By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph city council members consider whether to amend the city coronavirus policy at their meeting tonight.
The city now requires masks be worn in retail stores of 10,000 square feet or more. That order is set to expire. The council could extend the order or broaden it.
City council member Gary Roach says the mask mandate has been one of the hardest decisions the council has faced.
“I think this has probably been the second hardest thing, and the only thing that has beaten it out is the smoking ban, and as all of you know, that had to go to the general public for a vote,” Roach tells host Barry Birr as a recent guest on the KFEQ Hotline.
Roach asks for patience as the council weighs the pros and cons of the issue.
Right now, it appears the city is split on the issue.
“My email is about 50-50 right now,” Roach says, stating he had been receiving more emails in favor of a strict mask mandate prior.
Roach says he would rather leave it to businesses whether to require a mask. Since the city enacted the mask mandate for major retailers, many smaller businesses have taken the step to require masks be worn in their stores.