It’s official: Essential workers must wear masks in Pismo Beach businesses
Essential workers in Pismo Beach will be required to wear face coverings when dealing with the public.
The Pismo Beach City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday night requiring the wearing of face coverings by employees — but not customers — at local businesses.
The rule goes into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The urgency ordinance was a slight pivot from the city’s previously discussed mask ordinances.
On May 5, the council conducted a first reading of a mask ordinance that would go into effect sometime in June, and would apply to both workers and customers.
That ordinance would place the impetus on businesses to enforce the new rules — something both Mayor Ed Waage and Councilwoman Mary Ann Reiss said they were opposed to at the May 5 meeting.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, the council instead discussed an urgency ordinance that would go into effect immediately and applies only to employees.
“For me, having an ordinance that goes into effect rapidly is really valuable,” councilman Erik Howell said. “Certainly a face covering of some sort is in the best interest of our residents, our employees and our visitors.”
The move comes as city officials prepare for a potential influx of tourists during the busy summer season.
Despite urging tourists to stay away from the area, recent warm weekends have seen large numbers of out-of-towners flocking to the popular beach town.
“We are looking at this and addressing this because we want to keep the community safe,” Councilwoman Marcia Guthrie said Tuesday. “We are seeing first-hand a massive amount of people coming in from communities with a higher virus rate.”
The new urgency ordinance requires businesses to post signage at the establishments reminding people to wear face coverings. It also requires employees to wear masks when dealing with members of the public.
Pismo Beach business representatives at Tuesday’s meeting tended to be opposed to ordinances requiring the wearing of masks by customers.
Tom Burgher, who owns Seaside Gallery in Pismo Beach, told the council he welcomed people to wear masks if they felt safer, but that he was concerned about requiring mask wearing.
“I care very much when there is a punishment on somebody like myself, a business owner, who cannot control what another person does,” he said Tuesday night.
Jocelyn Brennan, CEO of the South County Chambers of Commerce, told the council that the chamber supports the state and county’s recommendations to wear a mask when in social situations, but has concerns with having businesses require their customers to wear face coverings.
The council voted unanimously in favor of the urgency ordinance.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the council also scrapped the second reading of the stricter face covering ordinance, instead choosing to rely solely upon the employee requirement for the near future.
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