Marshall County Council members were divided on a decision to approve a grant request for Coronavirus Relief Fund Safety Awareness Program funding.
Marshall County EMA Director Clyde Avery explained to the council that $165,050 in these available CARES Act funds would be used for education and compliance of Governor Holcomb’s Executive Order and the county’s mask ordinance.
A portion of the grant funds would be used for media services to educate the public on COVID-19 and efforts to follow the governor’s order and the county’s mask ordinance.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer stated that other funds would be used to hire a private security company to investigate complaints of violations of the Executive Order and the county’s mask ordinance. The company’s investigators would be paid for their hours worked and the grant funds would reimburse those wages.
Overmyer added that it is an attempt to take some of the stress off of the Marshall County Health Department.
The county’s ordinance indicates that employees and business owners make sure that all patrons are in compliance with the mask order. A fine could be issued.
Council members Mandy Campbell and Heath Thornton said they have received phone calls from concerned small business owners who are saying the fines will be placed on the business when the owners are struggling to stay open since the COVID-19 closure.
Overmyer and Avery noted that fines have not been issued to any business as of Monday morning’s meeting. Now that the county’s positivity percentages have somewhat decreased, Overmyer said the commissioners may revise the mask ordinance and take the burden off of business owners.
Councilman Jack Roose said his supporting vote would have to wait.
Roose commented, “I think once you revamp your ordinance to where I can see that this is not going to hurt the business owners, I might vote for it. Until then, I won’t be a part of it.”
The council voted 4-3 to approve the grant request with Jack Roose, Mandy Campbell and Heath Thornton opposed to the motion. The vote to appropriate the funds for enforcement was approved with a 4-3 vote with the same council members opposed. A vote to approve the education portion of the funding passed with only Heath Thornton opposed.
