City set to adopt face mask ordinance

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Decatur’s city commission is holding a special meeting 9 a.m. today to approve an ordinance requiring the use of face masks within the city. The commission approved a mask resolution Wednesday morning that “strongly encourages” residents to don masks. But a subsequent discussion among commissioners deemed a mandate necessary.

Decatur’s decision comes as other cities, including Atlanta on Wednesday, are adopting similar laws. Georgia’s COVID19 cases have surged the past month with the state surpassing 100,000 this week. Savannah became the first local government to mandate mask wearing last week, with East Point and Athens/Clark County following this week. The AJC reported Wednesday that Doraville and DeKalb County are close behind.

These new local laws appear to conflict with the June 29 statewide executive order from Gov. Brian Ke m p t a “str ongly encourages” but doesn’t mandate face coverings.

“We know we’re in conflict, but we don’t know what the [legal] repercussions are,” Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett said Wednesday. “For us it had a broad impact that Atlanta right next door is doing it. We also have a lot of physicians and medical professionals in the city telling us this is an important step.”

Decatur’s resolution is straightforward: With “reasonable exceptions ... While indoors, all customers, employees, and other users of restaurants, grocery and retail stores, all occupants of public transportation vehicles, and all persons in any other indoor or outdoor environment in which people cannot maintain the physical distance required or recommended are strongly encouraged to use a face covering.”

It’s anticipated the city ordinance, currently getting prepared by City Attorney Bryan Downs and City Manager Andrea Arnold, will include similar language.

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CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton was elected first vice president of the Georgia Municipal Association. Rusi Patel (right), general counsel for the Georgia Municipal Association, installs Thornton during the association’s annual meeting July 2. He is now in line to become president of the 500-member-plus city organization in 2021.