you
[Music]
Your Honor okay good afternoon everybody
welcome to the second part of our
meeting this is a special City Council
meeting today is Monday June 1st 2020 is
approximately 408 p.m. before began I
have to ask the SD a conflict of
interest statement this is where I asked
if any member of the city manager City
Council city staff has any known
conflict of interest on any item on the
agenda no see none so the first item is
2.1 which is resolution 2 0 - 165
some of my kind of servant Komal for a
second there's no second then it dies
for a second I will second it for
discussion
yeah yeah yeah second my counselor askus
yeah okay
so with that I turned over to Jennifer
Vega Brown who's gonna be discussing it
and Jennifer I wonder if I should kind
of start off a little bit because this
was something there that I am
responsible solely not you not Clerk no
no one earlier when I was talking about
my this this email that I got it says on
your proclamation of Roberta C 20 2003
there's a typo / word omission on one of
the most important lines this will lead
to uncertainty confusion for business
owners as they try to adhere to the
city's asinine limitation set ahead of
the states order good luck okay so what
he was talking about is and I'm sure
Jennifer will show you but right here
where I circled is missing the word
outside now what's interesting is I did
get a couple emails of the thousands of
emails that I got I don't know I'm like
counselor Florida's they seem like
they're a lot I don't know if there's
4,000 but it seemed like a lot but one
of them I had a couple of them you know
clarify some some questions on what the
wording was I just figured they didn't
they missed it
turns out that the word that was missing
was outside so it should have said on
number six maximum occupancy 25% inside
50% outside first thirty days then 50
percent / 75 percent respectively
I look back
I emailed and I did leave that word out
accidentally so I want to read to you an
e-text that I had this morning that
someone asked me about situation he says
um turns out that my plan actually
allowed more customers than the
governor's plan I'm not allowed to be
more lenient only more restrictive I had
put 25 percent inside and 55 and 50%
outside or at least that's what I had
meant I did not mean to leave off the
word outside the governor's office did
did confirm that 50% was total inside
and outside I know that I'm allowed to
do less my intent was not to hurt
restaurants but to reduce endure and
expand outdoor I will just go with the
governor's plan and leave it at 50% and
this person writes back and this she's
not a restaurant owner she's a real
estate investor
she says unfortunately you were
misunderstood she put sorry with a
little I wouldn't say I can't really see
what kind of face it is so that is is
where I have to apologize I left off
outside so anyways so with that I'm
gonna turn over to Jennifer
riki mayor and council David Dolan was
going to share the putting David on the
spot now okay I'm sorry I do my assists
articulate okay sorry this is Jennifer
Vega Brown I'll just go through the
PowerPoint presentation with you and
then if you have any questions feel free
to ask next slide please
this is this was in response to the
first governor's emergency Proclamation
that went that went into existence that
began in March March 11th there was
another emergency powers at March 27 and
then on March 29th the mayor issued an
emergency Proclamation regarding
additional requirements for restaurants
movie theaters gyms their salons and
nail salons its next slide please
pursuant to the mayor's emergency
Proclamation ordinance which is section
nine dash 38 the proposed resolution
were extends the emergency Proclamation
as you know as we just discussed
previously it's only good for three days
and then you have the ability to extend
it this extension will run concurrent
with the governor's executive order and
an automatic it will be automatically
extended until the public health order
is rescinded or and it can also be
rescinded previous by movement of the
City Council and these are your council
options so so Jennifer
if by me having the outside on there
that would have that would not have been
proper and not do is that correct
correct you can't exactly what you said
previously you can have more restriction
than the governor but not less right so
let me just kind of also share with the
council so when the governor had issued
her that she was going to be opening up
restaurants it said restaurants may
operate indoor dining and service 50% of
maximum occupancy or instead of code
would save practices if you recall about
five days prior she had opened up about
50% outdoor dining
that was very the first one okay so I
took it that that was still eligible and
then that says are your bar and counter
seating is prohibited no standing
service six feet of distance between
tables discontinued service stations and
require customers to congregate
stringent and regular sanitizing
training for employees on cleaning
process ok so that's what led me to add
because I was concerned you know I was
thinking you know can we handle a few
more guidelines before June 1st or for
June 1st and so that's when I came up I
contacted a few people to restaurant
people to get kind of get some ideas I
really like the disposable menus I
understand there's a lot of restaurants
already doing that the self-serve
stations you know a lot of times you see
people they go over there and they get
their ketchup their mustard and you know
