City approves first reading of ordinance meant to extend COVID-19 mask mandate

The Manhattan City Commission approved in a four to one vote Tuesday the first reading of an ordinance meant to extend the face mask mandate to May 16. Commissioner Mark Hatesohl was the lone commissioner to oppose.

The passage of the first reading of the ordinance does not mean the mask mandate has been extended. It means that the commission is able to move forward with holding a final vote at its meeting on March 16.

Despite the passage on first reading, the commission is still split on whether to allow the city’s mask mandate to expire.

Mayor Wynn Butler says he would like to let the city’s policy expire and give authority over face masks to the Riley County Health Department.

“I think we have to put our trust in the health department director and the procedure she’s got to bring in the information,” Butler said. “If we don’t trust the health department, we should recommend that she be fired. That’s the two extremes the way I see it.”

Commissioner Aaron Estabrook says he would also like to give authority over face masks to Riley County officials, indicating that they would likely support requirements through the end of the school year.

He also expressed frustration over Pottawatomie County’s level of participation in regional discussions concerning pandemic policies.

“Where the heck is the Pott. County Board of Health?” Estabrook said. “Where the heck is Pott. County’s leadership? The only reason we are in the middle of this is because the two counties couldn’t agree last summer to be on the same page in a unified command and lead this region through the pandemic.”

Commissioner Usha Reddi says she wants the city to retain its ordinance so that people are not confused about where face masks are required.

“It’s like saying you can wear a seatbelt on this road because there’s so many accidents, but on this road there’s no accidents so don’t worry about wearing a seatbelt,” Reddi said. “We don’t piecemeal things like that.”

If the city ordinance expires, school districts may still retain face mask policies of their own. The May 16 expiration date that the city is currently considering is meant to line up with the end of the academic school year for both USD 383 and Kansas State University.

Commissioner Linda Morse agreed with Reddi that the city should extend its ordinance while Hatesohl says he wants to do away with face masks altogether.

“At some point, we’re going to have to trust people to live their lives in a way that they feel safe and comfortable  and the government can’t guarantee a no-risk life,” Hatesohl said. “The thing is, we can’t keep trying to say ‘okay, as the government, we’re going to protect everyone from everything.’ That’s not why people came to America to start with and that’s not what a lot of the people want.”

If the commission allows the ordinance to end with its current expiration date of April 1 and allows a county-wide mandate to take place, it will still have to address the Pottawatomie County side of the city, where no county ordinance exists. The commission will also have to take action if it wants the side of the city within Pottawatomie County to be subject to a mask mandate since Riley County does not have the legal authority to stretch its health orders across county lines.

It may also need to create a separate policy for Manhattan Regional Airport due to Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration requirements. On Jan. 21, 2021, the FAA issued a policy requiring people to wear face masks while on airport property. If airports do not comply with this policy, the FAA could suspend or terminate federal grants.

The TSA’s policy, known as the TSA Security Directive, expires on May 11 and also requires that people wear masks while at the airport.

More information about the ordinance the city is considering can be found here.