BENTONVILLE to back businesses’ mask rules.

Official: Not a mandate, supports business rights

BENTONVILLE — The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a mask ordinance.

The city requires residents to wear face coverings as suggested by the Arkansas Department of Health, according to the ordinance. The ordinance was first discussed at the council’s Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night.

Springdale’s City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a resolution supporting local businesses who ask their customers to wear face coverings to slow the spread of covid-19.

Fayetteville and Rogers also have passed ordinances requiring the wearing of masks.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced July 3 he signed an executive order allowing Arkansas cities to adopt a model ordinance to require the wearing of face masks in response to the covid-19 pandemic.

Bentonville’s ordinance will allow the city to support the decisions and actions of business owners related to masks. People who will not wear a mask if requested by businesses should be asked by the businesses to leave the premises, according to the ordinance.

The ordinance provides for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and has a sunset clause.

Most of the people who spoke in person and online Tuesday night said they were in favor of a mask ordinance. Public comment lasted about an hour and 15 minutes.

During discussion, Councilman Bill Burckart stressed the ordinance wasn’t a mandate. Burckart said the ordinance is about supporting businesses’ rights.

City staff will print and mail the ordinance to all businesses in the city for display in a prominent area of the business or on the primary entrance way, according to the ordinance.

It was agreed by the Committee of the Whole to add a section saying the ordinance isn’t applicable to outdoor recreational activities. Also, the word “educate” in the ordinance was changed to “inform.”

The City Council last month passed a resolution in support of the “Our Bentonville — Be Safe, Be Smart” public awareness campaign and health authority guidance related to covid-19.

The number of coronavirus cases in Arkansas rose Tuesday to just shy of 30,000, while eight additional people have died, Hutchinson said. Cases rose 794, bringing the state’s overall total to 29,733 since the virus was first reported in Arkansas in March, Hutchinson said.

The council also unanimously approved buying body cameras for the Police Department. The plan is to buy 60 body cameras for $182,450, which includes $18,661 for data storage and $33,342 for installation and setup costs.

The cameras will be issued to patrol division officers and can be integrated with the car dash cameras, Chief Jon Simpson said.

A body camera policy is pending and will be presented to the City Council for review and approval prior to the actual implementation of the project, according to council documents.

A public parking space encroachment ordinance to temporarily allow the placement of tables, chairs and other items on city public onstreet parking spaces adjacent to downtown business establishments through Jan. 1, also was unanimously approved.

The council also granted an appeal of a Planning Commission decision.

Brannon, Esslinger and Crystal Creek Realty sought a rezone of property at 306 S.E. Second St. and 301, 303 and 305 S.E. Henry St. from single-family residential to downtown high-density residential. The Planning Commission denied the rezone in a 5-1 vote.

The council voted 7-1 to grant the appeal.