MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

AMES, IOWA SEPTEMBER 1,
2020

The Special Meeting of the Ames City Council was called to order by Mayor Haila at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st day of September, 2020. The Mayor announced that due to the Governor of Iowa declaring a public

health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council meetings are being held
electronically, as allowed by Section 21.8 of the

Iowa Code

. He explained how the public could

participate in the meeting via the internet or by phone. City Council members participating in the
meeting electronically were Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, Gloria Betcher, Amber Corrieri, Tim Gartin,
Rachel Junck, and David Martin.

Ex officio

Member Nicole Whitlock was also present.

Mayor Haila commented that he had stated at the August 25, 2020, meeting that the Council would not
be considering the first reading of the Mandatory Face Covering Ordinance until next week. He said
that he had made that comment not knowing or anticipating how much could change in the course of
a few days. However, the COVID-19 infection rate has skyrocketed, and the Governor has now closed
bars. Reflecting on that, the Mayor felt it was important for the Council to consider the Ordinance
earlier. A Press Release was issued and social media was used in an attempt to get notice of the Special
Meeting out as soon as possible. Mayor Haila noted that he does not take lightly making changes to
what has been told to people during Council meetings; however, it was an extraordinary situation that
he believed warranted the calling of a Special Meeting. There is one item on this meeting’s Agenda,
which is the first reading of a Mandatory Face Covering Ordinance, as prepared by the City Attorney
at the direction of the City Council .

PUBLIC FORUM:

Mayor Haila opened Public Forum. There being no one indicating that they

wished to speak, the Mayor closed Public Forum.

MANDATORY FACE COVERING ORDINANCE:

Mayor Haila asked City Attorney Mark

Lambert to provide highlights of the proposed Ordinance.

City Attorney Lambert explained that he had drafted the Ordinance with the recommendations made
by the City Council members after they had reviewed the Draft at their meeting held August 25, 2020.
He specifically noted that he had added language as directed, which was to:

1. Clarify that a childcare facility is not considered a public setting or a facility where the

public is invited in.

2. Remove any penalties and replace with language saying that compliance with the

Ordinance shall be obtained through education and encouragement only. There is no
penalty for a violation of the Ordinance.

Moved by Junck, seconded Corrieri, to reconsider the motion made at the Council’s last meeting,
specifically the motion to approve the Draft Ordinance, but replace Section 4 with a statement
explaining that there will be no penalty.
Roll Call Vote: 3-3. Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Corrieri, Junck. Voting nay: Betcher, Gartin, Martin.
Motion failed.

Mayor Haila stated that the Council had received an email from a member of the public requesting
clarification about members of a household being out walking around together. The Mayor felt the
author’s intent was to ask if it might be an exemption if a person was walking with someone they live
with. He asked Attorney Lambert to comment. Mr. Lambert pointed out that under Section (1)a., it
states, “Outside whenever the person cannot stay at least six (6) feet away from others.” He felt the
author of the email seemed to be suggesting to add to that “who are not family members.”

Council Member Martin said that the suggestion was to modify Section (1)a. The Ordinance currently
reads that every person must wear a face covering under the following circumstances:

“(1)a. Outside whenever the person cannot stay at least six (6) feet away from others;”

The proposal is to change that to read, “Outside whenever the person cannot stay at least six (6) feet
away from others not in the person’s household.”

Moved by Martin, seconded by Corrieri, to modify Section (1)a. so that it reads “Outside whenever the
person cannot stay six (6) feet away from others not in the person’s household.”

Council Member Gartin asked how someone would know who is in someone’s household and how
would they go about proving that. He believes people from the same household should be able to walk
on the streets together. Mr. Gartin recognized that there is no enforcement at this time, but if there ever
was an enforcement mechanism, it would make it very difficult for the Police to enforce. City Attorney
Lambert stated that the idea is to put the rule in place and hope that people comply. He does not think
the Police will be pulling people over to check to see if they are family members. Council Member
Gartin questioned if that would include roommates. Mr. Lambert replied that it would include
roommates.

Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Moved by Martin, seconded by Gartin, to state that the Ordinance would sunset on December 31, 2020,
unless the date is amended or the Ordinance is sooner repealed.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

** Public Comment: Cynthia Paschen, 2117 Graeber Street, Ames, stated that she was married to Dr.
Paschen, who is the Chair of Story County Board of Health. Ms. Paschen said that Dr. Paschen had
gotten a lot of international press today about the opening up of football games at Iowa State; 25,000
people are expected at the first home football game on September 12, 2020. People were indicating in
the comment sections of newspapers from Great Britain to Germany to New York what they thought
about that decision; it mostly was not good. Ms. Paschen said she was speaking as a surrogate for her
husband because he was at work taking care of patients. The question was asked by Ms. Paschen that,
if the City Council passes an ordinance with no teeth (no penalty), how does that interface with an
ordinance passed by the Story County Board of Supervisors, based on the recommendations of the
Board of Health, that may have a penalty or may have a stronger recommendation than what is being
considered by the Ames City Council. Mayor Haila advised that City Attorney Lambert will be asked
to answer that question after all public input had been received.

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** Lissa Rosengren, 614 Hodge Avenue, Ames, asked if the role of government is to protect people from
themselves; and at what point, is it to guard liberties. She questioned if government was more or less
effective when it creates more laws. Ms. Rosengren indicated that she was opposed to the mask
mandate, in general, but definitely as written. She also questioned if the purpose of masking was to
have fewer positive cases or fewer hospitalizations. Ms. Rosengren said she would like to see
parameters added to the Ordinance so that the decisions are based on data in context. It was also asked
by Ms. Rosengren what else could be expected or anticipated in future ordinances regarding COVID,
e.g., requiring eye wear. Ms. Rosengren stated that she would also like to see exemptions, in writing,
for places of worship.

** Vanessa Burnett, 2805 Northridge Parkway, #104, Ames, stated that she had sent, on March 27, 2020, a letter to every City Council member; however, had received no indication that any of them had read it with the exception of Mayor Haila. According to Ms. Burnett, her letter was full of information about how Ames could get ahead of the virus based on her experience as a disaster management professional. She alleged that the Council cannot even pass the most basic public health measure to mandate the wearing of masks in Ames with a penalty, which point she didn’t even include in her March 27th letter

because she assumed that was commonsense. Noting that it was now September and now Ames is a
world’s coronavirus hotspot because it took five months for the Council to get to this point. Ms.
Burnett said that she moved to Ames from the Washington, D.C., area because she thought it would
be the safest place to be in the case of a huge catastrophe, which she felt was likely to be inevitable;
however, she believes she would be safer back in the D.C. area with 5.5 million people than she is back
here “in the sticks” with a bunch of people who don’t believe in science. Ms. Burnett commented that
the Council members were elected to serve, which means to her trying to keep its residents alive, not
trying to protect freedoms for people who are too selfish to help others by following even the most
basic virus mitigation measures. She asked the Council to please take care of those living here.

