Albany City Commission considers ending mask requirements

ALBANY — To mask or not to ask, that is the question under consideration by the Albany City Commission.

After a year of requiring visitors and staff to wear masks in city-owned buildings and while riding public transportation, commissioners are considering whether to rescind the requirements.

The commission also passed a controversial mask mandate in September that applies to individuals in businesses and other public places, with the exception of those that opt out, that is only in effect when COVID-19 numbers reach a certain threshold. It has not been in effect since a Christmas/New Year’s holiday spike in transmission of the novel coronavirus.

Commissioners mostly seemed to be on board with ending the mask requirement for city buildings and buses.

The Dougherty County Commission rescinded its mask requirement in its buildings earlier this year.

With the CDC and World Health Organization giving conflicting advice on masking, Commissioner Jon Howard said he would like to keep the requirement in place for the time being.

“I think it’s a good idea to have city facilities and city transportation keep the mask mandate in place until we get another recommendation,” he said.

Howard also pointed to the coronavirus variants and the spread in Southern states, as well as the low number of area residents who have been vaccinated.

Commissioners B.J. Fletcher, Matt Fuller, Bob Langstaff and Chad Warbington said they would be comfortable following the county’s lead and ending the mask requirement.

“I’m good with rescinding it,” Fuller said.

Before making a decision, Commissioner Demetrius Young said he would like to see the Phoebe Putney Health System’s number of patients it has been treating for the disease.

No vote was taken during the Tuesday work session.

On another COVID-related topic, community members addressed the city’s budgeting of $10 million in American Recovery Plan Act funds for use in funding a portion of the city’s stormwater/sewage separation project.

During a June 22 meeting at which commissioners approved a $171 million budget, a number of protesters outside the meeting chamber shouted chants urging the removal of four commissioners — Fletcher, Fuller, Langstaff and Warington — and Mayor Bo Dorough, who voted to include $10 million in federal funds for the sewer system as part of the 2020-2021 spending plan.

Michael Harper said he has not seen a political protest like that of June 22 since the Civil Rights era.

“(But) it wasn’t a violent protest,” said Harper, who told commissioners he did not participate. “There was no destruction. There was no violence. No laws were broken, as no arrests were made.”

While the city will likely receive additional money for infrastructure in the future, Harper said that there will not be another disbursement of COVID relief funds and that President Biden intended for the money to be used for recovery for hard-hit communities.

“By putting the money in the sewer, that’s like saying we don’t care about the suffering of people from COVID-19,” Harper said. “It’s almost as if there is a war between the City Commission and the citizens of Albany. You didn’t reach out to see what the anger is about.”

The city will receive a total of $20 million from the American Rescue Plan, and has not voted on the use of the second $10 million installment.

Commissioner B.J. Fletcher told Harper she disputed the assertion that commissioners do not care about residents. She said commissioners consulted with the office of U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, and were told using the money for the sewer was “the right thing.”

Fletcher also said the city faces fines of $50,000 per day if it does not meet federal mandates on separating stormwater and sewage by 2025.

She also pointed to flooding that has impacted parts of the city due to the aging sewer system.

“This sewer system is going to help everybody in the community — white, black and brown,” she said. “This is a committee of seven, and we do talk and try to be as fair as we can be.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]