[00:00:04]
>> [NOISE] I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
[A. Call to Order]
THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING TONIGHT SO LOOK [NOISE] AT OUR SMART START PLANS FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR.JUST A FEW THINGS TO START US OFF.
FIRST OF ALL, ALL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE PRESENT TONIGHT, SEVEN OF US, JUST FOR PEOPLE SO THEY KNOW HOW THIS WILL GO TONIGHT.
THE ORDER OF PROCEDURE IS, I'M GOING TO LAY OUT PROCEDURE AT THIS POINT, SO TALK ABOUT HOW THE MEETING'S GOING TO PROGRESS.
THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S GOING TO REVIEW SMART START PLAN WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE SECTION ON FACE COVER.
THEN THEY'LL BE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS, TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AS TO THE SMART START PLAN.
THERE'LL THEN BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH BOARD MEMBER TO MAKE ANY STATEMENTS THEY WISH TO, PRIOR TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
THEN WE WILL SEE BEFORE WE STARTED THE PUBLIC COMMENT IF ANYONE HAD EDITS, OR CHANGES TO PROPOSE TO THE SMART START PLANS, SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT TO RESPOND TO IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW THAT PRIOR TO PUBLIC COMMENTS SO PEOPLE CAN COMMENT ON PROPOSED EDITS OR CHANGES.
THE PROPOSED EDITS OR CHANGES COULD BE ANYTHING BEYOND JUST THE FACE COVERINGS.
[NOISE] BE ANY PART OF THE SMART START.
THEN WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I'LL GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL AS THE [INAUDIBLE] COMMENT WORKS WHEN WE GET TO IT.
THEN AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, WE'LL BRING THE DISCUSSION BACK TO THE BOARD.
JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS, WE ALWAYS DO MOTIONS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
SO THE MOTION TONIGHT WILL MOST LIKELY BE SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2021-2022 SMART START PLAN AS PROPOSED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT WITH THE FOLLOWING EDITS, OR ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS," WHATEVER WE END UP DOING WITH IT, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MORE DISCUSSION, AND DEBATE AS A BOARD AND THEN WE GO.
THAT'S THE OUTLINE FOR THE MEETING.
EVERYBODY HAS A GAME PLAN OF HOW THIS WORKS.
BEFORE TURNING IT OVER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, I WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND EXPLAIN A FEW THINGS THAT ARE OH, WE SHOULD SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE THAT'S DIFFERENT [INAUDIBLE].
>> [NOISE] I APOLOGIZE, WE'RE ALL GUNG HO TO GET GOING TONIGHT.
>> I KNOW. [LAUGHTER] GUNG HO ABOUT THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IN FRONT OF EACH BOARD MEMBER AND WE PUT A BUNCH OF COPIES OVER THERE AT THE TABLE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN THE ROOM TO GET IT.
THEN I BELIEVE [INAUDIBLE] IS UP ON THE SCREEN.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC KNEW HOW A SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKS.
WE WORK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN IF YOU'RE USED TO GOING TO COUNTY COMMISSIONER OR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
WE ARE A POLICY BOARD SO WE SET POLICY AND THEN IT'S OUR SUPERINTENDENT ACTUALLY RUNS OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE SET POLICIES AND SO LAST YEAR IN MAY, WE CREATED A POLICY, IT'S POLICY AEB, EPIDEMIC, OR PANDEMIC.
IT IS ACTUALLY OUR POLICY AS TO HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PANDEMIC.
IN OUR POLICY, IT SAYS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE AN EPIDEMIC OR PANDEMIC PLAN AS PART OF THE DISTRICT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN.
THEN THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY LENGTHY POLICY.
I WON'T READ THE WHOLE THING TO YOU.
BUT JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND, IF THE SUPERINTENDENT ACTUALLY COMES UP WITH THE PLAN, WE CALL IT THE SMART START PLAN.
THAT WAS THE NAME THE DEPARTMENT OF ED WAS USING LAST YEAR.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE ACTUALLY CALLING IT THAT THIS YEAR, BUT WE'VE HAD THIS CALLED AT THIS YEAR JUST SO PEOPLE AREN'T CONFUSED.
IT'S A VERY SIMILAR STRUCTURE, AT LEAST NOT CONTENTS, BUT THAT WE HAD THE LAST YEAR STARTING SCHOOL YEAR.
THE SECOND DOCUMENT THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU WITH THE ACTUAL PROPOSED SMART START AND LEARNING PLAN FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, HOW IT'S LAID OUT AS A LETTER, SUPERINTENDENT GIVING THE HIGHLIGHTS OF IT.
THEN THERE ARE MITIGATIONS, STANDARD STRATEGIES THROUGHOUT.
THERE ARE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES [INAUDIBLE] THE PUBLIC INPUT SECTIONS, AND THERE'S AN APPENDIX TO IT.
THE PRIMARY ISSUE THAT WE ACTUALLY REVIEWED THIS LAST BOARD MEETING ON AUGUST 11TH, WE WENT THROUGH THE PLAN [INAUDIBLE] HAD SOME CHANGES AS TESTING.
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WE MADE THOSE CHANGES I BELIEVE, AND SO WE'RE EDITING IT.THE THING WE DIDN'T KNOW ON AUGUST 11TH, WE WEREN'T SURE IF WE WERE ON UPTILTS ON A SPIKE OR IF WE WERE COMING DOWN.
SO WE DECIDED TO WAIT TWO WEEKS JUST TO SEE WHERE ALL THE NUMBERS WERE BETWEEN AUGUST 11TH AND TODAY.
THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP HERE TODAY.
PRIMARILY JUST WANTING TO SEE SOME OF THE DATA, SO WE COULD TALK MOSTLY ABOUT FACE COVERINGS.
FACE COVERINGS ARE OVER ON PAGE 6.
SUPERINTENDENT WILL EXPLAIN THAT HERE IN A MINUTE.
I ALSO WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS EARLIER TODAY, BUT I'LL READ IT SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT I PROVIDED TO THEM.
THIS CAME FROM JODY [INAUDIBLE] THE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH.
I ASKED HIM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION THAT HE HAD AS OF TODAY.
THEY DO HAVE AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST ON STAFF, MS. LEE, AND SHE SENT OVER AND SAID IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THEY HAD 334 TOTAL CASES DETECTED, 262 OF THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN TETON COUNTY, 72 WORK OUT OF COUNTY, WHICH INCLUDES DIVERSE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES OR NON-TETON COUNTY FACES WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED HERE.
THE NUMBER OF NEW RESIDENT CASES IS A 130 PERCENT INCREASE AS COMPARED WITH THE LAST TWO-WEEK PERIOD.
THIS TRANSLATES TO AN AVERAGE OF 21.86 CASES PER DAY OVER THE LAST SEVEN DAYS.
OF THE [INAUDIBLE] CASES, 55 PERCENT REPORT COMMUNITY SPREAD, 45 PERCENT REPORT CLOSE CONTACT, 6.39 PERCENT OF TESTS ADMINISTERED ARE POSITIVE OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
A 35.1 PERCENT INCREASE OVER LAST WEEK'S REPORT.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 144 ACTIVE CASES IN THE COUNTY.
A 195 OF THE 334 CASES, WHICH IS ABOUT ALMOST 60 PERCENT, ARE WHAT ARE CALLED BREAKTHROUGH CASES AND 31.4 PERCENT ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED AND 13.8 PERCENT ARE UNKNOWN.
THEN LASTLY, SHE PUT LOOKING AT CASE WITH OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THE 1.5 TIMES MORE LIKELY THAT AN UNVACCINATED WILL BE A POSITIVE COVID FACE AS COMPARED WITH A VACCINATED PERSON.
THERE'S TWO MAIN DATA POINTS THAT THEY LOOK AT.
NEW CASES PER 100,000, THEY'RE AT 657.22, AND THE PERCENT OF POSITIVE TEST IS 6.39 PERCENT.
THOSE TWO METRICS PLACES THE COUNTY IN RED ACCORDING TO THE CDC COLOR CODING.
I DON'T KNOW. ANYWAY, I READ THOSE INTO THE RECORD SO EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT DATA WE WERE DEALING WITH TODAY BECAUSE THAT WAS PART OF THE QUESTION LAST TWO WEEKS AGO WAS WHAT IS OUR DATA? THAT'S THE MOST CURRENT DATA WE HAVE.
