYING THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE WITH THREE FOOT GAS.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO FIDDLE IN THE AIR, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO STOP THAT PEOPLE TURN THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY COUGH IN GENERAL WHEN YOU'RE SICK WITH ANYTHING.
FLORIDA AND GEORGIA DON'T HAVE MASK MANDATES.
THEY'RE NO WORSE OFF THAN WE ARE.
THE MASKS AREN'T STOPPING ANYTHING.
IT'S PUTTING US ALL AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER.
I KNOW IT'S HARD, BUT WE'VE GOT TO PRESS ON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.
SO NOW WE WILL MOVE INTO GETTING THROUGH THE PEOPLE THAT DID NOT SIGN UP BUT WISH TO SPEAK, THE FIRST ONE IS MR. [INAUDIBLE].
SO MR. [INAUDIBLE], YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE AND SPEAK WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
[01:05:03]
HELLO, EVERYBODY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.I'M A CITIZEN OF THIS LOVELY CITY FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS.
I'M A PHYSICIAN AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT YOUR INITIATIVE TO PURSUE MASK MANDATES ON BUSINESSES.
MY POINTS ARE OUR AREA IS [INAUDIBLE] AND AMARILLO HOSPITALIZATION RATES AS OF NOVEMBER 18TH IS AT THIRTY EIGHT POINT THREE PERCENT.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, PANDEMIC AND THE RAPID SURGE HAS CAUSED MASSIVE STRAIN ON THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN OUR CITY.
PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDERS ARE GETTING SICK AND HAVE TO BE OUT EITHER FOR A PROTRACTED PERIOD OF TIME OR BECAUSE OF EITHER ILLNESS OR OF EXPOSURE.
CITIZENS OF THE CITY ARE GETTING INFECTED IN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS AND MORTALITY IS MARKEDLY SURGING.
WAS DIRECT IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC.
IS MASSIVE UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES THE INDIRECT IMPACT AS A LIMITATION OF ACCESS OF CARE TO MANY PATIENTS AND MANY CITIZENS OF OUR CITY SUFFERING FROM ILLNESSES SUCH AS ADVANCED HEART FAILURE AND OTHERS THAT NEED HOSPITALIZATION AND HOSPITAL ADMISSION AND INPATIENT CARE.
PATIENTS ACCESS FOR INPATIENT CARE OVER THE LAST TWO TO THREE WEEKS HAVE BEEN SEVERELY RESTRICTED AND PATIENTS ARE GETTING PLACED ON WAITING LISTS.
SADLY, SOME HAVE SUCCUMBED AS A RESULT OF THIS WAIT.
QUALITY OF CARE DROPS IN THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE RESOURCES AND OVERALL MORTALITY FROM NON COVID PATIENTS AND ILLNESSES WILL DRAMATICALLY RISE, THAT THE NUMBERS WILL COME AND BECOME MORE EVIDENT AS THE DUST ALL SETTLES.
AS WE ALL WAIT FOR THE VACCINES, WE NEED TO STOP THE LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO COVID AND NON-COVID ILLNESSES. SOME OF THE FEW WAYS WE KNOW TO IS BY WEARING MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ARE GOING AND DOING THEIR JOB OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC.
WE JUST NEED HELP FROM THE CITY TO REDUCE THE SPREAD SO WE CAN CONTROL UNTIL MASKS BECOME AVAILABLE. MR. [INAUDIBLE], AND YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP.
PLEASE HELP US STOP THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR NEXT CALLER, WHOSE PHONE NUMBER ENDS IN 8811.
AND JUST FYI, ON DECK AFTER THIS CALLER WILL BE THE ONE THAT IS CONNECTED FROM A DEVICE CALLED PATHOGEN. SO IF YOU ARE THE CALLER, 8811 GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND IF YOU'LL SHARE YOUR NAME WITH COUNCIL AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
HELLO. HELLO, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
I'M A PHYSICIAN AND A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN AMARILLO.
THE HOSPITALS ARE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY, SO IT'S JUST THE QUALITY OF CARE FOR COVID AND NON-COVID CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING SUBOPTIMAL.
THE HOSPITALS HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB EXPANDING THEIR CAPABILITIES.
I THINK THAT WE ARE IN DANGER OF WITNESSING UNACCEPTABLE MORTALITY RATES.
IF THE CURRENT TREND CONTINUES.
EDUCATION AND APPEAL TO INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY HAS FAILED, AS WITNESSED BY THE CONTINUED RISE IN THE RATES.
I BELIEVE THE ENFORCEMENT OF GA29 BY THE CURRENT PETITION OR SORRY THE CURRENT ORDINANCE OF 7893 IS ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.
I HOPE THAT YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE CITY ORDINANCE.
I'M HAPPY THAT IT IS LINKED TO THE THE CITY DANGER LEVEL OF RED AND ORANGE.
SO THAT IS NOT A NEVER ENDING ORDINANCE.
THAT ENDS MY COMMENT. THANK YOU.
NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO PATHOGEN AFTER PATHOGEN ON DECK WILL BE ANDY BARNETT.
SO PATHOGEN IF YOU'LL UNMUTE YOURSELF PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND START YOUR COMMENTS FOR COUNCIL. HI, MY NAME IS ACTUALLY SARAH HOGAN.
MY HUSBAND IS PAT HOGAN, THAT'S WHERE.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL I WANT TO FIRST THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR THE CITY AND FOR OUR AREA.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE HEALTH CARE WORKERS OUT THERE WHO ARE PUTTING LITERALLY THEIR LIVES ON THE LINES FOR ALL OF US.
I KEEP HEARING FROM PEOPLE THAT I'M LIVING MY LIFE IN FEAR, AND ALL I CAN SAY IS BY
[01:10:03]
WEARING A MASK, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT I'M DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERYONE AROUND ME.AND THAT INCLUDES MY FAMILY, WHO I CARE MORE FOR THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
I THINK THAT PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE AND MAKING IT MORE PERTINENT TO WEAR A MASK WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.
IF PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO WEAR A MASK, THEY CAN ORDER THEIR GROCERIES ONLINE.
THEY CAN HAVE SOMEONE ELSE PICK THEM UP.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER OPTIONS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK INTO, BUT I THINK THAT CONTINUING TO NOT WEAR A MASK AND PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVES IN DANGER IS JUST NOT OK AT THIS POINT, SO I FULLY SUPPORT EVERY ONE OF YOU VOTING YES ON THIS, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HI, THIS IS ANDY BARNETT, CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OK? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I'M A REGISTERED NURSE IN AMARILLO.
I'M TAKING THE FALL OFF BECAUSE I'M THE ONLY SIBLING IN OUR FAMILY THAT'S IN THE AREA THAT DOES NOT WORK IN HEALTH CARE, YET HAS THE QUOTE UNQUOTE LUXURY TO BE WITH OUR ELDERLY AND FRAIL PARENTS.
HE IS HEAD OF OBGYN RESIDENT PROGRAM AT TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER.
IN TOWN. MY OTHER SISTER IS A WOUND CARE SPECIALIST.
SO THIS AFFECTS US PERSONALLY IN VERY DRAMATIC WAYS IN HEALTH CARE.
I'M ALSO JUST MOSTLY CALLING FOR AN AMBASSADOR FROM ALL MY NURSE FRIENDS WHO ARE TOO TIRED TO CALL.
WHO ARE TOO TIRED TO WRITE, WHO CALL ME CRYING ON A NIGHTLY BASIS AND I'LL LEAVE THE DRAMATICS AT THAT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TIME.
THEY'RE EXHAUSTED, THEY'RE SPENT, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING MORAL INJURY FROM THIS AND PTSD.
AND I DON'T USE THAT TERM LIGHTLY.
I MEAN IT WITH EVERY BIT OF MY BEING.
I DO KNOW AND AM CLOSE WITH MANY, MANY AMAZING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM AND WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTING THEM THE BEST WE CAN.
SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS I'VE TALKED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OK WITH IT BECAUSE IT GIVES US SUPPORT, IT GIVES US A BACK UP TO SAY, HEY, GUYS, LISTEN, THIS IS THE CITY.
YOU LIKE OUR BUSINESS BECAUSE YOU'RE COMING THROUGH OUR DOORS.
BACK US UP. DON'T MAKE US BE FINED, WORK WITH US, WEAR A MASK.
SO IT KIND OF TAKES THEM OUT OF THE SCENARIO OF HAVING TO BE THE QUOTE UNQUOTE, BAD GUY.
AND I DON'T LIKE THAT TERM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE BAD GUY.
YOU DON'T WANT US TO BE FINED.
WEAR A MASK. AND I DID APPRECIATE WHAT JARED MILLER SAID THE OTHER DAY IS WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE FLAT EARTH PEOPLE, BELLIGERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY I'M NOT DOING IT.
AND HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THOSE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FINED FOR THAT, THAT BUSINESS OWNERS CAN'T CONTROL THE ONE OFFS THAT JUST AREN'T GOING TO DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. I COULD SEND, IF YOU NEED TO SHARE IT, 70 SCHOLARLY DATABASED ARTICLES THAT SUPPORT MASK WEARING. IT IS NOT LIKE CATCHING A MOSQUITO.
MS. BARNETT, YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'LL MOVE NEXT TO THE CALLER WHOSE PHONE NUMBER ENDS IN 1218 AND ON DECK AFTER THAT WILL BE THE CALLER ENDING AND 3591.
AS A QUICK REMINDER, PLEASE, PRESS STAR NINE FROM YOUR TELEPHONE IF YOU'RE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING OR PRESS THE RAISE HAND BUTTON.
SO CALLER ENDING IN 1218 YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF NOW, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND START YOUR COMMENTS.
THIS AND ALL GOOD GOVERNMENT BEGINS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND SO DOES ALL BAD.
WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL HERE OF AN OVERREACH.
MASK ARE WORN BY MOST EVERYONE OUT HERE.
MASKS ARE BEEN WARNED ALL A LOT, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE BEING CRUSHED.
THEY ARE NOT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN OPEN IN SOME CASES.
NOW, FINES ARE WRONG TO THE BUSINESSES.
AND MY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE IF WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW GOVERNOR THE GA29 ORDER, IS THERE
[01:15:03]
STILL GOING TO APPLY TO WHERE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR A MASK WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS, WHICH IS NUMBER TWO IN THERE? AND JUST ASK ABOUT THAT AND SOMETHING THAT MR. MCWILLIAMS ALLUDED TO IS ENFORCEMENT AND HOW DIFFICULT IT'S GOING TO BE.WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
SO MAYBE THE WORD WILL GET OUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY GOTTEN OUT.
THERE'S BEEN EDUCATION ON WEARING MASKS.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE THE ONES WALKING AROUND SPREADING AT ALL.
IT HAPPENS IN FAMILY GATHERINGS.
IT HAPPENS IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT MORE THAN MORE THAN ANYTHING.
AND THEN IF NOT, THEN IT'S HAPPENING WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE MASKS ON.
YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING UP A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO THE CALLER ENDING IN 3591, ON DECK AFTER THIS CALLER WILL BE THE CALLER ENDING IN 3678.
SO CALLER ENDING IN 3591, YOU MAY NOW UNMUTE IF YOU'LL SHARE YOUR NAME AND START YOUR COMMENTS.
CALLER ENDING IN PHONE NUMBER 3591, ARE YOU WITH US? YOU MAY NEED TO PRESS THE MUTE BUTTON TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
GIVE YOU JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS.
OK, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE CALLER ENDING IN 3678.
IF YOUR PHONE NUMBER ENDS IN 3678, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE YOURSELF, SHARE YOUR NAME WITH US AND START YOUR COMMENTS.
I HAVEN'T TALKED TO Y'ALL IN A LONG TIME, AND I REALLY FEEL THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS MEETING AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO HERE GETS MY ATTENTION.
BEFORE WE I GET ANY FURTHER, I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER'S AN ICU NURSE, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE HOSPITALS.
WE'VE NEVER BEEN FACED BY ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T WEAR A MASK AND I HAVE MY REASONS FOR IT, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TAKE THAT UP WITH ME.
THEY CAN. BUT THE THING IS, IS THAT YOU'RE FIXING TO CROSS A LINE HERE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING BACK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ARGUING WITH M ASKS WORK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S VERY SERIOUS. IT'S RAVISHED MY FAMILY.
I UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT, BUT.
WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO FINE BUSINESSES THAT DON'T ENFORCE YOUR MANDATE, YOU'RE CROSSING A LINE. IS THAT A LINE THAT Y'ALL ARE WILLING TO CROSS? I MEAN, I'M ALL ABOUT YOU PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD TRYING TO STOP THE RISE IN CASES.
BUT THIS ORDINANCE, I THINK YOU'RE GOING A LITTLE TOO FAR.
AND ANOTHER THING AND I'LL SAY THIS, AND YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE IT, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT YOUR CITIZENS LIKE CHILDREN, DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THEY ACT OUT LIKE CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S JUST WRONG, IT'S JUST WRONG.
WE'RE A COMMUNITY, WE WORK TOGETHER.
DO YOUR BEST YOU CAN, BUT DON'T PASS THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE CROSSING THE LINE THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND GINGER, I'VE HAD YOUR BACK TO A LOT OF THINGS, I DON'T HAVE YOUR BACK NOW.
THINK ABOUT IT, THINK ABOUT WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING HERE.
Y'ALL ARE A GOOD BUNCH OF PEOPLE, BUT YOU'RE GOING TOO FAR WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
MR. RUDD, YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP.
NEXT, WE HAVE TAMMY TABOR, MS. TABOR. YOU CAN UNMUTE AND START WHEN YOU'RE READY.
TAMMY TABOR, IF YOU'RE WITH US, GO AHEAD, CLICK YOUR UNMUTE BUTTON AND YOU CAN START YOUR
[01:20:01]
COMMENTS.ON DECK AFTER MS. TABOR WILL BE THE NUMBER ENDING IN 3212.
MS. TABOR. ARE YOU WITH US? IF YOU ARE TALKING, WE CANNOT HEAR YOU.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE UNMUTED, BUT.
OK, WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE NEXT CALLER FOR NOW, THAT IS THE CALLER ENDING IN 3212, SO.
CALLER ENDING IN 3212 YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF IF YOU'LL GIVE US YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS AND ON DECK WILL BE TODD S.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
HI, MY NAME IS KELSEY AND I'M JUST GOING TO CALL AND REITERATE WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SAID. BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT FORTH SOME GENERAL CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENFORCING MASKS.
BECAUSE, LIKE WAS SAID, A COUPLE OF CALLERS BEFORE ME, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN AMARILLO ARE ABIDING BY THE MASK MANDATE, WHICH IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BY THE WAY.
AND YET WE'RE STILL SEEING THIS SPIKE.
WHAT DO WE ALSO SEE A SPIKE IN IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER? WE SEE A SPIKE IN ALL SICKNESSES.
WHY? BECAUSE THE SUN'S GOING DOWN.
WHAT IS THE SUN PROVIDE FOR US? VITAMIN D? WHAT IS VITAMIN D DO FOR US? IT BOOSTS OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
SO OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SPIKE IN RISING CASES.
BUT WHY ARE WE ALSO SEEING RISING CASES IN STREP THROAT, THE FLU AND OTHER TYPES OF THINGS IF MASKS WORK SO WELL.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T FOR ONE, BUT FOR TWO.
PROBABLY MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THE CITIZENS OF AMARILLO ARE ABIDING BY THIS MASK MANDATE. AND YET STILL, APPARENTLY WE'RE BEING OVERRUN WITH CASES RIGHT? SO WHAT IS MAKING THE MASK MANDATE GOING TO DO? MY SECOND CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION IS, IF YOU'RE A MOTHER OR A FATHER AND YOU'VE EVER HAD A SMALL CHILD, YOU KNOW, OF A DEATH CALLED SIDS, SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME, THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME IS RE-BREATH.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT YOUR BABY, THAT IT'S FACE COVERED WITH A PIECE OF CLOTHING, AN ANIMAL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IN THEIR CRIB WITH THEM, AND THEY BREATHED IN THEIR OWN OXYGEN THAT THEY BREATHED OUT, WHICH IS MOSTLY CO2.
SO. IF THAT WOULD KILL A BABY, WHY ARE WE TELLING PEOPLE TO PUT MASKS ON, LITERALLY FORCING THEM TO BREATHE BACK IN THE CO2, THEY JUST BREATHE OUT? MY NEXT QUESTION IS, DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD SUDDEN BOUTS OF ACNE AROUND THEIR MOUTH? BECAUSE I DO.
I'VE WORKED IN SKIN CARE INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME, AND I'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE ASKING, WHAT DO I DO ABOUT MY MASK-NE, AS THEY'RE CALLING IT, THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF ACNE BACTERIA ON THE SKIN.
WHY DO WE THINK THE BACTERIA IS GETTING SITTING ON THE SKIN? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WEARING MASKS.
THEY'RE NOT WEARING MASKS APPROPRIATELY.
THEY'RE NOT TAKING THE RIGHT PRECAUTIONS.
SO THEREFORE, YOUR TWO MINUTES ARE UP.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CALLER WHO IS ENDING AN 8161.
SO IF YOU'RE THE CALLER ENDING IN 8161, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME. ON DECK, WE HAVE CALLER ENDING IN 8311.
AGAIN, 8161, IF YOU ARE WITH US, GO AHEAD AND CLICK YOUR UNMUTE BUTTON AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.
ARE YOU WITH US? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, MA'AM.
GO AHEAD AND START WHEN YOU'RE READY WITH YOUR NAME, PLEASE, IF YOU WILL.
MY NAME IS CHRISTY AND FIRST OFF, THIS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL WHAT'S BEING DONE.
AND THE MASK WEARING? I'M AGAINST IT WITH LIKE THE LADY BEFORE ME HERE.
ALL THIS STUFF. IT'S JUST WRONG TO BE TELLING PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, WEARING THAT MASK OVER THEIR.
HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BUILD IMMUNITY TO THIS? AND THE CITY HAS ALREADY LEAD US IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, SO WHY WOULD WE HAVE FAITH THAT THEY WILL? THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR US.
