By narrow vote, this Johnson County city decides not to mandate COVID-19 face masks
The Prairie Village City Council decided against an ordinance that would have required everyone to wear masks inside businesses — an issue that many officials said was among the most divisive they have ever discussed.
“There are strong passionate views on both sides of this issue, here in Prairie Village and across the country right now,” Mayor Eric Mikkelson said. “We’ve had some controversial issues over the years, but I think this one has resulted in the largest amount of email traffic we’ve seen on any one issue.”
Many cities and states, such as Illinois and New York, have required residents to wear masks in businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But those laws have at times become a flashpoint across the country, and the choice to wear a mask has become increasingly politicized — a point that many council members made before voting against such a law in Prairie Village.
The City Council on Monday night voted 5-7 against the ordinance, which was first proposed by Councilwoman Jori Nelson. She cited health experts’ opinions that reopening businesses will lead to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, and argued that wearing masks is one of the easiest ways for residents to help mitigate the spread of the disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings, especially in public where social distancing measures are difficult to follow.
Meanwhile Prairie Village is home to one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in Johnson County, at the long-term care facility Brighton Gardens — with 76 cases and 14 deaths.
“As elected officials, it is our duty and our responsibility to make sure the decisions we are making are ones that protect the health, safety and welfare of our city,” Nelson said.
But many council members, along with Police Chief Tim Schwartzkopf, worried that the ordinance would be too difficult to enforce, placing too much burden on the police department and business owners. Others said it would be inappropriate for Prairie Village to adopt such a statute when the state and neighboring cities have not done so.
“I am convinced, and have been for some time, that masks reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19,” said Mikkelson, who voiced opposition to the ordinance. “That, in my mind, is not an issue here.”
Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide plan for reopening Kansas, which allows municipalities to issue stricter rules, strongly encourages everyone to wear face masks, but does not mandate it.
In Johnson County, some businesses, especially personal service providers such as hair and nail salons, already are requiring all employees and customers to wear masks. But many residents have complained that customers are ignoring the recommendation at grocery stores and other busy shops.
Across the state line, the city of Kansas City is only encouraging people to wear masks. But businesses that cannot enforce social distancing, such as hair salons, are required to provide masks and gloves to both workers and customers. Businesses can refuse service to customers not wearing masks.
Much of the Prairie Village City Council’s discussion centered on the difficult balance of protecting the public health while supporting economic recovery. But the discussion — both among officials and residents watching the meeting — largely focused on individual freedoms.
City Council members said they received hundreds of emails from residents on both sides of the argument.
The issue of wearing masks has been split across party lines, at least in part. Some officials, including President Donald Trump and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, have been criticized for refusing to wear masks in public settings.
“This is not a time, when we are in the middle of a pandemic, to go into our corners on issues such as this,” Councilman Ron Nelson said. “People talk about freedom and liberty, but freedom and liberty assume personal responsibility. As a member of society, we have a responsibility to others, not just to ourselves.”
Despite the City Council deciding against mandating the use of masks, all of the officials said they encourage residents to wear face coverings in public. Mikkelson said that he would like to see the city share more information about the importance of doing so.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 9:34 PM.
