Shawn Linenberger

Tonganoxie will continue with a mask ordinance for two more months.

City Council members voted, 3-2, Jan. 19 to extend the mask ordinance into April.

The original ordinance was set to expire at the end of this month.

Members Jennifer McCutchen, Loralee Stevens and Jake Dale voted in favor of the measure, while Chris Donnelly and Rocky Himpel voted against it.

Police Chief Greg Lawson said his department had fielded many calls about the ordinance, but that as of the Jan. 19 meeting, had not issued any citations.

Stevens said that city ordinances and laws are aspirational.

“We have speed limits,” she said. “We hope they obey the speed limit.”

The ordinance would expire at the end of March, which Stevens said she also hoped would allow for many more residents to have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

She called the wearing of masks a “good idea” and “pragmatic.”

“It’s a low cost, very low-tech strategy to bring the citizens of Tonganoxie together during a pandemic,” she said moments before making a motion for the extension. “No one has burst into flames on the spot wearing a mask.”

The ordinance now will extend until April 14. Stevens initially called for a 60-day ordinance.

City Manager George Brajkovic suggested that the ordinance extend until April 14 to allow for proper publication if another vote extended the ordinance beyond 60 days. The Council’s first meeting after 60 days would be April 5.

“Again, if something changes between now and then, as a council you always have the opportunity to discuss it again, repeal it if there’s some breakthrough,” Brajkovic said. “Nothing says you have to stay committed to that date.”

Stevens agreed about the logistics and updated her motion.

Tonganoxie was at 21 active cases as of Monday’s Leavenworth County Health Department numbers.

The city had 35 active cases as of the Jan. 15 release of statistics.

Tonganoxie was at 388 positive cases as of Monday.