Posted on 08/05/2020 11:00:51 AM PDT by lightman
Visitors, students and residents of State College will have to immediately take heed of a new borough law that requires mask-wearing and severely limits gathering size — or they’ll face $300 fines.
In a bid to better fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the State College Borough Council unanimously voted Tuesday to pass an ordinance that would require a mask when in public, forbid long lines and cap indoor or outdoor gatherings at 10 people. Those who refuse to comply will be hit with a $300 fine by police (or other officials).
The local law officially went into effect Tuesday night.
“We’ve got to try something. And, if that doesn’t work, we have to try something else,” councilman Evan Myers said. “We need to act like our lives depend upon what we do — because they do.”
Masks will essentially have to be worn at all times indoors, when in public, and will also have to be worn outside when social distancing is not possible — like on a crowded downtown sidewalk or while waiting to board a bus. Likewise, in perhaps the most drastic measure, gatherings will be considerably limited, in part to prevent parties that can act as super-spreader events.
The state Department of Health restricts outdoor gatherings to 250 people; the borough council reduced that number locally to 10. (It does not apply to businesses and, if more than 10 people live in a residence, then such a residence simply cannot have guests.)
So, not only would a fraternity in violation of the ordinance potentially face discipline by Penn State and/or the Interfraternity Council, it would also face fines of up to $300 per tenant per incident.
In an open letter to the Penn State community on Monday, university President Eric Barron expressed support for the draft ordinance, calling it “a strong and appropriate step in the right direction.”
“The combination of a strong ordinance, an active communications campaign that supports it and enforcement is the best way to promote the health and safety of our community,” he wrote.
More: Future students could pay more after pandemic costs universities millions in refunds and safety measures
Long lines, like the shoulder-to-shoulder queues seen last month during Arts Fest weekend, are also now forbidden. According to the ordinance, no more than 10 people will be allowed to wait outside of an establishment.
If customers don’t comply, businesses have been instructed to call police.
Rob Schmidt, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District, told the Centre Daily Times last month that he had already spoken with bar owners about implementing better wait systems, like smartphone apps such as Waitlist and NextMe — apps that virtually hold customers’ places so they don’t have to physically stand in line.
Schmidt declined to comment ahead of Tuesday’s council meeting, saying a statement could instead be forthcoming Wednesday. A spokesperson from the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The council indicated it has attempted take local businesses into account as much as possible while focusing on safety.
“The borough is working on small-business loans, and they may or may not get them in time, but we are addressing that,” councilwoman Theresa Lafer said. “I want them to stay alive and well, too.”
With the exception of gathering size, the ordinance is not all that different from the measures that Gov. Tom Wolf has already implemented, nor does it stray far from the recommendations of the state DOH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the ordinance does give the borough the power to fine, or enforce the law — meaning there are now consequences in the borough for those who host parties, form long lines or refuse to wear masks.
Talk of the ordinance first started to form several months ago, before fact-finding and research led to the ordinance being co-written by the borough manager and solicitor. The State College Borough Board of Health made recommendations and amendments to the ordinance Friday morning, before the council amended and passed the ordinance Tuesday.
Penn State’s first day of class is Aug. 24.
The ordinance is considered temporary and will be rescinded either on Jan. 31, 2021, or when the state DOH and the Centre Region Council of Governments rescind their emergency declarations — whichever comes first.
Declare it a poly-community event and you will be exempted.
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Love the picture of the masked cougar.
You can leave your mask on.
Just call it a Black Panther party and you’re goid.
“Illegal”?
Colleges make rules. Governments make laws.
“We’ve got to try something. And, if that doesn’t work, we have to try something else,”
I was at a Penn State affiliated medical facility where the cougar was also masked. When I returned the next week the mask was gone. I asked why? The reply by the receptionist was that it was stolen.
The article does not say what will be done done to churches that will not comply.
Toga Parties can now be Burka Parties.
Just call it a Party Lives Matter protest. Problem solved.
..and the frat boys won’t need roofies to get away with date rape.
In State College, Pennsylvania?
Are they hiring 15,000 police officers to enforce this?
It’s a university dominated community, so churches were already small and diminishing in influence. But churches are now limited to nine persons, including sacred ministers. Those who reside in the borough must comply with all borough laws worldwide, so they probably cannot find a compliant church outside the borough. Those who previously attended churches in the borough but live outside the borough now can participate in different communities, subject to local laws. Students who live in the dormitories are residents of the borough and must obey the laws worldwide. So these students like other residents of the borough must move permanently to new residences in jurisdictions outside the borough so that they may find churches that still may accept them, subject to state and local law. University regulations also apply to all students worldwide and may further restrict options.
Just imagine if you’re a young black student at this college? Every party will have to hire you as their host. “Toga Party sponsored by BLM”.
Penn State or State Pen?
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