City Council Minutes 2021 04 06 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes April 6, 2021 Page 8 of 11 Mayor Stolzmann stated the State is moving to allow counties more control over COVID regulations and there is concern people will get mixed messages so it is important to make sure people understand the continued importance of masking while indoors. The hope is everyone will continue to mask indoors regardless of vaccine status and that this requirement be made by counties and cities broadly so individual businesses aren't required to enforce their own rules. Public Comments — None. Councilmember Brown noted it is important to continue to take the pandemic seriously. He stated he would like to have stricter rules related to children as we had in our previous ordinance. He would like changes to include an indoor requirement for a mask for everyone above the age of two. Public Comments Andy Clark, stated he supports the mask requirement but he sees that people are getting more cavalier about wearing them and case numbers are rising. He supports the mask ordinance as the best way to help stop the spread of the virus. MOTION: Councilmember Brown moved to approve the ordinance with one change to restore sections 3A&B which would require children to wear masks indoors; Mayor Stolzmann seconded. Councilmember Dickinson stated his concern of having a different rule than the County; that might be confusing to people. Councilmember Brown stated he would like the stronger rules related to kids so that it aligns with the rules in schools. He also noted the only group now that cannot get a vaccine is children. Mayor Stolzmann closed the public hearing. VOTE: Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. DISCUSSION/DIRECTION — DISPOSABLE BAG TAX IMPLEMENTATION AND PROGRAMMING Assistant City Manager Emily Hogan stated Louisville voters approved Ballot Question 2A in 2020 which aims to reduce single -use waste in the community. The tax will go into effect January 1, 2022 and will impose a 250 tax on every paper and plastic disposable bag provided to customers by all Louisville retailers. 100 of the collected tax will be kept by the retailer, and 150 will be remitted back to the City. Recipients of state and federal food assistance programs are exempt from the tax.