AT THIS POINT, EVERYTHING I GET TO START THE MEETING OFF WITH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TO WALK US THROUGH THE SMART START PLAN,
[C. Action Items]
PRIMARILY THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE BETWEEN AUGUST 11TH AND TODAY.>> THANK YOU CHAIR [INAUDIBLE] TRUSTEES, ELAINE CHAPMAN, SUPERINTENDENT.
ON PAGE 6, I'M JUST GOING TO JUMP RIGHT IN.
WE HAVEN'T MADE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO MANY SECTIONS THAT ON THE TOP OF PAGE 6, UNDER VACCINATIONS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT VACCINATION EFFORTS IN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AS APPROPRIATE.
WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, UNIVERSAL MASKING MAY BE OPTIONAL DEPENDING ON THE COUNTY RISK LEVEL.
THAT STATEMENT WAS ADDED AT THAT POINT.
THEN UNDER PPE, OF COURSE, WE WILL FOLLOW ALL STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS, INCLUDING ANY PERTAINING TO MASK-WEARING.
THEN WE ADD THE COLOR-CODED SYSTEM THAT TETON COUNTY IS IN LINE WITH CDC.
WHAT THE IDEA HERE IS, IF THE COUNTY OR THE COMMUNITY IS IN RED OR ORANGE, WE WOULD REQUIRE UNIVERSALLY FACE MASKING WHEN INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS.
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IF THE COUNTY IS IN YELLOW OR GREEN, THEN UNIVERSAL MASKING MAY BE RECOMMENDED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS.THIS APPLIES TO ALL INDIVIDUALS OTHER THAN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWO OR THOSE WITH A MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.
THAT'S THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE.
THIS SAME LANGUAGE IS REPEATED IN A VARIETY OF SECTIONS BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] OR MAYBE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE, SO WE REPEATED THAT SAME LANGUAGE IN A COUPLE OF PLACES.
THOSE ARE THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES.
>> ANY CLARIFYING QUESTIONS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FROM THE BOARD? [INAUDIBLE] .
>> [INAUDIBLE] CAN YOU TELL US WHAT RED AND ORANGE MEAN?
>> [INAUDIBLE] WE'LL FEEL BETTER LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION BUT IT IS ON.
>> WHAT NEEDS TO BE TREATED [INAUDIBLE] .
>> ACCORDING TO THE CDC, THE DUAL-COLOR TRANSMISSION, I MEAN, STARTING THIS MONTH OR AFTER OUR LAST MEETING, WE CHANGED THE COLOR SCALE ON THIS COUNTY.
HIGH TRANSMISSION, RED MEANS THERE'S TWO INDICATORS.
THERE'S TOTAL CASES PER 100,000 PERSONS IN THE PAST SEVEN DAYS AND THE OTHER INDICATOR IS PERCENTAGE OF NAAT'S, THE TESTS THAT ARE POSITIVE DURING THE PAST SEVEN DAYS.
THERE'S LOW TRANSMISSION WITH TOTAL CASES MEANING, I'M GOING TO JUST ROUND IT UP, 0-10.
SUBSTANTIAL TRANSMISSION, WHICH IS ORANGE, IT'S 50-100 AND HIGH TRANSMISSION IS GREATER THAN 100.
TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, IN OUR COUNTY WE HAVE 23,000 PLUS.
ONE OF HIGH TRANSMISSION GREATER THAN 100 WOULD MEAN THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE MORE THAN 25 CASES, ACTUALLY MORE THAN 23 CASES IN A SEVEN-DAY PERIOD TO BE CONSIDERED HIGH.
THE MODERATE WOULD BE CLOSER TO 14.
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE LESS THAN 14 CASES A WEEK OR IF LESS THAN THREE CASES PER DAY WOULD BE MODERATE.
ANYTHING BELOW THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED PASSIVE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDER THE TESTING.
WE'RE AT 6.9, I THINK YOU SAID, WHICH PUTS US AT THE YELLOW, WHICH IS FIVE TO EIGHT.
RED TRANSMISSION IS ZERO TO FIVE, SUBSTANTIAL IS 8-10, GREATER THAN 10 PERCENT.
HERE IS A SEPARATION THAT WE HAVE NOW RED OR YELLOW, IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED.
>> DOES THAT MEAN NOW THAT ANYTHING MORE THAN TWO CASES PER DAY WOULD BE RED?
>> WE WOULD BE ORANGE AND BE RECORDED [INAUDIBLE]
>> OTHER CLARIFYING QUESTIONS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT REGARDING THE SMART START PLAN AS PROPOSED? [INAUDIBLE]
I GUESS THE QUESTION IS IF WE'RE IN YELLOW OR GREEN AND THE KIDS UNDER 12 HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED YET, IS MASKING OPTIONAL FOR EVERYBODY AND NOT THE KIDS UNDER 12 OR IS IT STILL REQUIRED FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE KIDS UNDER 12 ARE VACCINATED?
>> [INAUDIBLE] IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE IT'S NOT CLEAR THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING A QUESTION [LAUGHTER].
>> MAYBE IT IS EASIER TRUSTING CARLIN, INSTEAD OF SUGGESTING THAT ONCE IF YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR OBJECTIVE WILL.
>> MY OBJECTIVE MOSTLY I WAS THINKING ABOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE THE SIXTH GRADE [INAUDIBLE] THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS THAT ARE NOT 12.
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IS THAT IF MASKING WOULD BE REQUIRED UNTIL VACCINATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN FIVE TO AGE 12.WHEN WE WENT TO MASK OPTIONAL WHEN WE WERE IN GREEN OR YELLOW, FAMILIES WHO CHOOSE TO VACCINATE THEIR CHILDREN WILL HAVE TO HAVE THAT AS ANOTHER LINE OF DEFENSE FOR THE VIRUS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT AND NOT BE AS EXPOSED.
THEN IT WOULD GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO BE VACCINATED.
FOR ME, I WOULD THINK THAT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL IF WE WENT TO GREEN OR YELLOW BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, I'D BE OKAY WITH THAT BEING OPTIONAL RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO AT RIGHT OR YELLOW.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT IN THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
QUITE FRANKLY, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT'S ALL GOING TO ROLL OUT OF THAT AT THE SAME TIME.
>> OTHER CLARIFYING QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE]
>> THE LANGUAGE AS IT APPEARS NOW AS IT IS DESCRIBED IN THE LAST SENTENCE IN THAT VACCINATION PARAGRAPH WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 AREN'T ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, UNIVERSAL MASKING MAY BE OPTIONAL DEPENDING ON THE COUNTY'S RISK LEVEL.
THAT SUGGESTS THAT UNTIL THOSE CHILDREN ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, UNIVERSAL MASKING WILL BE MANDATORY FOR THOSE GRADES.
WE'VE RECEIVED MANY LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE BORN UNDER THE AGE OF 11 AND OVER THE AGE OF 11.
WHEN ONE CHILD MAY BE VACCINATED, AND OTHERS MIGHT NOT.
IT IS THAT THEY INTENT THE 11 AND UNDER, AS LONG AS THEY CAN'T BE VACCINATED, WE'LL HAVE TO EMPLOY MASKING WEARING?
>> DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT CLEARER? IT'S NOT CLEARER THAN THIS? [LAUGHTER]
>> [INAUDIBLE] ADDED LANGUAGE THAT YOU JUST SAID.
IF I MAY LIKE TO RUN IT BY THE BOARD AND THIS ISN'T GETTING IT, LET ME KNOW I ADD IT.
UNTIL VACCINE ARE AVAILABLE, UNIVERSAL MASKING WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 12.
>> THEN THAT SENTENCE BETWEEN AS APPROPRIATE AND THEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
>> JUST ONE MORE TIME. ON MY COPY, I SHOULD DELETE THAT WHOLE SENTENCE, AND THEN WHAT'S THE NEW SENTENCE?
[LAUGHTER] BUT WHAT I WAS THINKING IS WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, UNIVERSAL MASKING MAY BE ACTUAL DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF RISK LEVEL.
IF THE COUNTY IS IN GREEN OR YELLOW, AND THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE, IT'S OPTIONAL.
>> [INAUDIBLE] THERE'S ONE PIECE THAT I WOULD THINK ABOUT CONSIDERING IS HAVING THAT SENTENCE INCLUDE TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VACCINATION BECOMES AVAILABLE SO KIDS COULD GET VACCINATED AND HAVE SOME VACCINATION IMMUNITY PRIOR TO OPENING UP.