** Abbie Berger, 420 Ash Avenue, Ames, stated that she is against the Mask Ordinance in all forms. She
believes it is an infringement of individual liberties that are very important. Ms. Berger commented
that she does not believe it is healthy, specifically for children, but for all people to wear masks. She
said she is not anti-science; however, science needs to look at actual facts and actual numbers in
context, and she does not believe the virus necessitates the wearing of masks.

Dickson Jensen,

4611 Mortensen Road, Ames

, Iowa, acknowledged the trauma, destruction, and even

death that has been caused by the virus in Ames, in the State, Country, and World; the consequences
have been overwhelming and have changed the world as it functions. He stated his belief that the City
Council and the citizens of Ames all want the same thing: they want the virus to go away and life to
be normal again; however, that is not going to happen in the near future. Medical experts are stating
that to help lessen the spread of the virus, people should live differently by using higher hygiene
standards and wearing face coverings. Mr. Jensen noted that the main goal of the Ordinance, according
to the City Council, is to educate and encourage Ames citizens on how important face coverings are
to slow the spread. The Ordinance has no penalty for violations for not wearing a mask. Mr. Jensen
said he was offering an additional idea for educating citizens on social distancing and wearing face
coverings. The idea is not to add a penalty for violation of the Ordinance, but instead, publicize through
signage, social media, etc., the importance of the Ordinance. He also suggested offering rewards in the
form of gift certificates to be handed out by the Police Department to those individuals abiding by the
Ordinance. The safety and well-being of Ames citizens is of the utmost importance, but as stated by

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the Council, so is a strong economy. Ames needs the students of Iowa State University (ISU) living in
Ames, ISU football games played in Ames, and events and activities occurring in Ames. Mr. Jensen
stated that Ames businesses are hurting, and some businesses are dying because of the virus. He offered
to donate $10,000 tonight to buy gift certificates from Ames restaurants and to start a strong campaign
to educate citizens on the importance of wearing masks. Likewise, he wants the City to add to that fund
to help pay for the education and for more gift certificates. He suggested that other contributions to the
fund be made by the City in the amount of $100,000; by ISU in the amount of $100,000, as ISU needs
Ames just like Ames needs ISU; other organizations, such as the Ames Chamber and Visitors Bureau,
Mary Greeley Medical Center, McFarland Clinic, financial institutions, other large business owners,
churches, and other concerned citizens, who should all give freely to help stop the spread and to keep
the hospitality industry alive. Mr. Jensen believes an obtainable goal of $500K or more is very realistic.
He asked that Ames find a way to come together and be an example for other cities that is positive and
encouraging, not negative. Mr. Jensen asked that the City “jump on board” and help get the community
back to normal.

Ernie Brown, 1219-24th Street, Ames, asked if the houses of worship were going to be exempted from
the mandate. He said he was not going to give his opinion on masks or no masks, but said he does have
a concern about houses of worship.

** Paige McGovern, 531Crystal Street, Ames, expressed her disapproval of moving forward with a mask
mandate. She asked the Council to implicitly describe the end goal and what numbers would be looked
at in order to end the mandate. Ms. McGovern recalled that the Council had previously given three
factors that would need to be present before they would move forward with a mask mandate, but none
of those factors have been met and yet the Council decided to move forward with issuing the mandate.
Ms. McGovern asked that the Council communicate the end goal to the citizens.

Mayor Haila noted that some of the Council members were having internet issues; however, they were
all still participating in this meeting.

** Sasha Aarsen, 3320 Weston Drive, Ames, stated that she is strongly against the mask mandate, face
coverings, and masking on anyone who is healthy. She believes that those who are not can be
protected, as has been done before. Ms. Aarsen commented that the virus can be passed around to the
healthy people, who can get over it and build up their immunities; herd immunity is real. According
to Ms. Aarsen, hospitalizations dropped a while ago, and she questioned why the City Council was even
discussing a mask mandate now. She asked that she be sent what the Council is seeing to make these
decisions. In all the material that she has searched, not one has shown that a mask prevents viral spread.
According to Ms. Aarsen, the fear that is being pushed and the comments from a few in the medical
field are being outweighed by the hundreds, and there are answers: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and several
other things that people who take care of themselves use on a regular basis. She doesn’t believe she
needs to wear a mask because she is not a sick person; she does everything to keep herself and her
family healthy. She takes pride in her body, and if others are going to fast-food restaurants for every
meal of the day, they are not taking pride in their health. Ms. Aarsen asked why she should have to
wear a mask because others are making poor choices. To her, that makes no sense. She further
commented that she has children, and she is not going to allow this to be normalized for them. Ms.
Aarsen questioned who is looking at the social, emotional, and psychological damage being caused.
It is her belief that her children should be in school, but she is home-schooling this year and she is not

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a home-school parent. In Ms. Aarsen’s opinion, this has gone too far; when fear is the driving force,
decisions are not made correctly.

** Naomi Maynes, 427-13th Street, Ames, said that she would like to know the metrics to show when the
mandate is to be over, specifically, when is everyone going to get to stop wearing masks. She asked to
see the science that is being used to make the decisions. All the research that she has done indicates
that masks, especially those made of cloth, seem to spread the illness. Ms. Maynes has been told how
much children, and adults as well, are touching their masks, adjusting them, and taking them on and
off repeatedly. She has small children and requested to know how much research the Council has done
in regards to the emotional, psychological, and even physical damage that could possibly be caused
because there are no studies on that. Ms. Maynes stated that she was also greatly concerned about the
lack of religious exemption. The ability to worship how and where people please is a source of pride
for many Americans. According to Ms. Maynes, an article in the

New York Times

stated that there is

concern over the COVID-19 tests as they are showing evidence of someone being infected, but in such
a small amount that they are not actually spreading the virus. Ms. Maynes said that for people who are
sick and think that they could be spreading the virus, it makes perfect sense to her that they should wear
a mask and avoid contact with others if they are not able to stay home. However, to require people who
are healthy and to require three-year-old child who is healthy to wear a mask and not be able to see
people’s faces or see people smile is wrong and is not acceptable.

** Ashley Smith, 4144 Eisenhower Lane, Ames, spoke in favor of the mask mandate. She has seen some
people taking this lightly and citing the low death rate as the reason; however, she thinks it is very
important to note there is not a binary between “living happily after or dying from COVID.” Ms. Smith
commented that there is a lot that is unknown about the long-term effects: there is evidence now that
people who recover from COVID have permanent neurological or heart damage. She recalled that there
were some legal ramifications that prevented Council from moving forward with the mask mandate;
however, she thinks that the federal and state governments have failed its people, and if city
government is not willing to move forward with something to protect its people, there is no one left to
provide that protection. Ms. Smith encouraged the Council to move forward with the mandate. She
would like to see a penalty because she does not think people will comply without one. She noted that
she has heard that grocery store workers have been assaulted when they have required shoppers to put
on a mask. Even though she wants a penalty included, if it is the path of least resistance to do something
with positive reenforcement, that would be helpful. Ms. Smith noted that a few of the speakers had
commented that healthy people do not need to wear masks; however, that is exactly the issue: it is not
known when they could be spreading the virus, so masks are needed at all times. If everyone is not
compliant, it will not work. Noting the comments about places of worship, Ms. Smith said her personal
opinion is that there should be no exemptions; the virus does not care where you are, especially if
people are indoors.

