Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
The Santa Barbara City Council is focusing on education and outreach for wearing face masks but approved the use of citations as a last resort.
The council voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to allow Santa Barbara Police officers and downtown ambassadors to cite anyone in “high-risk areas” who are not wearing a face covering. The areas discussed as high-risk are in the newly created pedestrian promenade on State Street, more specifically the crowded 500 block.
The emphasis will be on education with new signs to be placed throughout the city to remind locals and visitors of the Governor’s mandatory order of wearing a face mask.
Santa Barbara Transportation Planning and Parking Manager Rob Dayton stated approximately 90% of people were in compliance with the mask order on State Street last weekend from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. In a recently conducted study of people in town not wearing masks, 62% were not aware of the mask order, he said.
Dayton also stated the mandatory six-feet of social distancing isn’t happening at restaurants and some have their outdoor parklet reaching too far into the street.
The council has not determined what the cost of the citation will be but discussed it could be similar to a parking ticket.
Although discussions took place over reckless bicyclists on State Street through the promenade, the council did not make a decision whether to cite the cyclists as well.
My God SB is weak and useless. How many times will they “educate” someone before writing a citation? And why not cite cyclists for breaking the law? Get a spine SB! While you’re wringing your hands and worrying about how not to upset people, Goleta is out there having Caltrans clean up the side of the 101 to avoid more homeless fires. Get something done for once!
Maybe if the city gave out citations instead of education we can afford all those free masks they are giving away.
We need to make people take this serious and they only way we can is with citations.
Last Saturday the Rose Garden was filled with people. No one was wearing a mask or social distancing. Young adults were playing Beer Bong! Elected Officials and Public Officials are useless. I have called to report problems (833-688-5551) and they are too busy taking calls to enforce on anything. Thoes hired to be the “enforcement” are sitting at desks! Now the Council wants to continue education rather than ticket. Ticketing will work. All you need to do is advertise that you are doing it and have a few people complain and people will get the message… Flood the Council’s email addresses with complaints on the weak and inadequate enforcement: SBCityCouncil@SantaBarbaraCA.Gov
LOCALINSB – I’m a native and grew up 3 blocks from the Rose Garden. I just now discovered you CAN drink there. Also, there are no requirements to wear a mask outside as long as you’re 6 feet away from people from other households. I’ve seen many groups there, spread apart. There’s no way to tell if the young people are from the same house unless you walk up and ask. Please don’t bother the police calling in something that is perfectly legal. What they need to be doing is citing people jammed next to each other on State St. not wearing masks or distancing. Leave the parks alone, focus on the real problem!
statistically speaking, a slope-forehead anti-masker is just as likely to flip out on you for ‘educating’ him as he is for giving him a ticket. might as well make the city some money. and i base these statistics on absolutely nooothing.
Anyone who needs to be educated by now must be living under a rock, in a cave or in a coma. And no M-Cubed, it’s not just the so called “slope-fore headed, anti-maskers”. In fact, it seems to be mostly the liberalized college age entitled brats.
edhat staff, you have this wrong and i just spoke to Alejandra from the council to confirm. No one is going to cite anyone for not wearing a mask. They will give you a mask and educate you. 7-0 vote on this.
But really think about that too. Do you really expect our officers to mill around downtown waiting for a few people to not wear a mask so they can “cite” them? For what? There is no _law_ that says we all must conform and wear a mask. There are requests to wear masks. Also, our PD have a lot bigger things to focus on than to go downtown and “cite” some one for not wearing a mask. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that it won’t even hold up in court. Until there is actual legislation passed and approved and the laws go into the books, ‘citing’ some one for not wearing a mask will result in absolutely nothing but a lawsuit against the city for attempting to cripple someone elses rights and freedoms. Just trying to show a different perspective, but back to the point. Post what is correct, not what you interpreted.
thats because they are younger, more resilient and don’t care. i didn’t in my 20s either
yes and what business it of yours? angry that you weren’t invited? no? then really, how is their business any of your concern? Oh the outrage and horror! Some guys went outside and enjoyed a nice summer day near some roses and they were playing a game and having some beers! OMG c all the cops! No, just go find a better hobby than spying on people. How’d you like it if we did that to you? I chased someone down last weekend for taking a photo of me and my daughter at the beach. I caught him and got his camera. I asked what permission he had to take photos of my daughter, and he response was, you guys aren’t wearing masks, i want to report you. Seriously? Shes my daughter. I live a block and half from the beach, we are in our neighborhood. We are family, and the only one near us at hte beach is some freak with a camera trying to snitch on us…WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT US. Just like you and your thread. Same thing. His camera ended up accidently slipping out of my hand and went into the drink. Poor him. Maybe think twice next time?