WHAT'S BEST FOR US IS OUR ECONOMY, TRYING TO KEEP THE BUSINESSES OPEN, STOP LETTING STOP THE FAIL OF ALL THE MOM AND POP.
[01:25:03]
AND STOP PUT PUTTING EXTRA ORDINANCES ON THEM.YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON UP THERE IN THAT OFFICE, BUT IT NEEDS TO CHANGE.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO THE CALLER ENDING AN 8311, AND THIS GOT A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER ON ME. SO TODD S YOU'LL BE ON DECK AFTER THAT ONE.
WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR CALLERS LEFT.
IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT HAD CALLED IN TO TALK ON THIS, PLEASE PRESS STAR NINE OR RAISE HAND AT THIS TIME. SO, CALLER ENDING AN 8311, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF NOW IF YOU'LL GIVE US YOUR NAME AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS REBECCA, AND I WANT TO STATE THAT THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE THAT IS OK, IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT THE CITY THINKS THAT THIS IS OK TO DO.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ALLUSIONS TO GOOD STUDIES AND THAT PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THESE SUPPOSED GOOD STUDIES ARE WHAT THEY CALL THEM, FLAT EARTHERS AS A VERY DISMISSIVE AND INSULTING THING TO DO.
BUT IT JUST FEEDS THE POLARIZATION GOING ON IN OUR SOCIETY.
AND NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THAT POLARIZATION BY PITTING BUSINESS OWNERS AGAINST THEIR PATRONS. WELL, WHAT I REALLY WANT TO HEAR ADDRESSED IS THE FLAT OUT LIE THAT OUR HOSPITALS ARE FULL OF POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY PATIENTS, THAT YOU ACT AS IF WE HAVEN'T BEEN BRINGING IN PATIENTS FROM [INAUDIBLE] AND PANHANDLE AND TAMPA.
THE TEXAS PANHANDLE SENDS ALL OF THEIR HIGHER NEED PATIENTS TO AMARILLO.
WHETHER IT'S FROM EL PASO OR NOT, IT'S NOT ALL POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY PATIENTS.
I ALSO HAVE NOT HEARD ADDRESS HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE GOVERNOR'S EXEMPTIONS TO THE MASK MANDATE. THAT'S EVERYTHING.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT, WE'LL HAVE TODD S ON DECK AFTER TODD WILL BE HANNAH BRINSON.
TODD, YOU MAY ADMIT YOURSELF AND START YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
OUTSTANDING. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. MOST EVERYTHING I HAD HAS BEEN MENTIONED.
SO I BRING UP THE ONE ONE TOPIC THAT HASN'T BEEN.
EARLIER IN THE MEETING. IT WAS SAID THAT THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE BY THE CITY OR BY THE CITY'S POLICE FORCE IS NOT ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW PASSING THE BUCK ON TO SMALL BUSINESS OR BUSINESS OWNERS TO TRY TO ENFORCE THAT WHENEVER THEY HAVE NOT GONE TO THE POLICE ACADEMY OR HAVE NO TRAINING, NOTHING BEHIND THEM TO TRY TO ENFORCE THE MASK MANDATE.
NOW, THE CITY THINKS THAT WOULD BE A WISE, WISE OPTION.
SO COMPLETELY AGAINST THIS ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT UP WILL BE HANNAH BRINSON AND AFTER HANNAH, WE WILL HAVE THE CALLER ENDING IN 9300.
YOU CAN UNMUTE AND GIVE YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
ALRIGHT. AWESOME, WELL THANKS.
LIKE I SAID MY NAME'S HANNAH BRINSON AND.
REALLY, THIS IS JUST TO ENCOURAGE Y'ALL ARE DOING WHAT YOU KNOW TO WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO TO BREAK THIS, Y' ALL HAVE WAITED ON ABBOTT TO ACT AND HE'S NOT ACTING.
WE'VE WAITED ON THE PRESIDENT TO ACT AND HE'S WAITING.
THE DEATH TOLL HAS REACHED TOO MUCH.
IT'S NOT OK IN AMARILLO AND IT'S NOT OK IN TEXAS.
IT'S NOT OK IN THE US AND IT'S NOT OK AROUND THE WORLD EITHER.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DEAD BODIES PILING UP BECAUSE HEALTH CARE, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE DEAD BODIES OR PEOPLE HAVING TO RUN TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE.
SOMEBODY IN THE STORE COUGHED ON SOMETHING OR COUGHED AROUND THEM.
THE MASK IS YES, IT'S A HOT DEBATE.
BUT A MASK IS LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR WELL, AND PROTECTING THEM, IF WE EXPECT KIDS IN SCHOOL TO WEAR A MASK. WHY DO WE NOT EXPECT ADULTS TO? AND THE KIDS MAY GET MAD WHENEVER THEY DO IT, BUT GUESS WHAT? THEY STILL WEAR THEM. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE EXAMPLES TO CHILDREN? WHEN WE AS ADULTS CAN'T EVEN FOLLOW SIMPLE RULES, GUYS, WE CAN BE BETTER.
[01:30:02]
AND THAT'S ALL.THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MS. BRINSON. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CALLER ENDING IN 2900.
ON DECK AFTER THAT CALLER WILL BE THE CALLER ENDING IN 5125.
YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF IF YOU WILL SHARE YOUR NAME WITH US AND YOU CAN START COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY. YES, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM, WE CAN.
SORRY I COULDN'T GET UNMUTE EARLIER.
AS A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, I FULLY SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE.
I HATE THAT IT'S COME TO THIS.
BUT WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE NOT RESPONSIBLY, VOLUNTARILY TAKING EVERY PRECAUTION TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS.
OUR ONLY PROACTIVE DEFENSE RIGHT NOW IS THE USE OF MASKS AND HYGIENE AND DISTANCING.
AS A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, I HAVE SEEN THE RESIDUAL PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF THIS VIRUS AND THEY ARE DEVASTATING.
WE JUST HAVE TO DO SOMETHING MORE.
I APPRECIATE THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE ALL IN.
I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY DECISION, AND I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
NEXT, WE'LL HAVE THE CALLER ENDING IN 5125.
AND AFTER THAT, ON DECK WILL BE CALLER ENDING IN 5808.
YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF IF YOU'LL SHARE YOUR NAME AND GIVE YOUR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU. THIS IS FRANCES MONTGOMERY AND WE LIVE HERE IN AMARILLO.
WE REALLY PREFER THAT Y'ALL VOTE THIS THING DOWN.
WE FEEL LIKE IT IS AN OVERREACH OF POWER AND ABUSE OF POWER.
WE'RE SORRY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY COVID.
WE HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY COVID, IN FACT.
I WAS DIRECTLY EXPOSED, I DO HAVE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, I DID NOT GET IT, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT.
BUT I THINK THIS. ABUSE OF POWER WOULD DO A DETRIMENT TO OUR BUSINESS.
AND I PRAY FOR YOU GUYS AND I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY. BUT WE ARE IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THIS AND WE MAY ASK YOU TO VOTE THIS DOWN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MRS. MONTGOMERY. NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO CALLER ENDING IN 5808 AND ON DECK WILL BE CALLER ENDING IN 0866.
CALLER ENDING IN 5808, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF AT THIS TIME.
IF YOU'LL GIVE US YOUR NAME AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS.
I MEAN, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, BUT THE ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS I HEAR A MAJORITY OF THESE PEOPLE TALKING IS THAT WE WANT BUSINESSES TO COME TO AMARILLO, NEW BUSINESSES.
HONESTLY, THIS WOULD BE A DISCOURAGING EFFORT IF PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO OPEN A BUSINESS.
AND YET WE'RE PLACING MORE RULES AND RESTRICTIONS ON THEM TO BE ABLE TO OPEN A BUSINESS, RUN A BUSINESS AT A LOWER A LOWER COST.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS AMARILLO IS ONE OF THE ONLY PLACES IN THE US THAT ISN'T DIVIDED. AMARILLO IS ONE OF THE MOST STABLE PLACES, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR CONSERVATIVE VALUES. AND ONE OF THE THINGS TOO WHENEVER IT COMES TO ANOTHER COMMENT WAS BUILDING IMMUNITY, WEARING A MASK DOESN'T BUILD IMMUNITY.
BUT THE THING IS, NOT A BUNCH OF PEOPLE NECESSARILY WANT YOU TO BUILD IMMUNITY.
THEY WANT THEY WANT TO WAIT UNTIL A VACCINE COMES OUT.
AND I HEAR A BUNCH ABOUT LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND BE RESPECTFUL, SAY, I MEAN, THIS IS TRUE.
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WEAR A MASK, STAY AWAY FROM THEM AND DO YOUR BEST.
DO YOUR BEST TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM AND TRY AND TRY AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THOSE AROUND YOU. I, FOR ONE, DON'T PLAN ON SHOPPING IN AMARILLO.
IF THIS ORDER PASSES, I WILL DO ALL MY ALL MY SHOPPING ONLINE IF I CAN AS BEST AS I CAN IN ORDER TO NOT PIN MY NEIGHBOR AGAINST ME.
I DON'T WANT AMARILLO TO BECOME LIKE PLACES THAT I HAD TO VISIT DENVER, COLORADO AND IN PLACES LIKE CALIFORNIA.
THERE'S A REASON I DON'T LIVE THERE, AND I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY, MANY HERE WOULD AGREE WITH ME. KIDS AND SCHOOLS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WEAR MASKS.
THAT'S OVERREACH. AND SO SOMEBODY MENTIONED THAT AS WELL.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS GOVERNMENT HAS DONE.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AMARILLO IN AMERICA TO KNOW PSALMS 91 THAT SAYS NO EVIL SHALL BEFALL A SNOWFLAKE, SHALL COME TO OUR DWELLING.
AND I HOPE EVERYBODY WILL GO THAT WAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT UP IS CALLER ENDING IN 0866 AND ON DECK WILL BE CALLER ENDING IN 4362.
[01:35:03]
GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE YOURSELF AND IF YOU'LL SHARE YOUR NAME AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS.AGAIN, THAT IS CALLER WITH THE NUMBER ENDING IN 0866, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF, SHARE YOUR NAME AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO.
THERE YOU GO, WE CAN HEAR YOU GO.
HEY, AMARILLO, HOW'S IT GOING OUT THERE? YOU SOLD YOUR PEOPLE.
OK, NEXT UP, WILL BE CALLER ENDING IN 4362, AND ON DECK AFTER THAT WILL BE ETHAN.
SO CALLER ENDING IN 4362, YOU MAY UNMUTE YOURSELF, IF YOU'LL PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS TO COUNCIL.
CALLER 4362 GO AHEAD AND CLICK UNMUTE ON YOUR TELEPHONE.
ON DECK IS ETHAN, AND AFTER ETHAN WILL BE CALLER ENDING IN 0870.
CALLER 4362 LAST CALL, PLEASE UNMUTE.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ETHAN.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR, WE CAN.
YEAH, I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO REALIZE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE CALLING IN ARE NOT LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
SO I REALLY HOPE YOU LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE.
JUDGING THAT THEIR EXPERIENCE, THEIR COLLEGE, THEIR DEGREES.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, PLEASE DON'T TAKE IN THE THREATS.
I DON'T WANT TO NAME NAMES, BUT I UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN THREATS SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT.
A MATTER OF WHETHER YOU GET ELECTED AGAIN, THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH.
AND AS A AS A CITIZEN FROM MY LIFE OF AMARILLO, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF FAITH IN OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM, BUT I DO I DO SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE.
THIS HAS TAKEN TOO MANY PEOPLE AND THIS IS NOT A TIME TO GIVE IN JUST BECAUSE FROM MASK-NE MASK ACNE, I'D RATHER HAVE ACNE THAN BE DEAD.
SEE YOU LATER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NEXT, WE'LL GO TO THE CALLER ENDING IN 0870.
ON DECK AFTER WILL BE CALLER ENDING IN 3638.
YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF IF YOU'LL PLEASE SHARE YOUR NAME AND YOUR COMMENTS WITH COUNCIL.
CALLER 0870, GO AHEAD AND CLICK ON UNMUTE ON YOUR TELEPHONE.
OK. CALLER 3638, IF YOU'D LIKE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF AND PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND YOUR COMMENTS TO COUNCIL, PLEASE. CALLER 3638, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
NEXT ON DECK WILL BE CALLER 7420.
CALLER 7420, IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE YOURSELF, SHARE YOUR NAME AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS. NOW TALK.
HELLO. HELLO? YES, THIS IS CALLER 3638, IT LOOKS LIKE GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND
[01:40:04]
SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH COUNCIL.MY NAME IS FRITZ DANNER AND I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS PREVIOUSLY BY DR.
[INAUDIBLE]. I'M JUST HE HAD MENTIONED THAT HEALTH CARE WORKERS ARE GETTING COVID-19.
THEY'RE SUCCUMBING TO THE ILLNESS.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THOSE WORKERS WOULD BE THE MOST CONSCIENTIOUS IN MASK WEARING IN HYGIENE AND THE OTHER SOCIAL DISTANCING AND HYGIENIC MEASURES NECESSARY TO AVOID GETTING SICK. SO IF THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING SICK AND THERE'S YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A LIGHT THING, THAT WE MAY HAVE A SHORTAGE OF THOSE WORKERS.
BUT APPARENTLY THE PRECAUTIONS AND THE MASKS THAT THEY'RE WEARING ARE NOT PREVENTING THEM FROM CONTRACTING THIS THIS ILLNESS.
I THINK THAT THROWS INTO QUESTION THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MASKS, AND I THINK IT'S A REASONABLE POINT TO MAKE.
SO THAT'S ALL THAT I WANTED TO SAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR COMMENTS.
LET'S GO BACK TO CALLER 7420 IF YOU'RE WITH US, CALLER 7420.
GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
ALSO A REMINDER, WE'VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE RAISE THEIR HAND THAT HAD ALREADY SPOKEN.
WE HAVE TWO MINUTES PER CALLER ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING TODAY.
SO IF YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK AGAIN.
YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
YES, MA'AM, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, I CAN'T HEAR YOU NOW.
GO AHEAD AND SHARE YOUR NAME AND YOUR COMMENTS WHEN YOU'RE READY.
OK, I APOLOGIZE. MY NAME IS JUSTIN.
I HAVE A HOUSE IN AMARILLO AND ALSO PRACTICE AT THE HOSPITAL IN SPEARMAN.
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO ADDRESS.
AND WE TALK ABOUT PATIENTS THAT NOT BEING TRANSFERRED INTO AMARILLO OR INTO OTHER AREAS.
I CAN TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR LITTLE FACILITY HERE, OUR LAST EIGHT OR NINE TRANSFERS THAT WE'VE HAD TO LOOK FOR DESTINATIONS AND OTHER PLACES.
THEY'VE HAD TO GO TO PLACES LIKE DALLAS, FORT WORTH, MIDLAND, DENVER, LUBBOCK, HOUSTON, BECAUSE AMARILLO DIDN'T HAVE THAT CAPACITY.
WE'VE CALLED THOSE PLACES IN AMARILLO [INAUDIBLE] AT NORTHWEST AND ASKED THEM RESPECTFULLY AND THEY WERE FULL.
WE SPEND WHAT USED TO BE 10 TO 15 MINUTES TRYING TO SECURE BED SPACING THAT WE SPEND HOURS, OFTENTIMES 40 TO 50 CALLS, LOOKING FOR FACILITIES TO ACCEPT OUR PATIENTS AT TERTIARY FACILITIES.
SADLY, BED SPACE ISN'T AVAILABLE.
CALLING SAN ANTONIO. THEY'RE FULL.
SO THAT NOT ONLY DISPLACES PATIENTS, BUT DISPLACES FAMILIES WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO BE WITH THEIR LOVED ONES. I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING.
I KNOW IT'S AN IMPROBABLE TASK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE ARE GOING TO TRY ONE MORE TIME FOR THE CALLER ENDING IN THREE HOUR EXCUSE ME, 4362.
IF EITHER OF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS, PLEASE, UNMUTE YOURSELF, PROVIDE YOUR NAME AND YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
MAYOR GIVING THIS JUST A FEW SECONDS, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNING THAT THEY WISH TO PROVIDE COMMENTS TONIGHT.
AGAIN, IF YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN AND YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LET YOU SPEAK AGAIN. TWO MINUTES PER PERSON FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
OK, MAYOR, I DON'T SEE EITHER OF THEM UNMUTING.
THEN AT THIS TIME, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM THE COUNCIL FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
MAYOR, I MOVE TO ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 7893.
MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE.
AT THIS TIME DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION OR FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL ABOUT IT.
YEAH, I DO. RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I THINK I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENTERTAIN DISCUSSION ABOUT
[01:45:07]
THE LENGTH. OF THIS AND THE TIMING OF IT.I THINK PERSONALLY THAT SETTING IT AT RED AND ORANGE IS TOO LONG.
WHEN I LOOK BACK ON WHAT OCCURRED AND WHEN WE WENT INTO ORANGE FROM WHEN WE WENT FROM ORANGE TO RED.
THAT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN REALLY THE MOST APPROPRIATE TIME TO REALLY PUSH THIS.
I THINK IF WE DROP BACK INTO ORANGE RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I THINK THAT THE ORDINANCE SHOULD BE WE OUGHT TO HAVE IT SUNSET OR DO SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
I WOULD EVEN ALSO EVEN ENTERTAIN GIVING A MORE OF A DEFINITIVE TIMELINE LIKE WHERE WE HAVE TO REVISIT IT IN THIRTY OR FORTY FIVE DAYS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO DO THIS PERSONALLY, BEING IN THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AND JUST SEEING THAT THE DOCS AND THE NURSES THAT COME INTO MY OFFICE AND THE EXTRA THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO TREAT PATIENTS, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE STAND UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING IN OUR COMMUNITY. I KNOW IT'S VERY MUCH AN INCONVENIENCE.
BUT WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER IN AMARILLO, WE'VE NEVER SEEN THAT AT OUR HOSPITALS, WE HAVEN'T SEEN.