CAN I OFFER [INAUDIBLE] SUGGESTIONS? YEAH. [LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE]
>> DEPENDING ON COUNTY RISK LEVEL AND VACCINATION STATUS.
>> ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT UNDER THE VACCINE PART OR THE [INAUDIBLE]
STRIKING THOSE LAST TWO SENTENCES AND SAYING, DEPENDING ON COUNTY RISK LEVEL AND VACCINATION STATUS, UNIVERSAL MASKING MAY BE OPTIONAL.
>> [OVERLAPPING] WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVE? WHAT WAS THE OBJECTIVE OF THAT? IS THE OBJECTIVE THAT ANYONE 11 AND UNDER HAS TO WEAR A MASK UNTIL THEY CAN GET A VACCINE? WAS THAT YOUR OBJECTIVE?
>> YES. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT, HAVING READ A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT EMAILS AND WHATNOT, AND THINKING ABOUT THE RISK LEVEL
[00:20:02]
AND DIFFERENT FAMILIES ABILITY, WHAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING AS RISK FOR THEIR FAMILY.WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THREE DEFENSES AGAINST COVID-19.
ONE IS OUR NATURAL IMMUNITY IF YOU HAVEN'T, HAVE IT.
THE OTHER IS IMMUNITY THROUGH VACCINATION AND MASKING.
YOU CAN AT LEAST HAVE HAD THE VACCINATION BEFORE PEOPLE ARE TAKING OFF THEIR MASKS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THAT GIVES THOSE WHO WANTED TO GET A VACCINATION THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF DEFENSE.
>> [INAUDIBLE] YOU BROUGHT UP AN INTERESTING POINT ABOUT NATURAL IMMUNITY.
WHEREVER IT WAS [INAUDIBLE] INTO THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING REPORTS THAT NATURAL IMMUNITY [INAUDIBLE] HAS SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS.
>> [INAUDIBLE] DOES ANYONE HAVE AN ACTUAL SENTENCE DISTINCT PAIR? [LAUGHTER] I JUST WANT TO KNOW THE SENTENCE THAT'S GOING THERE.
>> WHAT I SUGGEST IS CHANGING THE LAST SENTENCE UNDER VACCINATIONS TO WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
[INAUDIBLE] LET'S SEE WHAT'S WRITTEN DOWN HERE.
UNIVERSAL MASKING THAT'S RECOMMENDED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS WHEN THE COUNTY IS IN YELLOW OR GREEN, INSTEAD OF SAYING DEPENDING ON HOW MANY RISKS WILL, I THINK THAT'S MORE CLEAR.
THEN ACTUALLY ADD THE TWO WEEKS AFTER VACCINATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE.
THEN UNDER ALL THE OTHER [OVERLAPPING]
>> GO A LITTLE MORE SLOWER. GO REAL SLOW.
ALL WE'RE DOING AT THIS POINT, WE'RE NOT ARGUING WE ARE JUST [OVERLAPPING] [INAUDIBLE] YOU SAID WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 OR 8 ELIGIBLE TO [OVERLAPPING] RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
>> TWO WEEKS AFTER WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
>> UNIVERSAL MASKING, I'M USING THE SAME LANGUAGE AS PULLED OUT, IS RECOMMENDED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS WHEN THE COUNTY IS IN THE GREEN OR YELLOW DESIGNATIONS, AND THEN WHENEVER WE SAY "IT'S RECOMMENDED" VERSUS "REQUIRED" UNDER PPE AND ACTIVITIES, I THINK WE SHOULD ADD, "IF THE COUNTY IS IN THE YELLOW OR GREEN." [OVERLAPPING]
>> WAIT A MINUTE. HAVE YOU MOVED ON TO A DIFFERENT AREA?
>> OKAY. DON'T DO THAT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> DON'T DO THAT? WELL, I THINK IT HELPS CLARIFY [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE'LL GET TO THAT. I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO CHANGE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT TRUSTEE ZUNG IS PROPOSING IS THAT SHE WANTS TO LEAVE IN, "WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, UNIVERSAL MASKING," THEN DELETE, "MAY BE OPTIONAL DEPENDING ON MY COUNTY RISK." DELETE THAT PART. INSERT.
>> WHEN THE COUNTY IS IN GREEN OR YELLOW, DESIGNATION.
>> TRUSTEE CARLIN IS BACK, WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO GET TO?
>> TRUSTEE ZUNG. [BACKGROUND] YEAH, I COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT.
IT SAYS, "WHEN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 OR EIGHT ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A VACCINE, UNIVERSAL MASKING IS RECOMMENDED WHEN THE COUNTY IS IN GREEN OR YELLOW DESIGNATION." PERIOD. [BACKGROUND] DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER PLACE YOU WANTED TO CHANGE SOMETHING, TRUSTEE ZUNG?
>> YEAH, AND THEN TRUSTEE CARLIN ADDED THE, "TWO WEEKS AFTER WHEN CHILDREN ARE," AND THEN I THINK IT WOULD MAKE IT MORE CLEAR.
>> OKAY. WE'LL BACK UP. THAT DOESN'T FIT.
>> THESE WORDS ALL HAVE TO FIT.
THEY CAN'T JUST BE THOUGHTS, SO IF IT SAYS, "IS RECOMMENDED WHEN THE COUNTY IS IN GREEN OR YELLOW DESIGNATION." [OVERLAPPING]
>> CAN I STOP YOU THERE? VERSUS REQUIRED.
IT USED TO SAY, "IT'S RECOMMENDED."
[00:25:02]
THAT'S SOUNDS HEAVY.WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? I THINK WE NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN RECOMMENDED AND REQUIRED.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S THE DISTINCTION IS THAT WHEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO HAVE THE VACCINE AND WE'RE IN GREEN OR YELLOW, IT'S ONLY RECOMMENDED. I THINK THAT WAS THE [OVERLAPPING]
THEN AFTER THE WORD DESIGNATION, YOU WANTED TO INSERT SOMETHING ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER?
>> TWO WEEKS AFTER THE VACCINATION, I THINK IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE.
[NOISE] BECAUSE IF IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, THEN THEY HAVE TO GET IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME.
>> YOU COULD SAY JUST FULLY VACCINATED?
>> FULLY VACCINATED WORKS WELL AGAINST EACH OTHER.
>> YEAH. WELL, I WAS THINKING ONE SHOT IN THE ARM BECAUSE IF WE DO FULLY VACCINATED, THAT COULD BE UP TO SIX WEEKS.
WE COULD SAY THAT. THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
>> WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUT THE TWO WEEKS, TRUSTEE CARLIN?
>> I WOULDN'T THINK WHEN TWO WEEKS AFTER VACCINATIONS ARE AVAILABLE.
>> [INAUDIBLE] VACCINATIONS ARE AVAILABLE.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME THINKING ABOUT IT WITHOUT SAYING.
>> HOW ABOUT IF YOU PUT THE WORD [INAUDIBLE] TWO WEEKS AFTER THE CHILDREN ARE VACCINATED [OVERLAPPING]
>> [BACKGROUND] NO, NO. HAVE A SEAT. HAVE A SEAT.
>> IF WE SAID, "TWO WEEKS AFTER CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.".
>> JUST GET RID OF THE WORD "WHEN".
>> YEAH, THAT'S THE EXACT WORD.
>> EXCUSE ME. THE TWO WEEKS IS NOT AFTER THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A VACCINE, THE TWO WEEKS IS AFTER THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE VACCINE, [OVERLAPPING] SO IF THEY OPEN UP THAT TIME PERIOD [OVERLAPPING] WHERE YOU CAN GET A VACCINE, THE CHILDREN AREN'T STILL FULLY VACCINATED UNTIL THEY'VE HAD MAYBE ONE SHOT, TWO DRUG SHOTS, AND THEN TWO WEEKS.
IN SOME CASES, DEPENDING UPON WHAT VACCINES THEY CAN GET.
>> [OVERLAPPING] FULLY VACCINATED?
[APPLAUSE] WE NEED TO STOP DISCUSSING PUBLIC SAFETY IF WE SAY, "WHEN THE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE, YOU SHOULD GET IT," BUT FOR US TO SIT HERE AND, BASICALLY, WE'RE DOING A VACCINE MANDATE TO ATTEND OUR SCHOOLS.
