City worries about events as virus surges

Even as they approved permits for three events this month in public parks, Port Washington aldermen on Tuesday worried that this isn’t the right thing to do as the coronavirus continues to surge.

While organizers of some events have been following the rules, requiring social distancing and masks, others have not, they said.

Many vendors at the weekly farmers market aren’t wearing masks, nor are many of their customers.

All the while, Covid-19 numbers in the city and county continue to rise, they said. On Tuesday, the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department reported that 623 people were diagnosed with Covid-19, 103 of them from Port Washington.

“Where do we draw the line?” Ald. Dan Benning asked. “This is really concerning. The numbers haven’t improved.

“There are a lot of things coming up. We have Halloween coming up. That is so high risk in my opinion. There’s the Christmas parade. What do we do?”

The city initially agreed to open incrementally, he noted, allowing more events as the number of coronavirus cases decreased.

That hasn’t happened, Benning said, and the city is still at phase one of its reopening.

“Our most important responsibility is to take steps to keep people safe,” Ald. Deb Postl said.

She said she and her husband went to the farmers market Saturday but there were so many people, many without masks, that they turned around and went home.

“They’re the ones ruining it,” Postl said.

The vendors should all be wearing masks, Mayor Marty Becker said.

“I really would like to enforce the rule that masks are mandatory for people working at the beer garden and farmers market,” Becker said. “It just shows respect for your customers.”

He directed Melissa Alexander, executive director of Port Main Street Inc., which runs the market, to tell vendors they must wear masks or “this will be the last market for them this year.”

Aldermen also expressed concern about the beer gardens and other events, noting that while many of the organizations that host and sponsor them are following the rules, others are not. 

There is no easy way to police these events or shut them down while they are happening, they noted.

The punishment for groups that violate the rules is to not allow them to host a beer garden or hold their event next year.

Ald. John Sigwart said that’s not enough.

“We have to take the position we will stop them if they don’t follow the rules,” he said. “Next year is next year. We have no process where they feel the pain.”

He suggested the city require a bond of sponsoring groups that would be forfeited if the rules aren’t followed.

Benning acknowledged that “people need something that’s well run and safe,” but said safety should be a priority.

City Administrator Tony Brown noted that Mequon has canceled most events on public property while City of Cedarburg officials indicated they weren’t going to approve permits for large groups. They haven’t had to do that, he said, because organizers canceled their events.

Some beer garden organizers in Port Washington have canceled, including this weekend’s beer garden, which was to be hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Benning said.

Alexander said the Main Street board met last week and is looking at holding many of its events online.

“They’re not ready or willing to take that risk,” she said of in-person events.

Ald. Pat Tearney, a member of the Library Board, noted that many of the library’s programs are being held online as well.

Recreation Director Kiley Schulte said she is looking to conduct a mix of online and in-person programs.

“I do think it’s important we keep trying to hold activities in the city,” she said. “We can’t go all virtual. People are going to get sick of virtual really quickly.”

Officials said the city can continue its incremental approach, approving events on a monthly basis, or prohibit any large gatherings in public spaces such as parks until the coronavirus numbers start to decline.

Ald. Mike Gasper, president of the Kiwanis Club, said that the city needs to look at each event on an individual basis.

“I don’t think you want to say a blanket no,” he said, noting the club is working with the Parks and Recreation Department on plans for a drive-in movie night this fall. That type of event allows for easy social distancing and should be approved.

The discussion was held as the common Council and Finance and License Committee considered requests for permits from the Parks and Recreation Department and Port Main Street Inc. for Food Truck Fridays/Friday Night Flicks events on Aug. 14 and 28 and the Aug. 15 beer garden hosted by Be3.

Some aldermen argued that the Friday events are family oriented, places where people are more likely to follow the rules than at an adult-oriented gathering.

“My gut tells me don’t approve them,” Postl said, although she joined the rest of the Common Council in approving the events.