Board of Aldermen 05-25-2021 Page 56
| know Alderman Jette serves with me on the Board of Operation Enduring Welcome and we founded it
specifically to build stronger communities between Veterans and citizens. | know that the Board just recently
passed the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway name change from the Broad Street Parkway. And recently the Boys
& Girls Club in partnership with Involved to Impact have begun decorating the street barriers along Factory
Street being a way from Dalianis House in a patriotic manner explicitly to do something special. So the
thinking was when people are walking out of there to go to their appointment or try to address the problems
they have they can literally be their own parade, walking past a bunch of reminders and positive messages that
kids have made. So! would say support organizations that support Veterans for Memorial Day. Support
Harbor Care Clinic or Harbor Care as an organization because they host Buckingham Place and then run the
Dalianis House which are both programs for homeless Veterans. Buckingham Place for Veteran families.
Support programs like the VFW that offer a place for people to gather and remember people that they have lost
and also find resources and move forward. There’s a lot of ways to celebrate Memorial Day that are just as
effective | think as a parade. And would be just as well received by the people involved.
In addition to that | also wanted to try to clear up at least my understanding of the masking ordinance we just
rescinded. We rescinded the masking ordinance, it doesn’t seem like it is clear to the public. We included the
Public Health guidelines. There are some areas where other considerations do have to be made and there are
other entities involved like the schools, but we did rescind the Citywide Ordinance. It is my understanding from
the vote that we specifically gave the Mayor authority over making rules for masking, we did give him any new
powers to change access or times to use City Hall. | think if people choose to refuse to patronize a business
because that business is following a mask ordinance, or has chosen to create its own rules for its own safety
but that’s their choice but nobody told them to make that choice and their rights are not being infringed on.
They are exercising their right to not patronize that business. Likewise, if the Mayor does decide to make rules
about when people have to wear masks, in recognition of people who are more concerned or more vulnerable
or immune compromised based on health knowledge and information, then you choosing not to exercise your
right to access City Hall during that time and follow that because you don’t want to wear a mask, that’s your
right but you are not being restricted from access. You are just choosing not to follow the guidelines that are
set. If Michael Buckley over at one of his restaurants says, you need to wear a shirt in order to sit down, you
are not being discriminated against by being asked to leave if you show up without a shirt. So | think it’s
important that people differentiate when their rights are being infringed upon and when they are deliberately
choosing to pursue their own ideology. | think a lot of politics have come into place tonight that didn’t
necessarily have to and there’s definitely a lot of confusion but it’s not being helped by people who will
immediately contradict things that were said very specifically in the meeting because they are frustrated and
that’s where they are coming from. So | think people need a clear message and | think we should give them
that. We took the mask mandate down. If there are specific locations that ask you to behave a certain way,
that’s just paying attention to where you are. Thank you.
President Wilshire
Alderman Cleaver.
Alderman Cleaver
Yes thank you very much Madam President. | want to wish everybody a very happy or safe Memorial Day
keeping in mind what Memorial Day really means. It is remembering those we have lost and everybody should
keep in mind that there’s been sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice for us and that is what Memorial Day
should mean. Secondly, any time we are going to give the Mayor administrative duftites or his staff new
responsibilities associated with the buildings or whatever, | think we should consult the Mayor first and write
the ordinance second rather than the other way around. | very much dislike this that City Hall is confused.
Thank you very much.
President Wilshire
Youre welcome. Alderman Klee?
