Jenks City Council To Vote On Mask Mandate

On Tuesday, the Jenks City Council will vote whether to issue a mask mandate.

The mandate would be for those who are 10 years old or older. If the council approves the mask mandate, it would be in effect until January 31 and could be repealed or modified or extended by the council at any time. City councilwoman Dawn Dyke said it could stop the rising COVID-19 numbers.

"In order to help us get past this virus, and continue on with our lives, we need to do something to stop the spread," Dyke said. 

David Randolph lives in Jenks, and said he wants to see the mandate passed.

"This is something we can do to keep business and schools and families going in Jenks," Randolph said. 

Randolph started an online petition in support of the mandate, which he plans to show the city council. He said the mandate is the best thing to do right now to slow the spread.

"Now is the time to put in a mask ordinance, I think if things improve it can be taken away,” Randolph said. “It has an expiration date at the end of January, so this isn’t going to continue forever but I think it's what we need right now.”

One Jenks business owner disagrees, Josh McFarland said he hopes the mandate doesn't pass.

"It is totally not governments job to tell us what we have to do when it comes to wearing masks," McFarland said. 

McFarland said he fears that the mandate passing could be another step toward the city shutting down again.

"Big government, even at a city level, coming in and telling us what we have to do with our businesses, with our bodies, with our freedoms, their job is to protect our freedoms, not to violate them," Randolph said. 

The city council will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night.