** Jon Rosengren, 614 Hodge, Ames, stated that he is very much against the mask mandate. He said that
the thresholds for triggering a mandate have never been met and the thresholds for ending it have never
been stated; however, if the Council is basing its decision on science, he believes there needs to be
actual measurable triggers in place. At this point, it appears to him that actions are being taken out of
fear, panicking to rush and get the Ordinance in place as soon as possible to deal with something that
there is not a lot known about. Mr. Rosengren commented that Ames has been dealing with this for
over five months. Statistics have shown that there are spikes, and Ames may be having a higher

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percentage of positives at the moment, but the general trend is that this is on the downside; the virus
is declining and death rates are declining. The rates of testing have changed because they are no longer
testing those who are asymptomatic per CDC recommendations. Naturally, there are going to be higher
positivity rates because the only people who are being tested are sick. In the opinion of Mr. Rosengren,
the trigger that Ames is a hotspot is an artificial statistic; it should be a randomized statistic, not simply
testing a group of people who are sick to find out how many people are sick with a particular disease.
Mr. Rosengren reiterated that he is very much opposed to the mask mandate in any form.

Andrew Piltser Cowan, Somerville, Massachusetts, stated that his parents live at 2015 Clark Avenue
in Ames, which is where he grew up. Mr. Piltser Cowan indicated that he had not intended to speak
during this meeting; however, he has watched with alarm the rising number of cases in Story County
over the past days and weeks. He shared his experience in living in the most dense city in New England
where they have been under a mask mandate since April. His view, after living under that mask
mandate for the past several months, is that it is the smallest of the impositions upon people’s liberties
and helps to save lives. Mr. Piltser Cowan stated that a range of civil penalties were included in the
Massachusetts mask mandate; however, since April, the number of coercive enforcement actions of that
mask mandate statewide has been in the tens. Their mask mandate has been enforced, like Ames is
proposed to be done, by education and encouragement, and it has worked. Mr. Piltser Cowan
encouraged the Council to adopt the proposed mask mandate.

** Vivian Cook, 2316 Aspen Road, Unit #102, Ames, voiced her support for an enforceable mask
mandate. She acknowledged that this is a City of Ames meeting, but pointed out that it, above all else,
is due to the dangerous decisions of Iowa State University that have resulted in Ames’ recent listing
as the No. 1 worst COVID outbreak in the nation. However, Iowa State University Administrators have
also informed the community that they had been in close conversation with the City of Ames in making
these decisions. Ms. Cook pointed out that Iowa State University is not self-contained, and its actions
will affect the entire community as a whole and is already doing so. She encouraged the Council to
apply pressure to Iowa State University to discourage in-person gatherings of any kind. It is more than
clear to Ms. Cook that the actions of the nation, Iowa, and ISU, are showing disregard for the scientific
evidence and the lives of those in all communities. Ames has far exceeded the thresholds of other
communities that have slowed the spread by taking actions such as mandating face coverings, and
federal public health guidelines are being disregarded. Ms. Cook urged the Council members to do
everything they can, including passing a face covering mandate, to mitigate the spread.

** Reid Kruger, 1160 Oklahoma Drive, Ames, stated that he has been a small business owner in Ames
since 1982. He is really concerned about the lack of consequences of the Ordinance. Mr. Kruger
commented that he loved the idea of the gift certificates and would like to chip in some money himself.
He noted that, in his own business, there are signs that ask people to wear masks; however, it is a daily
battle with some of the people entering his shop. The same people who are touting their liberties don’t
even respect other people’s own liberties to run their businesses how they want. He has heard of young
people being berated in front of HyVee and Target because they are trying to enforce the store’s policy.
Mr. Kruger sees it as being hypocritical of these people to fight for only their own liberties. It is his
opinion that those people who are so set against a mandate are still not going to wear masks. He noted
that he personally cannot get sick because he is a small essential business owner with one employee,
and if gets sick, he and his one employee will have to close down his business. On a personal level,
his wife has a severe underlying condition and is at high risk; he can’t bring the virus home. His family

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has been social distancing and has basically sequestered in their home since March, hoping that other
people will do the right thing and care for other people, but that hasn’t happened in the past five
months. The science is out there and it’s not going away. He is tired of going to work scared out of his
mind. Everyone wants it to be over. Mr. Kruger said he would like the Council to consider some kind
of consequence in order to help for helping to enforce a mask mandate.

** Leanne Wilson, 5326 Springbrook Drive, Ames, thanked the Council for holding this Special Meeting
as she believes this is a decision that cannot be delayed. She pointed out that the number of active
COVID cases was coming down until mid-August, but now it is rising rapidly due to spread inside
Ames. According to Ms. Wilson, if there are no changes, about 2,500 more cases will be identified in
Story County in the next two weeks. The lag between new cases and hospitalizations is about ten days;
therefore, there will be a rise in hospitalizations. However, if the slope can be changed now, a much
worse rise could be avoided. Ms. Wilson urged the City Council to pass the mandate in whatever form
they can agree on as soon as possible to avoid a much worse situation; action is needed now.

** Rebekah Bunting, 5247 Harvest Road, Ames, voiced her opposition to a mask mandate in any form.
She asked those who are citing statistics and science to state where they are getting their statistics. Ms.
Bunting said that she works in clinical trial drug development and management, specifically for fatty
liver disease where she sees morbidly obese patients on a global level, but also in many sites in the
United States. She manages 23,000 patients and has only seen six patients with COVID, and those six
patients have recovered and continued on with their trial studies. Ms. Bunting believes that a lot of
economic decisions and decisions regarding individual liberties are being based on a 2.4% positivity
rate and out of fear. According to Ms. Bunting, Story County has a 2.4% positivity rate; statistically,
that is an insignificant number. She clarified that she was not saying that it was insignificant if someone
were to contract COVID and become severely ill or even die. There have been a lot of tests coming
back positive, but it doesn’t mean that those people are symptomatic and it doesn’t even mean that these
people are in the hospital. Ms. Bunting said that the numbers don’t even show that Story County is
having a “crazy” increase in numbers, but that is what the media is wanting people to think. She
suggested that people look at the COVID website for information. Gift cards are a wonderful idea, but
that would still be encouraging making decisions based on fear, rather than confidence. Ms. Bunting
asked the Council to consider the consequences to children, families, churches, and businesses. She
also noted that it is the owner’s right to require people to wear masks in order to come into their
businesses, which do need to be respected. That means she won’t give her business to those
establishments, just like she won’t give her business to Wheatsfield because she’s not welcome in that
store now.