AND WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING FOR THEM, BECAUSE WHENEVER SOMEBODY CALLS IN, LIKE THE GENTLEMAN THAT CALLED IN FROM OUT OF TOWN SAYING THAT IT USED TO BE 15 MINUTES AND THEY COULD DEPEND ON A BED TO BE TRANSFERRED IN, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE REGIONAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY AND WE HAVE NO ROOM.
AND SO WE DO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING, BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAYBE TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
MAYOR IS IT TOO LATE TO REQUEST LIKE A FIVE MINUTE INTERMISSION? WE'VE BEEN SEATED FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE WE COME BACK AROUND AS A COUNCIL AND BEGIN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND WE'LL COME BACK AND START THE DISCUSSION.
[01:54:57]
MAYOR, YOUR MUTED.[01:55:37]
I'M COORDINATING DINNER PLANS WITH MY FAMILY, ELAINE.PICK UP THE FOOD, GET IT IN THE OVEN, YOU KNOW.
SO THANKS FOR NOTICING THAT I WAS TRYING TO TALK.
AND MAYOR, WHEN WE START BACK UP, COULD I LAY SOME GROUNDWORK ON CLARIFICATION ON THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE, BEFORE WE START OUR DISCUSSION? YOU MEAN I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS ANYTHING Y'ALL WANT TO DISCUSS.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE AS LONG AS YOU WANT AND IF YOU WANT TO BE NEXT TO TALK, AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE. I THINK THERE ARE SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, JUST BASED ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS TODAY AND THEN ALSO EMAILS WE RECEIVED.
SO JUST BEFORE WE KIND OF STARTED SOME OF OUR INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FOUNDATION.
IT'S NOT ADDRESSING ANY OF MY POSITIONS OR RESPONSES TO IT, IT'S JUST THE ORDINANCE ITSELF. MAYOR? THEY GOT MY VIDEO, [INAUDIBLE].
TO CONFIRM YOUR COMMENT. WE CAN TALK AS LONG AS WE WANT.
I'VE GOT AN APPOINTMENT AT 9:00 IN THE MORNING.
[LAUGHTER] WE BETTER NOT BE HERE THAT LONG.
ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR VIDEO, HOWARD.
I THINK IF YOU CAN HEAR US, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START.
ELAINE YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR JUST FOUNDATIONAL CLARIFICATION POINT.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY FOR CITIZENS LISTENING THAT NUMBER ONE, WE ALREADY HAVE A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE SENDING ME FOR OR AGAINST A MASK MANDATE, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE SECOND THING IS THAT BUSINESSES ALREADY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE THAT. THEY CAN REFUSE SERVICE TO SOMEBODY BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE WEARING A MASK.
SO WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH THIS ORDINANCE IS THE TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY OF ENFORCEMENT AWAY FROM THE INDIVIDUAL OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BUSINESS OWNERS UNDER RISK OF PENALTY.
WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASKS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, AS ONE CALLER SAID, IF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE DISMISSED ON THAT CONVERSATION, I THINK IT'S A GOOD CONVERSATION WE NEED TO HAVE AND CONTINUE HAVING IN OUR COMMUNITY. BUT THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT ADDRESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASKS.
WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS IF BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD BE THE ONES TO ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH THE CURRENT MASK MANDATE AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO MAKE THAT TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY ALONG WITH ISSUING PENALTIES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LAY THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND NOT TALKING ABOUT.
I KNOW THAT ALL OF US I DON'T KNOW THAT I AGREE EXACTLY WITH ALL OF THAT FOUNDATION, BUT WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
I DON'T AGREE THAT IT'S A TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY.
I THINK IT'S AN OPENING FOR ALL OF US TO INCREASE OUR RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT MASKS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS JUST MORE EFFORT FROM PEOPLE, INCLUDING BUSINESS OWNERS WHICH.
[02:00:02]
IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO ASK FOR AT THIS TIME BECAUSE BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE ALREADY MADE TREMENDOUS EFFORT. THEY'VE CHANGED THE WAY THEY'RE DOING BUSINESSES, THEY'VE FOUGHT TO STAY OPEN. THEY'VE FOUGHT TO STAY PROFITABLE.THEY'VE FOUGHT TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES GETTING PAYCHECKS.
THEY FOUGHT TO KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES SAFE.
SO IT'S NOT THAT BUSINESSES HAVEN'T MADE EFFORTS TO HELP US.
IT'S THE DESPERATION OF OUR HOSPITAL SITUATION THAT IS FORCING US TO ASK FOR MORE EFFORT.
AND SO I DON'T AGREE WITH THE CHARACTERIZATION THAT IT'S A TRANSFER OF ENFORCEMENT POWER.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WHAT IT IS, IS IT'S A PLEA FOR HELP.
AND SO WE I THINK WE MIGHT JUST DISAGREE ON THAT.
ON THAT, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW, THAT'S A DISAGREEMENT ON WHAT WE SEE THE ORDINANCE DOING AND SO WE CAN CIRCLE BACK AROUND AND TALK WITH THAT.
AND I LEFT OUT REALLY ANOTHER POINT THAT I SEE THIS AS WELL AS PART OF THE REST OF OUR CONVERSATION ON THIS IS RELATED TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE THROUGH THREAT OF PENALTY TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, IF THAT'S GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE, IF IT IS GOING TO INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH THE EXISTING MANDATE.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE OTHER INHERENT TOPICS OF THAT.
ANTHONY CAN YOU OR JARED, WHOEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT FROM THE CITY STAFF, I THINK THAT'S A VERY VALID QUESTION, WHAT IS IT THAT WE THINK THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH? IS THAT A FAIR SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, ELAINE? AN INCREASE IN COMPLIANCE THROUGH HAVING BUSINESSES BECOMING THE FRONT LINE ENFORCEMENT AND I AND ANTHONY CAN ADDRESS REALLY THE OTHER POINT THAT YOU AND I WERE IN A DISAGREEMENT ON IS THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT I'M HEARING THROUGH THIS, IS THAT WE IT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR US TO TICKET INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO WE ARE TRANSFERRING THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF ENFORCEMENT TO BUSINESS OWNERS BECAUSE WE HAVE A DIFFICULTY THROUGH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING THAT.
AND SO MAYBE ANTHONY CAN ADDRESS THAT AS WELL.
WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION AND [INAUDIBLE] WHAT QUESTIONS? I THINK I THINK THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS ON DECK TO BE ANSWERED.
ONE, IS THIS A TRANSFER OF ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY FROM ENFORCING IT ON INDIVIDUALS AT THE CITY LEVEL TO BUSINESSES AT THE BUSINESS LEVEL? THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
AND ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT THE AUTHORITY.
MAYBE I SAY IT'S THE ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ENFORCEMENT, NOT THE AUTHORITY OF ENFORCEMENT.
WE STILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE FRONT LINE.
WE ARE TRANSFERRING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE COMPLIANCE.
IT TO THE FIRST QUESTION, IT CODIFIES IN CITY ORDINANCE WHAT ALREADY EXISTS IN STATE STATUTE, SO THE BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ALREADY REQUIRED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS IN HERE PER TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE AND ALSO ASSISTED BY THE DEFINITIONS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 81, WHERE IT DEFINES CORONAVIRUS AS A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SO IT DOESN'T TRANSFER ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO THEM THAT THEY DON'T ALREADY HAVE THROUGH STATE STATUTE. WITH REGARD TO EFFICACY AND WILL IT INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND WITH THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO BE TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, WE CAN ONLY GO OFF OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH OTHER CITIES. SO ANTHONY TALK TO THAT.
ABSOLUTELY, MY CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE IS THAT IT DOES INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE STANDARDS.
WHEN YOU MAKE THOSE STANDARDS, WHEN THE STANDARDS GO FROM A VOLUNTARY STANDARD TO YOU GET TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO ANNOUNCE A REQUIREMENT.
PEOPLE TEND TO FOLLOW [INAUDIBLE] REQUIREMENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT WE ENFORCE. AND I THINK ABOUT IF WE TOOK THOSE FROM A LAW OR A REQUIREMENT AND SAID, WELL, IT'S YOUR CHOICE TO FOLLOW FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS OR IT'S YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE THE
[02:05:02]
BEST CHOICE IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING THAT ARE LAID IN PLACE TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH OR THE PUBLIC, I THINK WE WOULD BE FAR, FAR LESS EFFECTIVE AT HAVING A VERY SAFE COMMUNITY IN MANY OTHER PROGRAMS. AND IN TERMS OF SANITARY NUISANCES AND IN TERMS OF FOOD BORNE ILLNESS, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.SO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS WHAT THE GOVERNOR ALREADY HAS IN PLACE.
OF WHAT IS EXPECTED OF BUSINESSES, THAT THEY HAVE REQUIREMENTS ON THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO POST.
CORRECT? THEY'RE REQUIRED TO POST THAT MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ADDRESSED THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS ABOUT CONFRONTING CUSTOMERS IN THEIR STORE? GA29 STIPULATES ONE ABOUT THE MASK AND WHO HAS TO WEAR THEM AND WHO HAS EXEMPTIONS, BUT IT ALSO REFERENCES THE GUIDELINES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE OPEN.TEXAS.GOV IS THAT WHAT IT IS ANTHONY? OPEN.TEXAS.GOV? OPEN.TEXAS.GOV YES, SIR.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE IS GOING TO HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH DIFFERENT TYPE OF BUSINESS, IT DOES REQUIRE CUSTOMERS TO BE.
PEOPLE INSIDE THE BUSINESS TO BE WEARING FACIAL COVERINGS WHEN THEY'RE WITHIN SIX FEET OF OTHERS, IT STIPULATES THE SIZE OF THE GROUPS THAT CAN BE IN THERE.
THAT'S A GENERAL STANDARD THAT IS CONSISTENT AMONG ALL OF THEM.
SOME OF THOSE BUSINESSES TALK TO STUFF THAT'S OUTSIDE PRIMARILY LIKE AMUSEMENT PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, ACROSS BUSINESS, RETAIL, RESTAURANT AND MOST OF THE CATEGORIES, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY STANDARD AS FAR AS CHECKING YOUR EMPLOYEES WHEN THEY COME TO WORK, MAKING SURE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE NOT SICK, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WEARING FACE COVERINGS, MAKING SURE THEY'RE WASHING THEIR HANDS FREQUENTLY, MAKE SURE THEY'RE CLEANING FREQUENT TOUCH SURFACES, MAKING SURE THEY'RE PUTTING UP SIGNAGE AND OTHER THINGS TO KEEP PEOPLE SEPARATED, ENSURING THAT PEOPLE ARE WEARING FACE COVERINGS WHEN THEY'RE INSIDE THE BUSINESS AND WHEN THEY'RE INSIDE THOSE PARAMETERS THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT HAVE IT ON.
THEY'RE PRETTY CONSISTENT ACROSS DIFFERENT BUSINESS CATEGORIES.
ANTHONY DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? THAT'S A VERY ACCURATE DESCRIPTION.
SO WHAT TRIGGERS ANTHONY FOR YOU TO SHOW UP AT A BUSINESS? UNDER THIS. SURE, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS, DR.
SAUER, COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER, WE I EMPLOY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY PROVIDING STATE MANDATED INSPECTIONS EVERY DAY FOR ANY OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE REGULATE. THAT'S A LITTLE SHY OF 2000, 2000 FACILITIES IN THE AMARILLO AREA PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT. SO WE GO OUT ON A ROUTINE, REGULAR BASIS, WE'RE ON THE COMMUNITY ALREADY.
NOW, IN TERMS OF SHOWING UP TO AN ADDITIONAL BUSINESS, THAT I DON'T REGULATE AND OR PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL INSPECTION ON THE FACILITY.
THOSE ARE DRIVEN BY COMPLAINTS THAT THE COMMUNITY CALLS INTO OUR FACILITY.
WE PROVIDE KIND OF JUST AN INSPECTION, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND TO TRY TO TRY TO VALIDATE AND OR UNVALIDATE THE COMPLAINT.
THAT'S IN TERMS HOW WE ARE GOING OUT TO THOSE FACILITIES.
OK, SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GO OUT THERE, YOU SEE THIS AND.
YOU MAKE A JUDGMENT CALL AND THEN THERE'S EITHER THE WARNING CITATION OR THERE IS A FINAL CITATION THAT'S MADE.
YOU GO OUT THERE WITH THE SAME INTENT THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALWAYS HAD WITH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND YOU WORK WITH THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS IN A NONCONFRONTATIONAL WAY TO HELP TO HELP COMPLIANCE COME INTO EFFECT.
RIGHT? IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO KIND OF EXPLAIN THE PROCESS AND I'D LIKE TO CIRCLE BACK IN FIRST STATE, YOU KNOW, IN A 10 YEAR CAREER HERE WITH THE CITY DOING THIS DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND A THOUSAND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS THAT WE THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
15 CITATIONS IN A 10 YEAR CAREER.
THAT GOES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY, VERY PROFICIENT IN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I LIVE HERE. MY FAMILY LIVES HERE.
I HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT LIVE HERE.
[02:10:01]
I'M ALL ABOUT MY ENTIRE STAFF IS ALL ABOUT WORKING WITH BUSINESS OWNERS ON PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS. I'VE GOT A PLETHORA OF IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS AND WAYS TO IMPROVE DIFFERENT PROCESSES WITHIN FACILITIES.AND WE DO THAT AT A VERY HIGH RATE.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN WE WORK WITH FOLKS, WE GO OUT THERE AND IF WE SEE SOMETHING THAT IS NON-COMPLIANT, WE SEE SOMETHING THAT COULD USE A LITTLE ADJUSTMENT.
WE WORK WITH THOSE FOLKS ON MAKING THOSE SMALL MINOR ADJUSTMENTS IN THEIR FACILITIES.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION, WE ARE EDUCATORS FIRST.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO AS MY PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS, EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ON POTENTIAL DISEASE TRANSMISSIONS TO AND BETWEEN HUMANS IS WHAT WE DO.
WHEN EDUCATION ABSOLUTELY FAILS.
AND KEEP IN MIND, I'M SAYING WE ARE VERY PROFICIENT IN THAT NOT FAILING, WHEN IT ABSOLUTELY FAILS.
WE ISSUE WARNINGS TO SECOND TIER.
WARNINGS ALWAYS PROVIDE BUSINESSES, CUSTOMERS, INDIVIDUALS THE ABILITY TO CORRECT SAYING, HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS SERIOUS.
HERE'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO CORRECT IT.
WHEN WARNINGS FAIL AND THERE'S AN ABSOLUTE I'M NOT DOING THAT OR I'M NOT GOING TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND, PUBLIC HEALTH IS ABOUT THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH, NOT INDIVIDUAL PERSONS, WHEN THOSE ABSOLUTELY FAIL THEN WE CITE AND OR TAKE REMEDIATION ACTIONS FOR THE GREATER PUBLIC HEALTH.
THAT'S A WAY DIFFERENT VIEW OF ENFORCEMENT THAN WHAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN.
THIS IS MORE HOW TO HOW DO WE COME ALONGSIDE AND HELP YOU ALL AND WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF STEPS THAT THIS HAS TO WALK THROUGH BEFORE THERE WOULD EVER BE SOME SORT OF FINE OR PUNITIVE MEASURE TAKEN.
IT MEANS THAT THEY'VE GOT TO WORK REALLY HARD AT HAVING A PUNITIVE MEASURES TAKEN AGAINST THEM. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, SIR.
YEAH, THAT'S THE PART THAT I WOULD WANT TO MAKE FOR SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTOOD IS THAT YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT THERE TO HAMMER THEM.
YOU'RE THERE TO HELP THEM TO MAKE THIS WORK THROUGH.
AND AT THE LAST POSSIBLE OPTION IS WHEN YOU ARE FORCED TO MAKE A CITATION THAT HAS A FINE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK AT HELPING THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS.
AND TO HELP KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE AT THE SAME TIME.
DR. SAUER, THAT'S THE THAT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
WITH OR WITHOUT THIS ORDINANCE, THAT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY IN COUNTLESS OTHER EXAMPLES.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I FEEL LIKE IT'S PLACED IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACE.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE YOU GUYS HAVING TO HANDLE THIS THAN TO BE HAVING TO BE HANDLED ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT TYPE OF A BASIS.
I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO BE HEALTHY.
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
I STILL AM GOING TO PUT THIS I'LL PUT THIS PART OUT WHENEVER I FIRST EVEN CONSIDERED OFFICE. THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I KEPT HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO IS PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEN THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT OTHER THINGS.
AND PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE THIS IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
I PREFER THE WAY THAT YOU'RE GOING ABOUT THIS TOO.
TELL US WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS I'VE HAD FROM BUSINESS OWNERS AND I'VE HAD IT FROM MY OWN TEAM, EVEN IN MY BUSINESS, IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF A CUSTOMER CAME INTO A BUSINESS.
THE BUSINESS OWNER HAD A SIGN ON THE DOOR THAT SAID MASK REQUIRED.
OFFERED THEM A MASK WHEN THEY CAME INTO THE BUSINESS AND THAT CUSTOMER STILL REFUSED TO WEAR A MASK. WHAT WOULD YOU BE EXPECTING THAT BUSINESS OWNER TO DO? WOULD YOU EXPECT THEM TO ASK THE CUSTOMER TO LEAVE? WOULD YOU EXPECT THEM TO ESCORT THEM OUT? WOULD YOU EXPECT THEM TO GET INTO AN ARGUMENT UNTIL THAT PERSON COMPLIED? WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND YOUR SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION NOW, WHAT WOULD THE ORDINANCE REQUIRE IN THAT SITUATION? YES MA'AM, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
[02:15:02]
I HEARD LOTS OF COMMENTS ON THIS CALL TODAY THAT THE MAIN POINT OF THIS ORDINANCE WAS TO ENFORCE IT ON CUSTOMERS AND THAT'S MISSING THE BOAT.OBVIOUSLY, THIS ORDINANCE HAS A MULTITIERED LAYERED APPROACH WHEN WE DEFINE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF.
OK, IN MY MIND, WHEN WE ARE DOING INSPECTIONS, WHEN MY TEAM IS OUT THERE, WE START WITH WE START WITH EMPLOYEES.
