(KNSI) – The St. Cloud City Council will discuss a possible public mask mandate on Monday night. On January 7th, St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis and other city mayors rejected a request from CentraCare Health to put a mask mandate in place for two to six weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19. City Councilman Paul Brandmire says the mayors can’t put a mask mandate in place, and he won’t support one.
“they didn’t have the authority to do it anyway, because there’s not an emergency situation right now. So they can’t. They’re not monarchs. They’re not kings. There is a council, which is a legislature. And that’s why Carol’s bringing it up now. I’m willing to discuss it and then, say no.”
City Councilman Mike Conway says that’s not the same case in other parts of Minnesota.
“That’s one of the differences between Minneapolis and St. Paul and here in St. Cloud. Here in St. Cloud, the mayor gave up his emergency powers. The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul never relinquish those That’s why they were able to do what they did.”
St. Cloud’s emergency declaration ended in May when many of Minnesota’s mandates ended.
Earlier this month, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth and several Twin Cities suburbs reinstated temporary mask mandates to combat the surge in COVID cases fueled by the omicron variant.
Brandmire says even though he doesn’t think St. Cloud can approve a mask mandate, he wants people to let their local elected leaders know how they feel.
“I hope that people that are within the sound of our voices right now are letting their counsel people hear from them.”
St. Cloud Councilwoman Carol Lewis asked for the item to be added to Monday’s agenda because she says the council should have a chance to weigh in on the request from CentraCare. Lewis told KNSI News that she’s not sure if the council can pass any mandate on its own and was doing research.
Monday night’s city council meeting is being held in the Stearns County Board of Commissioners room. St. Cloud is moving to its new city hall in the old St. Cloud Tech High School building but renovations aren’t expected to be completed until February.
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