The Blair City Council will consider a mask mandate for the city at a special meeting Thursday.
The meeting will be at 5 p.m. at the Blair Public Library and Technology Center, 2233 Civic Drive.
According to a legal notice to be published in Tuesday's Pilot-Tribune, the purpose of the meeting is “to conduct a public hearing for the consideration of the immediate issuance of an emergency ordinance to require individuals to wear facial coverings in the City of Blair.”
Last month, Blair Mayor Rich Hansen urged residents to wear masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Hansen said if the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise, he would ask the city council to take action to require masks.
“It will all depend on how we together respond to the challenge, he said in a press release Nov. 20.
A copy of the proposed ordinance posted on the city's website indicates face coverings would be required in public places within the city. All individuals age 5 and older would be required to wear a mask while indoors, unless the individual maintains a minimum of 6 feet of separation or social distance at all times from anyone who is not a member of their household.
Exceptions to the the mask requirement would include:
• a person is seeking federal, state, county or city governmental services;
• being seated at a bar or restaurant to eat or drink or while immediately consuming food or beverages;
• engaged in an occupation preventing the wearing of a face covering;
• obtaining a service or purchasing goods or services that requires the temporary removal of the face covering;
• a person is asked to remove a face covering to verify an identity for lawful purposes;
• providing a speech, lecture or broadcast to an audience so long as 6 feet of distancing from other individuals is maintained;
• or cannot otherwise wear a face covering because of a medical condition, mental health condition or a disability that makes it unreasonable for the individual to wear a face covering.
Anyone who is found to violate the ordinance would face a $25 fine.
The ordinance, if approved, would expire at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 23.
