MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb commissioners passed two mask ordinances Tuesday after a committee meeting and then a vote during a special-called meeting.
Both ordinances were sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Al Tillman – the first applies to public spaces while the second applies to county-owned spaces.
The first ordinance says all people in a public place or on property owned and operated by a private business or establishment should wear a mask when social distancing can’t be maintained.
They are not required in the following cases:
- At a polling place
- For children under the age of 2
- When you are home
- When you are in a personal vehicle
- When there is a religious or medical objection to wearing a face covering
- While eating, drinking or smoking
- When complying with the directions of a law enforcement officer
- When your identity needs to be verified while purchasing alcohol, prescription medication or in a financial transaction
- While outdoors
- While participating in a sporting event
The ordinance calls for businesses or places that don’t consent to enforcing it to put up a sign stating, “PUBLIC NOTICE - THE OPERATOR OF THIS LOCATION DOES NOT CONSENT TO ENFORCING FACE COVERING ORDERS ON THIS PROPERTY.”
A law enforcement officer cannot enforce the ordinance on any property clearly displaying the sign.
If the above language is not used in the sign, it will be assumed the business is consenting to enforcing the ordinance. You can download the sign here.
People who violate the ordinance will at first receive a warning, and after that they will be cited no more than $25 for a second offense and then no more than $50 for any additional offenses.
The business cannot be cited for its customers failure to comply with the ordinance, and instead the penalty will fall on the individual going against it.
The first ordinance will expire when Gov. Kemp’s statewide Public Health Emergency expires. It is currently set to expire on Sept. 10, but Kemp has extended it several times since first declaring a health emergency.
The second ordinance calls for masks to be worn by county employees when on county property, or when members of the public enter county buildings to do business.
It also carries the same penalties as the first ordinance and is set to expire under the same conditions.
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