With the Trenton City Council scheduled to vote tonight on whether to enact a face mask ordinance within the city, a discussion is expected on how such an ordinance will be enforced. An announcement was made Friday that the proposed ordinance on wearing a mask will come before the city council. Since then, some of the city council members have conducted their own face mask poll on Facebook in an effort to guide their decisions. It was noted the poll was not done by the city of Trenton.
The enforcement section of the proposed ordinance says an effort will first be made to educate the public and offer the opportunity for compliance, followed by a warning, and a municipal citation if necessary. The proposal also indicates a person who is convicted of violating the ordinance MAY be fined UP to $100.
The ordinance also states a business that requires face coverings will not be in violation if a patron or customer refuses to wear one. That’s if that business has made reasonable efforts to educate the public – including signage, sanitizing stations and/or masks; distance marking; and employee compliance. The proposed ordinance also identifies more than a dozen possible exemptions. The council, if the ordinance is adopted, also will have to set the effective date of mandatory masks and the duration.
The council meets at 7:30 but due to COVID-19 precautions, the meeting has not been open to the public. It will be available on the Zoom web application from city hall.
The council also votes on placing the use tax proposal on the April 6th ballot.