ARE THE EMPLOYEES MASKING? IS THE ORGANIZATION FOLLOWING THESE CHECK DOWN LIST THAT WE TALK ABOUT? ARE THEY ARE THEY MASKING? ARE THEY ASKING HEALTH SCREENING QUESTIONS ON THEIR EMPLOYEES? DO THEY HAVE PROPER SIGNAGE IN PLACE? THEY HAVE THE NUMEROUS THINGS THAT WE LIST THERE.
AND IF SO, THAT'S A GREAT THING.
THAT'S A CHECKMARK. ARE THEY ARE THEY PUTTING SIGNS OUT ON THE ENTRANCE OF THEIR FACILITIES? ARE THEY ENGAGING THEIR CUSTOMERS? ARE THEY THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WALK THROUGH WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION VERY SPECIFICALLY.
YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WALKS IN, NO MASK ON AND SOMEBODY ENGAGES THAT CUSTOMER IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS THROUGH SIGNAGE, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, PERSONAL INTERACTION, SAYS, HEY, DON'T FORGET YOUR MASK AND OR, HEY, I GOT A FREE ONE SAW YOU DON'T HAVE YOURS.
I HAVE A FREE ONE HERE, IF I CAN OFFER TO YOU.
THAT ALONE. AND I'VE SEEN THIS ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT ALONE, YOU, YOU'LL HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS. YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF SAY, OH, MAN, I FORGOT.
I SAW VERY EARLY ON THIS AND OTHER BIG BOX STORES.
THEY TOOK A VERY HARD LINE APPROACH TO MASKING.
WHEN CUSTOMERS WALKED UP TO THE DOOR AND DIDN'T HAVE ONE.
AND THEY SAID, HEY, YOU GOT TO HAVE A MASK ON.
CAN I ASK YOU TO HAVE A MASK ON? THEY SAID, OH, I FORGOT TO LET ME GO GET IT.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A MASK.
I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A MASK, THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU SAY, HEY, DON'T FORGET, WE HAVE CURBSIDE, WE HAVE DELIVERIES, WE HAVE ALL THESE OTHER OPTIONS FOR YOU TO STILL, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN OUR BUSINESS OR FOR YOU TO STOP PATRON OUR BUSINESS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT, IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE, IN TERMS OF DOING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT MEASURES TO HOPEFULLY ENGAGE MORE FOLKS AND GET MORE COMPLIANCE IN THESE TERMS AND ALSO REDUCE THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID IN OUR FACILITY.
SO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, MAYOR.
YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT COMES IN AND JUST ABSOLUTELY REFUSES.
BUT THE BUSINESS DID ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
IT'S NOT OK FOR THE CUSTOMER NOT TO MASK, BUT IT'S OK IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE. WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE POSITIVE DIRECTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH IS VERY EASILY DEFINED IN MY IN MY GENERATION AND MY CAREER HERE.
IF I CAN MOVE PUBLIC HEALTH THIS MUCH, I'VE WON.
I'VE BEEN I'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN MY CAREER.
THE GOAL HAS NEVER BEEN AND WILL NEVER BE 100 PERCENT EVERYONE MASKING EVERYONE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, 100 PERCENT EFFORT AT ALL TIMES.
IT'S MOVING THE NEEDLE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
AND I BELIEVE THIS ORDINANCE WILL DO THAT.
TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ON THAT ANSWER, YOU HAVE THE PERSON THAT COMES IN AND ANTHONY WENT THROUGH ALL THE OTHER THINGS AND THEY SAY NAH, I DON'T WANT TO WEAR ONE, I'M GOING TO GO AND SHOP. THERE'S NO EXPECTATION THAT THE BUSINESS OWNER REFUSE TO SERVE.
TELL THEM TO LEAVE OR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEY HAVE DONE WHAT WE WHAT WE EXPECT.
AND IT'S A VERY GOOD EFFORT. I MEAN, WHAT ANTHONY DESCRIBED AND WHAT YOU DESCRIBE IN YOUR QUESTION IS ACTUALLY VERY GOOD EFFORT.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE AN ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITY NOW.
THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE WHO GETS TO, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE'S NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT ORDER, THAT'S IN STATE STATUTE AND NOW IN CITY ORDINANCE AND DIRECTED BY THE GOVERNOR, THEN THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL THEM, I'M SO SORRY, YOU KNOW, COME BACK.
WE REALLY WANT YOUR BUSINESS, YOU KNOW.
SO THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT, BUT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT OR EXPECTATION FROM US.
HOW MANY CONTROL OFFICERS DO YOU HAVE IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH? I HAVE NINE FULL FLEDGED SANITARIANS AND TWO TECHNICIANS FOR A TOTAL OF 11 CONTROL OFFICERS. THAT'S TO COVER MORE THAN 2000 BUSINESSES IN OUR HEALTH DISTRICT? SO DO YOU HAVE IN MIND THAT YOU'LL BE LIKE SETTING UP STING OPERATIONS OR WALKING INTO BUSINESSES AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, CATCH A CUSTOMER OR TWO NOT WEARING A MASK? I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND AS YOU'RE LEADING THIS TEAM TO USE THIS ORDINANCE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, MAYOR, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING.
SO KEEP IN MIND, WE TALKED ABOUT LIMITED RESOURCES.
YES, I HAVE NINE INDIVIDUALS THAT DO THIS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE INSPECTIONS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
[02:20:05]
MY INSPECTORS HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE BUSINESSES.WE WANT NOTHING OTHER THAN THEIR SUCCESS.
SO IN TERMS OF ARE WE GOING TO GO OUT AND SET UP STING OPERATIONS AND TRY TO CATCH PEOPLE FAILING? THAT IS A TERRIBLE APPROACH AND ONE THAT WE WILL NEVER DO.
OUR GOAL IS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO SUCCEED.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO REDUCE THOSE HOSPITALIZATION RATES BY MAKING MINOR CHANGES AND OR HELPING PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY.
THAT'S THE GOAL. BASED ON THAT DESCRIPTION, I SEE ABSOLUTELY ZERO PURPOSE IN THIS ORDINANCE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, COMPLIANCE IS GOING TO BE BASED ON THE CONSENT.
OF THAT SHOPPER, THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED, THE WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED IS, IS EMPLOYERS HAVE CONTROL OVER THEIR EMPLOYEES.
THEY CAN BE SETTING UP ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS.
THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE WITH THIS ORDINANCE. AND SO WE ARE CONSIDERING PASSING AN ORDINANCE THAT WE SET THEM UP FOR FAILURE BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO CONTROL.
WE. THERE IS NO WAY FOR WE STRUGGLED.
WE SEE THAT AT THE CITY LEVEL OF ENFORCEMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL THAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER. IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A CHALLENGE TICKETING INDIVIDUALS THAT NOW WE'RE TURNING OUR FOCUS TO BUSINESSES, BUT TO WHERE THEY THEY HAVE THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT. YOU TALKED EARLIER ABOUT VOLUNTARY.
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE VOLUNTARY, THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. IT'S NOT VOLUNTARY WHEN THERE IS A THREAT OF A PENALTY.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMPLIANCE THAT YES, IF YOU THESE ARE NEW REQUIREMENTS.
YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST HISTORY, THINGS WITH RESTAURANTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS, THOSE ARE ESTABLISHED LONG TIME CRITERIA THAT IF A BUSINESS DOESN'T FOLLOW THOSE PARTICULAR THINGS, THEN THEY ARE GOING TO GET A CITATION.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN.
BUT THESE ARE NEW REQUIREMENTS.
AND WHAT WE'RE LISTING NOW IS SAYING IF YOU JUMP THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT HOOPS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME AFTER YOU.
BUT IT IS ESTABLISHING MORE AND MORE REQUIREMENTS.
AND FOR THE PROMISE OF THAT, WELL, WE'RE REALLY NOT GOING TO FIND YOU.
AS A BUSINESS OWNER THAT WOULD GIVE ME ZERO COMFORT AND I WOULD FEEL JUST BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE ON ON REALLY BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE WILLINGNESS OF A CUSTOMER TO CONSENT.
YOU KNOW, I LOVED YOUR IDEA OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, BEING SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE OFFERING REMINDING BUSINESSES TO OFFER THEIR CUSTOMERS A MASK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES DO THAT, BUT THEN WE CAN BE ENCOURAGING THAT WITHOUT PENALTY AND A THREAT.
IT IS, I THINK, PUTTING THEM IN A POSITION NOT FOR SUCCESS.
AND I DID WANT TO ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD BROUGHT UP, SOME OF THE COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, I DO--AND PART OF THE BASIS OF THIS ORDINANCE IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT PEOPLE AREN'T WEARING MASKS.
WELL, WHERE'S OUR EMPIRICAL DATA ABOUT THAT? WE ASSUME BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS ARE GOING UP? WELL, THAT MUST BE THE CAUSE.
WHEN I AM OUT AT LOCATIONS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT I'M AROUND ARE WEARING THEM.
AND SO MAYBE SOMEONE GOES TO A DIFFERENT STORE AND THEY'RE NOT.
IT'S NOT TANGIBLE, IT'S SUBJECTIVE.
AND AGAIN, I HEARD THAT MULTIPLE TIMES AND PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS.
I DO THINK THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLYING.
AND THIS IS A MOVEMENT TOWARDS PUNISHING BUSINESS OWNERS, TOWARDS THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION THAT IS NOT GOING TO CONSENT ANYWAY.
CAN I MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS? YEAH, THIS REMINDED ME OF A SCENARIO THAT I WENT THROUGH ABOUT EIGHT OR 10 YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS CLEAR AT THE HOSPITALS IT WAS A PSA YESTERDAY THAT THERE WAS OVERUSE OF
[02:25:03]
ANTIBIOTICS AND I WAS ASKED TO HELP OVERSEE STARTING AN ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.AND, OF COURSE, THERE'S A LOT OF THESE SAME DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO ASK PHYSICIANS WHO MANY OF THEM ARE INHERENTLY ARROGANT ANYWAY TO TRY TO GET THEM TO COMPLY AND REDUCE THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF APPREHENSION WITH THAT.
BUT WE WENT AHEAD AND SET UP THE PROGRAM AND SURPRISINGLY, JUST BY ANNOUNCING THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO IT, THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS DROPPED TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.
ALL WE DID WAS ANNOUNCE THAT WE WERE DOING IT.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY WORRY ABOUT PENALIZING ANYONE.
ALL WE'D NEED TO DO IS ANNOUNCE IT.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT JUST FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW.
AND THAT I WALK THE HALLS, I SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AND YOU CAN CALL IT FEAR OR WHATEVER, BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN GOING TO A RESTAURANT.
AND I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE FEARFUL OF GOING OUT, BECAUSE IF THEY GO SOMEWHERE AND THEY SEE SOMEONE NOT COMPLYING WITH MASK WEARING, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE THERE. AND I THINK IF THIS WERE IN PLACE AND THAT KIND OF COMPLIANCE ACTUALLY DID IMPROVE, I AGREE IT'S HARD TO MEASURE.
YOU MIGHT THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO WANT TO VENTURE OUT MORE AND SPEND MONEY ON THEIR BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO FEEL SAFER.
SCOTT MILTON, WHO IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY, I SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED HIM.
MILTON, THAT YOU'RE JOINING US TODAY FOR THIS MEETING.
YOU'RE WELCOME. OTHER POINTS OR QUESTIONS.
I KNOW EDDY HAD BROUGHT UP THE POINT OF POSSIBLY CHANGING THE ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE TO THE MOTION ON TIMING.
CAN WE GO BACK AND HAVE SOME DISCUSSION JUST TO ADDRESS THAT POINT? EDDIE'S POINT WAS THE ORDINANCE CURRENTLY READS, WHILE WE'RE IN LEVEL RED OR ORANGE, THAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD BE IN EFFECT.
EDDY, ARE YOU SAYING YOU'D LIKE TO TIE IT MAYBE TO A METRIC LIKE THE 15 PERCENT HOSPITALIZATION OR AND MAYBE WE SHOULD OPEN IT BACK UP TO THE CITY TEAM TO TELL US, BRIAN AND CASIE, WHY THEY CHOSE THIS? WHAT WAS THEIR THINKING? WE ALL SHARE YOUR THINKING WITH US AND THEN WE'LL HASH IT THROUGH COUNCIL.
I'D BE GLAD TO. MY THINKING ON THIS WAS I FULLY EXPECTED A METRIC ASPECT OF THIS, AND I WAS [INAUDIBLE] WOULD MAYBE ENCAPSULATE WHAT COUNCIL'S, I GUESS, THE DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES, 'LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW WITH HOSPITALIZATION RATES WITHOUT TYING IT TO SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE CONTROL OVER AND NOT PLACING IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO REVISIT THIS MAYBE IN THIRTY OR FORTY FIVE DAYS, DEPENDING ON MEETINGS AND HOW YOU WANTED TO DO THAT.
SO IT WAS REALLY A SITUATION WHERE I WAS TRYING TO CAPTURE A TIME PERIOD THAT WE COULD CONTROL WITHOUT COUNCIL NECESSARILY HAVING TO ACT ON IT FROM [INAUDIBLE] STANDPOINT THAT WAS MY GOAL. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE WE'RE IN LEVEL RED, IT'S MOST CRITICAL, BUT ALSO WHEN WE'RE IN LEVEL ORANGE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROACTIVE AS OPPOSED TO REACTIVE AND THAT WE DON'T PUT OURSELVES BACK IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE IN LEVEL RED AGAIN.
AND SO IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE PROTECTIVE MEASURES IN PLACE AGAIN, TO PROTECT OURSELVES SO THAT WE DON'T SLIP BACK INTO THAT LEVEL RED STATUS AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO EASE UP ON THOSE PROTECTIVE MEASURES WHEN WE HAVE SOME BREATHING ROOM, SUCH AS IN LEVEL YELLOW.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT I WANT THE FUNNEL TO BE AS NARROW AS POSSIBLE.
WE DO NOT WANT TO TOUCH FREEDOMS OR IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON PEOPLE, BUT FOR THE FACT THAT OUR HOSPITALS ARE IN A DESPERATE SITUATION.
AND SO NONE OF US EVER ENVISIONED BEING HERE.
[02:30:05]
THERE'S NO EASY OPTION HERE.AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO'S STRUGGLING THROUGH THIS.
I APPRECIATED EVERY CALLER WHO CALLED IN.
I WAS ESPECIALLY TOUCHED BY FRANCIS, WHO WAS AGAINST THIS ORDINANCE, AND I COULD JUST HEAR THE ANGST IN HER VOICE IF SHE WAS CHEERING EMOTIONALLY.
HER FEARS AND CONCERNS ABOUT IT, BUT I FEAR DOING NOTHING OR CONTINUING TO RELY ON PEOPLE TO VOLUNTARILY COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, THAT APPROACH GOT US EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I WANT THE FUNNEL TO BE AS NARROW AS POSSIBLE, BUT I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE ONLY REASON WE'RE EVEN CONSIDERING THIS AND IT IS MORE OF A RESTRICTION THAN WE'VE EVER DONE IN THE CITY BEFORE IS BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE WE'VE EVER HAD THIS SITUATION HAPPEN IN THE CITY. WE'RE BREAKING RECORDS AT THE HOSPITAL WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE AND OUR TRENDS FOR COVID PLUS FLU ARE GOING TO INCREASE OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
SO WE HEARD THE GENTLEMAN WHO WORKS IN [INAUDIBLE] SAY WE CAN'T SEND OUR PATIENTS TO YOUR HOSPITAL. WHAT WE HAVE IS A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE ACTION THAT WILL CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF HOW OUR HOSPITAL LOAD IS AFFECTING THE MEDICAL TREATMENT THAT PEOPLE CAN GET IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND TO ME, THAT'S WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
IT'S A HUNDRED YEAR HISTORICAL MOMENT AND IT GRIEVES ME THAT WE'RE HERE, AS I'M SURE IT GRIEVES MANY, MANY OF YOU.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BE AS NARROW AS POSSIBLE.
BUT YET I AGREE WITH CASIE THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY DO US ANY GOOD TO DO IT 14 DAYS AT A TIME. THEN WE'RE BEING REACTIVE AND NOT PROACTIVE.
SO. COUNCIL, WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT THAT? SO I'LL THROW IT BACK OUT THERE, I KIND OF LIKE, HONESTLY, THE METRIC OF 15 PERCENT, AND EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN AN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION, I WOULD RATHER US HAVE TO BE FORCED TO HAVE THE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION AGAIN AS OPPOSED TO LETTING IT GOING ON LONGER THAN THAN WE SHOULD.
I'M WILLING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN, SO I WOULD RATHER IT BE EITHER OFF OF ORANGE OR 15 PERCENT HOSPITALIZATION RATE, BECAUSE WHEN WE HIT THAT BELOW 15 PERCENT HOSPITALIZATION RATE FOR TWO WEEKS, IT BASICALLY OPENS BACK UP THE CITY COMPLETELY AGAIN.
AND SO THE CITY WAS COMPLETELY OPEN AND WE WERE ON ORANGE.
AND SO I'M A LITTLE UNEASY WITH ORANGE FOR SURE.
AND THEN I GUESS MY NEXT QUESTION IS GOING TO BE THIS WHEN WE GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, IF WE PASS THIS, HOW DO WE TAKE IT OFF THE BOOKS? BE GLAD TO ANSWER THAT.
THE WAY THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS STYLED RIGHT NOW, IT HAS ALL THE EFFECT OF AN ORDINANCE, BUT IT WON'T BE IN OUR CODE.
THERE ARE MANY ORDINANCES THAT COUNCIL PASSES THAT HAVE ALL THE POWER OF AN ORDINANCE.
THEY'RE JUST NOT PLACED IN THE CODE.
WE CAN CERTAINLY PLACE IT IN THE CODE, BUT THAT'S A MORE PERMANENT KIND OF THING.
AND THE IMPACT ON IT WOULD REQUIRE US TO THINK IN A MORE BROADER TERM.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL'S GOAL AND MISSION WAS.
WAS A VERY TEMPORARY THING TO TRY TO ATTACK THIS PROBLEM IN AN EFFICIENT WAY AND IN A VERY TEMPORARY WAY IF THEY COULD.