unless you're constantly cleaning that
you know people or if we're in a glove I
mean that'd be great but you know that's
where it said no self-serve and tables
be sanitized I did put eight feet apart
and then employees staff must have face
coverings
and that's that's what we got to the
maximum occupancy so that's kind of
where I'm at you know I think about you
might be thinking why do you want a face
covering there well you know when when
we get food from the that's checked by
the USDA I mean that's that's the
government agency a lot of times the
state is supposed to inspect state
restaurants are supposed to inspect
those for cleanliness and such and I
just felt that I needed to do something
quickly knowing that it was going to
expire today and that gives us a chance
to figure out what exactly if anything
we're gonna do that's something there
that we're I don't want to go back and
do 25% only because then I don't want to
hurt the restaurants that was not my
intent my intent must actually somehow
encourage more outdoor dining as opposed
to Endor but if all my choice is is a
50% total then I would rather just leave
alone still implement some of these
other items but on that particular item
leave that out then I'll turn over for
Commons
Calabasas Thank You mayor so I just
before asking questions are giving more
comments just to be clear today's
emergency Proclamation ordinance or
today's emergency Proclamation which
expires unless we renew it cannot be
renewed because of the wording that
excludes the word outside so that is the
renewal of the proclamation essentially
null and void I think just on that
portion
isn't that right Jennifer on that one
sentence it's supposed to have outside
the rest could be renewed or yes mayor
and council this is Jennifer Vega Brown
um you you can just change that word so
that it is consistent with the
governor's executive order okay so it
can be amazing
and it's a minor change and it would be
like we said previously it's state law
anyway so we would just make it
consistent you should or you leave it
out what I mean right when you just
leave it out if you're gonna go with the
state order at 50 percent yes you'll
have to add the way that this resolution
is worded you'll have to add language to
that that indicates that oh okay well I
guess says it right now I don't have too
many questions but do you just want to
share some thoughts on the whole process
and kind of where where I landed on this
today after a couple of days of thinking
a lot and talking to a lot of people
about this I think I share maybe some of
the frustration that councilor FLOTUS
expressed earlier
reading reading about this in Sun News I
think Friday evening or Saturday morning
because we had never discussed it before
in fact we hadn't even come close to
discussing everything that was included
here
and I get that that's the nature of the
emergency proclamations in the sense
that mayor you can do what you feel is
right for our community to protect the
safe safety and well-being of residents
I just I guess when we passed that
original ordinance I didn't expect it to
be used in this particular manner I
figured we'd discuss it you declare it
and then you know we would choose to
extend it so would have just love to
have those conversations in an open
setting about what your thoughts were on
the restaurants reopening prior to the
to the proclamation coming forward
whether that was during councilor
comments you know on Monday or some
other time that's appropriate for us to
discuss them openly would have really
appreciated that that chance to talk
about it
I think if we weren't surrounded by
communities that have drastically
different rules
I would probably support this but I
think because Mesilla is open and will
adhere to the state rules and because El
Paso is open and has been open and las
cruces are traveling to a community with
higher rates of kovin potentially
putting our residents I believe more a
danger than if they were here locally
then I would like I said I probably
would support this but I think
realistically from what I've experienced
and what I've seen the behavior of
people consumers who are going to
restaurants and retail outlets they're
going to go to words open and they're
going to come back to our communities
and so rather than rather than lose out
on two fronts and trust me economic
right now G right now people's lives are
much more important to me than then you
know then GRT to the city however when
it comes to both of those two combined
right if are we really protecting folks
if they're just going somewhere else and
at the same time we're losing GRT it
just seems to me like a double whammy in
terms of you know me thinking that this
particular solution is not is not the
right one
so I don't I don't support it at this
point I think some of the regulations or
some of the other items included in this
proclamation would love to have actual
experts kind of be able to give me and
others some real guidance early Anna
I've heard a lot of the complaints about
the about the gyms and I'm not going to
a gym anytime soon personally I have
gone to the gym every morning for like
five or six years like I mean you it on
Sundays but I'm not going back any time
because I that's not the choice that's
choice I want to make but I know there's
a lot of folks in the fitness industry
or who enjoy the fitness facilities that
are asking about the free weights and
why they can't use the free weights and
I can I can't give them an answer that I
think is qualified in terms of my
knowledge of you know just how how much