RIGHT NOW, I, PERSONALLY, AM NOT COMFORTABLE TELLING ANYBODY TO VACCINATE AT ALL, AND I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] THIS, [APPLAUSE] BUT I WOULD SUGGEST, BUT I ALSO, I THINK, RIGHT NOW WITH THE COLOR RED, I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE, AND I KNOW I'M JUMPING AHEAD, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE MASK ORDER COME DOWN TOMORROW, THAT THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL THEY'RE GOING TO BE MASKED.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE ORANGE COLOR.
WE'RE TALKING LESS THAN TWO CASES A DAY IS THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO EVER TRY TO LIFT THE MASK ORDER.
I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ORANGE, THAT I THINK WE SHOULD STOP WITH THE VACCINE FOR NOW.
WE NEED SOME MORE DIRECTION, AND I FRANKLY, AS A PARENT, I'M NOT REALLY COMFORTABLE READING THE SCIENCE AND THE DATA WITH SOME OTHER REACTIONS THAT CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY YOUNG BOYS, HAVE WITH THE VACCINE. [OVERLAPPING]
EVERYBODY, STOP, AND THE LADY WHO KEEPS TALKING, STOP.
IF YOU CAN'T CONTROL YOURSELF, THE GRANT WILL LEAVE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
>> WELL, LET'S DO THIS, TRUSTEE TESKE.
HERE'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET THIS SO AT LEAST PEOPLE KNEW WHAT TO COMMENT ON BECAUSE I KNEW THIS SENTENCE WAS A PROBLEM.
I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT WANT THIS SENTENCE NEED TO WORK ON IT BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND TRY TO ADD THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING INTO DEBATE, AND ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SENTENCE WOULD BE, AND THE SENTENCE IS A LITTLE MESSY.
WE CAN GIVE EVERYBODY SOME TIME.
IF THIS IS SOMETHING SOMEONE WANTS TO ADD IN, THEY CERTAINLY CAN.
AT THIS POINT, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE MESSY.
[00:30:01]
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON IS WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IS DOWN BELOW, AND WHAT IT SAYS IS, "IF THE TETON COUNTY COMMUNITY IS AT HIGH RISK OR SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF TRANSMISSION AND DESIGNATED IN THE RED OR ORANGE DESIGNATION, UNIVERSAL MASK-WEARING IS REQUIRED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED SETTINGS.
IF TETON COUNTY IS IN THE YELLOW OR GREEN DESIGNATION, UNIVERSAL MASK-WEARING IS RECOMMENDED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED AND OUTDOOR SETTING.
THIS REQUIREMENT APPLIES TO ALL INDIVIDUALS OTHER THAN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWO WITH A MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL." THAT'S WHAT WE ORIGINALLY CAME IN WITH WITH THAT PARAGRAPH.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT REAL QUICK.
DOES ANYONE NEED TO EDIT THAT PARAGRAPH? OKAY. SO THAT PARAGRAPH MAKES SENSE.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE FOR IT OR AGAINST IT, BUT AT LEAST IT READS THE WAY YOU ARE WANTING IT READ.
THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO VACCINATIONS.
TRUSTEE ZUNG, YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER ABOUT ACTIVITIES.
WAS THERE SOME CHANGE YOU WERE WANTING TO DO TO ACTIVITIES?
>> CHAIR GINGERY. ACTUALLY, IT WAS TO THIS PIECE THAT I THINK, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE VACCINE NITTY-GRITTY AGAIN, BUT I THINK THE INTENT WAS, "IF THE COUNTY IS IN THE YELLOW OR GREEN DESIGNATION, UNIVERSAL MASKING IS RECOMMENDED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS," AND THEN WE WOULD JUST ADD, TO ADDRESS WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, "WHERE ALL AGE GROUPS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE," OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> OKAY. AGAIN, WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, YOU AND THOSE WHO WANT THAT SHOULD MAYBE WORK ON THAT BEFORE WE GET TO IT, AND THEN WE CAN VOTE ON IT WHEN WE GET DONE WITH PUBLIC COMMENT.
MAYBE FIND SOME LANGUAGE THAT WORKS FOR YOU.
WAS THERE OTHER EDITS PRIOR THAT PEOPLE WERE GOING TO SUGGEST, TRUSTEE TESKE?
IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THIS IS ABOUT AS CLEAR AS MUCH TO EVERYBODY.
I THINK MUCH CLARITY WOULD BE PUT, IT IS NOT ABOUT WORDS AND WE PUT IT INTO A CHART WITH AGES, VACCINE, MASKING COLLARS, ALL OF THAT STUFF, A CHART WOULD BE MUCH SIMPLER FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO WATCH THROUGH THIS. MY SUGGESTION.
>> WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THAT.
WAS THERE ANY OTHER EDITS OTHER THAN CREATING A CHART TO THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT?
>> SOMEHOW, IN ALL OF THIS, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHEN VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE 63 PERCENT OF OUR SECONDARY STUDENTS THAT ARE ALREADY VACCINATED, AND WE'RE NOT REALLY ADDRESSING THAT.
I JUST HAVE A FEAR THAT WHERE WE'RE HEADING IS WE'RE DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM GETTING VACCINATED BECAUSE WHY SHOULD I? I GOT TO WEAR A MASK ANYWAY.
LET'S GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE AND SOMEHOW BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THEM IN THIS DISCUSSION.
>> IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE'S ANY MORE EDITS.
I WILL ALLOW EACH BOARD MEMBER TO MAKE WHATEVER COMMENTS THEY WANTED TO DO BEFORE IT OPENED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE CAN START DOWN THERE WITH TRUSTEE BROWN INSTEAD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS.
>> NO. BESIDES IT'S ON THE BOARD.
>> I GUESS I MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, I SUPPOSE, IS THAT, ARE WE GOING TO AS WE'VE DONE BEFORE, WILL WE REVISIT THIS IN JANUARY, THE SMART START PLAN? I WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD BE REVISITING IT WHENEVER [OVERLAPPING] AS NEEDED.
AS THINGS SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE, WE WOULD COME BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE SMART START PLAN.
THE PLAN WAS INTENDED TO BE FLEXIBLE THAT YOU CAN KEEP LOOKING.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE TRYING TO BUILD INTO IT SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING AT IT WAS THE PART I JUST READ.
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID WITH THAT RECORDED STATEMENT IN THAT SAYS, YOU DON'T WEAR A MASK.
THEN THE ONLY WAY TO EVER TAKE THAT AWAY WAS TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
THE CONCEPT WAS THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW THE COLOR-CODING DESIGNATION.
THIS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ONE OF THE EMAIL COMMENTS WE GOT IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
SOMEONE SUGGESTED AND SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU GOT TO TIE IT TOO SO THEN THE PUBLIC KNOWS THE MATRIX.
THE PUBLIC KNOWS YOU'RE IN YELLOW-ORANGE, EVERYBODY WEAR THE MASK AT SCHOOL.
WHEN YOU GOT TO YELLOW-GREEN, MASK IS OPTIONAL." IT WAS VERY SIMPLE. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
[00:35:02]
IT WAS JUST VERY SET AND CAN BUILD ON A PRACTICE MODEL.I WENT THROUGH THE COLOR-CODING SYSTEM, IT MADE SOME SENSE TO DO IT THAT WAY.
BASICALLY, THE IDEA WAS TO AVOID HAVING TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
BUT, IF WE NEEDED TO, OF COURSE, WE WOULD AND READJUST AS NEEDED
>> IT COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING.
>> OF COURSE, A SPECIAL MEETING IF THIS GOT TO THE POINT AND EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, WE NEED TO JUST GET RID OF THE MASKS, OR THE COLOR-CODING SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING.
WHATEVER IT IS, WE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER MEETING OR ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE PLAN, AND YOU GOT TO REMEMBER THE PLAN IS MULTIPLE PAGES.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE PLAN THAT WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS, WE CERTAINLY COULD COME BACK AND ADDRESS IT THEN.
>> I APPRECIATE, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THE ATTEMPTS TO DETER US TO THIS COLOR-CODING SYSTEM.
LIKE I MENTIONED WITH THE COLORS.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING IT A SOLID, RIGID COLOR RULE.
I CAN ENVISION A SCENARIO THAT WERE GREEN.
OUR HOSPITAL BEDS ARE FULL, OUR SUB-UNITS ARE FULL, AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD TAKE SOME EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IN THE SCHOOLS.
