Schulenburg Council Declines to Pass Local Mask Ordinance
The Schulenburg City Council discussed a proposed local ordinance at a meeting Monday night, Aug. 4, requiring citizens to wear facial coverings in public places, much like Governor Greg Abbott’s statewide emergency order issued early last month. They eventually decided against it.
“The Council made it clear that the City will just enforce the Governor’s ordinance,” said City Administrator Tami Walker. “We will not be passing a facial covering ordinance.”
Schulenburg Police Chief Troy Brenek said his department received two calls concerning face masks since Governor Greg Abbott issued the statewide mask order on July 2. In the first call, he said, a citizen inquired about what police would do if they found someone not wearing a mask when they were supposed to. Brenek said he informed the citizen about the Governor’s instructions to issue a warning first before writing a ticket.
In the second call, Brenek said another citizen complained that police were not doing enough to enforce the mask ordinance. Brenek said he told the citizen that SPD’s policy was “to be reactive, not proactive toward it.”
“Everyone, pretty much, is complying with it,” Brenek said regarding the situation in Schulenburg. “The biggest thing for me is that we have enough civil unrest going on, I don’t want to be getting in people’s faces about wearing a mask.
“Why do we need to continually pile on mandates when they are already in place?” Brenek asked.
The La Grange City Council took a different position last month by passing a controversial emergency ordinance that mostly copied the Governor’s mask order. Mayor Janet Moerbe cast the deciding vote for it to pass 5-4. That vote was largely a show of support for Abbott’s executive action, since the Governor’s mask order states that all law enforcement personnel in Texas have the authority to enforce its provisions. Brenek said all businesses
Brenek said all businesses he knows about in Schulenburg have posted signs instructing patrons to wear masks.
“If you walk into a business where they have it posted, and if the business owners chose not to serve the patrons who are coming in and not wearing a mask, that is their absolute right to do so,” Brenek said. “If they call us, we’ll come to the store and assist with making those individuals understand what they need to do.”
Brenek offered the following advice:
“If you go into a business and don’t feel comfortable or don’t agree with what they’re doing, don’t go in,” he said.
The City of Schulenburg has been more proactive, however, regarding another aspect of the Governor’s orders – the requirement that event organizers consult with local officials before holding events with more than 10 people. “For any events of more than
“For any events of more than 10 people, (organizers) have to submit their plans to the mayor and it has to be signed off,” Walker said.
Two such events recently took place in Schulenburg – a car show on Lyons Avenue that took place on Saturday and the local Knights of Columbus bingo night, which resumed this Monday. Brenek said he worked with both groups to formulate their plans which included requirements for social distancing and facial coverings.