West Plains City Council has passed Bill 4672, which will require the use of face coverings in public places.
The ordinance passed three votes to two. Mayor Jack Pahlman and councilmembers Josh Cotter and Jessica Nease voted in favor of the measure, councilmembers Mike Topliff and Johnny Murrell voted in opposition. This ordinance goes into effect for 90 days and require face coverings when you can’t social distance, both inside and outside.
Prior to the council’s vote, Pahlman allowed a limited number of people to speak. Just like Monday’s meeting which featured the first reading of the bill, no members of the community chose to speak in favor of the mask ordinance. Four community members spoke in opposition.
The ordinance, which goes into effect immediately and runs through February 2, requires clean face coverings for all people age 10 and older in the City of West Plains. However, the
ordinance allows West Plains Mayor Jack Pahlmann to suspend enforcement of the ordinance if the 14-day positivity rate falls below five percent for seven consecutive days.
There are exceptions to the face covering requirement. A person may remove their face
covering under the following circumstances:
• While outdoors when able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others;
• While exercising outdoors or while exercising indoors when able to maintain a distance
of at least six feet from others;
• When engaged in a sporting activity;
• While at home and exclusively in the presence of members of their own household;
provided however, the wearing of a Face Covering shall be required in all common areas
of any multifamily structure;
• When in your or your family’s personal vehicle;
• While eating or drinking only when inside or in the outside dining area of a restaurant or
other establishment that offers food or beverage service, provided that person is able to
maintain a distance of at least six feet from persons seated at other tables, and provided
this distance restriction is enforced by the restaurant or other establishment;
• When an individual has a medical condition, mental health condition or disability that
prevents wearing a Face Covering;
• When any party to a communication is deaf or hard of hearing and not wearing a Face
• Covering is essential to communication;
• While obtaining a service that requires temporary removal of the Face Covering, such as
dental examinations;
• When necessary to confirm the individual’s identity;
• When federal or state law prohibits wearing a Face Covering or requires the removal of
a Face Covering;
• When requested by a law enforcement officer;
• When requested by a medical provider, including emergency response personnel;
• When at any business where there are ten or fewer people present at said business,
provided that such persons maintain at least six feet of distance between each other;
• When a business/commercial/office setting has implemented alternative mitigation
strategies such as proper hygiene, social distancing of at least six feet, the use of
plexiglass barriers and/or face shields;
• When participating in a wedding ceremony as a member of the wedding party;
• When a public safety officer is responding to an emergency.
• Under such other circumstances identified in any subsequent order, formal guidance or
approved Operational Plan issued by the Mayor and in general conformance with the
spirit and intent of this ordinance.
Additional information can be found here:
