Norman mayor seeks mask compliance on Campus Corner
NORMAN — Mayor Breea Clark on Thursday urged Campus Corner business owners to comply with the city's mask ordinance as thousands of students return to the University of Oklahoma for the fall semester.
Clark, who visited several bars near campus last week, told The Oklahoman she saw "no masks" and "massive groups," adding "half the staff wasn't even wearing masks."
She shared those concerns during a virtual meeting that attracted about 30 owners and managers, and discussed the possibility of limiting hours and capacity if non-compliancecontinues.
"Our focus will be in a bar or restaurant that has shoulder to shoulder patrons," Clark said Thursday. She said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss "how we can work together to stop the spread of the coronavirus in our community."
"Our numbers have finally been declining after the most recent surge, and I look forward to working with these businesses to keep that trend going," Clark said in a statement. "As a college town, we have a unique challenge that our population is about to grow by 20,000-plus young people, and the smartest thing we can do is be proactive instead of waiting for another surge."
The ordinance, which requires face coverings and social distancing in public places, also calls for bars and bar areas in restaurants to limit capacity to the number of available seats and close standing-room only areas to patrons.
Jeff Stewart, the owner and manager of O'Connell's Irish Pub & Grille on Asp Avenue, was among those who participated in the hourlong meeting. Stewart said it was helpful to clarify parts of the ordinance related to patios and groups, adding that some in attendance thought inside areas were handled differently than outside areas.
"Limiting hours was definitely discussed," Steward said. "She definitely doesn't want to do that. She'd much rather see us work on social distancing. She more or less wants a butt in every seat."
Jim Hopper is president and CEO of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, which represents more than 4,000 bars, restaurants and casinos statewide. Hopper has worked with the mayor to reopen businesses and operate safely during the pandemic.
"We're supportive of masks and enforcement because businesses that don't comply make the rest of the industry look bad," he said. "To reduce capacity or close down indoor dining, that would be a disaster for the industry. We're for anything that falls short of having to do that."
Clark said no decisions will be made without input from the city council, which is gathering this weekend for a team building event and is expected to discuss the ordinance.