BUCYRUS-The City of Bucyrus now requires all visitors to City Hall to wear a mask pursuant to Governor DeWine’s order on July 22, 2020. This order affects the entire public including during meetings of elected officials and boards. Exceptions are made for medical conditions; however, no food or drink is allowed in Council Chambers so no exceptions will be made for eating or drinking. This ruling is made out of courtesy to our fellow citizens who may be affected by our actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser released the following statement:

The City of Bucyrus now requires all visitors to City Hall to wear a mask pursuant to Governor DeWine’s order on July 22, 2020. This order affects the entire public including during meetings of elected officials and boards. Exceptions are made for medical conditions; however, no food or drink is allowed in Council Chambers so no exceptions will be made for eating or drinking. This ruling is made out of courtesy to our fellow citizens who may be affected by our actions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I realize that the science of COVID-19 has changed as we learn more about the disease, and we may find out at a future time that masks may have had no value in stopping the spread of COVID-19. But for now the science as well as our own intuitive sense points to the wearing of masks as a proper thing to do, as well as social distancing and frequent sanitizing. Recent studies are showing the effectiveness of mask wearing in stopping droplets that contain COVID-19 and are also pointing to a possible additional effect in the reduction of cases of influenza in the Southern Hemisphere, which is being attributed to the personal activities used in slowing the spread of COVID-19, including mask-wearing. This is potentially great news for us as we will be approaching the influenza season in a few months.
I ask all elected officials to set the tone for the entire City. I know that these are difficult and unsettling times and we long for the pre-COVID-19 days. I know that you may be opposed to the idea of wearing a mask for your own reasons. I am asking that you put aside your feelings and do as the Governor and President Trump have asked us to do—for the sake of unity as well as our health.
In regards to City Council meetings there are three options. First, all Council members and guests would wear a mask while at City Hall. Second, Council meetings can be held outside if you choose not to wear masks or third, you may choose to resume online meetings as was done in the initial phase of the pandemic.

Being an effective leader may require that have to do things that we find difficult. This is one of those times. Putting the health and safety of fellow citizens and Council members first should always be at the top of our priorities. The science of mask-wearing as related to COVID-19 will take care of itself as we leave it to those trained to do so, but for now there is plenty of evidence to support the wearing of masks in public settings. I hope that your fellow citizens (including those who put you in office) can count on you to subordinate your own feelings for the greater good of all in Bucyrus.
May God guide us through the difficult time and bring peace to our City, State and entire country.

Jeff Reser, Mayor

Mayor Reser also sent out the following email to elected officials:

I am responsible for the protection of all citizens while at City Hall and I take our current health crisis very seriously.
I was told that Council members would be abiding by the Governor’s mandate and would be wearing masks at the meetings.   Doug Foght, Rob Ratliff, Todd Hill and Bruce Truka followed the mandate. Some had masks around their neck, not in keeping with the mandate.
I will be enforcing the mask mandate on Thursday.   Visitors and media members are required to wear a mask.
You may choose to meet by Zoom or on the CH veranda if you refuse to wear a mask.
I ask that you put aside your personal feelings and do this for the protection of your fellow Council members and for those citizens  attending the meetings who take COVID-19 as a very serious threat to our collective health.

In response, Council President Kurt Fankhauser has expressed the following response to the mask mandate.

“First of all, I fit one of the exemptions that the Governor has laid out saying that I don’t have to wear a mask, and second, everyday I am up at City Hall in the past two weeks I’ve seen other city employees not wearing masks. The whole him trying to enforce it on Council is him just trying to single out Council.”

A regular Joint Committee meeting will be Thursday, August 20th at 6:00 p.m. In council chambers at Bucyrus City Hall. The public is invited to attend.