that potentially increases the spread of
Kovach and why we would restrict that so
I would just you know I would love to
hear from a professional who can say hey
definitively free weights increase you
know X&Y by this percent and here's why
so it's a little bit hard for me to make
that call personally and so at the same
time I think that if we do see an
increase in cases and with the increased
testing capability that we have and I
hope rapid response testing now at the
local lab I am prepared to act quickly
to scale back any type of restrictions
that that we need to obviously don't
want it to come to that because that
means that we would have made the wrong
decision but I'm happy to own that if
this is the wrong decision
I also think about the mental health of
people who are working so many of these
jobs in the service industry and other
places that that really need a purpose
right now I know a lot of folks
who may have received benefits that
don't necessarily want to be receiving
assistance they would they would rather
be working I have said this before but I
feel so privileged that I get to keep my
job during this time that I get to have
a steady paycheck and I don't have to
worry about where my next meal is coming
from because I just happen to have a
gainful employment and I'm lucky and I'm
privileged and I'm blessed to do that
and if I didn't I'd be one of those
people itching to get back to work
because I need purpose right I need to
wake up and do something and move you
know move around use my hands use my
brain
um that's kind of what helps me keep
myself sane and so I imagine that
there's other folks out there who are
wanting to go back to work and and so I
think about them more than more than I
think about the employers that think
about workers who who really just need
to to work to find purpose and even for
mental health issues I know some folks
some books need to get out of their
house and find an opportunity to do
something again that they feel is
constructive and so you know I just
guess I'm not prepared to make a
decision to support this now unless I
have more information and so for that
reason I don't think I'll support it
unless we have new data or new
information that comes to me but I just
wanted to make those comments so thank
you there no thanks counselor and again
and kind of what counselor for this was
getting that I was when I first got word
that the restaurants were going to open
it was just within within a few days I
can't reach out to you all I can't
contact you and say hey let's come up
with some ideas I would love to have but
when I saw what was being addressed and
I I felt like if they could if we could
increase the outdoor still have the
indoor 25% increase outdoor say 50 they
actually would have more in my opinion
more customers but now granted that's
not even allowed so it was a I wasn't
trying to pull you know do this really
quick it was
but again knowing that it would expire
today and this would lead to the
discussion that it is I think it's a
good thing but I just want you to know
that is that when I told you when you
first allowed me to have this
opportunity that I would discuss it and
granted if if if it was a if it was
hardened set rule that restaurants were
gonna open up on June 1st and this was
told given to us two weeks ago yeah
great you know what I'm not I can't
blame the administration they don't know
that's based on on how our spike was or
how are our cases were decreasing and I
know they were anxious to get things
going so I just wanted to point that out
that's so I appreciate your comments
thank you me counselor sword Thank You
mayor well let me start by saying I
don't think I can support this because I
don't believe we need more restrictions
than what the state has what cuz of us
has said about our Paso is very very
telling we can't stop people at the
border of Texas with Texas and so that's
gonna be a problem as he said I'll add
to it the mental health area that that's
a concern of mine
I know people they like their jobs they
like to go work not all of them but most
of them do and they like to work with
people and they miss the people that
they work with and so just for the
mental health part of it it's a problem
so then I tried to think of well what
justification can we add for more more
restrictions and I just don't see it it
was mentioned at one time that we don't
test enough people well testing more
people in 45 other states there's only
four states that test more than we do
and so we can have we have a pretty good
handle on what's happened
with the people in this state and Dona
Ana County to the fact that matter is
Dona Ana County has a lower percentage
of population that's positive than all
but one or two other places in the state
we test at 122 per 100,000 people
whereas the state has 282 thought all
that test positive for a hundred
thousand people and even Albuquerque and
Burt County they are at a hundred ninety
five 400,000 people so as far as our
rate that we have here at nineteen it's
lower than the rest of the state and
except for the Northwest and if you
watch the numbers our positive test
rates are going down and the last week
we have been dropping significantly we
kind of follow this state a little bit
in that way so we've got left our peak
one peak anyway behind and with and
lower numbers and I okay this way almost
everybody in this city knows what we can
do to look our possibility of getting
infected we have all these procedures
and and and we are hopeful to do and we
