Pismo Beach could require masks when in stores. Will more SLO County cities follow?
Mask wearing could soon be required when entering Pismo Beach stores or businesses in response to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the Pismo Beach City Council conducted a first reading of an ordinance requiring all essential workers and people who frequent an essential business within city limits to wear face coverings when on the premises.
The ordinance will need to go before the City Council once again for a second reading, and would go into effect 30 days after that if successful.
“This is no different than a smoking ordinance,” Councilman Erik Howell said during discussion Tuesday. “It’s to protect public health.”
Pismo Beach is one of the first local cities to take steps to pass such an ordinance — a move they made partly in response to concerns that the summer weather could bring a potential influx of visitors to the city, crowding Pismo Beach businesses.
“Pismo Beach, with a population of about 8,000-plus people, is more like a state park than a city — on any peak weekend, the city can welcome up to 100,000 visitors.” Councilwoman Sheila Blake said during the council’s Tuesday meeting. “To assume that all of these out-of-towners will voluntarily behave responsibly is a fantasy.”
“I really think that we need this ordinance,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we have to send a policeman into each and every store with a billy club. What it means is we have something to work with.”
The ordinance would make it the responsibility of businesses owners to inform and enforce the mask-wearing requirement. They would be required to post signage at their businesses informing customers about the rules.
If a business is found to not be following the rules regarding face coverings, then it could face an administrative fine.
Pismo Beach’s decision wasn’t without some controversy.
The city initially considered passing an urgency ordinance that would require mask wearing essentially immediately after its passage, but the ordinance required a four-fifths vote to pass.
Mayor Ed Waage and Councilwoman Mary Ann Reiss both voted against the urgency ordinance.
“This is just too fast,” Reiss said. “I am going to wear my mask, and I believe in it, and I think everyone should, but the rush approach is not the way to go about it.”
After the motion failed, Howell instead proposed the new rule as a regular ordinance, giving more time for businesses and the city to prepare for the shift. Four of the five council members voted in favor of the adjusted ordinance, with only Waage continuing to vote against.
The new ordinance would go into effect at the end of June at the earliest, but only if its second reading is successful at the city’s next council meeting at the end of this month.
Will other SLO County cities require wearing masks?
The topic of mandated mask wearing has been at the forefront of the public health conversation throughout San Luis Obispo County.
San Luis Obispo County public health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein has recommended people wear masks when in situations where social distancing is difficult to maintain such as grocery stores, but Borenstein has not advised it is necessary to require mask-wearing.
Cities around the county appear divided on the issue.
The city of Grover Beach briefly raised the issue at its meeting Monday, and directed staff to return with information on a potential ordinance requiring people to wear masks in certain situations, though several said they were hesitant to pursue a city-wide mandate.
The city of San Luis Obispo discussed the matter at a special meeting Friday afternoon, but the City Council opted instead to follow the county and state’s lead on mandatory mask wearing and not pursue the issue independently at this time.
“I think following the lead of Dr. Penny Borenstein as we’ve been telling everybody to do from the onset of this is the best protocol,” Councilman Aaron Gomez said during discussion.
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 6:43 PM.
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