Bellefonte Borough Council votes to table temporary masking and distancing ordinance
What would have been the fifth masking ordinance enacted by a Centre County municipality has been tabled, following a 5-4 vote from Bellefonte Borough Council on Tuesday.
With Penn State COVID-19 cases on the rise, the ordinance aimed to mitigate the transmission of the virus — especially if students are visiting borough businesses. But almost 200 people demonstrated an opposition to the proposed ordinance, so council decided to delay its enactment due to concerns about enforcement, businesses and repetition of guidelines already in place.
The ordinance resembles those already passed in the State College borough and Ferguson, Patton and College townships, and would require a mask when in public buildings and on public transportation, limit lines outside of businesses and cap gatherings in all housing types at 25 people. The ordinance also reinforces the July order from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine that expanded masking guidelines and includes specific exceptions to mandatory masking.
Borough Manager Ralph Stewart said approximately 10 people contacted the borough to vocalize support of the ordinance, but their voices were countered by 30 residents who opposed the local law and an online petition that was signed by 146 people. Stewart said 15 people requested a delay to the ordinance’s approval and enactment.
“We also know that until we have a safe and effective vaccine, the only tools we have to fight this disease are testing — which we don’t have a lot of in this area — handwashing, social distancing and wearing masks,” Councilman Michael Prendergast said, referencing the rise in coronavirus cases in State College.
In July, Bellefonte unanimously passed a masking resolution that endorsed the state order.
An ordinance would take that one step further and be enforceable by law, but Bellefonte Police Chief Shawn Weaver said law enforcement isn’t seeing students come to the borough in large groups. Though unsure if everyone is abiding by the masking mandate, Weaver added that local police haven’t received any mask-related complaints.
Weaver added that local police will uphold anything enacted by council, but he noted there will be “hurdles” to overcome as officers try to enforce the ordinance with limited staffing and financial resources.
Randall Brachbill, council vice president and chair of the safety committee, which drafted the ordinance, said he wants to protect his family but added he doesn’t wear a mask all of the time. Imposing an ordinance, he said, would cause further harm to local businesses and would deter customers who refuse to wear a mask.
“We’re also using another ordinance from another town, trying not to redo the wheel, and I think in some cases, I will agree that we may have overstepped our bounds of what we are responsible for,” he said. “We have to let the public be responsible for themselves. In most cases, we can’t cure everything.”
The best effort the borough can make is to “recommend” people abide by the statewide order, Brachbill said.
After accepting public comment from six residents who opposed the ordinance, council decided to table the matter and refer the draft to the safety committee for further review.
Council members Deborah Cleeton, Jon Eaton, Doug Johnson, Gina Thompson and Brachbill voted to table the motion; board President Joanne Tosti-Vasey and members Melissa Hombosky, Prendergast and Anne Walker opposed.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 9:40 AM.
