Board of Aldermen 09-22-2020 Page 13
Clemons asking what the tax rate was going to be and that is surprising. The Aldermen oughtto be more
familiar with this kind of accounting and the fact that you only give them a day for the meeting on this
question as well as on the escrow question which is quite complex, you give them only a day to make a
vote is not excusable. Thank you.
President Wilshire
Thank you. Anyone else from the public that wishes to give public comment?
Beth Scaer, East Hobart Street First of all wnen | connected about a couple of minutes before the meeting
started, | could hear some of the Aldermen mocking the protesters against the face covering ordinance and
| felt that was really disrespectful. It is their first amendment right and they don’t deserve to be mocked.
And also, | wanted to speak about the updated face covering Ordinance that you are going to be voting on
tonight. | am asking all of you to please strike the provision from the updated face covering Ordinance that
requires businesses to block customers from entering who aren’t wearing a face covering and don't
produce documentation proving that they have a medical condition.
This Ordinance could bring serious harm to Nashua small businesses, especially since the surrounding
New Hampshire towns don’t have this requirement. Blocking customers from entering a business could put
businesses at risk of a lawsuit for discrimination against someonewith a disability and this provision brings
new financial hardships to Nashua small businesses that have already suffered so much under the COVID
shutdowns and restrictions. And too many of our small businesses are barely scraping by. If this
Ordinance were working as intended, the outbreak at City Hall would not have occurred. Were the Mayor
and his staff flouting the current face covering ordinance. If so, they knowthemselves how difficult this
ordinance is to follow. Why would they require businesses to enforce the wearing of face coverings when
they can’t follow the ordinance themselves. And thanks very much to Alderman Ben Clemons for speaking
up and voting on behalf of Nashua’s small businesses at the Committee Meeting on the updated
ordinance. Thank you.
President Wilshire
Thank you, anyone else that wishes to give public comment? Hello?
Laura Colquhoun Laura Colquhoun.
President Wilshire
Can you, name and address for the record please?
Robert Farineli 92 Ledge Street | would also like to voice my displeasure first of all at the few Aldermen
who were mocking the face mask protest. That’s very, extremely disrespectful to your constituents who
have the right to exercise their first anendment right. And | would ask the Aldermen to strike this updated
ordinance down. Our Nashua business owners have already gone through enough hardship as it. Some
are very afraid that the City will come after them after this law and they the right to exercise their business
the way they want to. It’s been very clear that the Police have no interest in enforcing this and quite frankly
that business owners have the right — business owners that do not want to enforce this have the right to run
the business the way they want to. Again if you do not like the fact that a business doesn’t want you to
wear a mask, you should not shop there. And as | said again, and I'll say this again, if you want to wear a
mask, go ahead. Ifa business wants someone to wear a mask, whatever. It’s their business. But the fact
that you, the people who support this feel they really have the need to go in and force businesses that are
already struggling to enforce mandates they don’t want to under the threat of | would assume Nashua
Boards going after this business licenses or what not is what you are planning to do for punishment. It’s
totally unacceptable.
