Willits City Council votes down urgency ordinance

The first item on the June 10 City Council meeting agenda, an urgency ordinance that would fine citizens and businesses that violated the County’s Public Health Order, was tabled at the last meeting due to council members requesting more time to review the ordinance and solicit public input.

With a lack of support voiced at the previous meeting, it was unclear whether the ordinance would pass this time around. And, since it required at least four of the five council members to support it, the ordinance fell flat with only three votes in favor.

In following suit of nearby cities and Mendocino County, Willits City Attorney Jim Lance presented to Willits City Council details of the proposed administrative penalty ordinance, which would have become effective immediately had it passed. He highlighted one of the primary violations the ordinance would address — mass gatherings — which are still not allowed except in the form of a protest or religious gathering.

Council member Larry Stranske said that he heard from the public that the ordinance would hurt already struggling businesses, however when it came time to vote, he supported the ordinance. Council member Madge Strong also came out in support of the ordinance but asked that some wording be changed or added to make sure it was clear the City’s authority would not be used “heavy-handed,” that it was not intended to hurt the community, and would only apply to those residents and businesses intentionally not following the rules of the Public Health Order.

She stressed that she thought the ordinance was not anti-business. “It’s pro-community and pro-health,” said Strong. Mayor Gerry Gonzalez said he would also support the ordinance with the added changes suggested by Strong.

On the other side of the fence, council members Greta Kanne and Saprina Rodriguez, still opposed adopting the ordinance for various reasons. Rodriguez said, “I am not at all in support… We don’t warrant having an urgency ordinance… most people are generally compliant.” She added that she received and/or read close to 400 comments from the community with approximately 90 percent against the ordinance, and therefore she concluded that this is the wrong time to pass an ordinance. “I would hate to see us add to the hostile environment.”

Kanne said she too had received numerous calls and messages from the community that were mostly not in favor of the ordinance. She said she didn’t think “threatening the community” with a fine was the right course of action. “I just wonder why we need this? Let’s just continue to be human and talk to each other.”