Wylie City Councilmembers at their meeting Tuesday approved repealing the ordinance renewing the Mayor’s Declaration of local Disaster for a Public Health Emergency to help abate the COVID-19 public health crisis.

An amendment to the motion stated that city officials highly recommend the wearing of masks and the following of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance at city buildings. The council approved the measure in a 4-1 vote, with councilmember Garrett Mize dissenting. Councilmembers Dave Strang and Candy Arrington were absent.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order, set in motion on March 10, allowed businesses to reopen to full capacity and lifted mask mandates. Businesses, however, can still post their own rules on masks and social distancing.

Wylie city staff recommended that council repeal the current ordinance, with staffers allowing the council to implement a mask requirement if they so choose.

City Manager Chris Holsted told council that he would recommend but not require masks to be worn in city buildings because of the lack of enforceability along with some “gray area” in the governor’s executive order about whether the municipality has the authority to enforce mask wearing in city buildings.

Read more about the repeal of the disaster declaration in the March 17 of the News.

From Staff Reports [email protected]