Washington City Council passes resolution making stance against pandemic mandates official

WASHINGTON CITY — The Washington City Council passed a resolution “regarding rights and liberty” Wednesday, making the council’s stance against mask and vaccination mandates official.

Washington City Councilwoman Kim Casperson reads the resolution affirming the council’s stance against pandemic mandates, Washington City, Utah, Jan. 28, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Introduced by Councilwoman Kim Casperson, the resolution states that the City Council “supports individual choice in health care decisions” and that “as it pertains to the health decisions of Washington City’s citizens, employees, or officers, the Washington City Council does not support mask or vaccination mandates.”

According to the language of the resolution, it is to serve as a clarifying statement that the council is committed to “liberty and individual rights.”

Washington City Manager Jeremy Redd said this has been the position of Washington City since the beginning of the pandemic.

“This wouldn’t be a change, but (it) clarifies the position,” he said of the resolution.

The resolution is similar one passed by the Washington County Commission last year reaffirming its own stance against pandemic mandates and economic lockdowns.

Prior to reading the resolution Wednesday, Casperson repeated the words and sentiments shared by Dr. David Blodgett, director of the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, following the passage of the County Commission’s resolution.

In this file photo, Dr. David Blodgett, director of the Southwest Public Utah Health Department, speaks to the Washington County Commission about how he believes government mandates harm public health efforts, St. George, Utah, Aug. 3, 2021 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

“It’s always been about personal responsibility,” Blodgett said in August. “We all have had a responsibility to understand what this virus means, what it can mean for others, and what it can mean for those who are exposed to it.”

Blodgett also said at the time that he believed government mandates do more harm than good, as they get in the way of good health policy. Attempts by government entities to force people to wear masks or get vaccinated also tend to have an effect opposite of their intent, he said, and can hamper attempts by the health department to help educate people about what the best health decisions for them may be.

When St. George News asked Casperson what prompted the creation of the Washington City resolution, she sent the following statement via email.

I have been getting a lot of questions from residents on where Washington City stands on mask and vaccine mandates. Now the community knows where Washington City stands, and that we support and respect individuals to make personal health decisions.

Opposing pandemic mandates was one of the issues Casperson campaigned on prior to her election last year.

In other business Wednesday, the council approved a bid for $1.2 million for the widening of Buena Vista Boulevard from Greens Springs Drive to Cactus Lane. Work will include curb and gutter, sidewalks and the addition of bicycle lanes, as well as waterline replacement and storm drainage work.

While work is anticipated to start sometime this year, city staff were unable to give a potential date due to overall supply chain issues currently experienced by contractors.

A rendering of a drive-thru drink shop proposed for a corner of 300 East and Telegraph Street in Washington City, Utah | Image courtesy of Washington City, St. George News

The City Council also approved a zone change request for a proposed business, Flavors Coffees and Soda, at the corner of Telegraph Street and 300 West.

While the idea of a new business sprouting up in the city’s downtown was supported, there were questions and concerns related to traffic, such as how people would safely access the business from the Telegraph Street side, as well as the potential for the line of cars waiting to get to the drive-thru backing up into the street.

“I like this project, I think it’s a fantastic design,” Councilman Kurt Ivie said, but added that “traffic is a definite concern for sure.”

After speaking with representatives of the project and determining a handful of additional conditions for the developers that alleviated the council’s shared concerns, the members unanimously approved the zone change.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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