Osceola County to impose fines for not wearing masks in public
People seen not wearing a face covering in public in Osceola County could be fined after an initial warning, the county’s Board of County Commissioners voted Monday.
The board voted 4-1 to pass the ordinance, which adds to an April order requiring face coverings in public by imposing a penalty system with increasing fines for each instance someone is found not wearing a mask in a public space.
Violators receive no citation on the first warning and are given a chance to explain if they fall under exemptions to the mandate, like having a medical condition which would make breathing with a mask difficult. The first offense afterward carries a $25 fine, as does the second, but the third and subsequent offenses levy a $50 fine.
District 5 Commissioner Fred Hawkins, Jr. voted in opposition, saying the mandate would have the unintended consequence of “pitting citizen against citizen.”
Enforcing the mandate would fall to law enforcement during a time of unrest when resources are already scarce, he said.
“If I owned a liquor store or a jewelry store and somebody had glasses and a mask on, I would be kind of worried if they’re entering my store right now,” he said. He added many commonly used masks do not effectively prevent transmission of the coronavirus, though health experts say they do help.
Several residents called into the meeting to share their comments on the ordinance, with many voicing concerns that it overextended government reach. Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez responded to these concerns by saying the ordinance does not change or limit the preexisting facial covering order adopted by the county’s Executive Policy Group except for adding a penalty provision enforceable by code enforcement and local law enforcement agencies.
Alvarez also addressed the recent claims of “COVID-19 parties” in Kissimmee — gatherings allegedly held with the intent to spread the coronavirus — saying large gatherings “have always happened in Osceola County” but are especially risky given the ongoing pandemic. ballots” and to inform voters about the availability of the ballot drop-off sites.
Plaintiffs in the case argued that Florida needed to expand its vote-by-mail procedures because of COVID-19, which disrupted the state’s presidential primary election in March and is expected to cause even more issues in the Aug. 18 primary elections and the Nov. 3 general election.
The settlement agreement, however, cited emergency orders issued by DeSantis that give county officials extra time to canvas vote-by-mail ballots and to conduct what are known as “logic and accuracy” tests before early voting begins.
The agreement encourages supervisors “to use the maximum number of early voting days available to them so … they can avail themselves of additional canvassing days and maximize the availability of mandatory drop boxes for vote-by-mail ballots.”
And the settlement encourages supervisors to use their websites “and other platforms” to make vote-by-mail request forms and ballots available in Spanish.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers stressed the significance of the voter-education provisions in the settlement.
“This is a victory for Florida voters. We were very happy to have the state engage with us to develop what we consider some very common-sense efforts to expand access to vote-by-mail and early voting,” Stuart Naifeh, an attorney for some plaintiffs, told reporters during an online news conference before the hearing.
Osceola County Commissioner Fred Hawkins Jr. was arrested Monday evening for impersonating a member of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, according to a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said Hawkins, who represents Osceola’s District 5, tried to enter an election of the Turnberry Reserve Homeowners Association in Winter Park on Nov. 7 despite not belonging to the association. When a security guard tried to stop him, Hawkins showed sheriff’s office credentials, claiming he was with the agency, and threatened to arrest the security guard.
Hawkins, 53, holds the honorary title of special deputy with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, but is not a certified law enforcement officer and does not have arrest powers, Plessinger said.
FDLE issued a warrant for Hawkins’ arrest Monday, and Hawkins turned himself in at the Osceola
County Jail in the evening after attending a County Commissioners meeting. Jail records showed Hawkins was booked into the jail on $1,000 bond and bonded out shortly afterward.
The Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office will prosecute Hawkins’ case.
A copy of Hawkins’ arrest warrant was not immediately available Monday evening. Hawkins is serving his third term on the Osceola County Board of Commissioners.