February 14, 2021
The repeal of an increasingly unpopular face covering ordinance adopted by the Pocatello City Council on November 19 of last year is on the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting set for Thursday, February 18, at 6:00 p.m. Ordinance No. 3061 established standards for face coverings for individuals in the City of Pocatello when in public places and included penalties for violations. From the date when the ordinance was passed until the last City Council meeting, four council members, Roger Bray, Linda Leeuwrik, Claudia Ortega, and Chris Stevens have been voting to keep the ordinance in place as it has been reviewed. Two council members, Heidi Adamson and Rick Cheatum, have consistently opposed the ordinance.
At the February 4 City Council meeting, with many residents rallying at City Hall in opposition to the mask mandate, Councilmember Ortega voted with Councilmembers Adamson and and Cheatum to repeal the mask mandate. This resulted in a tie vote, broken by Mayor Brian Blad who also voted to repeal the mandate. This led to a vote by all members of the City council except Councilmember Leeuwrik voting to have staff prepare an ordinance repealing the mask mandate. See article, here:
Pocatello City Council Instructs Staff to Prepare Ordinance that Repeals Face Covering Ordinance
It is anticipated that many residents of Pocatello will again turn out in support of repealing the mask mandate ordinance, even though in-person attendance is limited and the majority of those rallying will most likely be required to do so outside City Hall.
Residents can also contact their City Council Representatives regarding this or any other issue at the following email addresses:
The draft ordinance to repeal the mask mandate ordinance can be seen, here:
Draft Ordinance to Repeal Mask Mandate Ordinance
The agenda for the February 18 City Council meeting can be seen, here:
Pocatello City Council Agenda, February 18, 2021
