BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The Brookings City Council unanimously passes a revised emergency pandemic ordinance.
The original, set to expire Wednesday, changed the operations of many businesses and forced the closure of others.
City Manager Paul Bresino says city staff engaged the Chamber of Commerce, health care professionals and similar cities to craft an incremental easing of the existing ordinance.
Bresino says the ordinance would allow businesses to reopen with limited seating — a maximum of ten customers or half of their capacity, whichever is larger.
Several people testified against the new resolution, all of them favoring fewer restrictions. Brookings business owner and former Council member Jael Thorpe says they should be recommendations and not mandates.
Mayor Keith Corbett says other cities also have them as requirements.
Council Member Nick Wendell pointed out that none of the thresholds recommended by the CDC for businesses to reopen have been met.
The measures go into effect immediately. A second reading of the ordinance is set for May 12th to solidify the law.
(Perry Miller, KJJQ, contributed this report.)
