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LOCK HAVEN -- Before council could dive into its regular agenda items on Monday night, Councilman Richard Morris addressed masking in council chambers.
"I noticed that the county and the city are still in the high transmission rate of COVID. Which has called for the wearing of masks in government buildings," Morris said.
Morris motioned to have members of council adhere to a mandate made by City Manager Gregory Wilson to staff.
Due to the high rate of infection, Wilson mandated all staff and visitors to City Hall and other city owned facilities -- regardless of vaccination status -- wear a mask. The mandate would be lifted when the city and county no longer have a high rate of infection.
The motion was seconded by Councilman Rick Conklin.
"Vaccinated people can carry and can transmit the disease. That's science," Conklin said.
Councilman Steve Stevenson, who was not wearing a mask at the start of the meeting, said he would support the motion but noted there had not been a mandate made by council that required them to wear masks while in council chambers.
The emergency declaration enacted in March 2020 by council had expired, he said, they had not renewed it.
"There is not a state emergency. We all have our shots and are sitting appropriately, not facing each other," he said. "Until council passes a regulation, by council, then it's up to the individual council person or the audience person what they can do."
"If you pass a motion that we go back to following the guidelines, then I can get behind that," he concluded.
Mayor Joel Long pointed out a state of emergency is no longer viable following the state legislature's action that stripped Gov. Tom Wolf of that power.
"Virtually at this point it is not an option," he said.
Councilman Douglas Byerly, the only other member of council who was not wearing a mask at the start of the meeting, said he agreed with Stevenson's statements.
"I'm vaccinated, Steve's vaccinated. If you believe in the vaccine, you're wearing a mask … you should be protected," he said. "It's not a political thing. I'm really opposed to mask mandates."
Byerly elaborated, saying he did not feel comfortable allowing just Wilson to make this decision.
"I'm concerned that, and all do respect to our city manager, that one individual in our city -- and I understand he serves in the role that he serves -- can have the authority to tell everyone in the city, in a sense, to wear a mask," he said.
"I think that's what is being brought to the meeting tonight," Long replied. He asked Morris if that was he intention.
Morris agreed that his motion was that council should following the masking mandate brought forward by the city manager, just like staff and the public, until the city is no longer in a high rate of infection.
The resolution was passed in a 6-1 vote, with Byerly voting against. Following the discussion, both Byerly and Stevenson masked for the remainder of the meeting.
Wilson clarified the new masking policy regarding both staff and the public:
"While the county is listed by the CDC as a 'High Level of Community Transmission,' any visitors to City Hall, the city's Public Works Garage on Second Avenue, or the Wastewater Treatment Plant must wear a mask.
"Employees, whether vaccinated or not, must wear a mask when interacting with either the public or another employee. Vaccinated employees may remove their mask when alone in their office or in a vehicle. Vaccinated employees may also remove their masks when outside and able to work 6 feet or farther away from another employee.
"When the level of community transmission declines back to "Substantial," then the city's facilities will return to the previous mask rules which enabled fully vaccinated employees to refrain from wearing masks unless they choose to."
All members of council were present for Monday's meeting held in council chambers and livestreamed on the city's Facebook and YouTube pages. Council's next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13.