Board of Aldermen 5-21-2020 Page 41
President Wilshire
Alderman Gathright.
Alderman Harriott-Gathright
| just want to share some news, a 7-year-old child that was taken to Mass General and she was infected by
a loved one, a family member that didn’t know they had the disease today in Nashua. So just much prayer
for the mother that’s devastated by all this. And | am still struggling somewhat with the bill. | understand
everyone’s point of view. | really do believe that everyone should wear a mask that’s not at issue with me.
What the issue is, is the money piece. So | am still thinking about it, so | don’t know what my vote is going
to be right now.
President Wilshire
l’ve got Alderman Dowd and then Alderwoman Kelly.
Alderman Dowd
Yes, you know, again | don’t think that anybody is going to be running around fining people $1,000.00 but |
think if we don’t back up the restaurants and the store owners, two things can happen. One — other people
that are going there see no masks, they are not going to go back and it is going to be a financial hardship
on the stores and the restaurants. And you only need one person that’s asymptomatic not wearing a mask
going in a crowded restaurant that could infect 40 or 50 people and bang we’ve got a spark back up. We
don’t know how long we’d have to keep this Ordinance in effect, but right now it is a preventative measure
and it is recommended by the health professionals. And if we don’t back up our Board of Health, my God, |
mean why do we even have them? Let’s show them the support, they’ve been out in the front lines, risking
their lives to the COVID-19 and they deserve our support. If somebody doesn’t want to go downtown
because they don’t want to wear a mask, don’t — don’t go downtown stay at home or go somewhere else. |
think it’s a small measure of safety to protect not only the aged population who are really susceptible to it
and the people with certain conditions, but also children now. You know, children who have been around
the COVID-19 the symptoms set in much later. They could be in a restaurant eating with somebody and all
of a sudden somebody comes in without a mask and they run right by them and you can have a young
child that dies. | think this is a small measure for us, for the safety of everyone in Nashua. So | am going
to support this.
President Wilshire
Thank you, Alderman Dowd. Alderwoman Kelly?
Alderwoman Kelly
Yes, thank you. | just want, | had two clarifications, Attorney Bolton, can you just clarify. It is not written in
this Ordinance that there would be up to a $1,000.00 fine that is just germane to any Ordinance, is that
correct?
Attorney Bolton
Yes, there’s a provision in the Code of Ordinances that says unless another fine is specified, that any
violation can be fined by no more than $1,000.00.
Alderwoman Kelly
So it’s not anymore punitive than other Ordinances on our books?
