Thank God for Zoom. Had I been covering the county supervisors in person this Tuesday, there would have been dents in the back wall of the chambers where I’d be banging my head. At issue was an exceedingly modest proposal that would have provided county health officials a modicum of much-needed enforcement muscle when dealing with repeat offenders on matters relating to COVID precautions and safety. The measure on the table was an “urgency ordinance” which would go into effect the second it’s passed. Passage for such exceptional measures requires at least a four-vote majority instead of just three. Had it been enacted, the ordinance would have opened the door for fines — from $100 to $500 — after all education and outreach efforts had failed.
It got just three votes. Close but no cigar.
It ain’t necessarily dead. But it’s definitely delayed. By at least six weeks.