AND SO THAT'S THE WAY [INAUDIBLE] BUT IT WILL BE ON THE BOOKS.
OK? THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS WOULD BE, IS WE PASSED THIS ORDINANCE AND THEN WE CAN'T EVER GET RID OF IT. THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER REASON THAT, I MEAN, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS SUNSET ANYTHING, SO, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER [INAUDIBLE] WASN'T THE CODE BECAUSE I DIDN'T I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY TEMPORARY. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD LAST A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT MAKES ME I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION FOR CASIE AND DR.
MILTON ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HOW LONG DO WE THINK WE ARE REALLY FACING THIS COVID
[02:35:01]
CRISIS? I MEAN, IF THE VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE.I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT YOU'RE THE EXPERTS ON THE CALL.
GIVE US SOME VISIBILITY AS A COUNCIL ON WHAT WE THINK OUR TEMPORARY TIMELINE MIGHT BE FOR CREATING THIS EXTRA EFFORT FROM BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS.
SO AS THE VACCINE IS ROLLED OUT, IT WILL BE ROLLED OUT IN PHASES.
THE INITIAL ALLOCATIONS WILL GO TO PRIORITIZED POPULATIONS BEING THOSE HEALTH CARE WORKERS, ESSENTIAL WORKERS, THOSE THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINES WITH REGARD TO INTERACTION WITH PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC, THEN THE ALLOCATIONS NEXT WILL BE ALLOCATED TO LIKE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE OVER THE AGE OF SIXTY FIVE, THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHRONIC HEALTH CARE CONDITIONS.
AND THEN THE ALLOCATIONS WOULD LIKELY BE ROLLED OUT TO THE GENERAL POPULATION.
AND THE TIMELINES FOR THAT ARE LOOKING AT BETWEEN JULY AND OCTOBER BEFORE THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL POPULATION.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE'RE REALISTICALLY LOOKING AT THE NEXT SIX TO NINE MONTHS BEFORE THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL POPULATION.
SO WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A YEAR.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO ADD TO THAT, BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, I THINK OTHER THAN IT FALLS BACK TO THESE BASIC PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES THAT WE'VE.
THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO STRESS, WHICH IS NUMBER ONE IS WHICH IS MASK WEARING, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND SO THAT THOSE ARE THE TOOLS THAT WE'RE LEFT WITH.
AND EASING UP THAT HEALTH CARE CAPACITY.
OUR HOSPITAL WORKERS ARE EXHAUSTED.
WE HEARD FROM ANDY, ONE OF THE NURSES THAT CALLED IN.
SHE AND I ACTUALLY WENT TO NURSING SCHOOL TOGETHER.
AND SO I HAVE DEEP COMPASSION FOR THOSE HEALTH CARE WORKERS, THE PHYSICIANS AND THE NURSES AND THE RESPIRATORY THERAPIST AND THE TECHS THERE AT THE HOSPITALS.
AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S SO CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE A BED AVAILABLE AT THE HOSPITAL FOR SOMEONE WHO GETS SICK.
OUR HOSPITALS HAVE PARTNERED TOGETHER TO PUT OUT A VIDEO AND A PSA JUST TO SHOW THEIR EXHAUSTION AND WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH, AND I THINK THAT HOPEFULLY THAT'S HELPFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY JUST MORE COMMUNICATION AND TO SHOW THAT COMMUNICATION FROM THE HOSPITALS.
DO YOU HAVE THAT VIDEO, CASIE? WE DO. IT WAS JUST SENT TO US TONIGHT.
CAN Y'ALL QUEUE IT UP SO WE CAN WATCH I? I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE YOU TO DO, BUT.
WE HAVE IT READY I CAN PLAY IT NOW IF YOU'D LIKE.
THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, STEPHANIE. DO I HAVE THE SHARING CAPABILITY ON MY SCREEN HERE? YES, YOU HAVE COHOST, DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE SHARE SOUND BUTTON WHEN YOU GO TO SHARE THAT.
OK, I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS A TRY HERE, LET ME KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE SEEING THAT.
YES, SIR. YEAH. SO HOPEFULLY THE AUDIO COMES THROUGH HERE.
AND IF NOT, I THINK STEPHANIE MAY BE WE COULD PUT IT UP ON FACEBOOK, BUT LET'S TRY HERE.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GETTING SOUND.
[02:40:05]
SORRY, IS IT WORKING OR NOT? THE VIDEOS WORKING WITH THE SOUNDS, NOT JORDAN, DO YOU WANT ME TO TRY TO SHARE IT FROM MY END? IS THAT WORKING STEPHANIE? I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING NOW.I MIGHT HAVE BROKEN SOMETHING.
I'M GOING TO TRY IF YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME.
WE ARE TIRED BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE OVERWHELMING.
WE HAVE DOCTORS HERE THAT ARE WORKING NONSTOP EVERY DAY FOR WEEKS ON END WITHOUT DAYS OFF.
WE HAVE NURSES THAT ARE BEING PUSHED TO THEIR LIMITS, NOT JUST PHYSICALLY BUT EMOTIONALLY WATCHING THE TURMOIL OF PEOPLE DYING AND FAMILIES BEING TORN APART, SEEING SOMEONE AIR HUNGRY, FIGHTING FOR AIR, IT'S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD WISH UPON ANYBODY.
ONCE YOU'VE SEEN CHEST COMPRESSIONS ON SOMEBODY, IT REALLY HITS HOME.
IT IS VERY BRUTAL AND PAINFUL.
I SURVIVED A WAR TIMES AND I CAME ACTUALLY FROM WAR TORN COUNTRY AND I HAVE SEEN SO MANY CASUALTIES IN WAR TIME.
NONE, SHAKE ME FROM INSIDE UNTIL THIS COVID DISEASE BECAUSE I LOST AN ELDERLY COUPLE, 87 YEARS OLD AND 89 YEARS OLD ON THE SAME TIME, THE SAME DAY, THE SAME HOUR IN THE ICU.
BY THE TIME YOU LEAVE THIS PLACE, YOU'RE DRAINED AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GIVING ALL YOUR EFFORT TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO HELP THESE PATIENTS.
I'VE BEEN A NURSE FOR 10 YEARS AND I'VE NEVER LOST PATIENTS BEFORE.
THIS IS ISN'T WHAT I SIGNED UP TO DO.
BUT I'VE LOST FOUR PATIENTS SINCE COVID.
I HAD A WIFE THAT I HADN'T TALKED TO HER HUSBAND IN 13 DAYS.
AND WE CRIED ON THE PHONE BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS ABLE TO SEE HER HUSBAND. FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND HE WAS VENTED AND SO HE COULDN'T TALK BACK, HE DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS THERE, BUT JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS ABLE TO SEE HIM, SHE THANKED ME AND STUFF LIKE THAT PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND.
I HAVE AN ELDERLY PARENT WHO LIVES WITH ME, AND I WORRY EVERY DAY THAT I COME HOME AND SHE WANTS TO GIVE ME A BIG HUG THE MINUTE I WALK IN THE DOOR AND IT'S LIKE, DON'T TOUCH ME BECAUSE I NEED TO GO GET CHANGED.
I NEED TO TAKE A SHOWER. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THIS VIRUS.
WHEN I LEAVE THIS PLACE, I TALK TO MY WIFE AND SHE SEES ME.
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, AND SO EVERY DAY THAT I COME HERE, I RISK HIM GETTING INFECTED WITH COVID-19.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, WEARING THE MASK PROTECTS YOU AND PROTECTS ME.
I HAVE THREE OF MY OWN CHILDREN.
AND EVEN IF I STAY IN BED A FEW EXTRA MINUTES, THEY'RE LIKE, I HOPE YOU'RE, MOM.
YOU DON'T HAVE COVID? THEY ASK ME EVERY DAY.
HOW I'M FEELING WHEN I GET HOME AND IF I HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED TO LOSE THEIR MOM HERE.
I WOULD PLEAD TO ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T BELIEVE IN MASKS TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE DATA MASKS DECREASE TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS, WHETHER OR NOT YOU CATCH IT, WHETHER OR NOT YOU BECOME SEVERELY ILL, YOU CAN SPREAD IT TO OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT BE AS LUCKY AS YOU.
I REALIZE YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE IN IT, IF NOT FOR YOUR SAKE, DO IT FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU. IF YOU COULD WALK A DAY IN OUR SHOES AND SEE FIRSTHAND THE REALITY THAT WE'RE FACING EVERY DAY WHEN WE WORK, I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY CHANGE YOUR MIND.
WE ARE FREE PEOPLE IN A FREE COUNTRY.
HOWEVER, FREEDOM ENDS WHEN IT CAUSES HARM TO OTHERS.
I GUARANTEE THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT A MASK, THEY ADD THAT HIGH RISK OF CONTRACTING THE VIRUS AND DISTRIBUTING THE VIRUS TO OTHERS.
IF WE BOTH HAVE THE MASK ON, WE DECREASE THE CHANCES TO LESS THAN 10 PERCENT.
THE DROPLETS THAT PEOPLE EXPEL OUT OF THEIR COUGH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO TRAVEL SIX TO
[02:45:01]
EIGHT FEET AND NOT WEARING THE MASK PREVENTS YOU FROM HAVING A BARRIER.SO A LOT OF NURSES GET SOME RAW TISSUE ON THE NOSE.
I WEAR THIS FOR 12 TO 14 HOURS.
DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PATIENTS I HAVE, I MAY BE HERE LONGER.
THIS IS THE BAND-AID THAT I PUT ON FROM IT RUBBING RAW EVERY DAY.
AND REALLY, ANY TIME I GO OUT WHEN I'M OUTSIDE OF WORK IN PUBLIC, I ALSO WEAR A MASK.
I FEEL LIKE I'M UP TO THE CHALLENGE.
I CAN DO THIS FOREVER, BUT I JUST NEED AND ASK FOR THE COOPERATION OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT HURTS ME A LOT WHEN I GO TO ANY SHOPPING MALLS OR CENTERS AND I SEE HALF OF THE PEOPLE NOT WEARING THEIR MASK AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I LOST THREE PATIENTS LAST WEEK BECAUSE OF THE COVID IN THE ICU.
WITH THE HOLIDAYS COMING, THAT'S GOING TO BE A REAL RISK OF SPREADING THIS DISEASE TO YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE VISITORS AT HOME THAT ARE NOT IN YOUR FAMILY, YOU SHOULD BE WEARING YOUR MASK AMONG, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE PEOPLE TOGETHER, OVER YOUR NOSE, OVER YOUR MOUTH, AND AT ALL TIMES IN PUBLIC PLACES.
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE CALLED TO DO.
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE BORN TO DO AND WE'RE RISING TO THAT OCCASION.
BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND ASK SOMETHING IN RETURN.
PLEASE JUST PUT ON YOUR MASK FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO RID THIS PANDEMIC.
[INAUDIBLE] THAT VIDEO. [INAUDIBLE] A VERY POWERFUL MESSAGE FROM OUR HOSPITALS.
THE HOSPITALS MADE THAT VIDEO? YES, MA'AM, THOSE WERE ALL LOCAL HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, NURSES, DOCTORS, RESPIRATORY THERAPIST.
AND I WOULD ADD THAT I KNOW ALMOST ALL OF THEM AND I'VE WORKED WITH THEM A LONG TIME AND COULD TELL STORIES ABOUT MANY OF THEM, THAT THEY'RE JUST REALLY GOOD PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY GOOD CITIZENS.
OH, EDDY, DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE AS FAR AS AN AMENDMENT POSSIBLY ON THE MOTION WITH REGARD TO NARROWING THE FUNNEL OF TIME THAT IT WOULD BE APPLIED OR DID WE HAVE MORE COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL ABOUT THAT? WE MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS, SO IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME TO ADDRESS IT MORE OFTEN THAN WAITING TWO MONTHS OR SOMETHING.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING TIED TO AN EXTERNAL METRIC, HOWARD? [INAUDIBLE] CONNECT TO 15 PERCENT OR ORANGE I THINK THE ORANGE DEAL MIGHT WORK, BUT I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.
OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS? I WANT TO RESPOND, NUMBER ONE, TO THE VIDEO AND AGAIN, JUST IF WE HAVEN'T BEEN CLEAR IN THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE INCREDIBLY APPRECIATIVE OF OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND WE TRULY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH WITHOUT US BEING THERE AND WALKING THROUGH THEIR SHOES.
AND I THINK THAT THAT VIDEO IS VERY HELPFUL AND CERTAINLY COULD BE USED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JUST HEARING FROM THOSE THAT ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT.
I KNOW ONE OF THE NURSES THAT MADE THE STATEMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CALLED TO DO THIS. AND I KNOW THAT THEY KNEW THEY WERE SIGNING UP FOR SOMETHING CHALLENGING WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY WENT INTO THIS FIELD.
BUT NOBODY SIGNED UP TO BE DOING THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
AND WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE INCREDIBLY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR SERVICE.
AND BESIDES THAT, BEING NOT EXPECTING THE LEVEL OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING INTO BESIDES A PANDEMIC OR YOU'RE TREATING PATIENTS OR YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTRACTING A POTENTIALLY FATAL DISEASE.
[02:50:03]
AND SO WE JUST ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE AS A COMMUNITY AND JUST THE ABILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE REACHING OUT TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH PRACTICAL HELP.IF YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WORKS AS A NURSE, TAKE A MEAL, TAKE DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT.
IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY OUT WHO'S A HEALTH CARE WORKER TO BUY THEIR MEAL, THE SAME WAY WE HAVE DONE WITH MILITARY PERSONNEL AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS LOCALLY, THAT JUST SOME SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS AND RECOGNITION OF WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAYS. AND I MENTIONED THIS AT THE TUESDAY COUNCIL, BUT ALSO JUST CALLING CALLING FOR OUR FAITH COMMUNITY TO POSSIBLY ORGANIZE JUST SPECIFIC OUTREACHES.
I KNOW, THERE ARE SEVERAL GROUPS THAT ARE DOING CARE PACKAGES, GIFTS THAT ARE BEING DROPPED OFF AT THE HOSPITALS.
THEY COULD USE A LOT MORE OF THOSE, AS WELL AS THE IDEA OF ADOPTING A FLOOR OF ONE OF THE HOSPITALS. SOME OF OUR SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AROUND TOWN TO ADOPT A FLOOR, TO BE DOING SOME OF THE JUST THE SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY.
MAYOR, IF I MAY, PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR THE CONVERSATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TIME.
THE SHORTEST TIME BETWEEN NOW AND WHENEVER IT WOULD BE RECONSIDERED WOULD BE GOING TO EITHER A DATE CERTAIN OR 15 PERCENT.
THE NEXT LONGEST WOULD BE READ GOING TRIGGERING IT RED AND THE LONGEST OF ALL OF THE SCENARIOS WE'VE BEEN TALKING [INAUDIBLE] AT ORANGE.
WELL, THE [INAUDIBLE] WOULD BE TRIGGERING AT THE CESSATION OF THE EMERGENCY ORDERS OR THE DECLARATIONS OF DISASTER.
THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT FOR THINKING SHORT VERSUS LONG.
ORANGE IS THE LONGEST, RED IS MEDIUM.
15 PERCENT WILL HAPPEN BEFORE EITHER RED OR ORANGE.
AND THEN A DATE CERTAIN COULD HAPPEN BEFORE EVEN 15 PERCENT.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW LONG 15 PERCENT WILL BE.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL THAT RANGE SO YOU CAN REALLY SEE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HOW MANY DAYS HAVE WE BEEN BEYOND 15 PERCENT? CASIE? 32. POWELL, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YES, I THINK YOU NEED A METRIC FOUR LEVEL ORANGE AND LEVEL RED, BECAUSE SHOULD WE SPIKE IN LEVEL ORANGE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK TO LEVEL RED.
SO I THINK IT REALLY IS COMING DOWN TO AT WHAT LEVEL ARE WE COMFORTABLE BEING PROACTIVE VERSUS BEING REACTIVE.
WHEN YOU'RE REACTIVE, IT'S A NARROWER FUNNEL, SO THAT FEELS GOOD TO US.
BUT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE LESS EFFECT AT THE HOSPITAL, WE MIGHT BE IN THIS SITUATION AGAIN. OR WE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE AND PEOPLE JUST GOT IN THE HABIT OF ASKING CUSTOMERS AS THEY CAME IN THEIR BUSINESS, WOULD YOU PLEASE WEAR A MASK? I MEAN, MAYBE LIKE WHAT DR.
AND LIKE ANTHONY, WE'RE CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY.
AND SO WHAT WE DO TODAY, ACTUALLY, IS A PROACTIVE STEP.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M THROWING IT OUT FOR CONVERSATION, THAT'S KIND OF WHY I BELIEVE THAT IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER THE 15 PERCENT METRIC, THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS THIS GOING TO BE, ONE OF THE THINGS WOULD BE ARE WE GOING TO SEE THIS IS EFFECTIVE AND THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THAT WHEN IT COMES BACK UP, WE'RE GOING TO.
SO LET'S SAY THAT WE DO DO THIS AND THEN LET'S SAY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WE DO DROP BELOW THAT 15 PERCENT.
AND SO THEREFORE, IT DOES GO AWAY AND WE COME BACK UP.
WE'RE GOING TO KNOW THAT THE MASKING ACTUALLY DID WORK AND I THINK THIS CONVERSATION GETS REAL SHORT.
UNPRECEDENTED, SO WE DON'T WE DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT SOLUTION.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE NARROWEST FUNNEL.
[02:55:02]
THEN AFTER WE LIFT, IF IT STARTS GOING UP AGAIN.WE CAN QUICKLY STEP IN AND BRING IT BACK.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, EDDY? YES, MA'AM, IT IS.
I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME TOO.
IF YOU MAKE IT TRIGGER AT 15 PERCENT, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BRING IT BACK.
IF YOU WROTE IT TO WHERE WHEN WE'RE BELOW 15 PERCENT IN THE HOSPITALIZATION RATE, WHILE UNDER A DECLARATION OF DISASTER FOR CORONAVIRUS, THEN IT WILL CEASE TO BE EFFECTIVE UNDER 15 PERCENT AND IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY REACTIVATE AT OVER 50 PERCENT.