know the fates masks are distancing
physical distancing wash your hands
don't shake hands and so on all the
other things people tell what to do to
prevent getting from the deceit we have
lots of we have received lots of
information and advice some that's good
some not so good
people are so emotional about this and
there again I'll say it again we suffer
some mental health problems because of
this
and I think of it this way nobody knows
for sure what the whole thing is about
that everything that's been done has
been done with the best possible
information and we don't have all the
answers yet so we don't know for sure
what we're doing is right I'll give you
that but here's what I think let's go
with the with the the the governor the
stage of New Mexico is going with and
should we find in a week two weeks a
month that that's wrong we could shut
down again
it's not impossible to shut down again
if it gets out of control so that's why
I can't support this resolution Thank
You mayor Thank You councillor I don't
know if I would go and shut them down
again but I think it's a good I think
that's very prudent to see what is like
in a couple weeks or so I appreciate
your comments so basis to be Thank You
mayor um in preparation I have actually
written a statement down okay thank you
today we have the opportunity to take a
cautious but brave step to living in a
kovat positive world from the beginning
of this pandemic I have used this issue
on a three-part lens the physical mental
and economic health of our community is
at the forefront of every decision that
I've made I started working in the
restaurant industry when I was just 15
years old and so I know a lot about the
trials that they can face and I'm so
thankful and I applaud the many
restaurants and all of our businesses in
this community that I've brought safety
and service as priorities during this
time but now is the time to make these
first steps to reopening so that we can
adjust to new challenges and bring forth
recommendations of our new economic
recovery council to look at any
those unforeseen in shoes these industry
experts will be able to lift up what
areas we can still approve upon when
looking at safety in our community and
adjustments will have to be made and if
time correctly we can make these needed
adjustments before we have to think of
adding even new elements in with the
potential of school starting in the fall
in a modified fashion or with the
resurgence of winter respiratory
illnesses and I know that there is a
great fatigue that we feel from the last
few months
these life-altering events weigh heavy
and many are ready to go out and to
return to normal but the fact is that
there is not a return to the normal that
it once was this virus is now with us
for the foreseeable future and we must
think long term when making decisions we
must continue to balance the three
aspects of safety while holding to the
principle that it is a human's life that
has that greatest value so slow and
measured steps are needed for reopening
we must be ready to adapt to new set of
scientific findings and use all
resources available to keep our
community safe history has shown that is
often the second wave of a pandemic that
brings about the greater possibility of
consequences and it's our behavior as a
community once we start lifting
restrictions that will guide we where we
are at in a month if people return
without adhering to those state
guidelines set forth there is a great
possibility that our community will not
be able to keep that balance of health
and so please care for our local economy
and purchase goods and services from our
small businesses here and please respect
the new regulations that are designed to
protect employees and customers and I
know it's hard and it feels like you
shouldn't have to say this but I do
think we need to remember to care for
one another it's hard to I'm sure I have
had the lens on that maybe looking at an
overly cautious way given my
circumstances but it is a balance and
that's what I've been elected to do so I
do feel that
this is the first step that we need to
adhere to these state guidelines and not
put any further restrictions but I look
forward to our economic recovery council
being up and running and giving those
industry insights that can help tweak
any sort of issues that we see if we do
find that we are having gaps in safety
thank you okay thank you
yeah Mayor Pro Tem Gandara Thank You
mayor thank you to my colleagues who
have spoken before very insightful
thoughtful messages um you know mayor I
was prepared to vote no today as well
and I have felt like I was looking also
from a lens of safety and well-being of
our of our entire constituency I plus
having the experience working in the
behavioral health sector and having a
daughter who is doing who is serving her
residency in Colorado and early on when
this pandemic happened right off the bat
couple of her colleagues tested positive
and the department that she was in and
so then that put an extra layer of
concern and fear as a mom right as a
parent things that you want to do to
protect your children even your adult
children and and so I'm hearing from her
from the perspective of a doctor seeing
that happen and immediately what the
health care industry there or the
hospital did to protect people they they
said social distancing immediately right
you have to wear your mask there UMass
all the time and unfortunately there was
some hoarding of of the n95 s so much so
that she didn't have she didn't have
what she needed so there I go looking
