PLANO (1080 KRLD)- The Plano City Council has adopted an amended measure that recommends masks be worn in businesses but does not require them. The council passed the amended measure 5-3 after several hours of debate and discussion Tuesday evening.
The item on the council's agenda would have required masks for employees and visitors at businesses and non-profits in the city. Businesses could be fined if they did not require masks.
During public comment, dozens of people spoke on both sides.
"99.99 percent of people have survived it," one woman said. "This mandate, forcing a person to wear a thing across their face, I think it's ridiculous."
"What I'm scared of is the people who will not protect their neighbors," another said. "Let's not stand behind our banner of individual freedom and screw our neighbors over. For heaven's sake."
Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere says 1,100 people responded after the agenda was posted, and 83 percent of them were in favor of the requirement.
"When I see that, as far as I'm concerned, I feel the debate is over. Our community has told us where their mindsets are," he says. "We operate on the municipal level of government. It's the one closest to the people, and it's the form of government, in every study, that's shown it's earned the most respect and trust of our citizens."
LaRosiliere said any argument that a mask requirement amounted to an attempt to take away freedom "simply falls short of reality."
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Ricciardelli proposed an amendment that changed the "requirement" to a "recommendation."
"The question is not whether we should be wearing masks when we're in close proximity to others, I think we should be, but rather whether the government should mandate that we do so. That's a somewhat different question," he said.
The measure with Ricciardelli's amendment passed 5-3, with LaRosiliere and Councilmembers Rick Grady and Maria Tu voting against the change.
City Manager Mark Israelson said he had only heard "anecdotal comments" about enforcement of mask requirements in other cities, but he said other cities had reported few calls about people not wearing masks.
"Compliance is the key, trying to find businesses that will comply with the order is really the key for the city," he said.
Israelson said one city reported three calls, but zero fines had been issued.
The amended recommendation in Plano takes effect immediately and will last until the city council's first meeting in August.
Monday, the mayor of McKinney signed an executive order requiring masks there. Collin County does not have county-wide requirement.