Yonas Michael, 3001 Heathrow Drive, Ames, said he was shocked to hear that people are so passionate
about not wearing masks. He believes that the science is clear that wearing masks helps to slow the
spread of the coronavirus. Mr. Michael commented that he kept hearing statements about acting out
of fear, but he is fearful that the lack of responsibility as a community will not keep him and his
neighbors safe. He is fearful that he will succumb to his underlying health condition if he contracts the
virus. Mr. Michael said that what is being talked about is wearing a mask to help keep people healthy
and alive. After hearing the last speaker talk about how they are not going to shop at certain places
because masks are required, he commented that those are the places where he does shop and supports
because he does feel comfortable and safe there. From an economics perspective, he now has turned
to buying most of what he needs online because he is too worried about entering businesses because

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he is afraid of being exposed to the virus. In Mr. Michael’s opinion, there are so many reasons why
the mask mandate is needed; however, the reality is that the science is clear: currently, the Ames
community is not healthy. The positivity rate in Ames continues to go up, and to return to business as
usual, everyone has to do their part now. He said he lacks faith in people using the commonsense that
science has put out there. Mr. Michael encouraged the Council to support a mask mandate.

** John Carter, 619 Duff Avenue, Ames, indicated that was speaking on behalf of himself and his wife,
Chelcie. Mr. Carter indicated that they moved to Ames approximately a year ago from East Central,
Indiana, for graduate school. He initially wasn’t sure he wanted to live in a larger community, but he
actually really loves Ames. The thing that has shocked him the most this evening is the disregard some
community members seem to have for other members of the community. In his opinion, individual
liberties stop where others can begin to be harmed. He is amazed at the lengths that people go to in
order not wear a mask on their face. Mr. Carter urged the Council to not only pass a mask mandate, but
to have one “with teeth.” For him, it was really disheartening to know that there are so many
community members who seem to not care about the impact of the virus on other people’s lives,
specifically that it can harm and kill people. He believes the psychological trauma that needs to be
considered is that which will occur when friends or family members become sick, die, and or have life-
long aftereffects.

Sehba Faheem, Ames, advised that she is in favor of the mask mandate. She wants to make sure that
throughout this discussion they are not losing sight of the overall goal, which is to save people’s lives.
The CDC has said that masks will stop the spread of the virus; the CDC is the best source of
information. Ms. Faheem pointed out that it is a novel coronavirus and some things are unknown;
however, masks have been proven to reduce the spread of the virus as they form a barrier from droplets
from the mouth of a person who might be carrying the virus to everyone else. Having everyone wear
a mask will reduce the spread of the virus overall. Ms. Faheem believes that it is a simple ask to save
lives. It should have been implemented months ago, but it is still being discussed. She wants to ensure
that, if a mask mandate is implemented, it actually puts some enforcement behind it; it needs an actual
penalty for not having a mask on. Ms. Faheem asked the Council to make the right decision to keep
citizens safe. Citizens need the Council’s help to keep them safe; the Governor has failed the citizens
of Iowa, and it is on the Council’s shoulders now to protect community members’ lives.

** Tim Sklenar, 320 S. 2nd Street, Ames, voiced his support of a mask mandate “with teeth.” He has a

compromising condition and is at risk. Mr. Sklenar noted that people do not have a personal liberty
right to drink and drive because it endangers other people’s lives, but he doesn’t fear it because there
are rules against it with penalties. Mr. Sklenar believes the same thing should apply to a mask mandate.
According to Mr. Sklenar, it worked in the influenza outbreak in 1918. He would like to go out in the
Ames community and not be worried that others are going to be selfish and potentially kill him. Mr.
Sklenar added that he has been religiously wearing a mask since February, and wearing a mask has not
affected him negatively or physically at all.

** Lena Menefee-Cook, 3105 Bayberry Road, Ames, stated that she is in favor of enacting an enforceable
mandate. She is deeply concerned about now many of her friends, family members, teachers, students,
and other Ames community members are going to get COVID-19 and could possibly die, partially due
to a lack of community-oriented safety measures. She asked the Council to please protect the people
of Ames with an enforceable mandate.

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** Luke Gran, 65584-260th Street, Nevada, advised that he is a business owner in Story County and
employs people who work in Ames. He has a company-wide mask mandate. Mr. Gran shared that one
of his employee’s roommates was infected with COVID. He had ridden in a car for over an hour with
that employee, who could have potentially transmitted the virus to him. Mr. Gran specified that he had
a mask on. According to Mr. Gran, he has now had two tests and both were negative. Of the three
people who were riding in the vehicle, one person is at home for two weeks with terrible symptoms of
the virus, but he is healthy and free of the virus. From his personal experience, Mr. Gran believes that
masking works. He feels that it is very important to mandate masks be worn in public spaces, and the
mandate needs to “have teeth” so people will do it.

** Aditya Ramamoorthy, 2634 Somerset Drive, Ames, said he strongly supports a mask mandate “with
teeth.” Something that he knows as an academic, is that even though the 2.4% might currently be a low
positivity rate, there is the possibility of exponential growth in the number of positive cases. Mr.
Ramamoorthy cautioned that people need to be very, very careful, and having a mask mandate is not
something that is extremely infringing on people’s rights. As others have pointed out, if his wearing
of a mask is helping someone else not get sick, he thinks he should be doing it. Mr. Ramamoorthy
believes that Ames is in a situation of a pandemic and needs to learn from what countries around the
world have done. He advised that Singapore, which has 5.7 million people, has had under 60,000
COVID cases because of extreme discipline by the people in wearing masks and strong contact tracing.
While Ames cannot do contact tracing at that level, people can certainly wear masks; scientific
evidence clearly shows that it helps. Mr. Ramamoorthy reiterated his support for a mask mandate. He
noted that Ames is an extremely welcoming community; he has lived in Ames for over 14 years, and
he has nothing but good things to say about Ames, as a whole. However, in this one aspect, he noted
his disappointment. He believes that Ames should work together and have a mask mandate that helps
everyone.

** Serena Paulson, 3213 West Street, Ames, thanked some of the Council members for stepping up to fight
for a mask mandate “with teeth.” Se said her level of disappointment in some of Ames’ residents rises
every day. Some are only concerned about themselves, not about protecting others, especially when
they say that people with underlying health conditions don’t deserve to be protected. If someone can
save one life by wearing a mask, they should do so. Ms. Paulson believes that someone’s right to
freedom to not wear a mask does not supersede another person’s right to live. Long-term consequences
from the virus are still being discovered. She believes that an enforceable mandate would save lives.
Adopting one “without teeth” does nothing. Ms. Paulson asked the Council to pass an enforceable mask
mandate and to do it now.

