The Soldotna City Council amended the previously adopted Resolution 2021-036, which required that masks be worn in public indoor portions of city-owned buildings, while the central Kenai Peninsula is experiencing substantial or high transmission of COVID-19. Due to COVID-19 cases slowing down, council felt it was best to amend the resolution to no longer require masks be worn, rather, recommend them instead.
City Clerk Shellie Saner read the amended resolution before it passed on a 4-2 vote:
“The motion is to amend the previously adopted Resolution 2021-036, a resolution requiring that masks be worn in public indoor portions of city owned buildings while the Kenai Peninsula is experiencing substantial or high transmissions of COVID-19. Resolution Section 1 would read ‘when the Kenai Peninsula is in substantial or high levels for community transmission of COVID-19, as defined in section 2, all persons shall be recommended to wear a mask while in public indoor portions of city owned buildings.”
Council also amended the title of the previously passed resolution to reflect the recommendation, rather than requiring it.
Vice Mayor Lisa Parker spoke in support of the amendment saying:
“We have done a lot to try to keep our community safe in recommending that people wear masks. They stay home when they’re sick. They wash their hands. We social distance. I think, moving forward, to recommend that people wear masks while visiting city buildings and giving the administration some more flexibility particularly with the city employees, is a good way to go. As was pointed out, this is not something that’s going away. It’s something we will continue to work with, deal with, for who knows how long. When we got this almost two years ago, we did not anticipate dealing with this for a two-year period and we could, two years from now, still be dealing with the effects from this pandemic.”
City Manager Stephanie Queen told council that she brought this item back to the council for a review and discussion of the policy that had been in effect for just over three months. She also brought it forward for council to consider and entertain potential amendments to the previously adopted resolution.
