By Guy Page
A municipal mask mandate will be on the agenda tonight (Monday) at at least six Vermont selectboard/city council meetings: South Burlington, Rutland, Morrisville, Stowe, Waterbury and Berlin. Shelburne will discuss a mask mandate tomorrow (Tuesday) night.
Meanwhile, vaccine passports reportedly are now being required at at least two restaurants in Burlington. Language allowing businesses catering to the public to require vax passports was included in the municipal mask ordinance passed last week.
The South Burlington City Council meeting begins at 6 pm in the 180 Market St. auditorium. The Council’s mask mandate discussion (followed by possible decision) is scheduled to begin at about 6:45 pm.
The Rutland City Council meeting begins at 7 pm at City Hall at 52 Washington Street. The first item on the agenda is “Claudio Forte: Discussion of Municipal Mask Mandate.” Claudio Fort is president and CEO of the Rutland Regional Medical Center.
“They are moving to force a mask mandate in the City. The Town already has one,” wrote We The People organizer Greg Thayer of Rutland in a recent email. “We the people must fight this here in the City.”
“This government control must stop. These masks have negative effects on our physical, mental, & emotional health and well being,” Thayer added.
The Morrisville selectboard will meet at 43 Portland St. at 6 pm. The mask mandate is the second topic under “New Business.”
Stowe selectmen have called a Special Meeting for 5:30 at the Akeley municipal building to discuss an Indoor Mask Mandate Resolution, stating that all establishments located in the Town of Stowe that are open to the public shall require both staff and customers (or visitors) to wear face coverings or face shields over their nose and mouth while inside the establishment when in the presence of others (within six feet).” Exceptions for children under 2 and others apply, and there is no specific reference to a vax passport.
The Waterbury selectboard will meet tonight at 7 pm in the Steele community room at 28 North Main Street. At 8 pm, the board is scheduled to consider these three items:
a.) Consider Graphics for Anti-Racism-Inclusion Banner
b.) Discuss Local Mask Mandate
c.) Schedule DEI Training with Mary Gannon
The Berlin selectboard will meet at 6 pm at the town offices on 108 Shed Road. Scheduled for an estimated time of 6:48 pm, the board will hold a “Potential Mask Mandate and enforcement by municipality discussion. (Carl Parton).” Parton is a Berlin resident.
In Shelburne, the mask mandate is scheduled to be discussed Tuesday night at 7:35 pm at the Shelburne Town Offices at 5420 Shelburne Road. Items on the agenda are not up for discussion during the 7:05 comment time. The meeting begins at 7 pm.
All of the meetings are accessible by Zoom; see links provided.