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Papillion City Council approves mask mandate

Posted at 8:15 PM, Dec 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-04 11:36:45-05

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Papillion City Council voted in favor of a mask mandate on Thursday evening. Alyssa Curtis is providing updates on twitter from the council meeting and will have a report during the 10:00 p.m. broadcast.

Related: Papillion city council hears from citizens on mask mandate; third reading scheduled for Thursday

The Papillion Board of Health recommended that the council vote in favor of the mandate. The council scheduled three meetings in a row this week, which is rare, in order to consider the mask mandate. Last night, members of the public weighed-in on the matter and answered questions from council members during a public hearing.

The council members did propose a few amendments to the ordinance before it passed.

The original mandate stated COVID was a public nuisance. That language was struck after a motion from Council member Steve Sunde was proposed. He said it was a stretch of what a pubic nuisance is.

Assistant city attorney, Carla Heathershaw Risko said the public nuisance wording was not necessary and not actually consistent with state law the gives authority to pass ordinance.

Sunde attempted get the council to pass a motion that would raise the age requirement of masks from 5 years old to ten years old. He said children are still developing and need to be children. He said children are equipped to handle the virus if they should get it.

Other council members did not agree. Council member Jason Gaines said even if children are equipped to handle the virus, they can spread it to more vulnerable people. The motion was denied.

The mask mandate was passed with a sunset provision, meaning there's no exact expiration date. Instead, the ordinance will expire once the state moves into Governor Ricketts' yellow phase of the virus. If after reaching the yellow phase, the state moves back into an orange or red phase, the mandate does not automatically go back into effect.

Those who do not comply will be fined $25.

Also see: Papillion City Council to continue mask mandate discussion Thursday night

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