** Kiley Waite, 4231 Cartier Avenue, Ames, said she and her husband continue to stand in opposition to
the Mask Ordinance. She stated that before that should be recommended, people need to understand
whether masks are helpful or not. Ms. Waite read a CDC article called, “Effectiveness of Cloth Masks
for Protecting Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus II.” In summary, the article
noted that cloth masks “may provide some protection if well-designed and used correctly...Multi-layer
cloth masks designed to fit around the face and made of water-resistant fabric may provide protection.”
Ms. Waite commented that her conclusion after reading the article was that there is not enough clear
evidence to support mandating masks in the City of Ames. She advised that the article also stated that
only one randomized controlled study has been done to determine the efficacy of cloth masks.
According to Ms. Waite, the study also stated that the risk for infection was higher for those wearing

9

cloth masks. She also alleged that citizens of Ames do not wear masks correctly. Wearers touch and
adjust their masks repeatedly, and once the mask is touched by the wearer, it is contaminated. Ms.
Waite commented that some people never wash their masks. Taking the mask on and off is high-risk
because pathogens may be on the outer surface of the mask and may result in self-contamination. Ms.
Waite questioned whether a three-year-old or a ten-year-old can wear a mask correctly if an adult
cannot wear a mask correctly, She asked for the Council to strongly consider not including children ten
and under in the Ordinance.

** Julianna Starling, 1428 Walton Drive, #106, Ames, explained that she had moved to Ames from another
country and has lived in Ames for ten years now. She was born in a communist country; it was
shocking to her that this is being pushed on people at the local level. Ms. Starling said that she has a
degree in Health Information Management. She stated her belief that the biggest thing out of this is that
people are living in fear because of confusion and panic, and as a result, there is a lot of tension here.
Ms. Starling asked that people take a look at the science that the Governor has provided, which very
clearly states that there is no evidence that masks provide protection from the virus. She also noted that
CDC has issued a statement saying that research indicates that masks may be helpful to those who are
infected, but there is less information as to whether or not masks offer any protection to those exposed
to anyone who is symptomatic or asymptomatic. Ms. Starling noted that the virus is spread by droplets;
it can come from any fluid that the body excretes, not just from the nose or mouth. She believes that
people should not be looking at positive tests, but at deaths. The number of deaths is decreasing, not
only in the country, but in Iowa as well. Ms. Starling quoted Benjamin Franklin saying, “Those who
would give up an essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety.” She believes that the job of Council members is not to protect people, but to ensure order in
the City. It is the job of people to protect themselves and to take care of themselves. Ms. Starling said
that they have chosen to home-school this year, not because they are scared of the virus, but because
they are scared of the physical, emotional, and mental impact it is going to have on children because
this doesn’t affect them. According to Ms. Starling, it has been noted in scientific studies that it is very
rare that children even spread the virus. In conclusion, Ms. Starling pointed out that there is so much
that they don’t know, and mask-wearing is really just an experiment on the American people because
there is really nothing to prove that masks truly work on the majority of the population. She does not
think that a mask mandate is the right thing to do, not only for the City, but for the whole country.

** Jennifer Hill, 3807 Columbine Avenue, Ames, shared that her husband was in China in January 2020,
and after he came home, they didn’t get sick. She offered that her husband, her daughter, and she all
have underlying health conditions. They have been mask-free the entire time, not because they don’t
care about society, but it was the decision that they made. Ms. Hill shared that she had ensured an
horrific incident at the age of nine during which her mouth was covered. Every time she puts a mask
on, she re-lives that traumatic incident. She now works at a school and has to put a mask on. It is very
difficult for her to do so, but she does it because she loves teaching and she wants the students to be
educated and feel the connection of personal teaching. People not wearing masks does not mean that
they are selfish; like her, they may have other reasons. Ms. Hill said that it is very important for people
to be in charge of themselves. She doesn’t rely on the City Council to make her children behave; that
is her responsibility. Ms. Hill asked the Council members to hear people on both sides before they make
their decision.

10

** Sarah Carney, 320 S. 2nd Street, Ames, stated her support for an enforceable mask mandate in Ames.

She said that there is scientific consensus on the effectiveness of cloth face coverings in controlling
the spread of the virus, and the sooner Ames comes together as a community and wears masks, the
more lives and livelihoods can be saved. Ms. Carney thinks that a mask mandate will improve freedom
of movement throughout Ames for all people. Taking measured precautions against the spread of the
pandemic to protect the most-vulnerable people is not necessarily an act of fear, but an act of love. Ms.
Carney urged the Council to pass the mask mandate.

Brandy Howe said she lives in Story County, but her daughter lives at 905 Dickinson Avenue in Ames
and is a 21-year-old college student. Ms. Howe said that, in talking with her daughter this afternoon
about this meeting, her daughter shared that six of her friends are not doing well mentally or
emotionally because the CDC has recently released a study that showed that 25% of adults ages 18 to
24 have considered suicide in the last 30 days with everything that is associated with the pandemic.
According to Ms. Howe, there is a .05 chance of dying from COVID and 90% of those who die of
COVID are of an advanced age. She said that the average age of those dying from COVID is 78, which
is also the average life span of people in the United States. She believes that children are not doing well.
It is the belief of Ms. Howe that a mask mandate can be passed, but a week after the masks come off,
there will be another spike in positive cases. According to Ms. Howe, the nature of a virus is that it
mutates to become less deadly, but spreads faster. All people have thousands of viruses in their bodies
every day, and she believes if tests for something are done, you will find it. Ms. Howe thinks that masks
are very de-humanizing to especially children and young adults. It is extremely harmful, especially
when you combine a mask mandate with not allowing people to gather in groups larger than ten. Ms.
Howe asks the Council to keep in mind that everyone is responsible for their own health, and that
includes their mental health.

Mayor Haila asked Ms. Howe to clarify whether the 18- to 24-year-olds who were contemplating
suicide within the last 30 days was because of having to wear a mask. Ms. Howe answered that it was
specific to the pandemic and everything that young people are faced with, whether that it is because
they now can’t gather in groups, and they can’t go to college as they expected, as well as having to
wear masks, which are de-humanizing; every aspect of their lives has been changed. Ms. Howe stated
that she was 100% against the mask mandate.

** April Finley, 4701 Todd Drive, Unit #205, Ames, said that the first thing she heard when she and her
husband moved here from Alabama was “Iowa Nice” and that some of the people here are some of the
nicest people. Ms. Finley said that truly “Iowa Nice” means to do whatever it takes to protect your
fellow Iowa citizens. She pointed out that she is a neighbor, her husband is a neighbor, and they both
have underlying health conditions. Ms. Finley commented that she and her husband are members of
the Ames community and are both strongly in favor of the mask mandate. She believes that having a
mask mandate is not living in fear; it is living in safety. Ms. Finley noted that Ames has a high
positivity rate, but it also has an opportunity to correct that and be an example for the rest of the country
to follow. She agreed that it is a little bit overdue, but encouraged Ames to be that example of how it
corrected that through dynamic leadership. The mandate can be adapted as circumstances change. Ms.
Finley shared that in her home state of Alabama, a mask mandate was implemented with a rolling
deadline; it can be extended or lifted depending on the number of cases. According to Ms. Finley, it
has dramatically taken down the number of cases in the entire state of Alabama; there are examples that

11

show that mask mandates do work. She urged the Council to pass the mask mandate for the safety of
all Ames citizens.