SAC….thank you for that. I back this up. Pure common sense prevails…for most of us. Thanks again.
601, could you please cite the laws that are broken by the cyclists ((none)? Also what LAWS are broken for not wearing a mask in public? None. You people are just weird!
SBLIFE, they can’t cite. it’s not a law. law is made by legislators, not city council members. and also, about 90% of you all have it wrong. wear a mask in public places where you can’t be more than 6 ftt away from anyone out of your household or immediate family. That’s the words from the health official. Not “wear a mask outdoors”. That’s ludicrous.
ZERO, the police do not need to “wait around” to find someone not wearing a mask. Look around. Mask-denying idiots are everywhere.
zerohawk not sure where you studied law, but the cities can very much pass city ordinances unique to their city. That’s what they’ve done here and can cite you for violating said ordinance. Do you seriously believe only the state/federal legislators can pass enforceable laws, rules, regulations?
for christs’ sake – wear a mask. get over it. there are bigger fish to fry –
I’d like to hear from the weirdos that want mask to be worn outside at all times even while your alone and away from people or in the car ALONE with dirty gloves that you just touched everything at the store with. Like, what’s your reasoning? For real.
420722 – do you wear a mask when unable to be 6ft away from people in your household?
4:46 that doesn’t answer the question. I’ll show you how. @5:48 I only wear a mask while shopping because it is forced for entry. Also, what events are taking place that people can’t distance outdoors? If you’re going to say in the downtown thing don’t bother I don’t even go there.
I have never heard anyone advise wearing a mask in a car when alone. If you have seen such a thing, I am positive you will be able to figure out at least five scenarios why that would occur– other than that the person was thinking they would get the virus while in their car.
All this hubbub over masks. Today Fauci said that at some point eye protection [shields, goggles] may be considered as well, he even said if you have a face shield you should wear that too or goggles bc you can get it through your eyes. How many ppl got it through their eyes? Wouldn’t we all be sick by now? I’m fine with masks but goggles and face shields potentially now too?
This is ridiculous. We are 4 months into a worldwide pandemic, and City Council wants to focus on EDUCATION?? People who aren’t wearing masks know the facts and choose to ignore them. Signs and warnings are not educating ANYONE and are a waste of money, period. Believing that people aren’t wearing masks because they are uneducated is foolish! Please make citations a higher priority. Stop making decisions and spending money for the sake of being able to say you did “something,” City Council. Lead us, please, we need it. Enforce the mask rule with citations, not just as a “last resort” (aka, never), or our local economy will continue to crumble as businesses are continually forced to close and make costly adaptations as cases spike.
Pitmix, my saying “enforce all laws” doesn’t mean that anyone expects them to cite all lawbreakers. My point is that people are trying to weasel around the issue of masks by saying it would be a burden on the police to enforce. It’s their job to enforce, as you say, get a few and people will start to pay attention.
Mask-wearers are of all ages. We don’t need to specifically target any age groups nor focus discussion on an age-related issue that doesn’t exist, we just need to need to cite people not wearing masks. It’s simple.
GOOD. People should be wearing masks if they are walking inside the State St. area. There are so many people in there! I have been tempted to walk down the length of it and see whats open, but I see too many people not masking to feel safe to do so. I’ll wait. If people can’t be bothered to protect others and themselves while walking in this area, then we DO need ticketing. Maybe then, they will comply. Geez, people!
Anti-maskers are pathetic.
We put our masks on inside our house, drive and do our errands, drive home. Take off the masks and put them in the washing machine. Touch the masks twice – putting them on and taking them off.