and online to ensure that she had what
she needed and this
Pacific in 95 that worked for for her
and so she spent one week at work and
one week working from home and and did
that for probably an entire about a
month and a half and it was probably one
of the hardest things that I had to do
being from a distance calling her making
sure that she was okay and actually
making sure both my kids were okay that
they were handling things like they they
need the way they needed to and and get
making sure they had everything that
they needed so I you know I come from a
very caring and empathetic position I I
think I've often said that I was very
proud of the city's response and I
content I continue to be and as I read
the you know the emergency Proclamation
and the additional requirements some of
the things that was really concerning to
me and I guess I don't know who you
spoke to be it businesses constituents
and any of those people but I was
getting calls from chambers saying
what's happening why did this happen and
being as collaborative and as
coordinated as I feel that I try to be
to encourage the communication I didn't
build that that it happened that that
not only if we felt blindsided the
business community preparing for a month
to be open June 1st was certainly blind
sighted and then with additional
additional requirements and so I am
concerned about some of these additional
requirements in the extension of like
per 30 days a lot of us need to
understand that unemployment checks are
stopping the PPE all those things that
businesses and employees and 4n for that
matter
not all employees had the luxury of
applying and going through that whole
system as difficult as it was to include
the businesses and I say luxury and I
don't I don't mean that because there's
folks out there that can't even can't
apply for that because they're
undocumented there are immigrants which
are most of our a lot of our folks who
are working in the in the in the service
industry you know are our mixed status
families so I like to to impart this
kind of restriction and not be prepared
as a city to have the conversations that
I feel are necessary to to uphold
something like this is what that was a
heart for me it was hard it was hard to
to hurt to do this as you know people
were preparing with the governor's
mandate and Aldus is additional I heard
from small businesses that the eight
feet requirement was too much that would
eliminate a lot of people businesses
that I frequent often who care about
their their employees and their patrons
and and then I have a cousin who has her
own she's a hairdresser she has her own
salon she's alone in that in that alone
in that building if you will her that
that space
she doesn't have others that work for
her work in there and so I know that she
wasn't aware that I just I just feel
like the tiny and the things that
happened were not enough to ensure that
people have pecs eat glass and and the
various things are and all these things
checking they're checking people's
temperatures I mean we're hearing from
childcare centers that they can't even
get temperatures thermometers
them so like I think in a perfect world
this might work and I was here I came
here today with an open mind to hear
what the numbers suggest to us today
I got a update that we we had six six
positive kovat cases today and but I
don't believe that the numbers and our
rate is such that we need to have
additional requirements for the for
these places so I'm also with counselor
Mascis I'd like to hear some of the
reasoning behind sort of the gyms and
why exercise machines and free weights
those of us have been in the gyms for
many many years I don't do that anymore
but I I know that it was definite
requirement that you wipe down
everything that you use to include three
weights and and they're sanitizing
stations and and you know those kinds of
things finally I just want to add that
for the first time this weekend I went
to Target and Home Depot because I had
to and frankly not everybody is wearing
face masks and adhering to the the
social justice scene the six feet and
honestly for all of this to work and for
and would hate I think if we limited or
shut I used the word shutdown loosely
but if we said okay we're at 50% and now
we have to do 25 we have to move into
decreasing to 25 percent that is going
to hurt the industry even more so I
think that we all have as citizens have
to be responsible for each other I mean
I wear that mask to protect others and I
again I I'm receiving emails about the
mass and this for me is something that
is necessary
for us to move into the next phases and
and with that mayor I'll all I'll end
for now
Thank You mayor pro-tem councillor
Flores Thank You mr. mayor
now I spoke to the to the fallout that
the fallout after the proclamation was
sent out to the press and I received and
sought on the front page of the news but
as to the substance I have to say I
think we're all I think we're all
feeling a heightened level of anxiety
and and and and my kids are my my sons
are adults are full-blown adults and so
I live in a morbid fear in fact I hadn't
taken my dog out for a walk until
Saturday and that's when I saw the front
page of the my neighbor's newspaper so I
I'm afraid of dying because of coab in
nineteen hide just I just AM so I take
every precaution I can possibly take and
I shared this with you mayor and I don't
know what the context was that I think I
might have had a form of kovat because I
kept relapsing over a period of three
months and started in January and I