** Andrew Mizerak, 3306 Preston Circle, Ames, stated that he does support the wearing of masks, but
does not support a mask mandate, and he is strongly opposed to a mask mandate “with teeth.” He
believes that a mask mandate “with teeth” could cause unintended consequences, including, but not
limited to, patients being less likely to be honest with their physicians about wearing a mask or sharing
where they have been if they have had an exposure. Mr. Mizerak also thinks that putting the force of
law behind a mask mandate could empower both sides to experience unintended consequences. He
acknowledged that he is a front-line health care worker who has worked with COVID-positive patients.
There are people who are going to be sick with COVID, and the most-vulnerable people should be
protected. The most-vulnerable people are over the age of 60 with pre-existing health conditions. Those
people should be wearing masks and others should be wearing masks around those people.

** Jennifer Flugge, 1304 Alberta, Ames, voiced her strong support for a mask mandate. She still has
lingering issues from having COVID in May. She was out in the community when she was positive
and infected, and if she had not been wearing her mask, she would have spread it to others. Ms. Flugge
said she can sleep at night because she knows that she was wearing her mask and not infecting others.
She said she will continue to wear her mask because it is unknown whether she can get COVID again
or be infectious again. She sees wearing a mask as the very least that a person can do for their
community.

Katie Bents, 2147-160th Street, Ames, asked that the Council look at the people beyond COVID -
those who have severe anxiety attacks every time they put on a mask, the people who can’t wear them
because it just sends them into a full-on meltdown. These people may have Asperger’s Syndrome or
autism or other conditions that other people can’t see. Ms. Bents shared that her older two sons have
conditions where they can’t wear a mask. If people see them in public, they won’t know that; the
public won’t know that wearing a mask will send them “into orbit” and will cause them physical pain
to be restricted in that way. Ms. Bents said that if they are made to wear a mask, they won’t be able to
function. They are trying their hardest; they are washing their hands, using hand sanitizer, and social-
distancing. Ms. Bents said that there are many people in this community who have underlying issues
and won’t be able to wear a mask. She also shared that she has younger children and pointed out that
on every cartoon, “bad guys wear masks.” Small children have been conditioned that bad guys wear
masks, and even if they are told that it is ok to wear masks now, it will be hard for them to understand.
Ms. Bents is also concerned that children could actually be kidnapped and people are not going to know
it because their mouths will be taped shut under their masks; those are the types of things that the
Council needs to think about. She again urged the Council to take into consideration the fact that there
are people with underlying conditions who cannot wear masks.

Dan Bell, 419-18th Street, Ames, said that after hearing a previous caller’s horrific experience and from
the most-recent caller about the issues that could occur if certain people are made to wear masks, he
was reminded that what really needed to be focused on was compassion. He doesn’t know what the
answer is, but he believes it involves allowing some people to go out in public without a mask and
additional guidelines. However, if the Ames community, which has to be one of the most-educated
communities anywhere, can’t figure this out, he doesn’t know who can.

12

** Jeremie Knutson, 2117 Stevenson Drive, Ames, wanted to address the effectiveness of cloth masks
against acute respiratory syndrome - coronavirus. He noted that several people had quoted that study,
but they had left out the part that said, “until cloth masks’ design is proven to be equally effective as
the medical N95 masks, wearing cloth masks should not be mandated for healthcare workers. In
community settings, however, cloth masks may be used to prevent community spread of infections by
sick or asymptomatically infected persons and the public should be educated about their correct use.”
Mr. Knutson strongly encouraged that, if the Council chooses to implement a City-wide mandate, they
should also engage in educating the community as a part of that. In closing, Mr. Knutson said he
wanted to leave the Council with the number 16, which is the number of Story County residents who
have died because of contracting COVID-19.

Mayor Haila asked Mr. Knutson to clarify what he was suggesting the community receive education
on specifically. Mr. Knutson replied that it should be specifically on the proper wearing of masks and
which cloth masks are most effective.

** Dan Marks, 2307 Timberland Road, Ames, stated that he had written to the Mayor and Council
repeatedly since early July asking for a mask mandate to keep Iowa from becoming another New York.
Florida, Arizona, or Texas. Now Ames is ranked as having the third highest positive COVID cases in
the world and first in the U. S. Mr. Marks believes that if a mask mandate would have been put in place
before ISU opened, they wouldn’t have to be concerned about the University being shut down or with
sending students home early; bars would not be shut down for a second time, and most people would
be more comfortable going into businesses knowing that a mask mandate was in place. According to
Mr. Marks, the Story County Board of Health is going to vote on a mask mandate with a fine, and it
is his desire that the City Council include a fine in the mask mandate in Ames. He feels that that is the
only way to get people who don’t wear a mask to do the right thing. In Mr. Marks’ opinion, if everyone
would wear a mask, the virus would have a difficult time spreading. The CDC, WHO, IDPH, the Story
County Board of Health, and nearly all epidemiologists and scientists agree that masks work. When
Ames has a mask mandate, it will also help the University to succeed, and Ames needs the University
to succeed, which in turn helps the Ames community to succeed. Mr. Marks strongly encouraged the
Council to vote yes on the mandate.

** Nick Paul, 1015 Curtis Avenue, Ames, advised that he had been a resident of Ames for 34 years. It was
disheartening for him to hear some of the comments tonight, as he always thought that he lived in a
community that cared. Mr. Paul said that he grew up with “No Shirt. No Shoes. No Service,” and there
were no complaints about that because it made sense. Another example he gave was that people are not
allowed to walk around in public naked. He hears people asking why masks work, and he thought the
Ames community would be educated enough to understand it. Mr. Paul noted that surgeons have to
wear a mask during surgeries, which can last many hours; however, you don’t hear them complaining.
He also brought up an article that he had read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as some people are
claiming it is their civil right to not wear a mask. Mr. Paul said that the author of the article pointed out
that there is no civil right to do as you choose if, by doing so, you present a risk of harm which
infringes on the rights of others. He encouraged the passing of a mask mandate. Mr. Paul noted that the
number of cases in Ames is not being compared to other states; the number is being compared to other
countries.

Mayor Haila closed public input.

13

The Mayor asked the City Attorney to comment on how the proposed Ames Ordinance would interface
with one passed by the Story County Board of Supervisors should the Board decide to implement a
mask mandate that may have different aspects or enforcement measures than the one proposed for
Ames. City Attorney Lambert cited a provision in the

Iowa Constitution

that makes it clear that the

City ordinance would supersede the County one within the City limits in Ames. The County’s would
be effective everywhere else within the County, but not in Ames. Also, the County’s would be
enforced by the County Sheriff’s Department.

