At a special meeting last night, the Elkhart Common Council passed an enforcement measure that supports the county’s COVID-19 ordinance, including fines for businesses that don’t comply with safety protocols.
Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson stressed that the city ordinance is meant to support local healthcare systems by making sure the county’s safety protocols are consistently enforced.
Kim Henke, who trains ICU nurses at Elkhart General Hospital, urged council members to pass the ordinance for that reason.
"What about the rights of my nurses who are facing this unrelenting stream of patients who believe that they don’t have to wear a mask and yet they expect my nurses – who are exhausted physically, emotionally, and intellectually – to provide care for them?” she asked.
The ordinance did pass, but with some amendments: the council capped fines at $100 for first violations and $250 for any violation after that, rather than the $2,500 and $5,000 caps allowed by the county ordinance.
Councilwoman Mary Olson, who proposed the amendment, said the reduced fines will better serve the ordinance’s educational objective.
The city ordinance will go into effect as soon as it’s been signed and publicly posted in three places. The county ordinance goes into effect Thursday, Dec. 17.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo
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