remember when I drove up to Santa Fe
with councilor sorg
I was just coming out of that and then
BOOM right after that I relapsed again
and then in a bit or favoring that much
so today when this whole thing of Kovac
came out I thought oh my gosh so it
isn't that I don't think the precautions
are enough I mean I mean I personally
you know I personally my behavior is
totally different and so I'm just very
what
very very extremely cautious and I go
out only what I have to but I can't I
can't go with this because I find it in
spite of the the type over there even
without the typo it just seems redundant
it seems yeah I I don't know what it's
going to accomplish quite frankly it's
uh it's no different than with the
governor he has and and I don't know I
think that behavior is the best thing I
think that people really believe based
on all those emails and conversations
that I had over the weekend I mean
people really feel that they can make up
their they can they can make the
decision to go out and be surrounded by
50 you know 50 percent whatever capacity
you know whatever customers I think that
it is our duty to do the best we can
when it comes to health and welfare of
our constituents that's what we get
elected to do but frankly I know that in
my precinct Burks is in my district
there were I think far less people while
any election wireless people who went
out to vote them and send those emails
and I mean usually we just get a
fraction of a percent who show up to
vote but but we had a lot of people come
out and talk about masks and and the
proclamation and everything like that
but no I'm not an agreement with this as
substantively and thank you well thank
you counselor Florida's yes whoever set
this up obviously he knows what they're
doing we should make them director of
community engagement because yeah that
there was a I'm impressed really am
usually like you say I mean I'll get you
know I get 500 emails a day but not like
this
this is this was impressive you know
pretty good pretty good
okay last speak
or counsel Bencomo thanks mr. mayor it's
not that hard to set up a petition I'll
teach you how to do it that's okay we're
good
this is this is a once-in-a I I I
last time I got this many emails was
what was it SB 1070 or something Arizona
it was years ago I forgot it was this
was reminiscent of it so thank you I am
you know I'm gonna say something super
difficult because I think um I've never
disagreed with all of my colleagues I
received I'm deeply concerned about this
reopening I received a memo that was
created with the help of doctors great
secretaries Grace who who's had a
watchful eye on doing an accounting for
quite a while what I'm gonna read to you
what it says right here the growth rate
in cases in the southwest region which
predominantly includes Dona County is
2.5 to 3 times higher than the state as
a whole so we currently have the largest
growth rate at one point two for
comparison to the rest of the region's
you know I think people don't like while
if we isolate these ladies we can't we
can't isolate them I mean you know
counselor Rascals of the very we are so
intertwined in this region like we
cannot isolate different numbers to help
us feel better about their reopening and
so I am I am deeply concerned I you know
I I think it's gonna be a lot harder to
scale back restrictions as opposed to
taking it easy and slowly some of these
restrictions additional ones are things
that other states have done
but I get it you know I get it I get it
that people are frustrated I do have to
say that I'm really appreciative of the
folks that reached out and expressed
their deep concern for the community and
their fellow neighbor and I spoke to a
lot of people that did not agree with me
don't agree with me that don't agree
with me excuse me um but we could agree
that I in a lot of folks I talked to we
could agree that we have to take care of
each other because each other is sort of
all we got right so I really want to
thank those folks that that had those
courageous conversations with me you
know I do have to note that I think a
lot of people think that I don't hear
them that I'm not listening to them
because I disagree but just not true
right my parents are business owners my
parents didn't qualify for PPP and the
other loan that was available I it was
so complicated I couldn't help them
apply for it right so I intimately get
it also though my parents take care of
my elderly grandparents who diabetes and
my mom helps take care of her sister who
is lupus right so those things have
taken priority for my family and and I
take that very seriously I think for me
what's even most frustrating though as a
decision maker has been what I have seen
and heard from a lot of other folks
influential leaders in our community
business leaders in our community
community people who are trusted use
terms like this is a fight against the
City Council
I'm find that irresponsible I think it's
irresponsible to exploit work to
people's frustrations and anxieties and
because of the uncertainty of the moment
I get you're angry I absolutely do this
is a terrible situation but that's just
irresponsible
this isn't about there is no us versus
them here right there isn't a person
thing there is us versus a pandemic
there is us versus a virus if I
that I might add is predominantly
killing indigenous black brown elderly
and / folks we cannot simply decide that
the virus is no longer a threat I just I
don't think that's how it works and my
concern is that a lot of the folks
demanding a reopening 50 100 percent are
the same folks refusing to wear a mask
in public to protect themselves and to
protect their fellow neighbor and that
may be a huge generalization but I
honestly don't think it is some of the
same folks who have made comments that
this virus is a hoax so that those
things concern me I spoke to a pastor
this morning who happened to also say
you know yes 50 percent right he we have
midnight to disagree but we had an
incredible conversation and he told me
you know what he also did say that I
thought was really powerful I never did
Tom he said people's freedoms come with
responsibility right so a lot of folks
are talking about their freedoms and all
that he said people need to be
responsible with their freedoms right so
it burns very much a meeting in the
middle right like yes let's open up for
these businesses that are hurting that
they just need to get there but then
there was a deep understanding that
there needs to be a balance and I I
really respect that
so there is no easy there are no easy
choices they heard there haven't been
since March you know and I'm I'm five
months in like this is not how I
expected to learn how to be a city
councilor this is hard this has been
incredibly hard since March but I want
to get to the other side of this
pandemic not regretting having done more
I don't want to get to the other side of
this with families who work ovid victims
demanding that we didn't do more for
their families right well I think about
that I think about that I don't want to
get to the end of this week reading not
having done more because lives are not
something that can be recovered at the
end of the day we will fight like hell
for the economy to recover
I have no doubt for working families I
have no doubt we will fight for that but
I think moving forward I really want to
and this is the thing with masks right
like it's really about pushing people to
be responsible to cooperate to be
mindful of one another that's how we're
gonna get to the other side of this
faster so get up my soapbox here in a
second but given that we're moving
forward with the state you know with the
rest of the state I wrote out a couple
things that I think it's like you know
hoping for the best preparing for the
worst a little bit um you know I really
want I want personally weekly updates on
testing and testing availability
honestly I think we need increased
testing and Donna County as a whole I
think we need a strong contract contact
tracing program tell me why'd you know I
think you know they started hiring folks
I don't know what that's like for Donna
specifically but I think we need to
ensure that we have a strong program
here locally I think we have to ensure
that employers are notif immediately
notifying the rest of their staff if one
of their co-workers test positive I
think we need to do scenario planning
and I think I'm excited that we voted in
those folks today I'm the economy
recovery council because I hope that one
of the first things we do is scenario
planning where we're thinking okay what
if there is a resurgence and it's
terrible in one month in what if this is
the reality for six months right like we
need to do I'm doing that for my own
organization right I think it's
important that we do this as a city
frankly there is no national plan I
think the federal government has
seriously failed us so we need to do
that here and then you know we need to
ensure that the other part of the
workforce that isn't coming back to work
yet but their needs are being met so I
want to you know go back to CAA I want
to go back to the Community Foundation
Catholic Charities all the organizations
to ensure that those folks that are not
yet back to work are still having access
to resources to
in their pockets to be able to pay their
rent and you know the last thing I'll
say is the governor said it pretty well
just because we're reopening doesn't
mean you have to go right so if you're
feeling uncomfortable if you're feeling
like that particular business isn't
taking it seriously don't go right
encourage your friends not you so I'll
stop there I also want to note that in
the petition they named that all
everything is open 50 percent but that's
not true right the governor's order says
including that group fitness classes and
not permitted while indoor malls hair
and nail salons barber shops tattoo
parlors and massage services may begin
operating up 25 percent so that is in
the mail in the governor's order I'll
stop there thank you Thank You counselor
you know I want to highlight just a
couple things here one thing that you
said councilor Bencomo he said family
members who have underlying conditions
and counselor soared said almost
everybody knows what to do and I guess I
was thinking this weekend and you know
not not a day goes by I don't read a
report on koba 19 like councilor Flores
and scares me to death
I try to watch as many documentaries as
I can on this and I mean you know us as
a body they're fairly informed but I
don't know if everybody really knows
what to do and so I was gonna ask
Jennifer question if we were to come up
with even if it's just some best
practices that could be distributed to
local businesses one if we could do that
I don't know is that something we can do
Jennifer that you know I guess what I'm
trying to get it is well what really
concerns me is yes I think a lot of
people who do go out they feel
comfortable they know that they're in
pretty good shape and then and if they
did get it they'll survive and they're
willing to take that risk but what if
they unknowingly take it to a family
member that maybe they want to visit and
and then someone caught it and they they
contracted
and it was a serious illness for them I
know they would feel really bad and what
I'm trying to say is maybe that no that
they didn't know that they could be a
carrier and so that's why I was hoping
that we could maybe distribute
information you know if a business wants
to have it great if they don't okay that
then don't but I guess it's important to
really make sure do everything we can
you know granted like I said I'm not
gonna be pushing this I'm not gonna be
moving this forward but I feel like we
need to do everything we can our power
to in the in the weeks that you want
that all of us have learned about this
you know because we deal with the daily
daily we deal with it we're pretty first
on it but we're still not an expert and
and but if we can take these best
practices and have a flyer distributed
to various businesses one can we do that
with my question just so we can do there
and counsel this is Jennifer Vega Brown
yes you can absolutely send out any
information you want to it's a health
issue it's a public safety issue you can
do that you know what I'm thinking if
businesses would be willing to at least
give it to their customers as they come
in go if they don't find you know we're
just trying to help you know it's funny
yeah if there's one thing that really
was really funny this is one guy I
forgot who it was he's really upset he
was gonna show me tomorrow at the ballot
box he's not voting free that's how
informed he is okay at that okay well
I'm sorry you know I'm sorry I lost your
vote no I knew it was cuz I'm not voting
for you tomorrow so what I'm trying to
get is they don't not everybody really
knows and if we could help educate them
more and more that would be better
that's all I'm trying to get out if we
could save a few lives that way if we
could come up with this flier and be
able to either distribute it or allow
them to copy it or us make those copies
I have no idea but if that if that could
be given away so that they could read
about it and realize wow I didn't know I
could be a carrier that was the reason
there was one of the big reasons why of
the school children they didn't want to
go to school it wasn't you know at that
time in the very beginning that was
noted that they were to be catching
and he illness but they were afraid for
their grandparents if they took at home
you know visited their grandparents or
the weekend and they could be a carrier
so that's all that was the whole purpose
in my opinion for me it was just trying
to make sure that we did our best
or that I did my best you know make sure
that everybody was safe not to harm
anybody so okay well Oh near put'em you
have a question comin
I do Mary I appreciate the thought
I just know that we have systems in
place like the Chamber's that are
willing to come to the table that had
been meeting Nash with Nash their
national chambers and different things
that that line of communication needs to
be opened up I agree with councilor
Bencomo about receiving data on a weekly
basis about the tests and the rapid
testing the labs ensuring that people
are getting getting the results back
timely those kinds those kinds of things
and again the thought about meeting
jointly with our County constituents or
County delegation is really important I
agree that we can't separate ourselves
out I know that people are deeply
concerned about Dona Ana County so are
we we all are I am I mean and and I'm
encouraging you to have those
conversations we need to we need to have
like there the robust and courageous
conversation that counts repent como hat
with the pastor yeah I have him with the
business community in fact I'm gonna
have a zoom meeting tomorrow I'm a
little concerned about how that all is
gonna roll out but I'm I'm here I'm open
I'm available
to talk my point is is that people were
blindsided and I don't want that to
happen everybody they're not even
prepared for any of this it just doesn't
make sense to me to continue that way
and again and they keep saying this
those Friday special meetings are really
important as we move forward we're going
to have to hey I don't like to have an
additional we're like meeting and
meeting and meeting but it's important
so that we're sort of on the same page
and we're hearing the same things often
all I have to say and and we gotta all
of us got a letter from the Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce
Debbie Moore says there's best practices
that they've recommended that are in
addition to the state bills at the
recovery board it would be a great first
step for the recovery board to to hear
and and put forth
specifically the Jodi Ana County thanks
mayor okay yeah well thank you all right
well I think that pretty much concludes
our comments and so let's go ahead and
call for the vote
just to clarify no vote will not extend
a yes vote does it's been moved in
second and so with that Christine this
is on the motion to approve resolution
20 - 165 counselor beta Stevie down
counselor vasquez counselor Bencomo no
counselor sorg
no cancer Flores no counselor down that
huh
no there no okay
oh that takes care of that so thank you
very much for your comments and all that
you guys do so I think that's pretty
much it so we'll go ahead and
as for motion second to adjourn move to
adjourn
second motion made by councillor Sorek
second by councillor Florida so we
adjourned all those in favor signify by
saying aye almost we're adjourned it's
507 Kim all right thank you