Anonymous
Source: City of Santa Barbara
This past Tuesday, July 28, 2020, City Council directed the City Administrator to require face mask use and pedestrian-only traffic on the 500 Block of State Street and during Tuesday’s Farmer’s Market using the City Emergency Economic Recovery Ordinance. June 18, 2020, Governor Newsom ordered the use of face masks in public when not able to practice safe distancing of 6-feet. The 500 Block of State Street includes many restaurants with large outdoor dining areas as well as congested pedestrian passages where safe distancing is not always possible and diners eating without face masks are more exposed to COVID 19. This is also the case for Tuesday’s Farmer’s Market. Mandatory face mask use on the 500 Block and on Tuesday’s Farmer’s Market is intended to eliminate the ambiguity and to create a safer public experience.
Bicycling, Skateboarding, Scootering, as well as other wheeled vehicles are also inappropriate on the 500 Block of State Street and during Tuesday’s Farmer’s Market for similar reasons. The creation of a pedestrian-only block is also intended to create public safety. Bicycles and other wheeled vehicles may be walked and skateboards carried.
Starting Saturday, August 1, 2020 Santa Barbara Peace Officers will be present and Downtown Ambassadors will be stationed on the 500 Block of State Street to educate the public of the new requirements. Both teams will be distributing a half-sheet paper with information in English and Spanish describing the new requirements (see below) in order to educate locals and visitors about these safety precautions and the importance of abiding by them. Downtown Ambassadors will also have face masks available for those who are not aware of the new requirement and those who forget. Additional public safety measures authorized include no bicycling, no skating, no skateboarding, no scootering, etc. Those enjoying such activities will be educated and required to walk while in the 500 Block of State Street and within the area occupied by Tuesday’s Farmer’s Market.
Paul Casey, City Administrator, has authorized Peace Officers to issue citations as a last resort enforcement measure. Face Mask compliance last weekend in the 500 Block of State Street was nearly 90%. City Staff believes that this weekend’s educational efforts will raise compliance near 100% and that enforcement measures will be rare or possibly unnecessary.
NEW RULES FOR THE 500 BLOCK OF STATE STREET
1. Everyone must wear a face covering at all times in the 500 Block of State Street and during the Farmers’ Market.
Exceptions:
A. Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons not seated at or serving their table.
B. Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance. Persons exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability who are employed in a job involving regular contact with others should, if the condition allows, wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge.
C. Persons younger than two years old.
D. Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
2. Bicycling, roller-skating, skateboarding, scootering, or use of other similar devices is prohibited at all times on the 500 Block of State Street and during for the Farmers’ Market.
No exceptions.
3. A violation is an infraction and subject to citation.
Oh goody. New rules. These should work.
Meaningless unless they enforce with citations. Let’s see it, SBPD!
My husband and I had lunch at The Natural Cafe on Friday. I was disappointed to see more than just a handful of people walking by without masks (or masks in their hand). I also witnessed the Downtown Ambassadors trying to get people to comply to no avail 🙁 –
It seems so unattractive to go downtown in this new era.
I was disappointed, while pushing my bike down the 500 block of State Street with my daughter the other day–both of us wearing masks–to see restaurant patrons shoveling food into their mouths, without wearing masks. Downtown Ambassadors seemed unconcerned by their anti-social behavior.
LOOSECANNON: I understand your frustration, but how can the diners eat if they’re wearing masks?
I must confess I am becoming quite the face mask fundamentalist. In fact, I think that Governor Newsom should mandate that masks should be worn within 6 miles of the next human being, when walking outdoors, in all situations and at all times, regardless of the Science.
not very funny… you should think about speaking with a therapist…
Out of an abundance of caution, I should mention (&etc…. and other trite COVID-era phrases).
Wake me up when it’s over.
Finally Enforcement! Start writing them up SBPD. The City needs the money and we want to get off the monitoring list so our kids can go back to school.
Nice try – but given that it isn’t just women being asked to wear masks for health reasons your comparison is not quite accurate, although I’m guessing you knew that. I’m really tired of people fanning the flames of government overreach and complaining about “the government forcing us to wear masks.” It’s simple science. And if you don’t believe that a mask helps to keep people safe, even though most medical experts do, you are entitled to that belief. But here’s the thing, if the the medical is community is wrong, worst case, you had to wear a mask for a few months and some people (likely some out of work) got a little side gig for a few months. If you’re wrong, the the virus keeps spreading, more people get sick and some will actually die and we’re all stuck in this crazy half-quarantined state for much longer. Frankly, I’ll take my chances with the medical professionals being wrong. So please, stop fanning the flames and making this a thing that it isn’t…
Jeezers, who writes these ‘unambiguous’ rules?… ” …Bicycling, roller-skating, skateboarding, scootering, or use of other similar devices is prohibited at all times on the 500 Block of State Street and during for the Farmers’ Market. …” They should learn how to write.
Same with the face mask rule… “… Everyone must wear a face covering at all times in the 500 Block of State Street and during the Farmers’ Market….” Is not clear WHERE we are suppose to wear… The 500 block does not have the Farmers’ Market.
Kinnda ironic that we were fighting to prevent face coverings on women for religious reasons, now forcing women to wear one for health reasons. May the farce be with you!
@LOOSECANNON – Your choice of user ID, how apt. lol
Interesting to try and compare religion against health. Since health could result in death, are you suggesting that religion is equally as permanent as death? I suppose if your religion is perhaps a cult and you have an abundance of koolaid around i think you might just then have a case. But honestly comparing apples to oranges is not quite the same thing. Farce reviled!
The people we elect “write the rules”. Does this still come as a surprise? There is not AI machine in Sacramento writing rules – they are crafted and drafted and signed by our elected officials. The essence of our system of government. Our own elected representatives on city councils, county board of supervisors, school boards, state legislature and state house. We the people (vox populi) elected every single one of them to do this to us.
Where do you live, France? Au Revoir.