Cottonwood mayor extends face-mask order by 30 days

Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinski arrives at a recent meeting. Elinski has extended his executive order, by 30 days, to Aug. 19, requiring people cover their faces to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. His initial order was due to expire Sunday. VVN/Vyto Starinskas

Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinski arrives at a recent meeting. Elinski has extended his executive order, by 30 days, to Aug. 19, requiring people cover their faces to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. His initial order was due to expire Sunday. VVN/Vyto Starinskas

COTTONWOOD –Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinski has ordered a 30-day continuation of the city’s face-mask mandate.

Late Thursday, Mayor Elinski extended his executive order requiring face coverings when physical distancing cannot be maintained. His initial order was for 30 days; the extension, with modifications, is also for 30 days, and now runs through Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The main modification for the additional 30 days is that it carves out an exception for private and public schools and buses. Those face-covering decisions will be left to school officials.

“It is left to the governing boards, superintendents, building principals and/or other responsible officials establish guidelines that are in the best interest of the children, teachers, staff and families they serve, as well as the larger community,” Elinski’s proclamation reads.

Thursday’s proclamation also has exceptions for religious beliefs, for those who are dining or drinking or who have physical or medical conditions that make covering the face impractical. Face coverings also aren’t required if those inhibit emergency personnel from performing their duties.

There is no penalty mentioned in either the June 19 order or Thursday’s extension to Aug. 19. The June 19 emergency meeting discussion focused on education about the need for face coverings, with penalties being a last resort.

Elinski told the Verde Independent that the ongoing and unsettled discussion over how to safely start the 2020-21 school year is one of the main factors pushing him toward extending the requirement.

In his June 19 proclamation, Elinski quotes several June 17 COVID-19 statistics from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Since June 17, the number of total cases of COVID-19 in Arizona has more than tripled, to more than 138,000, the number of deaths has doubled and the positive percentage test rate has gone up to 12.2%.

In Cottonwood alone, cases at long-term care facilities have contributed to the number of cases going from 37 to 179. The number of cases in the Verde Valley has increased from 98 to 416.

The number of deaths for Yavapai County was at seven on June 17. There have now been 26.

Elinski called a special meeting of the Cottonwood City Council on June 19 and, at the end of the lengthy discussion, called for a vote on an emergency order. That order included a fine for not covering faces under certain circumstances.

After the measure was defeated by a 4-3 vote, Elinski announced he would sign an executive order requiring face coverings. Council members then told him they felt the meeting was a waste of time and other resources.

Two council members — Tosca Henry and Vice Mayor Michael Mathews — helped craft an ordinance binding the mayor to emergency actions for 30 days, if the mayor calls for a vote by council.

That ordinance, which is set to have its second and final reading at the Tuesday, Aug.4, regular Council meeting, would have no bearing on Elinski’s ability to extend the face-mask requirement. Elinski will be out of state and won’t be able to attend the Council’s upcoming Tuesday, July 21, meeting.

A face covering, as defined by Elinski’s proclamation and many other orders, covers the nose and mouth.

While Elinski’s order was only for 30 days, the order by Clarkdale Mayor Doug Von Gausig doesn’t have an end date. Sedona’s order is “until further notice.”

The Town of Jerome’s ends when the governor declares an end to the pandemic emergency.

There is also slight variation between the youth age minimum for face coverings. Cottonwood’s requirement applies to children age 3 and older. Jerome’s order applies to children age 6 and older. For Clarkdale it is age 2; for Sedona, it is age 5.


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