Emergency ordinance requiring masks in Colorado Springs removed from Tuesday’s city council agenda

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) -

UPDATE 7/13/20:

An emergency ordinance pertaining to mask requirements in the City of Colorado Springs is expected to be taken off Tuesday’s city council agenda.

The ordinance was not “tabled,” meaning it could come up during a future meeting. Council leader Richard Skorman said he wanted to push back any action past Tuesday as they wait to hear from El Paso County Public Health on the issue.

Click here to read more about the emergency ordinance.

PREVIOUS STORY 7/10/20:

With more and more states and communities requiring masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mayor Colorado Springs believes it is very possible his city will be joining the movement.

The mayor says multiple city councilmembers, at least five, are in favor of requiring masks in some capacity. If an ordinance is approved to require masks, the mayor won’t fight it. An emergency ordinance “requiring the public to utilize face coverings in public places” is on the city council’s agenda for Tuesday. Click here to read more about the emergency ordinance. If passed, the face cover requirement would go into effect on Tuesday and be in place until August 14.

In the emergency ordinance, face coverings would be required in:

A. Any enclosed area, including retail and commercial businesses or onsite service providers, to which the public is invited or in which workers, including volunteers, from more than one (1) household are present;

B. Any City of Colorado Springs building or indoor City facility;

C. Any public transportation, including City Transit buses and bus shelters and while riding in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;

D. Any other public indoor or outdoor place where persons are unable to maintain safe social distancing (minimum of six feet (6′) separation) from others not of their own household;

E. Any outdoor seating or patio area of a place that falls within Section 4(A), unless the person is seated for dining or drinking as set forth in Section 6(G);

F. When in a common area of an apartment building, condominium, or similar residential building, including lobbies, pool areas, elevators, common recreation areas, and in offices or other spaces used by the public; or

G. Where otherwise required by State of Colorado or El Paso County Health Department order.

There are a number of exceptions in the ordinance:

A. Persons under the age of ten (10) years or children within a childcare facility, however, childcare facilities must still follow any applicable State or El Paso County Health Department guidance on Face Coverings for persons over the age of ten (10) years;

B. Persons for whom a Face Covering would cause impairment due to an existing health condition and who present a doctor’s note to that effect;

C. Persons working in a professional office or other workspace who do not have any face-to-face interactions with or share workspace with other persons; D. A person undergoing a medical or dental procedure or any other personal service that requires access to the person’s mouth or nose; E. Property owned or operated by the United States or State of Colorado governments, unless required under other regulation, law or order; F. Persons who are customers of banks, financial institutions, and pawn shops while within the facility, however, employees of these places must still wear Face Coverings; G. Persons who are eating or drinking at an establishment with food service when seated for dining or drinking; however, Face Coverings must be worn when not seated for eating or drinking, such as waiting for a table(s), or picking up food or drinks, walking past other tables, or going to restroom facilities; H. Persons swimming or exercising outdoors; or I. Persons exercising in or using indoor gyms, indoor training services, or other indoor recreational activities that are complying with applicable State of Colorado orders, El Paso County Health Department directives and a businesses’ policy on when to wear a Face Covering within the business as long as in compliance with all other directives contained in this Emergency Ordinance.

The mayor did state earlier that he is “reluctant” to do a mask mandate, but he would side with local businesses to protect them on the issue. He spoke with 11 News on camera following a series of tweets he posted:

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