By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners voted 3-2 Thursday night to extend the city's face mask ordinance through Oct. 5, 2020. It was set to expire Aug. 31.
Five residents spoke against the mandate, along with a Salina physician, Amy Hogan, M.D., who talked by phone about her concerns, especially for the psychological well-being of young children wearing face masks.
No supporters of the extension had signed up to make comments on the agenda item, although Mayor Shaun Musil read an email submitted by Heather Harris, D.O., medical director at HaysMed, who favors the mask ordinance, along with hand washing and social distancing.
The commission first heard from Jason Kennedy, Ellis County Health Services director.
"Coronavirus is not going away. It's part of society," Kennedy said. "We don't get to be tired of the virus, and that doesn't make it go away."
Kennedy talked about research underway to produce a COVID-19 medical vaccine, predicting it is "at least four or five months away. ... Hopefully, it's effective and hopefully, we'll get enough people vaccinated to the point where we feel safe. But as long as we continue to test [in Ellis County], we'll see waves and we'll see plateaus."
The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Ellis County recently jumped significantly, coinciding with the return of college students at Fort Hays State University, where classes started Aug. 17.
Kennedy asked the commission to "vote for time, and sentiment of the public, to develop a plan of what the next year looks like.
"If we don't plan this, the public will continue to get less and less involved in mitigation measures.
"Ask them tonight for time, and to trust the plan that you guys put together will be based in fact and science, and will carry us through so that we can continue to make decent, educated decisions," Kennedy said.
Commissioners had a lengthy, emotional discussion of the issue.
At one point, Musil had an audience member, Komoss Creamer, escorted from commission chambers by Police Chief Don Scheibler after an outburst in which she objected to a motion made by Sandy Jacobs, vice mayor, to extend the mandate through the end of the year.
Musil later apologized.
Creamer, a therapist who specializes in child trauma, was one of the five people in opposition to the mandate who spoke earlier to the commission.
"We need to be able to decide what we want to do with our healthcare, not someone else who says this is the doctor to listen to, and then there's the mandate," Creamer said. "When government starts deciding healthcare, there is a big issue."
Tammy Werth said she had seen some "horrible things on Facebook, both for and against," and implored residents to "be kind to each other and respect each other. Let them choose if they want to wear a mask or they don't want to wear a mask."
A Type 1 diabetic at "high risk," Werth told the commission she had the coronavirus seven weeks ago, and no one else she was in contact with contracted it.
"I got through it," Werth said. "There's a low death rate. Influenza's worse."
Jacobs finally amended her motion to end the mandate on Mon., Oct. 5.
All the commissioners spoke of emails and social media comments they had received. Some notes were favorable, supporting the ordinance extension and the commission. Others messages opposed the mandate and included personal condemnations of commissioners.
"I am sad, angry, horrified and disappointed," Ron Mellick said. "It's tearing this community apart because people won't compromise."
Mellick also noted Fort Hays State University and NCK Technical College have their own COVID policies and USD 489 is following state guidelines.
Musil teared up as he related messages he got accusing him personally of "causing people to die and commit suicide" because of the mandate.
"Abhorrent," Jacobs declared.
The mayor said he would not vote for extending the mandate unless the city moves from educating the public to enforcing fines for violators.
Jacobs agreed with the enforcement.
"I dread it for the police department," Musil sighed.
"My goal is to keep the schools open, keep the businesses open.
"With the recent spread, the businesses are closing. The governor isn’t telling them to close this time," Musil pointed out. "They’re having to do it because they have no employees. And this is just the start of it.”
Mason Ruder and Michael Berges voted against the measure.
"I think it's working," Berges said, "but we need to find the end."
Ruder, who also voted against the original mandate, suggested the commission should develop a "plan for how things should go" at an upcoming work session.
The entire meeting can be seen below: