Plans for enforcing Green Bay face covering requirement, if ordinance is passed

Plans for enforcing Green Bay face covering requirement, if ordinance is passed

On Monday, Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich announced plans for a city-wide face covering requirement.

It would require people to wear a face covering in indoor public spaces.

If the ordinance passes the city council Tuesday, it will be enforced in the city of Green Bay beginning next Monday.

BE ENFORCED?NBC 26'S JULIANAFALK IS LIVE NOWWITH AN UPDATE ONTHAT SIDE OF THEPLAN.JULIANA?MAYOR GENRICH SAYSHE HAS A LOT FAITH INTHE PEOPLE OFGREENBAY...EXPECTINGMANY TO FOLLOW THEREQUIREMENT, BUT IFSOMEONE DOESN'TAND THAT PERSON ISNOT EXEMPT FROMWEARING A MASK...HESAYS IT WILL BEHANDLED LIKE ATRESPASSINGVIOLATION.GREEN BAY MAYORERIC GENRICH SAYS ANUMBER OFBUSINESSES HAVEALREADY PUT MASKREQUIREMENTS INPLACE OR PLANTO...AND THE CITYPLANS TO FOLLOWSUIT...."IF SOMEONE ISN'TABIDING BY THEIRPOLICY, THEY WOULDBE ABLE TO CALLPOLICE AND REPORTSOMEBODY FORTRESPASSING.

THAT'STHE SAME WAY THISWILL BE HANDLED."MAYOR GENRICH SAYSIT WILL BE UP TOBUSINESSES TOKNOW THE LAW ANDASK PEOPLE TO ABIDEBY IT."IF THEY PASS THEORDINANCE, OFCOURSE THE POLICEDEPARTMENT'S GOINGTO ENFROCE IT."GREEN BAY POLICECHIEF ANDREW SMITHSAYS OFFICERSWOULD NOT BEDRIVING THROUGHTHE CITY LOOKINGFOR SOMEONEHEADING INTO ABUSINESS WITHOUT AMASK."THE ONLY TIME THEPOLICE WILL GETINVOLVED IS IFTHERE'S SOMEBODYTHAT MAYBE HAS BEENASKED TO PUT A MASKON AND REFUSES TOLEAVE IN WHICH CASEWE'LL HAVE ATRESSPASS."HE SAYS THEYHANDLE THAT NOW BYASKING THE PERSONTO LEAVE, EDUCATETHEM ON THELAWS..IN THIS CASEWHAT THE MASKORDINANCE IS..."AND IF THEY REFUSETO LEAVE, WE WOULDWARN THEM THAT IFTHEY REFUSE TOCOMPLY, THEY WOULDBE SUBJECT TO ARESTFOR TESPASS, AND IFTHEY FAILED TOCOMPLY THEN WECOULD CONCEIVABLYARREST THEM FORTRESPASS."CHIEF SMITH SAYTRESPASSING IS AMINOR MUNICIPALCITATION AND WOULDLIKELY BE A MINORFINE.

AS FORBUSINESSES NOTCOMPLYING...GENRICH SAYS THEY COULDHAVE THEIR LICESNSEREVOKED."OUR GOAL IS TO GETVOLUNTARYCOMPLIANCE.

WEDON'T WANT TO SEEANYBODY GET CITED.WE DON'T WANT TOSEE ANYBODY'SBUSINESS LICENSETAKEN AWAY."MAYOR GENRICH SAYSHE SEES THIS MOREAS AN EDUCATIONALEFFORT THANINVOLVING A LOT OFENFROCEMENT ORCITATIONS.

HE SAYSTHERE'S A LOT OFDISCRETION BUILTINTO THE ORDINANCEAND POLICEOFFICER'S FOCUSWILL BE ONPROVIDINGEDUCATION ANDGETTINGCOMPLIANCE.

THEMAYOR ALSO SAIDTHEY'LL BE TAKINGPEOPLE AT THEIRWORD IF THEY SAYTHEY'RE EXEMPT.AGAIN THE ORDINANEWILL BE VOTED ON BYTHE CITY COUNCILTOMORROW.

AND IFIT'S PASSED, WILLGOT INTO EFFECTNEXT MONDAY.LIVE IN GREEN BAYJULIANA FALK NBC 26.THANKS JULIANA.NOT EVERYONE IS ON