CDC COLOR-CODING SYSTEM DOESN'T ADDRESS OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL BED SITUATION, WHICH I ACTUALLY THINK IT'S MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NUMBER OF CASES GOING ON.
ALSO, IF WE WOULD BACKTRACK OVER THE SUMMER USING THE SYSTEM, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN WEARING A MASK FOR ABOUT ONE WEEK IN JUNE.
THAT'S WHERE THE SUMMER SCHOOL WOULD HAVE BEEN, AND THAT WOULD HAVE HAD THE KIDS IN MASKS.
I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY MAJOR ISSUES IN QUARANTINE CASES.
IT'S NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM I THINK FOR NOW.
WE ALL READ IT WOULD BE MASK FOR THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF SCHOOL, PROBABLY HOPEFULLY.
ALSO, LAST MEETING, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NOTES.
THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS ASKS.
YES, I HAVE SCHOOL KIDS, I HAVE TWO.
YES. I HAVE WORN A MASK FOR MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS OF THE TIME, RECENTLY.
THERE'S A COMMENT ABOUT BULLYING THAT WENT ON WITH KIDS FROM FACULTY AND STAFF, THEY ARE NOT [INAUDIBLE] IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO WEAR THEIR MASK ALL THE TIME.
I REALLY HOPE THAT IS NOT TRUE THAT FACULTY STAFF AND TETON STUDENT WAS ACTUALLY BELITTLING A YOUNG KID IN THE SCHOOL.
I'M ALSO SADDENED TO HEAR THAT THEIR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UNWILLING TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS PUBLICLY, FEAR OF REPERCUSSIONS FROM THEIR FELLOW WORKERS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A ZERO-TOLERANCE.
AS FAR AS MASK MANDATE, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT A MASK MANDATE TONIGHT.
WELL, THAT'S WITH ALL OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT OF COURSE.
BUT WE NEED AN EXPIRATION DATE, I DON'T WANT TO SEE US CONTINUALLY ROLLING LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S EXEMPTION CLAUSES FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES, SO A DOCTOR'S NOTE.
THEN I ALSO RECOGNIZE AND HOPE THE COMMUNITY ALL RECOGNIZE BECAUSE THIS THING, I'VE NEVER SEEN.
I THOUGHT I'D SEEN A LOT OF FUN BUTTERS WHEN IT CAME TO THE CROSS STRIPING.
[LAUGHTER] BUT THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE.
IF YOU GO THROUGH AND READ SOME OF THESE LETTERS, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY APPALLING WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAID.
IF YOU CAN COMPARE TO THE NUREMBERG TRIALS AND COMMITTING MEDICAL TYRANNY TODAY, AND I THINK PEOPLE WERE HANGED FOR DOING THAT.
PLEASE. WE ARE ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS CONVERGING ON THE BEST WE CAN ON THE INFORMATION WE GOT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR PRIMARY GOAL NEEDS TO BE THE EDUCATION OF KIDS AND GETTING A GOOD QUALITY EDUCATION.
WE DON'T HAVE TO READ THESE HEADLINES THAT WERE PRINTED TODAY AND WHAT I'M GOING TO BE AN INTERVAL.
STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS REMAIN LOW THROUGH THE PANDEMIC BUT NORMALLY,
[00:40:08]
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OUR INTERESTS.>> LET'S SEE. I'M JUST GOING TO PICK UP WHERE BILL LEFT OFF WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING KIDS IN SCHOOL.
THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP IS, IF WE HAVE CASES IN CLASSROOMS WITH CHILDREN WITHOUT MASKS, THE CLASS IS QUARANTINED.
THE CHILDREN GO HOME AND THEY DO NOT GET THE EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE THAT OUR CONSTITUTION OF OUR STATE REQUIRES US TO PROVIDE.
WE NEED TO KEEP THESE KIDS IN SCHOOL.
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT MASKS.
I DON'T DISAGREE 100 PERCENT WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID, I DO DISAGREE IN THE HATEFUL SPEECH THAT HAS COME UP, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP THE KIDS IN SCHOOL AND SO I WILL SUPPORT THIS MASKING IN THE RED AND THE ORANGE.
CERTAINLY AS THINGS CHANGE IN TETON COUNTY, I WOULD REVISIT THIS MARKED UP PLAN, BUT MY JOB IS TO SEE THAT THESE CHILDREN GO THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, AND GRADUATE, AND ARE READY FOR THE WORLD AHEAD OF THEM, AND THE ONLY WAY WE COULD DO THAT IS TO GIVE THEM A GOOD EDUCATION AND WE HAVE TO HAVE MASKS IN CLASSROOMS SO THEY'RE NOT QUARANTINED SO WE CAN KEEP EDUCATING THESE KIDS.
ONE OTHER COMMENT I HAVE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN AND CHILDREN DON'T GET THAT SICK AND WHATNOT.
WHEN WE LISTENED TO CHAIR [INAUDIBLE] READ THE COMMENTS ABOUT ALL THE STATISTICS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
THE LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD TO SHUT SCHOOL DOWN FOR ONE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING, WAS NOT BECAUSE OF CHILDREN BEING ILL, IT'S BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS TO TEACH THE CHILDREN.
WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT THESE KIDS MAY NOT BE GETTING IT, BUT THESE TEACHERS CAN GET IT AND WE CAN HAVE BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
WE'VE GOT TO KEEP THE KIDS IN SCHOOL, THAT'S IT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. WELL, TO ME, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT MAKES ME REALLY SAD, AND I DEAL WITH THIS LOCALLY, I DEAL WITH IT AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND I DEAL WITH IT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THIS HAS NOT BECOME A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR KIDS, THIS HAS BECOME A POLITICAL DISCUSSION AND WE HAVE GOT TO GET BEYOND THAT.
THIS IS NOT POLITICAL TO ME, THIS IS WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS AND, AS BETSY SAID, HOW DO WE KEEP THESE KIDS IN SCHOOL BECAUSE, HERE WE ARE, WE'RE GOING ON YEAR 2, RIGHT?
>> THREE. SOME OF THESE KIDS, I KNOW FOR FACT THAT THERE WERE KIDS THAT WERE WAY YOUNGER THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT WE'RE STAYING HOME ALONE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T COME TO SCHOOL.
THIS IS NOT OKAY AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT AT A PERSONAL LEVEL.
WHEN YOU ALL WEAR MASKS, YOUR SPEECHES MUFFLE TO ME WHEN I HEAR IT.
PLEASE DON'T GET THE IMPRESSION THAT I'M A GO MASK, GO MASK, GO MASK BECAUSE I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE SHORTCOMINGS OF IT.
I AGREE WITH BILL IN THE RED AND ORANGE IS A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE TO ME BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TELLING ME WE CAN HAVE TWO CASES A DAY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE BACK IN TROUBLE AGAIN, I ALSO FEEL VERY ILL AT EASE THAT WHAT DATA SOURCE AM I GOING TO USE.
I KNOW THE COUNTY PUBLISHES NUMBERS, BUT THERE'S NUMBERS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
LIKE I SAID, I JUST HOPE THAT WE CAN COME THROUGH THIS THINKING ABOUT EACH OTHER IN THE KINDEST TERMS THAT WE ARE.
AS BILL SAID, THERE WERE SOME REALLY NASTY EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED.
THIS IS YEAR 19 FOR ME AND I'VE NEVER BEEN PAID A DIME FOR DOING THIS JOB.
I DO IT BECAUSE OF THE KIDS IN THIS DISTRICT AND I'M JUST TIRED OF HAVING TO SPEND ALL OF OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT COVID INSTEAD OF THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF OUR KIDS, WHICH IS REALLY WHERE WE NEED TO BE PLACING OUR EFFORT AND GETTING THOSE KIDS BACK ON TRACK.
I FIND IT EMBARRASSING THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ED PUBLISHES NUMBERS THAT SAID,
[00:45:06]
"WE HAD 96.4 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN STANDARDIZED TESTING.THEY MASK OVER THE FACT THAT OUR TEST SCORES WEREN'T WHAT THEY SHOULD BE BECAUSE KIDS WEREN'T GETTING WHAT THEY NEEDED.
I'LL STOP, BUT LET ME JUST MAKE ONE OTHER COMMENT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PULL OFF IN THE EFFICACY OVER TIME.
