Oakdale council had a second chance to follow county mask mandate. How did it do?
Two members of the Oakdale City Council continued Monday night to disregard the Stanislaus County order on wearing masks in public places.
The meeting came six days after three council members first failed to comply with the mandate. It took effect Sept. 4 as part of the effort against COVID-19.
Council members Ericka Chiara and Curtis Haney were not masked for either of the two meetings. Councilman Christopher Smith wore a mask on both occasions.
Councilman Fred Smith was not masked in the council chamber Sept. 7. He took part in Monday’s meeting remotely, so the order did not apply to him. It was not clear why Fred Smith did not attend the council meeting. A post on the Facebook page of his business, Fred’s Firearms, indicates it is closed until Sept. 21 “due to unavoidable circumstances”.
Mayor Cherilyn Bairos was absent Sept. 7 but wore a mask in the chamber Monday. She said she does not like the mandate but also saw the value of masking while visiting a family member in a hospital.
“I will wear the mask for now, until I can advocate for policy change,” Bairos said. “I respect each and every one of your opinions whether you wear the mask or not.”
Haney declined to comment on the mask mandate right after Monday’s meeting ended. The Modesto Bee could not reach Chiara in the chamber or by email later.
Christopher Smith, as mayor pro tem, conducted the Sept. 7 meeting in Bairos’ absence. He told The Bee afterward that he had asked the other members to mask up at the start, but they declined.
No one from the public commented on the mask issue Monday. All city staff members complied, as did most of the other people in the chamber.
The county Health Services Agency mandated masks as the COVID-19 death toll here approached 1,200 residents. It has exceptions, such as people working alone in a private office or dining in a restaurant. The order applies whether or not someone is vaccinated.
The Oakdale council was among the many public bodies that returned to live meetings as the virus appeared to wane in late spring. The delta variant has brought a new surge in the now 18-month pandemic.
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 10:04 AM.
