Council set to vote on state of emergency declaration

WESTCHESTER » Borough Council will likely decide, atWednesday’s hearing, whether to discontinue, or retain, Mayor Dianne Herrin’s COVID- 19 State of Emergency Declaration. The public hearing will address Herrin’s Oct. 2 declaration requiring that all outdoor and indoor social gatherings at private residences must be limited to 10 people. The declaration also states that inmost instances, when within six feet of another person, masks must be worn.

Those violating the capacity limit and mask declaration could be cited by West Chester Police and fined $ 300 for each instance.

In response to a declining number of infections since the original order, on Oct. 12, the mayor amended the emergency declaration to allow 25 people, upon special exception, to meet, who were practicing “safety precautions to gather responsibly and safely,” reads the declaration. A request form, or permit, for such functions must be completed prior to an event.

Herrin explained why she declared the state of emergency.

“As Dr. Fauci said just yesterday, instead of seeing these measures as a roadblock to an open economy, we must all see public healthmeasures as away to safely keepour businesses open,” Herrin said. “The intent ofmy declaration is just that: it is a proactive measure to help prevent spread of infection and another stay- at- home order from the state, which our great town and our small business owners simply cannot afford.”

A Change. org petition titled, “HaltHerrin’sHarm!” was signed by 77 residents as of 3: 30 p. m. Monday.

“During this time of a growing health emergency across the country, it isnot too much to ask our residents to practice these simple preventive measures to prevent suffering and save the lives of our friends, neighbors, parents and grandparents.” — West Chester Mayor Dianne Herrin

“This is tyranny! Let people make their own decisions regarding their health,” wrote one petition signer.

“She’s overstepping her authority,” wrote another, about the mayor.

“Stop the overreach and ineffective lockdown policy,” wrote a third.

Another petition in favor of the mayor’s health measures, “Support Mayor Herrin’s Emergency Declaration and its Enforcement,” was signed by 123 residents, as of 3: 30 p. m. Monday.

“I’m signing because we need to respect each other as humans first and Americans second,” reads one petition response. “And Science doesn’t lie.”

Another signer of the petition wrote, “Protect our health!”

Borough Council President Michael Galey will have a vote on Wednesday, prior to the regularmonthly meeting.

“It’s a tough issue,” Galey said. “I completely understand why themayor is taking this so seriously based on the data.

“I see the need to balance personal liberty against the risks of the pandemic.”

Galey said he has received several phone calls from constituents.

“It’s a tough discussion,” he said. “People feel strongly about it both ways.”

Herrin relied on Chester County Health Department data that showed a borough spike in COVID- 19 cases, which was “particularly high in the 18- to 22- yearold age group, and these infections are concentrated in the rental community,” wrote Herrin in the Oct. 2 declaration.

Herrin said the data showthe increase occurred with young people living in the rental community or off- campus housing.

West Chester University has released figures showing thatmost of those in the 18 to 22 age range haven’t visited the campus and might not even beWCU students. The campus is closed to most in- house learning.

The Oct. 12 amendment reads: “This order is in line with similar ordinances in other college communities across the state and country,” Herrin said. “In State College, COVID- 19 infection rates, which were skyrocketing in the college- age population in their rental communities, have fallen 50 percent in the past two weeks, after passage of these requirements.”

Both themask and capacity issues will be addressed by council separately. Council could vote to affirm both issues, neither, or either.

Councilman Bill Scott agrees with the mayor and said residents should be “adequately masked.”

“People in West Chester should be required to wear masks until this is over,” Scott said. “The $ 300 fine is appropriate, however, I would start it out incrementally at $ 50, then $ 100, $ 200 and then $ 300,” per infraction.

Scott said the municipality has the authority to limit gatherings in private homes.

“There should be a cap,” he said. “We need to avoid mass parties of hundreds of people — these super spreader events.”

Councilman Don Braceland will likely vote against the declaration for what Herrin said was a COVID- 19 spike in the rental community.

“There’s no readily available, convincing data a true emergency exists to justify the mayor’s declaration that is based on the assumption that the problem is with the ‘ rental community’ in the southeast, i. e.: students,” Braceland wrote in an email. “This could be true, but where’s the proof?

“And why should every borough resident have to fear a Draconian $ 300 fine in the absence of a real emergency?”

Braceland contacted the health department twice and has not received a response.

“From the Chester County Health Department, I requested specific numbers of Borough positives in the last two weeks, their general locations and current disposition and was denied this information,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.

“Until this information is forthcoming and compelling I will not support any continuance of the Emergency Declaration or any ordinance to enforce it.”

West Chester resident BethAnnRosica is circulating the petition on Change. org.

“Since the State of Emergency Declaration was issued on October 2, I have heard from many residents whose feelings ranged from outrage to disgust,” Rosica said. “While there has been some support for the Order on social media, I thought it was important for Borough Council to hear from those Borough residents who oppose the Order.

“While the Mayor’s actions may be well intended, the current virus statistics for Chester County, and specifically West Chester Borough do not constitute a state of emergency or a restriction of rights for private citizens to have guests in their own homes. We, the petitioners, are asking that the order be rescinded.”

Councilman Nick Allen released the following: “During the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918 residents inWest Chesterwere unable to visit relatives in places as closes as Downingtown while schools and houses of worshipwere temporarily closed. I bring this up to addmore perspective to the debate which is sorely missing.

“I’m afraid we’ve lost the appropriate definition of freedomin almost every political debate we encounter. As a community, we need to weigh the freedom from community transmission of this disease against the freedom to have more than 10 people in our homes at once. During the outbreak of 1918, we came together and saved lives by taking measures which were significantly more intrusive than what the Mayor prescribed for our community in 2020.

“I sincerely hope we are able to come together during this outbreak in order to save members of our community. Although it can be comfortable to rely on our own anecdotes and views without hearing others’ points of view, it is important to remember that people like myself have lost familymembers to this disease and we don’t want to lose any more.”

Herrin further explained her declaration.

“We spent three decades building up this town and we cannot let it die in three months because of an outsized focus on individualism and a refusal to acknowledge our personal obligations to each other and our community.”

Herrin asked residents to support her actions.

“During this time of a growing health emergency across the country, it is not too much to ask our residents to practice these simple preventive measures to prevent suffering and save the lives of our friends, neighbors, parents and grandparents. I know West Chester to be a caring and thoughtful community, and I have received many calls and notes of sincere gratitude.

“During times of crisis, like this pandemic, we must pull together. Tomorrow ( Tuesday) I will be evaluating the results of my order based on newdata from the Health Department so we can determine what makes sense as far as the next steps.”

The virtual hearing starts at 6 p. m. Themeeting may be accessed by phone of on a screen at www. westchester. com.

Herrin