I DO HAVE CONCERN THAT WHEN WE START MANDATING MASKS AT THE ORANGE LEVEL, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE TAKING AWAY THE INCENTIVE FOR STUDENTS TO GET THE VACCINE.
>> I AGREE THAT OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS TO KEEP STUDENTS IN SCHOOL, AND AS BETSY SAID, RIGHT NOW THE SYSTEM SET IN PLACE IS THAT IF SOMEONE TESTS POSITIVE AND NOT EVERYONE'S MASKED, BUT BOTH PARTIES WERE MASKED, THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF QUARANTINES.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OPENING THE SCHOOL AND HAVING IT SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF QUARANTINES.
THIS YEAR, THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES, WE DON'T HAVE REMOTE LEARNING OPTIONS, WE ARE NOT PARTYING, WE'RE NOT REPORTING, WE'RE NOT DOING TEMPERATURE CHECKS, THERE IS NO FORMALIZED SURVEILLANCE TESTING.
WE ARE DOING VENTILATION, CLEANING, HAND WASHING, STAYING AT HOME WHEN SICK.
IF YOU FEEL THAT MASK AND FACE COVERING IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE, THEN IT'S FORWARD.
ALSO, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISK OF OVERWHELMING OUR HOSPITAL.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE A GOOD POINT WHERE JUST LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVELS IS GOOD BUT I THINK WE CAN ALSO CONSIDER, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE COMPLICATED, THE MORE FACTORS YOU TRY TO CONSIDER, VACCINATION COVERAGE, SCREENING, TESTING, OR SCREENING AND MONITORING OUTBREAKS.
ANY TRANSMISSION, ONE THAT'S EASY, IT'S READILY AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE.
I DON'T AGREE WITH JIMMY. WE'RE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT'S WHAT ALL OF US UP HERE ARE TRYING TO DO.
WE LEARNED A LOT LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS PANDEMIC HERE AND WORLDWIDE.
BUT A FEW OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED HERE WERE THAT ALWAYS, IS BEST TO KEEP THE KIDS IN SCHOOL, AND WE TRIED TO DO THAT ALL THROUGH THE YEAR.
OF COURSE, IT WAS BEST TO MAKE SURE KIDS WERE TRAINED TO WASH THEIR HAND, GOOD HYGIENE.
OF COURSE, IT WAS BEST FOR US TO GET REALLY GOOD VENTILATION SYSTEMS, PUT IN OUR CLASSROOMS, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DO.
OF COURSE IT WAS BEST TO HAVE SURVEILLANCE TESTING, WHICH SHORTCUTTED SOME OF THE OUTBREAKS THAT WE HAD DURING THE YEAR, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE MASKS ON.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE LEARNED.
WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT REALLY WAS SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING KIDS IN SCHOOL.
THANKS TO OUR AMAZING FACULTY, OUR AMAZING ADMINISTRATION, THAT JUST WORK ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS WERE SAFE.
I DON'T THINK WHEN YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR LINED UP, RELATIVELY, COMPARED TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION AND ACROSS OUR STATE, THEN YOU SHOULD START CHANGING THINGS.
IT WORKED LAST YEAR, AND IT WILL WORK AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T OUT OF SCHOOL.
I'M REMINDED OF ONE OF OUR FACULTY MEMBERS, MELISSA, ELLEN BRONSTED'S DAUGHTER, WHO TOLD US THAT SHE WAS QUARANTINED FOR 22 DAYS.
TWENTY-TWO DAYS THE TEACHER COULDN'T BE IN THE CLASSROOM.
AS WE ALL KNOW, WE'RE VERY SHORT OF SUBS.
WE DON'T HAVE SUBS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND PLACES TO LIVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND MASKING IS THE VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
[00:50:08]
>> I'LL JUST THROW MY [INAUDIBLE] REAL QUICK.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED LAST TWO WEEKS AGO, A WOMAN SPOKE ON FEAR AND WHAT WE'RE TEACHING OUR KIDS ABOUT FEAR.
FOR ME, THIS IS WHEN I THINK EVERYONE HAS VERY VALID POINTS THEN I JUST KEEP WEIGHING IT.
I HAVE GREAT CONCERN WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING TO OUR CHILDREN BY HAVING THEM WEAR MASKS.
AT THE SAME TIME, I WEIGH IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF PROTECTING THEM FROM GETTING SICK, AND I THINK BOTH SIDES ARE CORRECT. WE JUST HAVE TO WEIGH IT.
TO ME, PART OF THE THINGS WHEN YOU GET ELECTED, YOU FOLLOW WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT YOU TO DO.
OVERWHELMINGLY, IT APPEARED TO ME, I WAS THE ONE WHO'S HAUNTING ALL THE E-MAILS [LAUGHTER].
>> MOST OF THE CONSTITUENTS REALLY WANT SOME FORM OF MASKING, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS EXACTLY YET AND HOPEFULLY TONIGHT WE'LL DEBATE THAT.
I WEIGH THOSE TWO THINGS [INAUDIBLE] THE WOMAN WHO SPOKE ON FEAR LAST TIME AND THERE IS ANOTHER WOMAN WHO GAVE A REALLY GREAT TALK ON WHAT STORIES WILL OUR CHILDREN TELL? I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING TALK WHERE SHE TALKED ABOUT THE DEPRESSION OF GRANDPARENTS AND WHAT STORIES THEY TELL AND WHAT WILL OUR KIDS SAY.
THOSE TWO PARTS DEFINITELY RESONATED WITH ME.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WEIGH IT OVER HERE AND I WANT SAFETY FOR THE CHILDREN FOR HEALTH REASONS.
I'M NOT EXACTLY A GREAT FAN OF MASKS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VALID POINTS THAT PEOPLE WERE MAKING.
I AM NOT SURE THEY'RE REALLY ARE AS EFFECTIVE AS PEOPLE SAY THEY ARE, BUT I'M NOT SCIENTIST.
I RELY ON DR. RIDDELL, IS SOMEONE THAT I WANT RESPECT FOR.
[INAUDIBLE] OUR DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICER.
I GO WITH DR. RIDDELL, AND I GO WITH WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS TELL ME THEY WANT.
I SEE MY ROLE TODAY AND THIS TONIGHT'S MEETING IS THE ACTUAL WORDSMITHING.
TO GET THIS RIGHT, WE GET THE WORDING RIGHT.
I THINK TRUSTEE BRUMSTED BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT ON HOW OFTEN ARE WE GOING TO REVISIT THIS, I DON'T WANT TO PUT IT IN STONE AND WE NEVER REVISIT THIS.
WITH MY INTENT, I AM HOPING THAT THIS IS VERY SHORT-LIVED.
I DON'T WANT TO BE SITTING HERE MONTHS FROM NOW, AND WE STILL HAVE MASKS IN PLACE BECAUSE WE WROTE THIS POORLY.
I THINK TRUSTEE SCARLETT HAD A VERY VALID POINT AS TO RED AND ORANGE.
WHAT THAT MEANS, IT MEANS YOU REALLY GOT TO GET DOWN TO LOW NUMBERS FOR THE MASK TO COME OFF.
I THOUGHT JUST THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] SAID, "IF THIS HAD BEEN THE SUMMER, IT WAS ONE WEEK THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN," AND CERTAINLY THIS WEEK OR THIS SUMMER, I DID NOT CONSIDER DANGEROUS TIME SO THAT THE NUMBERS CONCERN ME THE BETTER.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE BEST BAROMETER TO BE USING.
I ACTUALLY ENJOYED THE PUBLIC COMMENT, I THOUGHT FOR THE MOST PART, MOST PEOPLE WERE VERY CORDIAL, AND SOMEONE'S SITTING UP LATE AT NIGHT, SITTING AT THE COMPUTER AND IT SHOULDN'T BE MAYBE.
BUT [LAUGHTER] FOR THE CLOSE PART, MOST PEOPLE WERE VERY CORDIAL, THEY MAKE VERY VALID POINTS, THEY LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN.
I ENJOY READING OUT WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE UP TO, THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT I ENJOYED.
ESPECIALLY, PEOPLE LETTING US KNOW THEIR KIDS ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL OR THEY'RE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ALL GET ON THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR, THOSE ARE THE FUN THINGS TO TALK TO PARENTS ABOUT.
WHAT I ALSO WAS IMPRESSED, WE CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA NOT FROM US, IT WAS FROM A PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE AREN'T SURE IF THEY'RE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LISTENED TO.
