Shawnee has passed a mask mandate and persons in areas outside of Shawnee, including those throughout Lincoln County who travel there, should take notice.
The mandate began at 12:01 a.m. Monday and will remain in effect until 12:01 a.m. Sept. 30, at which time it will expire.
Shawnee Mayor Ed Bolt said what it boils down to is, “If you entering a building that is open to the public, a face mask is required.
“But once you leave that building outside and go, that mask is no longer required,” he explained.”
“If you are at a car show, or an outdoors public market like I and my wife were this weekend, a mask is not required, nor is it if you are riding a bike, taking a walk, running or involved in some kind of outdoors activity.”
“We’re not dictating what churches or schools do. They will set their own requirements as whether a mask is needed or not.”
“When going into a restaurant you are required to wear it to enter, but you don’t have to have it on while you’re eating or drinking,” Bolt stated.
Bolt noted that persons swimming or in a splash park or at one of the city’s parks are not required to have one on and those engaged in competitive sports inside a facility are not either.
Other exceptions to wearing a mask are in professional office spaces where there is no face-toface interactions with the public and it’s not practical to wear a face covering like while receiving dental or medical services.
Persons with developmental, mental, and/or medical disability, including persons who are deaf and hard of hearing are also exempted.
The mayor said the ordinance defines a face covering as material attached to the face covering the nose and mouth. Persons 11 and older must wear a mask in those settings that require it.
Bolt said those enforcing the mask mandate will be code enforcement officers and police officers. “On initial contact, the person not wearing a mask will be offered a face covering,” the mayor stated.
“At that time, the person can wear a mask and continue to stay in the indoor public place or decline and leave and no citation will be issued to someone who takes one of those options. If the person insists on staying and refuses to wear a face covering, then that person will be cited.
“The first and second offense are $9 fines. Any further violations, the person will be fined $100 and be required to appear in Municipal Court with maximum penalty of $100,” the mayor continued.
Another example he cited where people would not be required to wear masks is walking inside the Shawnee Mall, but social distancing is required, Mall officials have advised him.
Bolt suggests persons unsure or with more questions should go to the city of Shawnee’s website, Shawnee.org and there is a link to the ordinance.
The mayor said as city commissioners were contemplating the mask mandate, “I got lots of input from hundreds of people. The emails, cell phone texts, social media comments, were about evenly split. Some were very upset and disappointed. Other people said, thank you, thank you.
“Since we passed it, the comments I’ve received have been heavily in favor,” he added.
The mayor pointed out, “Hopefully, it will be done and we don’t have to extend it.”