ARE YOU ASKING COUNCIL MEMBER POWELL TO AMEND HER MOTION FOR THAT, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MOTION TO REFLECT THAT WE HAVE THE METRIC OF 15 PERCENT FOR WE EXCHANGE THE WORDING IN THE MOTION FROM ORANGE TO 15 PERCENT HOSPITALIZATION RATE BASED UPON THE GOVERNOR'S STANDARDS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, POWELL, I THINK THAT THE AMENDMENT HAS TO ACTUALLY COME FROM YOU, AND THEN, EDDY, YOU SECOND IT.
OK, I'M GOOD WITH THE WORDING THAT WAS JUST GIVEN TO AMEND THE MOTION.
I'LL SECOND THAT. [INAUDIBLE] OFF AT 15 PERCENT HOSPITALIZATION RATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S FORMULA.
NOW, WE'VE GOTTEN THAT ELEMENT TALKED ABOUT.
WHAT ELSE DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT? I JUST HAVE A--GO AHEAD.
I WAS GOING TO SAY I JUST HAVE A COMMENT, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I HAVE LISTENED WITH MY EARS AND WITH MY HEART, ESPECIALLY BEFORE TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY EMAILS I HAVE RECEIVED FOR AND AGAINST THIS.
BUT ALSO, JUST DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY, I LISTENED TO 47 INDIVIDUALS SPEAK.
AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT THE EXPERT ON COVID-19, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO THINK ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
AND THINK ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY.
I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
I THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO INCREASE COMPLIANCE.
OUR BUSINESSES NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND OUR PATRONS NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
AND I GO BACK TO WORK CALLER NUMBER FORTY FOUR, WHICH WAS ETHAN.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO LISTEN TO OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS BECAUSE THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS VIRUS THAN I DO.
AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU ALL WHEN I NEED SOME MEDICAL ADVICE, I'M GOING.
MILTON, CASIE, THEIR MEDICAL COLLEAGUES, FOR ADVICE.
AND SO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND MAKE THE BEST DECISION POSSIBLE IN THIS SITUATION.
SO, AGAIN, I'VE GOT TO THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR CITIZENS HERE IN AMARILLO. SO 47 PEOPLE TODAY SPOKE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I RETURNED AT LEAST 15 PHONE CALLS BEFORE THIS MEETING.
SO I LISTENED AND I LISTENED WITH MY HEART.
MAYOR, I WAS WANTING TO JUST MAKE A COMMENT ON THE TIMELINE AND COMMENT, TRYING TO NARROW THE FUNNEL OR TALKING ABOUT IT BEING TEMPORARY, TALKING ABOUT TIMELINES UNTIL A VACCINE SIX OR NINE MONTHS. I'M NOT SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY CONFIDENT IN DISCUSSIONS SURROUNDING IT IS SAYING THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE TEMPORARY.
WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHEN THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO GO UP AND DOWN, WHETHER WE WOULD BE BACK INTO THIS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE WE STARTED AND IT WAS WE ASKED PEOPLE FOR TWO WEEKS, TWO WEEKS
[03:00:05]
TO SLOW THE SPREAD, SHELTER AT HOME.AND THAT WAS EIGHT MONTHS AGO.
WHEN WE LOOK AT WHEN THE GOVERNOR FIRST ISSUED THE INITIAL DISASTER DECLARATION, MARCH THE 13TH, THE FIRST EXECUTIVE ORDER, MARCH THE 19TH, AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TIME FRAMES, THERE IS NO REASSURANCE THAT SOMETHING WE PUT IN PLACE WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, AND I KNOW SEVERAL CALLERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT BEING PERMANENT AND WHERE WE'RE EVEN GOING WITH SOME OF THESE RESTRICTIONS GOING BACK THROUGH SOME OF THE OF WHAT RESTRICTIONS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE OF EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY THAT SO MANY OF THOSE WERE ACTUALLY ALREADY PUT IN PLACE BY OUR GOVERNOR.
AND MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT HAS BEEN AN OVERREACH OF ONE INDIVIDUAL OPERATING AND OVERSEEING TWENTY NINE MILLION PEOPLE [INAUDIBLE] HAS BEEN INTRODUCED ALREADY FOR THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS LIKE A MAYOR WHEN YOU'VE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY IT'S SEVEN DAYS AND THE COUNCIL HAS TO GET BACK TOGETHER AND DISCUSS THAT.
SO THERE WAS A LOOPHOLE TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW THAT THEY WILL BE WORKING TO CLOSE AND REQUIRING THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, THE SENATE LEADER, TO AFFIRM. AND IF IT GOES BEYOND A CERTAIN TIME TO BRING IT BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE, IT IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY AT THE STATE LEVEL, GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY EXPANDING UPON SOMETHING THAT IS ALREADY AN OVERREACH AND HAS NO END IN SIGHT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU SHARE FROM YOUR HEART.
I JUST THINK COMFORT IS NOT THE ISSUE.
I CAN'T WATCH THAT HOSPITAL VIDEO AND THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT PEOPLE ARE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH.
I FEEL THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP HERE IN A SITUATION THAT WE'VE NEVER FACED BEFORE.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT THERE ARE CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENTS BEING MADE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE GOVERNOR IS OUTSIDE OF HIS CONTROL.
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE IS SOON TO BE MEETING AND I HOPE THEY'LL HAVE THAT SOLVED BY THE END OF MAY WHEN THEIR LEGISLATIVE SESSION CLOSES.
WHAT I KNOW THEY WON'T HAVE SOLVED FOR US HERE IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS OUR HOSPITAL PROBLEM. AND I HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS.
THEY'RE PROBABLY LAUGHING IF THEY'RE WATCHING THAT I CALLED THEM ELDERLY, BUT I NEED TO KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN A CAR WRECK IN OUR CITY HAVE A BED TO GO TO, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE A HEART ATTACK IN OUR CITY, HAVE A BED TO GO TO THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE COVID AND ARE STRUGGLING TO BREATHE.
AND I KNOW MANY OF THEM HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND WORK WITH A RESPIRATORY THERAPIST.
WE ARE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT.
CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENTS AND COMFORT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE, AND [INAUDIBLE] IN THE SHORT TERM IT DOES MATTER TO TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE BECAUSE OUR HOSPITALS ARE FULL AND BECAUSE OUR NUMBERS ARE STILL RISING.
SO I RESPECT A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.
I REALLY DO. AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO CALLED AND I'M THANKFUL FOR YOU COUNCIL MEMBER HAYS THAT YOU REPRESENT A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT COMFORT.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK AT THIS MOMENT THE PRIORITY IS ANYTHING OTHER THAN OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY AND TAKING CARE OF OUR DOCTORS AND NURSES WHO CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE LOAD THAT'S CURRENTLY AT THE HOSPITAL.
WELL, SETTING ASIDE THE WORD COMFORT, THE DISCUSSIONS ON A TIMELINE IS MY POINT, MAYOR, THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE HONEST ABOUT A TIMELINE, THEN WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKING THEM FOR A TEMPORARY SHORT TERM TIMELINE, THAT'S THE POINT THAT I'M MAKING. AND-- HOW DOES THAT SOLVE OUR HOSPITAL PROBLEM? I MEAN, I WISH WE WERE ON A SHORTER TIME FRAME, BUT THE HOSPITAL PROBLEM IS THE ISSUE.
AND SO HOW ABOUT THIS PART, THE TIMELINE OF WHEN WE SHELTERED IN, IT WORKED AND WE BROUGHT OUR NUMBERS DOWN, THEY DID COME BACK DOWN.
[03:05:01]
YES. NOW THAT THEY'RE GOING BACK UP, THERE ARE SECOND WAVES.BUT WHEN WE SHELTERED IN, THAT DID WORK.
WOULD YOU DISAGREE WITH ME, DR.
MILTON OR CASIE? I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, THE NUMBERS WOULD SUGGEST THAT.
I WOULD JUST ADD THAT I MEAN, MAKE AN OBVIOUS STATEMENT HERE, THE VIRUS IS IN CONTROL.
AND WE JUST NEED TO TAKE MEASURES.
TO GET THAT UNDER CONTROL AS BEST WE CAN.
THIS IS JUST ABOUT WEARING MASKS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING AWAY PEOPLE'S RIGHTS.
IT'S JUST WEARING A MASK, YOU CAN SEE BY MY PEOPLE UP THERE AT THE HOSPITAL WHO WEAR THOSE MASKS, THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO BREATHE, THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO WORK, THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO FUNCTION, AND IT PROTECTS THEM AND IT PROTECTS THOSE AROUND THEM.
AND WE JUST NEED TO TRY TO TRANSLATE THAT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY IN.
I STEPPED ON YOUR COMMENTS, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO COMPLETE THAT THOUGHT.
THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT MASKS.
AND THAT'S WHY I DID WANT TO LAY THAT OUT EARLY ON.
THIS ORDINANCE IS ABOUT PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ENFORCING COMPLIANCE OF THE MASK ON BUSINESS OWNERS. THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
AND I DO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING ON IT RELATED TO OUR CONCERNS.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT IT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE, ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE MAKING INCREASING CHALLENGES ON ONE SECTOR OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I GET ANXIETY PREFERS A BIAS TOWARDS ACTION.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WATCH WHAT IS HAPPENING AND NOT WANT TO DO SOMETHING.
MILTON SAID, WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AND WE ARE STILL HAVING THIS HOT SPOT.
AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE AND VALIDATE THAT WE ARE IN A CRISIS; AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE IN A CRISIS.
BUT HOW WE RESPOND TO IT, WHAT MEASURES WE TAKE ARE IMPORTANT.
AND I DID WANT TO JUST READ A STATEMENT FROM SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ALITO LAST JUST LAST THURSDAY. AND HE SAID THE PANDEMIC HAS RESULTED IN PREVIOUSLY UNIMAGINABLE RESTRICTIONS ON INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
WE HAVE NEVER BEFORE SEEN RESTRICTIONS AS SEVERE, EXTENSIVE AND PROLONGED AS THOSE EXPERIENCE FOR MOST OF 2020.
THE COVID CRISIS HAS SERVED AS A CONSTITUTIONAL STRESS TEST.
AND IN DOING SO, IT HAS HIGHLIGHTED DISTURBING TRENDS THAT WERE ALREADY PRESENT BEFORE THE VIRUS STRUCK. HE DID NOT MINIMIZE THE DEATH TOLL OF THIS VIRUS, NOR COMMENT ON THE LEGALITY, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IF WE PASS THIS ORDINANCE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE LAWSUITS.
AND WE KNOW THAT WHETHER A LAWSUIT IS WON OR LOST, IT IS A COST TO THE TAXPAYER.
AND SO WE ARE OPENING OURSELVES UP ON ANOTHER FRONT OF VULNERABILITY AS WELL AS A CITY, BUT REFERENCING JUST THE DOMINANCE THAT GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN DOING, EXPANDING, GOVERNMENT HAS BOUNDARIES.
AND EVEN IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC, THOSE BOUNDARIES CANNOT CHANGE.
THAT IT IS NOT DICTATED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME, MOVING THEM IS NOT AT OUR DISCRETION AND WE ARE CROSSING A LINE, AS SOMEBODY MENTIONED DURING THEIR COMMENTS, I BELIEVE IT WAS MR. R. THAT IS VERY CONCERNING AND VERY DISTURBING.
AND AGAIN, I GET THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT WE AS HUMANS AND NATURAL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE, AND I SUPPORT THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS THE. CONTINUING TO EDUCATE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE MASKS THAT I HEARD SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER IS THE PROPER USE OF MASKS.
THAT IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
[03:10:03]
IF YOU GO TO THE COMMUNITY, EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WEARING MASKS, WE'RE NOT EDUCATED ON THAT. PEOPLE ARE WEARING THEM ALL OVER THE DIFFERENT PLACES.THEY WEAR THE SAME ONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THEY DROP THEM ON THE FLOOR AND PICK THEM UP.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE, PROPER EDUCATION OF OUR COMMUNITY RATHER THAN THIS PUNITIVE ROUTE THAT WE ARE GOING TOWARDS OUR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
I THINK I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY ONE OTHER THING, I THINK HISTORICALLY OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN SOMETHING THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR, AND IT WAS THE PANDEMIC OF 1918.
AND I THINK THAT THERE ARE PUBLIC RECORDS THAT YOU COULD REVIEW THAT LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENT RESPONSES OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS IN DIFFERENT CITIES, AND YOU CAN SEE IF YOU TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF ST.
LOUIS WHO WERE ABLE TO ENACT SOCIAL DISTANCING ORDERS AND HAD TO CANCEL THINGS LIKE THE ARMISTICE PARADE IN 1918, THEY HAD MUCH FEWER DEATHS THAN CITIES THAT DID NOT DO THOSE THINGS. SO OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE.
AND THERE WAS SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DEATHS ESTIMATED AT THAT TIME IN A COUNTRY OF ONE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE.
SO LET'S KEEP THOSE THINGS IN MIND, TOO.
AND I AND I JUST THINK THAT FROM FROM THE HEALTH CARE POINT OF VIEW AND FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SAW IN THE VIDEO, I'VE JUST HAD SEVERAL TEXTS.
WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO SEE FROM THE PUBLIC IS COMPLIANCE WITH MASKS.
THEY DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE. THEY JUST WANT TO SEE THE COMPLIANCE WITH MASKS.
[INAUDIBLE] ONE OF THE CALLERS MENTIONED AN ADA OR A HIPPA CONFLICT WITH THE LAW.
CAN ONE OF Y'ALL ADDRESS THAT? JUST, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT ASKING EMPLOYERS TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS PUTTING THEM BETWEEN TWO LAWS THAT FOLLOWING ONE IS BREAKING ANOTHER, I HADN'T HEARD THAT POINT BEFORE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
BUT BRIAN'S BEST SUITED TO HIT IT.
BRIAN? YES, THE CALLER REFERENCED SEVERAL STATUTES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH EMPLOYMENT MATTERS. I WAS A BIT UNCLEAR, QUITE FRANKLY, AS TO EXACTLY WHAT PROVISION THEY WERE REFERENCING. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THESE PARTICULAR PROVISIONS THAT ARE IN THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE DO NOT ON THEIR FACE VIOLATE ANY FEDERAL LAW.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE CALLER WAS THINKING ABOUT IN THE EMPLOYMENT REALM HAVING TO DO WITH THESE PARTICULAR PROVISIONS.
SO I WISH I COULD BE MORE HELPFUL, BUT I REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT PROVISIONS OF LAW THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S A LOT OF FEDERAL PROVISIONS HAVING TO DO WITH EMPLOYMENT LAW, AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF THESE RESTRICTIONS OR STANDARDS VIOLATE ANY OF THOSE BECAUSE THE STANDARDS THEMSELVES ARE FLEXIBLE, BOTH WITH FOLKS THAT WOULD HAVE DISABILITIES, FOLKS THAT HAVE WHATEVER KINDS OF MEASURES THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH, ISSUES THEY'RE DEALING WITH. THESE ARE ALL FLEXIBLE STANDARDS.
AND OF COURSE, YOU WOULD FOLLOW THOSE STANDARDS THAT FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES YOU TO.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS YOU'RE STILL GOING TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AS AN EMPLOYER TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THESE STANDARDS ARE IN CONFLICT WITH THOSE, BUT I WOULD NEED NO MORE INFORMATION TO ACTUALLY SPEAK TO IT.
I THINK THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THAT ALSO, MAYOR, THAT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, BRIAN, WAS THE BASIS FOR THIS ORDINANCE IS STATE STATUTE, SO, FUNDAMENTALLY, FOR THERE TO BE A CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LAW, THE STATE STATUTE WOULD HAVE TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LAW AS WELL. MAYOR, WHEN YOU'RE READY. I WANT TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS.
GO HOWARD. THIS IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE TO DEAL WITH.
[03:15:11]
SOMEONE TOLD ME BEFORE I RAN FOR COUNCIL THIS WAS COMING, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE RUN.[LAUGHTER] IT'S TOO LATE NOW, THOUGH. YOU'RE THE ELDER STATESMAN; WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
YOU'RE THE WISDOM WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
I GOT AN EMAIL THIS LAST WEEK FROM SOMEONE IN SAN ANTONIO WHO IS KEEPING UP WITH WHAT'S GOING IN AMARILLO ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
AND THE COMMENT THAT PERSON MADE.
SAID THAT THEY HAD A LAW IN SAN ANTONIO ALL BUT ONE WEEK IN THE PANDEMIC, SO IT'S BEEN THERE EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THEIR NUMBERS ARE LESS THAN WHAT AMARILLO'S NUMBERS ARE.
SO SHE WAS SUPPORTING US MAKING SUCH A LAW.
NEXT, SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME THIS IS INFRINGING UPON THEIR FREEDOMS AND I WOULD PULL OUT SEVERAL FREEDOMS THAT ARE LIMITED.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE SPEED LIMITS.
IF YOU GO, YOU GOT A 30 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT, YOU'RE GOING FORTY FIVE, YOU MAY BE GETTING A TICKET, YOU MAY GET A WARNING.
[INAUDIBLE] THE POLICEMEN, I GUESS, BUT THAT IN A WAY IS INFRINGING UPON THINGS, BUT IT'S NEEDED BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
THERE'S A LAW THAT SAYS WE NEED TO WEAR A SEATBELT.
I'D RATHER NOT WEAR A SEATBELT.
BUT I DO IT. SO IT INFRINGES ON MY RIGHTS, BUT IT'S PROVEN TO BE A SAFE THING TO DO IF YOU'RE IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS IN A WHILE, BUT SOME RESTAURANTS HAVE SIGNS THERE IS NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE.
SO THE RESTAURANT CAN SPELL OUT WHO THEY'RE GOING TO SERVICE.
JUST YESTERDAY, I GOT INFORMATION ON AN EMAIL, TONS OF EMAILS. THIS IS FROM A MANAGER OF A BIG BOX STORE.
AND THE MANAGER SAID THAT CORPORATE WOULD NOT LET THEM ENFORCE WEARING MASKS, UNLESS THE CITY WERE TO PASS ON THAT.
AND THIS MANAGER WANTS US TO PASS THIS, TO GIVE THEM BACK UP.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO READ A LITTLE BIT OF AN EMAIL I GOT TWO DAYS AGO FROM A FRIEND OF MINE LIVES IN ANOTHER TOWN, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIS FATHER.
IT'S BEEN KIND OF OFF THE RADAR.
SO HERE'S, WHAT UP, MANY OF YOU KNOW MY DAD--I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THE NAME.
HE WAS FUNNY, SMART, CHARMING MAN.
THEN HE WENT THROUGH FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS.
WHAT HAPPENED? FIVE WEEKS AGO, HE WAS DANCING AND THIS IS AN OLDER GUY, I DON'T KNOW THE FATHER, BUT HE'S IN HIS 70S PROBABLY.
HE WAS DANCING FIVE WEEKS AGO, FOUR WEEKS AGO.
HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19 THREE WEEKS AGO.
HE WAS PLACED ON A VENTILATOR.
TWO WEEKS AGO, HE DIED A VERY LONELY DEATH.
NO VISITORS, COULDN'T TALK FOR LACK OF AIR.
IN THE MEANTIME, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SORT OUT HIS AFFAIRS, PASSWORDS, ACCOUNTS, BUSINESS DEALINGS, HOUSE BILLS, ASSETS, ETC., IT'S OVERWHELMING.
IN CASE YOU STILL HAVE ANY DOUBT, LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT COVID IS VERY REAL AND VERY NASTY. PLEASE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS HAVE NOW SUFFERED A DIRECT HIT AND I DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.
PLEASE WEAR A MASK. AND STAY SAFE.
[03:20:02]
HOPEFULLY, TO YOU.I TALKED TO A GUY ABOUT THIS TIME YESTERDAY, LAST NIGHT, WHO CALLED ME AND I WAS AVAILABLE TO TALK AND HE SAID HIS WIFE IS A COVID NURSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THREE SHIFTS A WEEK OR FOUR OR FIVE WHATEVER, BUT 12 HOUR SHIFTS.
SHE STAYED SAFE, AND WORE A MASK.
AND HE WAS BEGGING ME TO VOTE FOR THIS.
HE'S BEEN LAID OFF FOUR MONTHS; HE'S COUNTING ON HIS WIFE TO BRING IN ALL INCOME.
HE WAS CRYING WHEN HE WAS TALKING TO ME.
HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE EXPLAINING.
I HEAR A LOT OF MEDICAL PERSONNEL, AND THEY'RE ALL SAYING.
ALL OF 98 PERCENT ARE SAYING WEAR A MASK, WASH YOUR HANDS, KEEP YOUR DISTANCE.
AND SO I'M PLANNING ON VOTING FOR THIS MOTION.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE. AMARILLO COMPARED TO SAN ANTONIO, MADE ME WONDER IF, CASIE, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON WHAT LIKE I MEAN, PICK A METRIC THAT WE KNOW IS APPLES TO APPLES ACROSS ALL THOSE CITIES.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THE GOVERNOR'S FORMULA OR I MEAN, WHERE ARE WE COMPARING I KNOW THAT COVID IS ALL OVER THE NATION.
IT IS. BUT ARE WE DOING WORSE THAN OTHER CITIES? YES, MA'AM, I HAVE SOME DATA PREPARED, IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT I PULLED SOME STUDIES THAT PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES DO WORK, SO THERE WAS A STUDY OUT OF VANDERBILT WHERE THAT HOSPITALS WHO DRAW PATIENTS FROM COUNTIES WITHOUT MASK REQUIREMENTS ARE CERTAINLY EXPERIENCING SHARPER INCREASES, ACCORDING TO THIS STUDY WITH OUT OF VANDERBILT THAN THOSE COUNTIES THAT HAVE MASK MANDATES. SO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE LOCALLY.
THERE WAS ANOTHER STUDY THAT SAID THAT FACE MASK WEARING RATES PREDICT A COUNTY'S COVID-19 DEATH RATE AND SO THAT IT CERTAINLY HIGHLIGHTS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASKING.
ANOTHER STUDY SAYS THAT THIS STUDY PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT MANDATING THE USE OF FACE MASKS IN PUBLIC HAS A GREATER DECLINE IN THE DAILY COVID-19 GROWTH RATE AFTER THE ISSUANCE OF THAT OF THOSE MANDATES COMPARED TO STATES THAT DON'T HAVE A MASK MANDATE.
ANOTHER STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IN SAN FRANCISCO SAYS THAT WEARING A MASK BLOCKS THE VIRUS, YOU INHALE, EXHALE, BUT ALSO CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF YOU FALLING SERIOUSLY ILL.
AND SO WHAT THAT DOES IS IT REDUCES THE VIRUS PARTICLE, THE NUMBER OF VIRUS PARTICLES THAT ACTUALLY GET TO YOUR NOSE AND MOUTH.
AND SO IT CAN REDUCE YOUR DOSE OF THAT VIRUS AND SO IT CAN PROTECT YOU, PROTECT THOSE AROUND YOU, AND ALSO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF FALLING SERIOUSLY ILL.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER STUDY THE CDC JUST POSTED OUT OF KANSAS THAT THE SEVEN DAY ROLLING AVERAGE OF NEW CASES DROPPED BY AN AVERAGE OF SIX PERCENT IN THE FIRST MONTH AND A HALF AFTER THE ORDERS THAT WERE PUT INTO PLACE IN THOSE COUNTIES THAT HAD MASK ORDERS IN COUNTIES THAT DID NOT HAVE MASK ORDERS, THOSE COUNTIES SAW AN AVERAGE OF ONE HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE IN THOSE COUNTIES.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES.
BUT WITH REGARD TO OUR LOCAL DATA, OUR CURRENT STATISTICS, YOU CAN SEE HERE WE HAVE TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN TOTAL CASES.
I CHECKED DENTON COUNTY'S CASES TODAY AND THEY WERE AT TWENTY ONE THOUSAND.
[03:25:04]
THEY HAVE ABOUT EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE.WE HAVE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE.
SO THERE IS CERTAINLY A STARK DIFFERENCE THERE.
WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER FOURTEEN THOUSAND TOTAL RECOVERIES AND WE ARE UP TO TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE DEATHS TODAY.
ANOTHER 14 WERE REPORTED TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY.
THAT LEAVES US WITH SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE ACTIVE CASES AND YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR HOSPITALS ARE VERY, VERY FULL AT OR OVER CAPACITY.
YOU CAN SEE THE SEVEN DAY ROLLING POSITIVITY RATE HAS A KIND OF SAW TOOTH LOOK TO IT.
OVER TIME, THAT TREND LINE IS CERTAINLY INCREASING OVER TIME, THE DOUBLING RATE THERE IS WE'RE DOUBLING RIGHT AROUND EVERY THIRTY FOUR DAYS AND SO EVERY 30 THIRTY FOUR DAYS, A LITTLE OVER EVERY MONTH, OUR POSITIVITY RATE IS DOUBLING.
WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT ONE MORE TIME REAL QUICK? YES, SIR. SO THE DOUBLING RATE-- NO, THE POSITIVITY RATE. YES, SO THAT'S THE POSITIVITY RATE OR THE LIKE AN AVERAGE OF ALL OF THE POSITIVE CASES OVER A SEVEN DAY TIME PERIOD.
THE PERCENTAGE OF CASES THAT ARE POSITIVE OUT OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TESTS DONE, RIGHT? YES, SIR. OK.
THE ROLLING SEVEN DAY POSITIVITY RATE AT THE DRIVE THRU TESTING SITE IS ALSO INCREASING.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S UP TO FORTY EIGHT PERCENT, SO ABOUT HALF OF ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO COME THROUGH THE DRIVE THROUGH TESTING SITE ARE TESTING POSITIVE.
OUR NEW CASE AVERAGE, OUR FIVE DAY NEW CASE AVERAGE IS AT FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NEW CASES AND THE DOUBLING RATE THERE IS AT 15 DAYS.
SO EVERY TWO WEEKS, OUR FIVE DAY NEW CASE AVERAGE DOUBLES, IF THAT TREND HOLDS IN TWO WEEKS, WE'LL BE JUST OVER A THOUSAND CASES RIGHT AT ELEVEN HUNDRED CASES.
THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF CASES EACH DAY.
ONE THAT WE JUST COULDN'T SUSTAIN.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THAT? SO RIGHT NOW AT FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE PERCENT OF THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE HOSPITALIZED, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, MA'AM. SO THAT'S ROUGHLY TWENTY FIVE TWENTY SIX PEOPLE A DAY.
AND OUR TOTAL HOSPITAL CAPACITY IN AMARILLO IS WHAT? IT'S CHANGING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING SURGE PLANS AND THEY'RE DOUBLING PEOPLE IN ROOMS AND THEY'RE CONVERTING PEDIATRIC BEDS TO ADULT BEDS.
IT IS WE PROBABLY HAVE AROUND 300 TOTAL ADULT BEDS AND FEWER THAN THAT ICU BEDS. SO RIGHT NOW, WE NEED ROOM FOR TWENTY FIVE PEOPLE EVERY DAY TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL AND ADD INTO OUR POPULATION AND ARE WE DISCHARGING TWENTY FIVE PEOPLE A DAY? ARE WE SORT OF MAINTAINING OR ARE WE JUST GETTING FURTHER BEHIND? WE'RE GETTING FURTHER BEHIND, AND THAT'S WHY THE HOSPITAL HAS MADE THE PLEA THAT THEY HAVE. SO IF IN TWO WEEKS [INAUDIBLE] A THOUSAND NEW CASES A DAY.
THAT MEANS WE NEED MORE THAN 50 MORE BEDS EVERY DAY.
THIS IS A VOLUME THAT WE CANNOT KEEP UP WITH HOSPITAL WISE.
AND I'M JUST PROCESSING ALL OF THAT OUT LOUD, AM I MISUNDERSTANDING ANY OF THAT? NO, MA'AM.
SO I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE [INAUDIBLE], THE DEPARTMENT OF DSHS AND HOSPITALIZATION NUMBER THAT THEY USE, AND SO THERE'S 22 [INAUDIBLE] OR TACKS OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM, AND WE'RE NUMBER THREE WORST, THE NUMBER THREE WORST IN THE STATE AND WE'RE NUMBER THREE WORSE BY A FREAKING LONG DISTANCE.
[03:30:03]
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE JUST A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS.I MEAN, WE'VE GOT DIFFERENT RACS THAT ARE CURRENTLY SINGLE DIGITS.
WE'VE GOT ONE, TWO, THREE, THREE OF THEM THAT ARE SINGLE DIGITS AND WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, ANOTHER EIGHT THAT ARE BELOW 20 PERCENT.
SO MORE THAN HALF OF THE RACS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ARE BELOW US.
WE'RE THE THIRD WORST IN THE STATE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SAUER, I HATE TO CORRECT YOU, BUT SIR, WE'RE THE SECOND.
OK, I'M LOOKING AT THE 11/20 2020.
SO EL PASO, I'M SORRY, I THINK YOU CAN SEE MY MOUSE, EL PASO IS THE PURPLE LINE, AMARILLO IS THE FIRST AND THEN LUBBOCK IS THIS SHORTER LINE RIGHT HERE.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING ME IS THAT I'M BEING WAY TOO KIND, THAT THE AVERAGE THRESHOLD IS, WHAT, 15 PERCENT? YES, SIR. OK, SO YOU'RE RIGHT, I AM WRONG.
THERE MIGHT BE PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF WHERE WE ARE NUMBERS-WISE.
HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER OTHER CITIES JUST IN OUR STATE.
HOW MANY RAC NURSES DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE? I THINK THAT NUMBER IS AN ASTOUNDING NUMBER.
CAN SOMEBODY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD QUOTE YOU THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT THEY ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT UPON THE RAC NURSES.
IT'S OH, I THINK EACH HOSPITAL'S OVER ONE HUNDRED.
SO THOSE ARE ASTOUNDING NUMBERS, TOO, AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM WALKING THE HALLS THAT IT'S CLEAR, I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEM.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN DOING THIS ON OUR OWN.
THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD END IT, NOT TO MENTION THE NUMBER OF VENTILATORS THAT WE'VE HAD BROUGHT IN FROM THE RAC, WE'RE ABOVE CAPACITY.
THE RAC, WHEN IT DEPLOYS PERSONNEL TO ANY OF THE TRAUMA SERVICE AREAS, IT DEPLOYS TO TRAUMA SERVICE AREAS, A AND B AS A UNIT.
SO THE LUBBOCK AREA AND THE AMARILLO AREA BETWEEN THE LUBBOCK AND AMARILLO AREAS, THE RAC HAS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED OVER 950 PERSONNEL.
YEAH, THAT WAS THE NUMBER THAT I THOUGHT I WAS HEARING, THIS ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RAC PERSONNEL THAT WERE HELPING US OUT.
AND THAT'S A QUICKLY MOVING NUMBER.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S A VERY ACCURATE RECENT NUMBER.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON CASIE'S, DATA.
THANK YOU, CASIE. THIS CHART, YOU CAN SEE THAT GA-32 RAC A HOSPITALIZATION PERCENTAGE.
AGAIN, THE DOUBLING TIME FOR THIS THIS TREND LINE IS EVERY TWENTY THREE DAYS.
AND CURRENTLY, WE'RE AT THIRTY FIVE POINT SIX, NINE PERCENT.
HERE IS A GRAPH DEPICTING THE DEATHS FROM APRIL 3RD THROUGH NOVEMBER THE 20TH.
CERTAINLY A SHARP INCREASE SINCE THE FIRST OF OCTOBER.
WE WERE STEADILY--OUR DOUBLING TIME WAS AROUND FORTY SIX DAYS.
AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, IT WAS AROUND FIFTY THREE DAYS.
AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER, IT WAS AT FORTY SIX DAYS.
AND CURRENTLY AT THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER IT'S AT THIRTY ONE DAYS.
SO NOW AGAIN, EVERY MONTH THE DOUBLING RATE OF THE FATALITIES TO COVID-19 DOUBLES.
[03:35:01]
SO IF THE TREND HOLDS, WE COULD HAVE AROUND 500 FATALITIES TO COVID-19 BY THE LATER PART OF DECEMBER. THAT NUMBER DOESN'T TRACK HOW MANY PEOPLE MIGHT DIE OF A RUPTURED GALLBLADDER, A RUPTURED APPENDIX OR A STROKE, OR JUST BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AN ICU BED FOR THEM OR A SURGERY SUITE, OR THEY SPENT EIGHT HOURS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM JUST HOPING TO GET PROCESSED BECAUSE OUR HOSPITAL WAS FULL.IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. THAT'S CORRECT.
THIS IS JUST THOSE PEOPLE WHO REPORTED TO US THAT HAD COVID-19.
VERY IMPORTANT [INAUDIBLE] AND IF ANYONE IS STILL WATCHING, I KNOW THIS IS A MARATHON MEETING, BUT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT COVID AND PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK WITH COVID.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERY MEDICAL NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IF IT'S TIED TO THE HOSPITAL, IT IS NOW AT RISK.
HOWARD, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, DID SOMEONE DEFINE FOR WHOEVER MIGHT BE LISTENING WHAT RAC IS? IT'S THE REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL AND KEVIN PROBABLY HAS A BETTER DEFINITION, BUT THEY ARE THE PLANNING TEAM WHO SERVES THE HOSPITALS IN OUR TWENTY FIVE COUNTY REGION.
THEY SERVE THE HOSPITALS WITH REGARD TO NEEDS THAT THEY MIGHT REQUEST THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE WHEN ASSETS ARE NEEDED, AFTER LOCAL ASSETS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, I KNOW THEY DO A LOT MORE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THIS SITUATION.
HOLD ON THIS SLIDE, SO I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT HOWARD, I WANT HIM TO GO AHEAD AND FINISH WHATEVER, BUT I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU BEFORE YOU CHANGE THIS LINE.
YOU GO AHEAD AND I HAVE A QUESTION AFTER YOU FINISH.
OK, HERE'S SOMETHING THAT I NOTICE ON THIS SLIDE.
THIS SLIDE COOKS ALONG AT THIS RATE UNTIL WE HIT ABOUT THE 1ST OF NOVEMBER AND THEN IT TURNS SHARPLY NORTH.
IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT? SO IN ESSENCE, THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE RAIN BARREL ON YOUR HOUSE THAT KEEPS CATCHING RAIN AND KEEPS CATCHING RAIN, KEEPS CATCHING RAIN; WE'RE OVERFLOWING.
WHAT I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING HERE IS THAT WE WENT TO READ FOR THE FIRST TIME, MARCH THE 30TH, AND THEN WE WENT TO ORANGE ON JUNE THE 5TH AND THEN WE REISSUED RED ON OCTOBER 14.
THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO BELIEVE.
I MEAN, IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE ONLY BEEN RED AGAIN FOR LESS THAN 30 DAYS. AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN RED FOREVER.
HONESTLY. WHAT WERE THOSE DAYS AGAIN, MARCH WHEN? MARCH 30TH.
AND THEN JUNE? JUNE 5TH, AND THEN OCTOBER 14TH.
DID YOU A COMMENT YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, DID WE? WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGING THE ORDINANCE TO 15 DAYS, DID WE EVER FINISH THAT AND TALK A VOTE? MOTION WAS AMENDED TO REFLECT 15 PERCENT AS THE METRIC WE HAVE NOT YET VOTED ON THE MOTION, THIS IS EXTENDED DISCUSSION TIME ON THE MOTION, SETTLE THAT ISSUE FOR GOOD.
SORRY? WILL YOU REPEAT THAT FOR ME, HOWARD, I DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF IT.
I'D LIKE TO SETTLE THAT ISSUE.
IF WE'RE MODIFYING THE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
THE MOTION WAS AMENDED BY FREDA AND SECONDED THE AMENDMENT WAS SECONDED BY EDDY TO REFLECT THAT IT WOULD BE TIED TO A 15 PERCENT HOSPITALIZATION RATE.