Mayor Haila asked whether there were any exceptions in the proposed face covering ordinance that
would cover the type of concerns that were raised by Katie Bents regarding persons with Asperger’s,
autism, or other underlying issues. Mr. Lambert stated that the exemption noted in Section (3)d. would
cover those concerns, which states, “Anyone who has been advised by a medical or behavioral health
professional not to wear face coverings.” If anyone had received that advice, they would be exempt
from the Ordinance. Council Member Gartin asked what proof or documentation a person would have
to carry with them of that advice. City Attorney Lambert stated that there is no requirement in the
Ordinance that a person carry proof. If this was an ordinance with a penalty and a citation was issued,
they would have to provide evidence and the prosecution of the citation would be dropped. Mr. Lambert
said that since there will be no citations with the Ordinance in question, he did not believe that is even
a real-world issue. Mr. Gartin noted that he felt the point is that there seems to be a stigma attached.
He told of one of his clients being in a store yesterday. He did not have a mask on because he has
difficulty breathing, and a store clerk berated him in front of a crowd, which was very embarrassing
for him. Eventually, he was able to explain that he can’t physically wear a mask, but it was long after
the damage was done. Mr. Gartin recognized that people will be judging others based on whether they
are wearing a mask or not.

Mayor Haila asked if any of the Council members wanted to follow-up after hearing from the 36 people
who spoke earlier.

Council Member Junck noted that she had heard a lot of people talking about a mandate “with teeth,”
and she wanted to explain what had happened at the start of this meeting. She said that she had made
a motion to reconsider the motion that the Council had approved at its meeting of August 25, which was
to proceed with a mask mandate with no penalty. Ms. Junck said that she had voted in the affirmative
for that on August 25, 2020, because she thought it would be better than nothing. However, after seeing
the number of cases spike during the last week and getting more information from the Story County
Board of Health, she wanted to bring it back up to be reconsidered. However, there were not enough
votes to allow them to proceed with the reconsideration; so, right now, the Council will be voting on
the Ordinance with no enforcement.

Council Member Martin commented that he had noticed people in the community felt very strongly
about this issue. He noted that one of the things he heard was that people were afraid that a mandate
without a penalty was not even worth doing, and there were a lot of people on the calls tonight who
were feeling an enormous amount of pressure from a mandate without a penalty. Mr. Martin asked
City Attorney Lambert to confirm that his advice to Council hadn’t changed regarding whether adding
penalties would be exceeding the City’s authority. Mr. Lambert confirmed that it was still his advice
that an ordinance that has a penalty would infringe upon the Governor’s authority under the Emergency
Management and Public Health Chapters of the

Iowa Code

. An ordinance with no penalties does not

14

infringe upon the Governor’s authority, and he does not believe that there is any case that can be made
that it does if it doesn’t have penalties.

Mr. Martin also inquired about the possibility that a different type of ordinance would come down from
Story County, which would then be displaced by a local ordinance in Ames, if the Council does pass
the Ordinance in question. Council Member Martin stated that he had heard one of the Story County
Attorneys offering similar advice to the Board of Supervisors or the Board of Health that Mr. Lambert
was offering to the Council, i.e., the County, in his opinion, would not have the authority to issue a
mandate, which Mr. Martin assumed it to mean a mandate with penalties, although that was unclear at
the time. Mr. Martin asked if City Attorney Lambert had any opinions about whether Story County’s
abilities to pass an ordinance differ from Ames’ abilities with respect to penalties being in the
ordinance. Mr. Lambert replied that he did not have any indication that they do differ. Continuing, Mr.
Lambert stated that the Assistant Attorney General’s Opinion stated that County Boards of Health have
authority to pass regulations, as provided in the

Iowa Code

, and those regulations have to be adopted

by the County Boards of Supervisors; however, they would have the authority to do that only “if the
Governor’s Proclamations went away.” If the Governor’s Proclamations are still in effect, they would
not have the authority to do that. Mr. Lambert said that he had not studied the issue beyond that.

It was also noted by Council Member Martin that the Council had actually earlier considered exempting
houses of worship from the Draft Ordinance. He had made the motion, but it didn’t get the votes, so
he is not going to bring it up again.

Council Member Gartin said that he was struck by the division in the Ames community over this issue.
He noted that the Council needs to recognize that people are in different spots on this. Mr. Gartin
expressed his frustrations with people who are very dismissive of people’s different perspectives on
this. He feels it is very unfair to criticize people for having those very passionate positions; there is a
lot of pain on both sides of this.

Council Member Betcher noted that there seems to be some misconception that she doesn’t support an
enforceable ordinance. Ms. Betcher clarified that she does support the Ordinance, as written, but she
would also support an ordinance that actually had “teeth in it” that she thinks would deter people from
breaking the Ordinance. Her vote last week was not because she doesn’t support an enforceable
ordinance, but it was because she doesn’t think a $50 penalty is going to change people’s behavior, and
it could result in the worst of all possible worlds, which is that there is a fine that doesn’t change
behavior and the police would be interacting with citizens because there is now an enforcement
situation. She does not see that as a good situation; however, the Council has been advised that a
penalty can be added to the Ordinance if it turns out that there is not compliance or if Story County
decides that it is going to mandate masks with a different sort of enforcement mechanism. Council
Member Betcher would like the Ordinance to be passed quickly, so they can begin educating the public.
She is open to adding a penalty clause in the future.

Council Member Beatty-Hansen commented that she liked Dickson Jensen’s suggestion about the
positive reinforcement; however, that could be discussed separately from the Ordinance. She does
want to revisit it, however.

15

Mayor Haila asked about the option of adding to the Ordinance in the future. City Attorney Lambert
advised that it is always possible to amend an ordinance. The Council cannot pass two motions to
reconsider the same topic at the same meeting; however, that doesn’t mean that changes can’t be made
to the Ordinance in the future. He stated that the Council could come back at a future meeting to add
penalties, if desired; however, it would not be allowed to consider penalties to the Ordinance at this
meeting since the Council already decided not to reconsider the original motion made on August 25,
2020.

Moved by Betcher, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to pass on first reading the Face Covering Ordinance,
as amended as follows:

1. Modify Section (1)a. so that it reads, “Outside whenever the person cannot stay at least six (6) feet

away from others “not in the person’s household.”

2. Change the sunset clause from May 31, 2021, to December 31, 2020.

Council Member Corrieri stated that she had been very strongly opposed to any sort of ordinance that
did not include enforcement because she thinks that the times call for some significant action.
However, she is going to support the Ordinance, as written, only because of the need to take some
action to try to get back to some sort of normalcy in the community. Ms. Corrieri shared that she had
taken her son to the doctor for a sports injury. The sports injury doctor went through a list of
precautionary measures that her son should go through to stay healthy, and at the end, he asked her son
if he knew the one thing that he could do to keep playing this season and into the winter. Her son had
replied that he did not know, and the doctor told him that he needed to wear a mask, and if he wore a
mask, it was likely that the season could continue. Ms. Corrieri pointed out that it is unknown yet what
other consequences will occur because of the positivity rates and numbers, so she is going to support
the Ordinance in the hopes that the Ames community will start to step up and do the right thing for one
another, not just for the sake of public health, but for the sake of the Ames economy and community.