IN THAT CASE THIS, ONE PERSON GAVE US THIS IDEA THAT WE RAN WITH, THERE'S RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN THING TYING IT TO.
I LIKED THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND USE THE IDEA OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO ROLL OUR SLEEVES TONIGHT.
I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE VACCINATION LANGUAGE THAT WAS BEING DISCUSSED EARLIER TONIGHT, BUT WE CERTAINLY, COULD WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE HAVE SOME IDEAS? I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAD SOME EARLY IDEAS FOR THIS [LAUGHTER], I COULD TELL THEY WERE READY TO HELP US, AND I APPRECIATE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HELP BUT THERE'S A POINT IN TIME.
SO DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO REWORK THAT WE'LL CERTAINLY TAKE IT THEN.
[00:55:02]
BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE ON THAT VACCINATION PART, AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE ON TYING IT TO THE LEVEL, MAYBE THERE'S A BETTER THING TO DO THERE.MAYBE IT JUST SAY, WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE MASKS FOR NOW AND WE'LL REVISIT THIS EVERY 30 DAYS.
MAYBE THAT'S THE BETTER WAY OF GOING, I DON'T KNOW.
I DO KNOW AND I THINK WHAT WE CAN CELEBRATE AS A GROUP.
[LAUGHTER] I THINK WE ARE IN SENTENCE THAT WE DO WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, AT LEAST MAJORITY, WITH SOME TYPE OF PHASE COVERING ORDER FOR THE FIRST PART OF BEGINNING A SCHOOL.
HOW WE DO THAT? THAT'S THE PART WE GOT TO PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
HOPEFULLY TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, THEN PEOPLE WILL GIVE US SOME IDEAS ON THAT.
THAT'S ALL OF ALL THE COMMENTS.
THE REASON WE DO THAT FOR THE PUBLIC KNOWS, AND YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN IDEA WHERE WE'RE ALL ARE, DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE STUCK IN THAT SPOT.
SOMETIMES WE HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE CHANGE OUR MINDS ON THINGS.
BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR BEFORE.
WE'RE UP TO THE POINT IN TIME OF [INAUDIBLE] I WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO EXPLAIN THAT, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN AN EMOTIONAL EVENING.
THESE ARE YOUR CHILDREN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SO IT DOESN'T GET EMOTIONAL.
I WOULD ASK YOU TO TRY AND KEEP THE EMOTIONS IN CHECK.
THERE ARE A FEW RULES THAT WE GO BY.
ONE IS, IF YOU ALREADY SENT US AN E-MAIL, WE READ IT, I PROMISE YOU WE DID.
WE READ ON BECAUSE WE SEE THEM ALL AND WE LOOK THROUGH THEM.
IF YOU MIGHT HAVE SENT AN E-MAIL AND EXPRESSED YOUR OPINION, YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO SAY THAT AGAIN.
IF SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING, HAD A VIEW, AND IT'S THE SAME THING YOU WERE GOING TO SAY, DON'T NEED TO SAY IT, AND KEEP IT SHORT.
WE'D LIKE YOU TO STAY TO ABOUT A MINUTES TONIGHT, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO TALK, SO TRY TO STICK TO A MINUTE.
THEN IF YOU GO OVER A MINUTE, I'LL PROBABLY ASK YOU TO WRAP UP.
GOT A LOT, MAYBE 30 MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I AM GOING TO BOUNCE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN WEBEX AND HERE IN THE ROOM.
I AM JUST GOING TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO MAKE SURE I'M GETTING TO BOTH SIDES OF THE WEBEX AND TO THE ROOM.
IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTION THAT'S TO THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
IF YOU HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU, IF YOU PICKED UP A HARD COPY HERE, OR IF YOU SAW IT ONLINE, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS ON WORDSMITHING, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THOSE.
STAY CALM. [LAUGHTER] NO NEED TO GET EXCITED.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE LIKE TO GET UP AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS AND THAT, HOW STUPID ARE YOU AND I'M SUPPOSED TO ANSWER HOW STUPID I LITERALLY AM.
[LAUGHTER] DON'T ASK QUESTION BECAUSE WE WON'T ANSWER THEM THAT WAY.
YOU JUST STATE YOUR COMMENT, YOU STATE WHAT YOU WANT TO STATE, AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
YOU HAVE TO DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS HERE.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE LIKE TO TURN AROUND AND ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE WHAT THEY SAID AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO ARGUE WITH THAT PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE.
DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE FRONT.
I THINK I COVERED ALL THE RULES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
WITH THAT, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO CALL THE COMMENTS.
YOU COULD COMMENT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE.
WE START ON WEBEX IF WE COULD PUT THEM IN THERE, ANYONE ON THERE.
IF YOU'RE ON WEBEX, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS ON THE SCREEN, BUT YOU'LL SEE IT.
YOU JUST CLICK ON IT AND THEN CHRISTINE WILL SEE IT AND THEN SHE'LL TELL ME THAT YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ALSO DO, I THINK, IS WHEN WE SWITCH THE GO HERE IN THE ROOM, CHRISTINE WILL PUT SOMEONE ON THE DECK, SO YOU'RE READY TO GO MAYBE.
WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE ON THE DECK FROM WEBEX.
WHO'S THE FIRST PERSON ON WEBEX?
>> SASHA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? [OVERLAPPING]
>> GREAT. MY NAME IS SASHA ZOELLICK, AND I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT I AM A HUGE CHEERLEADER FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, ITS TEACHERS, ITS STAFF, AND ITS COMMUNITY.
I CURRENTLY HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOLERS AND I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT ON THEIR BEHALF.
I DO NOT SUPPORT A MASK MANDATE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
[01:00:01]
ESPECIALLY IN A HIGH SCHOOL WHERE EVERY PERSON IN THE BUILDING HAS BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED.I REALLY WANT TCSD ME TO ENCOURAGE VACCINATIONS, NOT DISCOURAGE THEM.
I THINK ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING IMMEASURABLY.
I KNOW THAT MINE DID LAST YEAR.
I DON'T REALLY FEEL THAT IT'S RIGHT OR FAIR THAT WE HAD MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN OUR TOWN ALL SUMMER WITH NO MASK MANDATE, AND WHEN THE TOURISTS LEAVE, THE METRICS ARE CHANGED AND WE'RE FACED WITH A MASK MANDATE FOR SCHOOLS AND COUNTY.
THERE'S NO STUDY THAT SAYS THAT MANDATING VERSUS OPTIONAL MASKING WITHIN HIGH-SCHOOL SHOWS DIFFERENT METRICS.
THE RED AND THE ORANGE CHANGE IS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND. I RAN OUT OF TIME.
>> DREW, YOU'RE UP ON DECK AFTER WE GET DONE HERE IN THE ROOM.
GO AHEAD. STATE YOUR NAME SO WE KNOW [INAUDIBLE].
>> [NOISE] MY NAME IS JESSIE [INAUDIBLE].
I HAVE TWO KIDS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT WE HAVE AS A PARENT, AN OPTION TO ADMIT THE RISKS THAT WE ARE TAKING BY NOT MASKING OUR KIDS AND HAVE THAT OPTION.
RECOGNIZING THAT BEING IN A CLASSROOM WHERE A CASE ARISES, YES, I MAY HAVE TO QUARANTINE MY KIDS AND I FULLY ADMIT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
I KNOW AS A BOARD, YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY TIRED OF ACTING AS OUR PERSONAL PHYSICIANS, AND I FEEL LIKE BY OFFERING PARENTS TO STEP UP AND TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY, IT PUTS RESPONSIBILITY WHERE IT SHOULD BE WITH THE FAMILIES.
THE VIRUS IS 40,000 TIMES SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A HAIR.
ALL THESE HOLES IN HERE, THEY'RE GETTING OUT EVEN WITH THE MASKS ON.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING ON BULLYING AND I HOPE WE CAN PULL THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND HELP EACH OTHER MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. DREW, YOU'RE UP.
>> HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DREW RAMSEY. I'M A PHYSICIAN.
MY FAMILY AND I ARE REASONABLY NEW TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE STARTING WITH OUR SON IN 2ND GRADE, OUR DAUGHTER IN 5TH GRADE.
AS A PSYCHIATRIST, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THE EXTREME MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS I THINK ON ALL OF US ABOUT THIS.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER ONE THING FOR US AND US BEING WE ARE VERY THANKFUL TO BE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY NOW.
