BRATTLEBORO — A day after spurring the state to allow local pandemic mask mandates, Brattleboro on Tuesday became the first Vermont municipality to adopt one.
“All establishments located in the town of Brattleboro that invite the public into their premises for the purpose of receiving services, purchasing products, or otherwise transacting business, shall require both staff and customers (or visitors) to wear cloth face coverings or face shields over their nose and mouth while inside,” states the order, which was approved by the Selectboard by a 4-1 vote.
Local leaders initially called for Covid-19 face coverings inside public spaces from spring 2020 to summer 2021 after expressing concern the state was then requiring masks for employees but only recommending them for everyone else.
“Wearing a face covering is an important act we can do in an effort to protect others from an infection that we may not even know we have,” Brattleboro’s original local emergency order read in part.
Local leaders went on to drop the mandate in June with the proliferation of vaccines only to change their minds in August upon learning of a rise in transmission of the virus’ highly contagious Delta variant.
But Gov. Phil Scott, having lifted a Covid-19 state of emergency that allowed local orders, would not approve a new municipal mandate. He instead told the state Legislature it could grant such permission itself.
On Monday, Brattleboro Town Manager Peter Elwell addressed a special legislative session on the issue.
“I do believe that the Brattleboro Selectboard would appreciate having the opportunity to reconsider this matter,” Elwell told the House Government Operations Committee. “I personally think it is in our shared interests across all different types of government agencies and throughout our society that we be as broad and as consistent as possible in requiring masks be worn indoors in public spaces.”
“Consistency,” Elwell said, “is very important to maintaining a higher level of protection for public health.”
The Legislature supported and the governor went on to sign S.1 — “an act relating to temporary municipal rules in response to Covid-19” — prompting the Brattleboro Selectboard to adopt the state’s first such measure Tuesday night.
“Now that we can, we must,” Selectboard member Jessica Gelter said.
“It should be a statewide mandate, and it’s not,” colleague Ian Goodnow said. “Now I think our board will do the right thing.”
Selectboard member Tim Wessel was the sole “no” vote.
“I am pro-vaccination and masking, but I’m anti-this mandate,” Wessel said. “I’m feeling we will separate people into camps and lose a community push toward getting out of this pandemic.”
[Looking for data on breakthrough cases? See our reporting on the latest available statistics.]
The new state law allows municipalities to adopt temporary mask mandates for public indoor spaces as long as they review such measures every 30 days and rescind them by April 30, 2022.
Several other communities — including Bennington, Burlington, East Montpelier, Montpelier, Waterbury, Wilmington and Winooski — are considering their own orders, according to the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, which is offering a “Face Covering Rule Toolkit.”
“A municipality may now discuss and adopt a face covering rule if case counts and trends in their jurisdictions warrant such action,” the league said in a statement. “It is, however, under no obligation to do so.”
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