BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

A discussion of the county’s ability to fine businesses and people for not wearing masks led to county legislators sparring over whether or not they should wear masks when attending meetings in person.

The discussion took place during the Monday, July 13 St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators Services Committee meeting. It was held at the county board room in Canton, with some legislators participating remotely via Zoom. The meeting was streamed live on YouTube.

County Attorney Steve Button explained to the legislators that changes in state law now give the county authority to fine businesses who don’t enforce the mask mandate up to $10,000. The county can also fine individual people up to $1,000 for violating the mandate. However, there haven’t been any discussions of using that authority, Button said.

Legislator Tony Arquiett, D-Helena, said he thinks as long as legislators aren’t wearing masks to meetings, the county shouldn’t fine anyone for such a violation.

“I would be highly against inflicting penalties on any businesses or people who are not wearing masks or social distancing when we, the leadership, are doing just the opposite. I must say, our county attorney, our administrator, I witnessed you with masks on, the chairman … but I’m seeing several others that aren’t,” said Arquiett, who was participating remotely via Zoom. “I’m really hesitant about inflicting penalties on either citizens or businesses about wearing masks when we’re convening for no particular reason, other than your choice, with no masks.”

That drew a response from legislator Joe Lightfoot, R-Ogdensburg, who was at the meeting in person. It wasn’t clear from the livestream if he was wearing a mask or not.

“I think if you heard right, you would have heard the county attorney say [issuing fines is] authorized. Nowhere did he say we were going to do that. Nowhere did he say it was even being contemplated,” Lightfoot said. “Don’t disparage us for being here, wanting to do this in public. We’re not disparaging you for wanting to stay home.”

“I do not begrudge anybody for being in the room,” Arquiett replied to Lightfoot. “I simply said ‘I would not be in support’” of issuing fines.

The two also disagreed over the positioning of the desks in the board room. Arquiett said they appeared to him to be closer than six feet apart. Lightfoot, actually in the room, said “at least most of the people here” were properly distanced.

Legislator John Burke, R-Norfolk, said he thinks the legislators should wear masks at the meetings because there are other county employees present, such as the county administrator and deputy administrator, and county attorney.

“We heard from [Public Health Director Dr. Dana McGuire] last week, it’s social distancing and masks and when we expose our employees to that … anybody else that’s there, the public comes in, I think it takes on a different emphasis,” said Burke, participating remotely via Zoom. “I think it’s just fine if it’s legislators choosing to meet. When we bring employees … or the public in, I think there is a burden on us to follow the guidance of our own Public Health Department.”

Legislator Margaret Haggard, D-Potsdam, said she thinks the full board would be able to meet in the same room if all legislators wear masks. She participated in the meeting remotely via Zoom.

“I hope that it’s not misconstrued that we want to stay home and would rather sit at home and Zoom. I would rather be there. But each of us has to make that choice based on our own health concerns, too,” Haggard said. “We should be allowed to have this option, but we could all be together if everybody wore masks.”

Legislator Rita Curran, R-Massena, who works as a nurse practitioner, replied and said she was offended by Haggard’s suggestion that all legislators wearing masks could lead to all of them being in the room at once. It wasn’t clear from the livestream if she was wearing a mask or not.

“To say we could be together if we all wore masks is sort of inflammatory and I don’t appreciate it,” said Curran, who attended the meeting in person. “People go ATV riding without masks. They go to gatherings without masks … I don’t appreciate it at all.”

“I don’t partake in things where I don’t wear a mask,” Haggard responded. “I don’t want you to assume I do those things.”

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