Council Member Gartin stated that he would not be supporting that motion because they would be
doing it in the face of the City Attorney and in the face of the County Attorney, who have advised the
Council not to do it because they don’t have the authority, and in the face of the Attorney General who
has stated that cities do not have the authority. He also stated that also does not nullify the fact that
all Council members took an oath to uphold the

Constitution

, and that is being ignored. Mr. Gartin

recognized that if a Council member is voting in favor of the Ordinance, he does respect that they are
doing it for the right reasons: that they care about the community and they want to do what’s best. He
wanted to make it clear that even though they may disagree on the legal aspect of it, they all have his
respect because they are doing it for the right reasons.

Council Member Junck pointed out that the City Attorney has made it very clear to the Council that an
ordinance with no enforcement would not be in conflict with the Governor’s orders.

Mr. Gartin replied that he doesn’t know what a mandate without penalties does. He said that honestly
what the Council will be doing is actually adopting a Resolution without any teeth to it. He indicated
that he would have supported a Resolution, but instead they took a different path, perhaps to give it the

16

appearance of more importance, but it is difficult for him to understand the seriousness of this with no
penalty.

Council Member Martin stated that there had been a discussion and the Council agreed that it was
unusual to have an ordinance without a penalty, and legally speaking, it was more like a Resolution,
so the Council could stop everything and change it to a Resolution. However, he felt that the Council
did not want to do that. He said that is completely different than saying that the City Attorney has
advised the Council members that they do not have the authority to do this; that is just not what is going
on here. Council Member Martin has said that the point of this compromise is to get them to a place
where they actually have faith in what the Ordinance says: that it is the intent and belief of the Ames
City Council that the Ordinance does not conflict with provisions of the Governor of Iowa’s Public
Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation, which is currently in effect. He advised it was crucial to him
to clarify that.

Roll Call Vote: 5-1. Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Martin. Voting nay: Gartin.
Motion declared carried.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to suspend the rules necessary for the passage of an ordinance.
Roll Call Vote: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to pass on second reading the Face Covering Ordinance, as
amended.
Roll Call Vote: 5-1. Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Martin. Voting nay: Gartin.
Motion declared carried.

Moved by Corrieri, seconded by Junck, to pass on third reading and adopt the Face Covering
ORDINANCE NO. 4420, as amended.
Roll Call Vote: 5-1. Voting aye: Beatty-Hansen, Betcher, Corrieri, Junck, Martin. Voting nay: Gartin.
Ordinance declared adopted, signed by the Mayor, and hereby made a portion of these Minutes.

DISPOSITION OF COMMUNICATIONS TO COUNCIL:

Mayor Haila noted that the first item

that had been included in the Council’s Non-Agenda Packet was a copy of his letter to landlords,
property owners, and managers of rental housing units that he had sent on August 28, 2020. There was
no action necessary to be taken by the Council.

The second item was an email from Brigitta Malczovich requesting that all ragweed types be added to
the noxious weed list.

Moved by Beatty-Hansen, seconded by Corrieri, to request a memo from staff regarding the request.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

COUNCIL COMMENTS:

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Corrieri, to request staff to look at the

available balance in the Council Contingency account and propose an amount that could be used to
purchase masks for the community and to follow the example of Des Moines in helping distribute the
masks to the community.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

17

Council Member Gartin indicated that he would like the privilege of working with Dickson Jensen’s
proposal in a way to find a positive reinforcement of the behavior that is being sought. Mr. Gartin
asked for City Manager Schainker to comment on whether it should be referred to staff first. Mr.
Schainker indicated that there would be a lot of logistics involved. Council Member Corrieri
commented that Council needed to recognize whether the City should be asking some of its partners
to contribute as she knows the Chamber and the ACVB, in particular because they were mentioned, are
struggling like a lot of entities and have had to lay-off staff. She thinks that is important to keep in
mind when they would be asking them to donate to something that just might not be realistic for them.
Ms. Corrieri pointed out that they also have the United Way campaign starting next week, and she
doesn’t necessarily want the Council to fund-raise for something that would compete with the funds
that support the human service agencies and all of the businesses that will be participating in that. Mr.
Gartin asked Mr. Schainker if he had any thoughts on what the Council could do to accept Mr. Jensen’s
generous offer of $10,000. Mr. Schainker replied that the Council would have to come up with some
parameters as far as what amount would be on each card, where they want to get the cards from, who
they want to give them to, etc.

Moved by Gartin, seconded by Beatty-Hansen, to direct staff to visit further with Dickson Jensen about
his offer and come back to the Council at its next practicable meeting with additional details that they
might move on.

Council Member Beatty-Hansen suggested that they ask who might be interested in chipping in if they
have the means to.

Council Member Betcher said that, overall, she likes the motion and she appreciates Mr. Jensen’s offer.
She hopes that they can work something out even if it is not exactly what is proposed in the email.

Mayor Haila suggested that perhaps staff could check with a few of the people suggested by Mr. Jensen
to see if they have resources available; all that would take would be a phone call.

Council Member Gartin thanked Dicksen Jensen for his leadership and creative thinking.

Vote on Motion: 6-0.

Noting a recent article in

The Sun

, Council Member Martin recognized and thanked the First National

Bank for its recent donation of $10,000 to the Ames Public Library for the purchase of another 50
hotspots for the Ames community.

Moved by Martin, seconded by Betcher, to ask staff to design signage referring to the Ordinance for
placement in businesses and to consider the possibility of paying for the production and delivery of the
signs to interested businesses.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Ex officio

Council Member Nicole Whitlock stated that she was glad that the Ordinance was adopted

tonight.

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Moved by Betcher, seconded by Martin, to request the City Manager to contact ISU Athletic Director
Jamie Pollard to see if it is possible for messages to be sent to the season ticket-holders regarding the
requirements of the new Ordinance, as was done with the new “Game Day” parking fines.
Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously.

Mayor Haila noted that 36 people had addressed the Council this evening. He requested that the
community pull together and work together and avoid division like the City pulled together on August
10 and thereafter after the derecho hit. Council was aware that there would be people who would be
pleased and those who would not be pleased, but it was being done with the intent to do what is best
for the community of Ames. The Mayor noted that one thing that was brought up was education.
Tomorrow, he will be discussing with staff ways to try and publicize that there are exemptions. There
is no intent to put people with certain conditions in a position that would cause them to have issues.
Mayor Haila expressed that he was disheartened to hear about potential shaming going on. It is his
hope that through encouragement and discussion, there would be embracing through partnership with
individual entities, starting with the Chamber, Iowa State, Main Street, and others, to get the message
out that we are in this together and shaming is not an appropriate way to approach the situation.

The Mayor reiterated that the Ordinance will be published on Friday, September 4, 2020, and be
effective on that date.

ADJOURNMENT:

Moved by Martin to adjourn the meeting at 8:42 p.m.

________________________________

____________________________________

Diane R. Voss, City Clerk

John A. Haila, Mayor

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