SO IT WOULD TURN OFF WHEN WE GOT TO 15 PERCENT, AND THEN IF WE GO OVER 15 PERCENT, IT WOULD TURN BACK ON. MAYOR, IF I CAN--.
DISCUSS, I'D SUGGEST WE VOTE ON THAT.
[03:40:01]
MAYOR, IF I CAN, BEFORE YOU VOTE, JUST TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, THE 15 PERCENT IS BASED ON THE DEFINITION OF THE GOVERNOR [INAUDIBLE] HOSPITALIZATION.HIGH HOSPITALIZATION REQUIRES SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS BEING IN ONE CONDITION TO MOVE EITHER UP INTO AN AREA OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION OR DOWN OUT OF IT.
TO BE CONSISTENT, SINCE WE'RE TYING IT TO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AND TO BE CONSISTENT, DO YOU WANT TO HAVE IT TRIGGER OFF OF WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE AN AREA OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION AS DEFINED BY THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER? THE SEVEN DAY METRIC ATTACHED TO THE 15 PERCENT EXACTLY, SO IF WE ARE NOT AREA OF HIGH HOSPITALIZATION, THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT EFFECTIVE IN EFFECT FREDA, IS THAT WHAT YOU INTENDED WITH YOUR AMENDMENT? YES, MAYOR. AND THAT'S WHAT I INTEND TO DO WITH MY SECOND.
BEFORE HOWARD CALLS THE QUESTION, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN THE AMENDMENT. I'M SORRY, IN THE ORDINANCE.
UNDER THE MINIMUM STANDARDS, BRIAN.
IT SAYS THAT A PERSON IN CONTROL OF A SITE WOULD POST ONE OR MORE FACE COVERING SIGNS AT OR NEAR EACH ENTRANCE.
I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT WE WANT THEM TO USE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT REFLECT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER THAT A PERSON MUST WEAR A FACE COVERING.
BECAUSE I WAS AT A BUSINESS THE OTHER DAY AND THE SIGN ON THE DOOR WAS ABOUT FACE COVERINGS, BUT IT SAID THEY WERE OPTIONAL AND THAT'S A VIOLATION OF THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.
IT INFLUENCED ME AS A CONSUMER.
I DECIDED I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE TO SHOP THERE, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE GOOD IF WE WERE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE.
IT'S NOT JUST A SIGN ABOUT FACE COVERINGS, BUT IT'S A SIGN THAT REFERENCES THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, COMPLIANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER OR SAY, FACE MASKS REQUIRED AND REFERENCING THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER IN SMALLER FONT.
I'M OPEN TO HOW YOU WANT TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK, I WOULD FEEL BETTER IF WE TIGHTENED THAT UP.
KIND OF LIKE THE ONES AT THE HOME DEPOT.
SPECIFICALLY, I'VE NOTICED THERE'S AND I BELIEVE THERE'S DOES REFERENCE THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER. YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY WHAT IT SAYS IS POST A NOTICE AT EACH ENTRANCE STATING THAT FACE COVERING IS REQUIRED.
THAT'S WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER SAYS? NO, THAT'S WHAT OUR MINIMUM STANDARD SAYS.
PERSON IN CONTROL OF A SIGHT SHALL, READING DOWN A2-A3 POST A NOTICE AT EACH ENTRANCE STATING THAT THE FACE COVERING IS REQUIRED.
OK, I'M SORRY, I MIGHT BE LOOKING AT AN OLDER DRAFT THEN.
YEAH, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS.
THAT'S WHAT THOSE MINIMUM STANDARDS SAY.
THAT'S GREAT. I'M GLAD Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT.
OK, ARE THERE ANY OTHER POINTS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS OR SUGGEST AN AMENDMENT TO? I HAD SOME COMMENTS ON THE DATA THAT CASIE HAD SHARED.
OK, IF DON'T MIND AND I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO, ELAINE, IS IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT ONE MORE TIME FOR ANYBODY TO MAKE JUST ANY GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. AND THEN I THINK HAWARD'S GOING TO CALL THE QUESTION.
THANK YOU, CASIE, FOR ALL THE DATA YOU GATHER AND ALL THE INFORMATION.
I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE SEEING THOSE STATISTICS AND THE AWARENESS OF WHAT OUR HOSPITAL SITUATION IS RIGHT NOW AND TO THE COUNCIL.
I JUST I WANTED TO BRING BACK TWO THINGS FROM THAT DATA.
NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE PART OF THE DATA WAS MAKING A STRONG CASE FOR WEARING MASK.
AND AGAIN, THIS ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY IS NOT DEBATING THAT, THAT IT IS NOT A POINT OF CONTENTION.
SOME OF THE DATA WAS ABOUT THAT MASK MANDATES INCREASE OR REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT THEY WERE EFFECTIVE. WE HAVE A MASK MANDATE.
WE ALREADY HAVE THAT IN PLACE.
WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS ABOUT IS WHO'S DOING THE ENFORCEMENT, WHO IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT COMPLIANCE AND IS PASSING AN ORDINANCE THAT ATTACHES WITH IT A PUNISHMENT FOR THE GROUP IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE TASKING WITH WITH THAT COMPLIANCE,
[03:45:06]
AND THAT IS OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.SO THE THING THAT I WOULD SAY WE ALL AGREE ON THAT WE WANT TO HEAR FEWER STORIES LIKE WHAT HOWARD SHARED. WE WANT TO REDUCE THE SPREAD IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF OF OUR HOSPITALS.
WHERE I AM IN DISAGREEMENT IS THE METHOD THAT I BELIEVE IT IS UNFAIR TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS TO BE MOVING THEM TO THE FRONT LINES OF THIS AFTER EVERYTHING THEY HAVE BEEN FACING AS WELL.
WE'RE ALL IN A HOT SPOT AND A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.
WHAT I THE METHOD OF DELIVERY OF THIS, OF TRYING TO REDUCE OUR CASES.
I THINK PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, THE CONVERSATIONS, THE INFORMATION, THE REALIZATION HEARING FROM SOME OF THE NURSES, I THINK THAT IS MORE EFFECTIVE TO GETTING OUR COMMUNITY TO VOLUNTARILY MOVE ON THIS.
I WISH WE WOULD SPEND MORE TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW WE BOOST OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IF WE WANT TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF OUR HOSPITALS.
WE HAVE A GREAT NUMBER OF CASES.
ONLY FIVE TO SIX PERCENT ARE ACTUALLY HAVING TO BE HOSPITALIZED.
IF WE COULD REDUCE SOME OF THAT NUMBER, THAT WOULD BE A POSITIVE APPROACH IN TAKING SOME OF THAT PRESSURE OFF OF OUR HOSPITAL, JUST THE STRAIN.
WE'VE HAD SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND COUNCIL, WE HAVEN'T EVER MOVED ON THAT ON SOME OF THE THINGS ABOUT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES, WHAT THE IMPACT OF SHARING STATISTICS LIKE SADIE DID TODAY, COMMUNICATING WITH OUR PUBLIC ON, WELL, WHAT DOES REDUCING WEIGHT IF WE HAVE CERTAIN BMI OR DIFFERENT AREAS, WHAT ARE WE SEEING? HOSPITALIZATIONS AND POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE OUTCOMES BASED ON THOSE? THOSE ARE THAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON AN EDUCATIONAL AREA OF HEALTHY, LIFE CHOICES AND ALSO AS WELL AS PROPER MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES.
THESE ARE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, THINGS THAT WE COULD BE EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT EARLY AT HOME TREATMENTS THAT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THINGS ARE BEING USED SUCCESSFULLY, WHAT THINGS ARE NOT.
EVEN IF WE REDUCED OUR HOSPITALIZATION RATE, SMALL PERCENTAGES, ONE TO TWO PERCENT, IT COULD BE ENOUGH TO BE TAKING THAT STRAIN OFF.
LET'S HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SYMPTOMS OF COVID THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE ASYMPTOMATIC AND THEY'RE NOT.
YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS STILL A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING. THINGS THAT PEOPLE TAKE IS MAYBE JUST A SINUS INFECTION.
I HAD A HEADACHE. I'VE BEEN KIND OF ACHY.
AND YOU DON'T EVEN THINK YOU'RE GOING WELL.
NO, THOSE ARE SYMPTOMS. THIS IS THIS IS MY MESSAGE TO THE COUNCIL IS I WANT TO SEE US ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY, BUT NOT IN A PUNITIVE WAY THROUGH ENFORCEMENT, THROUGH OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP AND JUST OFFER EACH COUNCIL MEMBER ANY FINAL THOUGHTS? I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
I JUST I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CALLED, WHO SENT AN EMAIL, WHO TEXTED US POSTED ON FACEBOOK. OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MUCH MORE ENGAGED THIS WEEK BECAUSE OF THIS CONVERSATION. AND IT'S THAT ENGAGEMENT THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED.
TO FACE THIS PANDEMIC TOGETHER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST OPTIONS ARE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'LL TELL YOU, HAVING LOOKED HARD FOR OPTIONS, I DIDN'T SEE ANY GOOD ONES. BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN THE SITUATION WHERE ALL THE OPTIONS ARE BAD OPTIONS.
AND I THINK I DISAGREE SOME RESPECTFULLY, BUT I DO DISAGREE.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR MONTHS FOR PEOPLE TO VOLUNTARILY CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK, TO VOLUNTARILY TAKE WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE AS FAR AS STEPS TO INCREASE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, TO LOSE WEIGHT, TO STAY HOME IF YOU'RE SICK.
AND I KNOW I HAVE BEEN EVERY WEEK FOR THE PAST SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS TALKING ABOUT STAYING HOME, IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, WHAT THOSE SYMPTOMS LOOK LIKE.
[03:50:03]
WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WE NEED TO CONTINUE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO I THINK JUST THIS DISCUSSION OF THIS ORDINANCE ALONE HAS INCREASED THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND MORE PEOPLE ARE LISTENING.
I REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT [INAUDIBLE] SAID WHEN HE SAID, YOU GOT MY ATTENTION AND THAT STRUCK HOME WITH ME BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE BUSY, THEY'RE RUNNING BUSINESSES, THEY'RE RAISING FAMILIES, AND IT'S SOMETIMES HARD TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.
SO I THINK WE HAVE THAT THROUGH THIS CONVERSATION THIS WEEK.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING ABOUT IT IS WE NEED YOUR GRACE. WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS HERE, AND THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SITUATION, AND WE WANT TO LEAD AS A COUNCIL IN UNITY AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. YOU'RE SEEING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES EVEN ON THE COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF DEMOCRACY AND WE SAW DIFFERENCES IN PEOPLE WHO CALLED IN AND VOICED PERSPECTIVES.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, I RESPECT YOUR DIFFERENCES.
I RESPECT THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESSES WHO HAVE MADE SO MANY CHANGES AND SO MUCH EFFORT. I'M VERY PROUD OF YOU.
I HAD SO MANY PHONE CALLS, LIKE ALL OF YOU OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK FROM BUSINESSES BRAINSTORMING IDEAS.
CAN WE ADD THIS? CAN WE MAKE SURE SAYS THIS? CAN WE TALK TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT EVERY BUSINESS DOING THIS? AND I REALLY APPRECIATED A PHONE CALL I HAD FROM GREG MITCHELL ON BEHALF OF THE [INAUDIBLE] TEAM, AND HE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE ALL OF OUR SIGNAGE IN THE STORES TO PROMOTE FOR PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS.
AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TRAJECTORY OF GETTING THIS TO CHANGE AND EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS.
SO WHETHER THAT'S TALKING MORE ABOUT BUILDING UP YOUR IMMUNITY OR WHETHER IT'S USING THE LED SIGNAGE IN YOUR STORE TO ENCOURAGE MASKS, THE CORPORATE OFFICE FROM UNITED SUPERMARKETS CALLED ME YESTERDAY AND THEY ARE RUNNING PSA ADS THAT THEY PRODUCED AND DEVELOPED THEMSELVES AT THEIR OWN COST.
AND THEN THEY WILL RUN THOSE WITH THEIR MEDIA PARTNERS PROMOTING MASK WEARING IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO. THAT IS THE KIND OF EFFORT AND ENGAGEMENT THAT WE NEED FROM EVERY BUSINESS OWNER. SO THEY'RE A LARGE, LARGE BUSINESS AND THEY CAN DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR INFLUENCE IN A LARGE WAY.
BUT I WOULD JUST PLEAD WITH EVERY BUSINESS OWNER IN OUR CITY.
THAT'S WHAT THIS ORDINANCE IS ABOUT, IS ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER HOW YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR EFFORT AND ENGAGE MORE PEOPLE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A SIMPLE ASK AT THE DOOR, WOULD YOU PLEASE WEAR A MASK AND BE WILLING TO HAND THEM A MASK AS THEY COME INTO YOUR STORE? I KNOW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM AND A CHALLENGE, THAT THE SOLUTION INVOLVES ALL OF US AND.
I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT, WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THE DECISION THE CITY COUNCIL MAKES OR NOT. MORE PEOPLE ARE MORE INFORMED AND MORE ENGAGED BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO BUSINESS OWNERS THAT I DO NOT THINK THIS ORDINANCE EXPECTS YOU TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
I DON'T THINK IT EXPECTS YOU TO BE A DOCTOR WHO'S DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE MEETS A MEDICAL EXCEPTION FOR WEARING A MASK.
IT'S JUST ASKING YOU TO BE AN ENGAGED CITIZEN AND MAKE THE EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS. BUSINESSES AS POLICE IS NOT THE GOAL.
BUSINESSES AS PARTNERS ABSOLUTELY IS THE GOAL.
IF NOT FOR THE DESPERATE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN WITH OUR HOSPITALS, WE WOULDN'T BE ASKING FOR THIS STEP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER STEPS THERE ARE TO TAKE, AND I NEVER DREAMED THAT WE WOULD BE AT THIS SITUATION. BUT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WATCHING THE DOUBLING RATES OF OUR NUMBERS.
WE CAN'T HIDE OUR HEAD IN THE SAND, AMARILLO AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS DECISION WEIGHS WEIGHS ON ME.
I KNOW IT WEIGHS ON THESE OTHER FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I KNOW IT WEIGHS ON YOU.
AND SO WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THE DECISION THAT'S MADE HERE OR NOT, WE'RE STILL AMARILLOANS TOGETHER.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK FOR YOUR GRACE, YOUR PATIENCE, YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR
[03:55:05]
COOPERATION WITH US AS A CITY AS WE CONTINUE TO FACE THIS CRISIS AND TRY TO FIND THE BEST OPTIONS TO SOLVE IT TOGETHER.ANYBODY ELSE HAVE COMMENTS? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT, I WANT TO THANK ELAINE FOR BRINGING UP SOME ISSUES.
I WAS TALKING WITH SOMEONE ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO ABOUT WE GOT 2200 EMPLOYEES HERE.
WE COULD DO A LOT MORE ENCOURAGING ABOUT EDUCATING THEM WAYS TO [INAUDIBLE] EXERCISE ALL THOSE THINGS WOULD BE NOTHING BUT GOOD FOR ALL OUR 2200 EMPLOYEES.
SO I DO WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
IF YOU'RE READY, I WOULD CALL FOR THE VOTE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE, AND THEN IF THAT PASSES, THEN WE COULD HAVE A MOTION PROBABLY TO VOTE ON THE ORDINANCE AS AMENDED.
PROMISE THIS WILL BE MY LAST STATEMENT.
[LAUGHTER] WE'RE NOT GOING TO HOLD YOU TO THAT PROMISE.
WELL, IT'S JUST YOU KNOW, I JUST HAVE TO RESPOND TO THE STATEMENT THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO CONSIDER HELPING.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE ARE THREATENING THEM WITH A PENALTY TO MOVE THEM TO HELP US ENFORCE.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE DIRECT ABOUT THAT AND BE PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THAT.
AND I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR, WAS JUST ON OUR UNITY AS A COUNCIL AND MOVING FORWARD. AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY COMMITTED TO EVEN WHEN WE HAVE MAJOR DISAGREEMENTS AND WE DEBATE LONG, LONG TIMES, PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW THOSE ARE GOING ON.
THEY DON'T ALWAYS WATCH LIKE THIS ONE HAS GAINED SOME INTEREST.
BUT THERE HAS BEEN A COMMITMENT TO ONCE A VOTE IS MADE THAT WE MOVE FORWARD AS A TEAM AND WE DO NOT BRING BACK UP.
I VOTED SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.
AND I JUST NEED TO TELL MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT I CANNOT DO THAT ON THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE.
IF IT PASSES, I CANNOT MOVE IN UNITY WITH THAT.
I HAVE TO STATE CLEARLY I FEEL THAT IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, POTENTIALLY ILLEGAL AND AN UNFAIR TRANSFER OF BURDEN TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES.
I WANT JUST AS MUCH TO SEE OUR NUMBERS COME DOWN.
AND I STILL FEEL THAT THERE ARE OTHER METHODS THAT WE HAVE NOT UTILIZED THAT COULD BE POSSIBILITIES BEFORE THIS.
SO OUT OF RESPECT FOR YOU GUYS, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS TOGETHER THREE AND A HALF YEARS AND THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME FOR ME TO EVER TAKE A POSITION LIKE THAT.
BUT I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT UP FRONT.
HOWARD, ARE YOU READY, THEN? YOU CALLED THE QUESTION ON THE AMENDMENT, IS THAT CORRECT? YES OK, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THOSE AGAINST. I SEE ONE AGAINST.
ARE WE READY TO CALL THE QUESTION THEN ON THE FIRST MOTION, HOWARD? YES.
OK, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS AMENDED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO THAT ENDS OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.
WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT 11:00 O'CLOCK ON MONDAY MORNING.
IS THAT RIGHT, MR. CITY MANAGER? YES, MA'AM, 11 O'CLOCK ON MONDAY MORNING.
[INAUDIBLE] ITEM ON THAT AGENDA.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING, AND I WOULD ESPECIALLY SAY TO THE COUNCIL, HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND JUST THE WAY THAT YOU CONDUCT YOURSELVES ON A DIFFICULT, VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN OUR CITY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE SERVING WITH ALL OF YOU.
NIGHT. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.