MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday night, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen passed a resolution asking Manchester residents to wear masks over their faces as a way to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution (see below), which was introduced into new business by Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig under an hour before the meeting began.
As an attempt to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, it requires that “face coverings are to be worn when people are inside buildings that are open to the public and within the social distancing guidelines of six feet of less as recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.”
In the resolution, there are several exceptions and there are also no financial fines and no enforcement of the resolution.
Opposition to the resolution came largely from the late submission of the resolution, with Joseph Kelly Levasseur (At-Large) and Jim Roy (Ward 4) asking that the resolution should be tabled and go through the committee process before a decision is made.
Anthony Sapienza (Ward 5) believed that the resolution should have been tabled as well, but not go to committee due to the urgency of the pandemic and the symbolic value that such a resolution would represent.
Bill Barry (Ward 10) pushed back on the lateness of the resolution’s submission being an issue, with Barry stating that such requests are commonplace in the New Business section of meetings. Barry also joined with Dan O’Neil and Sapienza in stating the urgency of addressing the spread of COVID-19 in the city, which has been spiking in recent weeks.
“(COVID-19) is out of control, and if we’re blind to that, shame on us,” said Barry.
Michael Porter (Ward 8) also voiced concerns that the resolution would spark confrontation with those not wearing masks being bullied into wearing masks. Porter also felt that this was basically a mandate, an end-around after earlier attempt at a mask mandate ordinance defeated.
Barbara Shaw (Ward 9) felt that the resolution would be meaningless and she believes most people already wear masks.
Craig ruled that a motion to table the request was out-of-order and a vote to override the mayor’s decision failed on a 7-6 vote.
Kevin Cavanaugh (Ward 1), Will Stewart (Ward 2), Pat Long (Ward 3) and Normand Gamache (Ward 11) joined Sapienza, O’Neil and Barry in opposing the override vote. Roy, Levasseur, Porter, Shaw, Ross Terrio (Ward 7) and Keith Hirschmann (Ward 12) supported the override.
On a motion to approve the resolution, the Aldermen copied their initial votes in reverse, with the seven voting against the override voting for the resolution and vice versa.