The gist: A local emergency mask ordinance that last week seemed headed toward passage is stumbling.
City Councilman Glenn Lazard, a co-sponsor of the proposed ordinance, which would primarily affect businesses and their customers, said at Sunday’s white flag memorial for Covid victims that he hoped to have a draft of the ordinance ready Tuesday.
But support for what has been a political hot potato had already begun to crumble late last week. Council members have expressed a number of concerns, among them that Mayor-President Josh Guillory may stymie or stall enforcement of the mandate if passed.
Neither Guillory nor his spokesman responded to requests for comment about whether he would aim to block enforcement of a local ordinance.
(Update: At a press briefing Tuesday, Jamie Angelle said the m-p would do no such thing: “The law is the law,” Angelle said. “The mayor-president is 100% going to uphold the law.”)
While the governor has had a mask mandate and other restrictions in place since the summer, Lafayette officials were ordered by Guillory to stop assisting the state with enforcement in September after the Lafayette Fire Department cited Grouse Room, which is owned by one of Guillory’s supporters, for multiple violations of the governor’s Covid restrictions. Guillory said on KPEL Friday that cities like New Orleans are starting to loosen restrictions (percent positivity in New Orleans is under 5%, compared with Lafayette Parish’s almost 10%) and that President Joe Biden issued a mask mandate for federal government property only.
“The City Council chair and vice chair want Lafayette to have a stricter mask mandate than even the Democrat governor or the Democrat president,” Guillory said on KPEL, apparently misspeaking about Councilwoman Liz Hebert’s role as a co-sponsor. Hebert chairs the City Council; Councilwoman Nanette Cook, who signed on with Lazard to co-sponsor the ordinance, is vice chair.
“In a number of cases, they’ve created more backlash than compliance,” Guillory said of local mask mandates. “We don’t want that kind of confrontational situation here in Lafayette. A local mask mandate seems likely to have significant enforcement costs and may very well make our city less safe. If fully enforced, it will take police away from investigating and preventing murders and rapes, robberies, burglaries and other serious crimes in order to write masking tickets.”
Police officers contacted for this story say they would enforce an ordinance. “I think you have to enforce it, because if you don’t, that’s malfeasance in office,” says one Lafayette Police Department officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “The mayor can’t tell you not to enforce a lawful order.”
Council members aren’t talking. Cook and Hebert declined to comment for this story. “I’m still waiting to see a draft of the proposed ordinance,” Hebert says, noting she would post the ordinance to her council Facebook page as soon as she receives it.
“I think maybe they jumped the gun with this informal call-in to the Council [office] and voice your opinion on legislation that has not yet materialized,” offers Peter Guarisco, who became an outspoken activist for stricter mitigation measures after losing his father to Covid last month and having to confront Martin & Castille funeral home for not adhering to the state mandate. “Let’s get the ordinance out there so people can have an honest debate. It should be a cut and paste from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport,” Guarisco says.
Lafayette is the largest city in the state without a mask mandate.
As Lafayette and Acadiana hold at a high but steady plateau of cases, with new and more contagious variants on the way, Guarisco prays for relief. “People are saying our numbers are coming down, but they are terrible. Movement down is the right direction, but we’re still nowhere where we need to be,” Guarisco says. “Past bad behavior is no excuse for more bad behavior.
“It seems like Glenn is really the only one who is resolute to see this thing through,” he continues. Councilman Pat Lewis also confirmed to The Current at Sunday’s memorial that he remains on board.
In a phone interview Monday afternoon, Lazard said he would have more to say on the ordinance Tuesday.
One Comment
I am a kidney transplant patient with no adrenal glands. I had COVID-19 in July 2020. My experience with COVID-19 was not pleasant. I did fairly well for the first 11 days. I take a variety of immuno suppression drugs and a bag full of other medications daily to stay alive. On the 11th day my immune system started to react. I had fever to 104 and was hospitalized. I was extremely ill and lost my memory for three weeks. It took me a very long time to recover physically. Quite frankly I think the current mask mandate or creating an ordinance is pointless. The discussion is a great platform for politicians to make the news. The focus needs to rely on educating the public. The biggest factor that is missing from the discussion is respect, common courtesy and being a good neighbor. I wear my mask in public out of respect for other people. My personal belief on what the mask actually does is not relevant. The city nor does the state have the adequate amount of resources to truly enforce the rule. This virus is extremely unique and the symptoms vary depending on the person. Currently we can walk in a restraunt with a mask then remove it to have a meal. The restraunt is filled with people. This also applies to retail outlets and grocery stores. In my travels I would estimate less than 50% of people are wearing a mask upon entry into a business. Most businesses are not refusing service out of the necessity to stay in business. Local businesses need customers to operate. Everyone has to make their own personal choice on the manner in which they decide to protect themselves and loved ones. I personally will not lock myself down out of fear. I protect myself the best way that I can. Whatever amount of life I have left, I chose to live it. Every person is free to decide how they live as long as they are law abiding citizens. If someone chooses not to wear a mask, then you can stay away from them. If a business is leniant on requirements, you can always go somewhere else. The bottom line is will still have to have a local economy. We shouid all try and do the best we can and not force our personal beliefs on others. COVID-19 has taken many lives. It will take more. This world is filled with many other things that take lives everyday.