On July 28, the City of De Pere Common Council voted 5-3 on a mask ordinance, similar to the ordinance passed by the Green Bay City Council last week. You can read more about the ordinance below.
https://www.deperewi.gov/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=item&id=6305
While the ordinance was approved 5-3, it requires a second reading. This means it needs to come back for a final vote at our Council meeting next Tuesday. Additionally, the fee resolution that accompanies the new ordinance was tabled in an effort to receive some clarification from the police chief at our next meeting. I anticipate the resolution will remain the same.
I received a lot of contact on this ordinance prior to the meeting, and the majority was overwhelmingly in support of the ordinance. I am grateful to everyone who took the time to reach out and provide me with feedback, and I read every email. I apologize if I missed replying to a message. I understand the concerns of those opposed to the ordinance. Ultimately, I voted in favor of the ordinance. I want to do whatever we can to avoid having school cancelled again this fall and to ensure that our businesses in De Pere stay open. I also want to explain that my vote for removing the exemption of churches was only because I feel that churches contain our most vulnerable population. To exempt them did not fulfill the intent of the ordinance to me, which is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of De Pere. I sincerely hope that the churches in our area are asking for mask usage from all of their members to accomplish this goal.
If you have any questions about the ordinance itself, please feel free to reach out to me. I am happy to discuss. Assuming this moves through Council next Tuesday, the City Health Department will be contacting all city businesses with information about the ordinance, FAQ sheets, posters and educational materials to share with their customers.
Stay healthy!
Shana Ledvina
Alderperson Shana Ledvina 