By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Five people, including a 9-year-old girl with asthma and a Hays physician, told Hays city commissioners Thursday night they support extending the face mask ordinance scheduled to end Mon., Oct. 5.
Elizabeth Snyder, M.D., is a primary care doctor at HaysMed hospital who recommends to her patients they wear masks.
"It's hard to do research on masks," Snyder acknowledged,"... but it makes sense to me if there's a barrier of air exchange that's going to help reduce virus spread at least somewhat.
"I understand people wanting to have their free choice about what they decide to do but I really do think it does reflect well on as a community to have that ordinance in place."
Snyder urged commissioners to take some official action extending the face covering ordinance "probably indefinitely," she added, "so you wouldn't have to vote on it again."
Snyder and the others spoke during public comments. The ordinance was not on the agenda.
The commission will next meet Thursday, Oct. 1, for a work session. Those meetings are informational and do not include votes on agenda items.
Reading from her handprinted remarks, Lydia Hickel introduced herself as a student at St. Mary's School in Ellis who is at high risk for COVID-19 because she has asthma.
"I want to keep the masks because masks let me go to school and to the grocery store with my parents.
"Masks also let me do dance, my favorite sport, and if I didn't wear a mask, I wouldn't be able to go to dance."
Lydia also said she is "concerned that more people will get sick if we don't wear masks. I think we should keep the masks."
Lydia's mother, Cassie Hickel, spoke following her daughter's presentation.
"In our family of five, there are three of us at high risk. If we were to contract COVID, it could be truly devastating to our household."
Vice-mayor Sandy Jacobs thanked each speaker and praised Lydia Hickel for doing a great job.
There was no discussion by commissioners following the face mask supporters' remarks, nor at at the end of the meeting which allows each commissioner time for add-on comments and inquiries.
The Hays face covering ordinance went into effect July 23 and has been extended once.
Mayor Shaun Musil was absent from the meeting.
In other business, commissioners:
* Approved rezoning of the 1500 block of 240th Avenue from Agriculture to Public and Institutional District for anticipated expansion of the Ellis County Landfill.
* Approved a $73,742 agreement with Nex-Tech for fiber optic connectivity to the Hays Regional Airport and the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center to be paid entirely with federal CARES Act funding.