Board of Aldermen 03-09-2021 Page 45
| think Alderman Clemons covered most of what | would want to say for recommending caution; maybe just the
Irish Blessing — May the wind be always at your back and maybe the mask on your face because it’s blowing
your vapors towards somebody. With regards to the masking ordinance, | have already asked the Board of
Health to develop conditions for it so that it isn’t entirely open-ended. But also so that it is a medically informed
policy and not a political exercise. So being able to identify specific factors and time frames and come up with a
phased approach | think is important. | had already suggested that some of the business owners that were
particularly passionate about the curfew issue engage the Board of Health so that they could present the
business owner's side of things and get that kind of guidance.
| know that the City has been working very closely with trying to make sure that masking ordinances are
observed, general public health ordinances are being observed. And to that end, | have been bringing a lot of
donated reusable masks to different restaurants because some of them don't fit people, particularly people with
beards, don’t fit them particularly well. And if you are restaurant workers and you are given like one mask 5
months ago, even if you are washing it every night, it’s probably getting worn out. So | want to thank all of the
volunteers who continue to quietly manufacture these things in their own time, particularly Pagma and her
volunteers, the group that Latha organized. And | wanted to also wanted to remind business owners that the
United Way is sitting on a giant stockpile of masks, you can get 50 or so if you want to make sure you have
plenty for any people who might be coming to St. Patrick’s Day standing in line or might forget their own, to be
able to hand it out to them rather than have to ask them to go back to their car or whatever and find a mask. So
there are solutions for all of these things and there is support available.
President Wilshire
Thank you. Alderwoman Kelly?
Alderman Kelly
Thank you. | too wanted to express my condolences to Sandy Belknap. Her and her mother are just stand up
citizens and always have been sort of at the crux of so many things that go on in this community. | know that
many of us have attended a constitution party in her garden and they are just such wonderful people who
welcome you into their homes and really supported the things that we do on a local level here. So thinking of
them for sure and very grateful for every opportunity | had to spend with both of them.
| also just wanted to talk about downtown, | know that | sometimes talk about it ad nauseum but it was a 40 or 50
degree day today and it was just really beautiful to be in our downtown seeing people getting ready for next
week. We have a new ice cream shop, we took a walk on the Riverwalk. So | just wanted to commend
everybody who has gotten us this far, | think we’ve come a long way even in the last 4 years and | am really
looking forward to what happens next in our downtown.
President Wilshire
Alderman O’Brien?
Alderman O’Brien
Thank you, Madam President. | would like to say just basically to the caller to remind her that yeah we have the
Board of Health but we are also under the guidelines of the Governor's Emergency Orders with a lot of this and
that particular caller may take interest in the following bills; House Bill 275, 414, 433 and 417. | think they are all
going to get morphed into 417 which is basically nuts and bolts but it will be limited the Governor’s Authority on
Emergency Orders. So she may want to pay attention to that.
Also, | would like to let Alderman Lopez know that | feel his pain for a meeting on his birthday of March 15". |
don’t know how scheduled Finance meeting on March 17" but | too feel your pain, OK? Which is perfect Segway
for me to get into, | would like to wish all my Irish compadres there a Happy St. Patrick’s Day particularly to all the
veterans, the recruits and the rookies and those that just want to celebrate that one day. But do keep in mind, we
