Winona City Council. File Photo
Updated at 12:41 p.m. 8/27/21
WINONA, Minn. (KWNO)-The Winona City Council voted 4-3 to immediately rescind Mayor Scott Sherman’s emergency city-wide mask order during an emergency meeting Friday morning.
Before the vote, council members heard a presentation from Winona Health President/CEO Rachelle Schultz, Winona County Health and Human Services Director Karen Sannes, and Winona County Public Health Supervisor Melanie Tatge.
“We are not out of the pandemic yet and our respective actions matter,” Schultz told councilmembers. “As we each make personal decisions, it’s important to reflect on the impact that these have on those that we love, that we live with, work with, care about and come into contact with in our community.”
“We are in a surge right now. We are trending higher with our case rates right now than we were last year at this time, which is concerning considering the number of vaccinations that we do have,” said Sannes.
Tatge showed council members a PowerPoint that displayed Winona County’s case growth over the past month, as well as resources that show mask’s effectiveness at slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Before the vote, Sherman made a plea to his fellow councilmembers to support the mandate.
“I would ask all of you to please consider the immunocompromised, the populations that cannot be immunized or vaccinated at this time and I ask you to truly look inward at yourselves and do what’s right in your heart,” Sherman said.
First Ward Councilman Steve Young was one of the four votes to cancel the mask requirement. After the vote, he said to KWNO that masking and getting the vaccine is a personal choice.
“If you’re concerned about the virus, get the vaccine and wear a mask. If you’re not concerned, you shouldn’t be compelled by the government to wear a mask or be vaccinated,” Young said. Young called the presentation from health officials “interesting.”
“Life is not risk-free and we’ve got to get ourselves somewhat back to normal here and I just don’t see requiring masks just in the city limits of Winona is going to change anything,” Young said.
4th Ward Councilman George Borzyskowski also voted to rescind the order.
“The people of Winona are very smart people. They know when and where to wear a facemask,” Borzyskowski told KWNO after the vote. “I don’t feel that government should be legislating whether they should wear these face coverings or not.”
Borzyskowski called the health presentation a good presentation and said it pointed out information that a lot of people already knew. “They were doing their best I feel to convince the council to stay with the mandate,” Borzyskowski said.
At-Large Councilmembers Michelle Alexander and Aaron Repinski joined Young and Borzyskowski in voting to repeal the mandate. Sherman, Second Ward Councilwoman Eileen Moeller, and 3rd Ward Councilwoman Pam Eyden voted against the motion to terminate the city-wide mask mandate.
Winona Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Christie Ransom said Thursday the business community did not have the appetite for another mandate. She told KWNO after the vote she was proud of the council’s decision.
“People are well capable of doing what’s right for themselves and others and a mandate isn’t the way to get things done,” said Ransom.
You can watch Friday’s council meeting below.
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