HOW CAN WE TEACH OUR KIDS ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE CONFLICT, HOW WE HANDLE FEAR.
I THINK THAT AS A SCIENTIST AND A PHYSICIAN, THE MISREPRESENTATION OF SCIENCE HAS BEEN SO SCARY TO ME.
I'VE BEEN VACCINATED SINCE JANUARY, SO IS MY WIFE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MY KIDS GETTING VACCINATED.
I FULLY SUPPORT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN BEING MASKED, AND THE REASON IS THE DANGER OF [INAUDIBLE] DELTA.
THE REASON IS THAT WE WANT TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE, THAT WE'RE NOT LETTING THE VIRUS CONTINUE TO MUTATE.
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN WE ALLOW SPREAD.
I LOOK FORWARD TO DEBATE AND I WANT TO OFFER MYSELF FULLY HERE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP PARTICIPATE, LEAD CONVERSATIONS, FACILITATE THEM IN ANY WAY, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS.
>> THANK YOU, DREW. WHO'S NEXT ON DECK?
WE'RE GOING TO DO ONE PERSON HERE IN THE ROOM AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
SOMEONE IN THE ROOM? YES, MA'AM. COME ON UP.
>> HI. MY NAME IS DANIELLE SHAPIRO, AND I FULLY SUPPORT A MASK MANDATE FOR KIDS IN SCHOOL.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY'RE IN SCHOOL, THAT THEY GET THE EDUCATION THEY NEED.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR FAMILIES.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ROLLING QUARANTINES AND THE CHAOS THAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL.
PLEASE LET THE EXPERTS AND THE SCIENTISTS AND THE DOCTORS GUIDE YOU IN YOUR DECISION MAKING.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S TRICKY TO FIGURE OUT IS IT ORANGE OR RED OR A HOSPITAL BED CAPACITY? LET THE EXPERTS GUIDE YOU? THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.
THEY'RE EXHAUSTED, AND WITH THAT EXHAUSTION HAS COME SOME REAL KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.
THOSE OF US WE ARE EMOTIONAL [INAUDIBLE], AND SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT I WILL DEFER TO THE DOCTORS AND THE SCIENTISTS AND I HOPE YOU DO TOO. THANK YOU.
I'M PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER.
[01:05:01]
I'M THE MOTHER OF A KINDERGARTNER AND I AM THE WIFE OF A NURSE AT ST. JOHN'S, AND I AM VERY PLEASED TO HEAR ABOUT THE SMART START PLAN THAT YOU HAVE DEVELOPED.THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO US AND ESPECIALLY AS DANIELLE JUST MENTIONED, LISTENING TO WHAT SOME OF THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN THIS COMMUNITY SAID.
ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT I HAVE AND I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU CLARIFY WHAT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL MEANS ON PAGE 6 OF THAT, BECAUSE NOWADAYS YOU CAN GET AN ONLINE WEEKEND HEALTHCARE SOMETHING CERTIFICATE.
I WOULD REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO [LAUGHTER] CLARIFY WHAT THAT IS.
A RECOMMENDATION MIGHT BE THAT IT'S LIMITED TO PEDIATRICIANS OR FAMILY PRACTICE PROVIDERS.
IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE WITH ADVANCED DEGREES WHO CAN REALLY LOOK AT THE SCIENCE, WEIGH THE RISKS AND THE BENEFITS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CHILD WEARING A MASK. THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANKS, ALISA. WHO'S NEXT ON DECK?
>> ERIN, YOU'LL BE UP IN A MINUTE.
WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU, ERIN.
SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM? YES, MA'AM. COME ON.
>> HI, THERE. MY NAME IS MS. ELIZABETH WHITAKER.
I WROTE SOME NOTES SO I REMEMBER WHAT I WANT TO SAY.
I'M A NURSE AT ST. JOHN'S AND A MOTHER OF A SOON TO BE 1ST AND 3RD GRADER IN TETON COUNTY.
I'M THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH NURSE, EDUCATION MANAGER, AND PATIENT SAFETY OFFICER.
TO SAY MY LIFE HAS BEEN RUN BY COVID IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
I MANAGE ALL THE EMPLOYEE ILLNESS CALLS, EXPOSURES, AND QUARANTINES.
NONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID DUE TO INNER HOSPITAL SPREAD, EITHER FROM PATIENTS OR EMPLOYEE TO EMPLOYEE DUE TO OUR MASKING IN HOSPITAL.
WE HAVE CURRENT BREAKTHROUGH POSITIVES POST VACCINATION VIA COMMUNITY SPREAD BECAUSE IT'S TIME TO MASK UP DUE TO DELTA.
WHILE STILL RARE, KIDS ARE MORE IMPACTED BY DELTA THAN THE ORIGINAL VIRUS, AND WHO KNOWS HOW A YET TO EMERGE STRAIN MAY IMPACT THEM.
THIS IS SIMPLY SOMETHING I'M NOT WILLING TO EXPERIMENT ON WITH MY CHILDREN.
MASKING DECREASES EXPOSURES, QUARANTINES, AND ILLNESS.
SOMETHING THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT OFTEN THINK ABOUT IS THAT QUARANTINING KIDS AND NEEDING PARENTS TO WATCH THEM IMPACTS THEIR COMMUNITY HEALTH VIA STAFF QUARANTINES.
WHAT THAT HURTS IS A NURSE NEEDED TO CARE FOR A TRAUMA, A LABOR, OR YOUR RELATIVE WHO HAS CANCER.
WE CANNOT STRESS OUR OVERBURDENED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND STAFF AND EVEN MORE.
IT IS SO UPSETTING TO SEE THE SURGE AGAIN.
YOU CAN NOT CONTINUE TO ASK HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO SHOW UP AND PROVIDE EXCELLENT CARE IF THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT CARE ENOUGH TO MITIGATE RISK.
PLEASE DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND MANDATE MASKS IN OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, ELIZABETH. THANK YOU FOR SERVING AS AN NURSE ON THE FRONTLINE. ERIN, YOU'RE UP.
>> HI. MY NAME IS ERIN [INAUDIBLE].
I AM A MOM FOR TWIN 5TH GRADERS AT THE AWESOME KELLY SCHOOL, AND I HAVE A HIGH SCHOOLER AT THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING NEW.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT WE WERE WORDSMITHING EARLIER AND WANT TO ENCOURAGE A THOUGHT ABOUT EQUITY.
WHILE VACCINATIONS MIGHT BECOME AVAILABLE FOR OUR 12 AND UNDER, WILL EVERYONE BE ABLE TO GET THEM ON THAT FIRST DAY? JUST TO CONSIDER.
IF YOU WANT HELP WRITING LANGUAGE, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT OFFLINE, BUT TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS EQUITY ISSUE AND THAT IT MIGHT BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE EVERYONE GETS ACCESS TO THOSE SHOTS FOR THE 12 AND UNDER SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY IS FULLY VACCINATED WHEN WE DO GET TO THE POINT OF HAVING THE GREEN OR YELLOW AND BEING ABLE TO TAKE OFF MASKS.
JUST THE PREVIOUS PERSON WHO SPOKE, MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU BOARD FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR CHILDREN.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT MASKING IN THE SCHOOLS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, ERIN. WHO'S ON DECK FOR NOW?
>> MARY, WE'LL COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM AND THEN WE'LL COME RIGHT TO YOU, MARY.
SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM? ANYONE? YES, MA'AM. COME ON.
>> MY NAME IS MICHELLE NOVAE. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU WHY I THINK WEARING A FACIAL MASK, SURGICAL, OR CLOTH IS DETRIMENTAL, I BELIEVE, IN MY OPINION.
WEARING A MASK FOR A CONTINUALLY EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME INCREASES THE CONCENTRATION OF CO_2 AND DECREASES THE BLOOD'S PH.
THE SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION AND RESPIRATION BY WEARING
[01:10:03]
A FACIAL MASK POTENTIALLY IMPEDE CO2 ELIMINATION, WHICH CAN CAUSE RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS.RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS IS A CONDITION THAT OCCURS WHEN THE LUNGS CANNOT REMOVE ALL THE CARBON DIOXIDE THE BODY PRODUCES.
THIS CAUSES BODY FLUIDS, ESPECIALLY THE BLOOD, TO BECOME TOO ACIDIC.
CHRONIC RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS OCCURS OVER A LONG TIME.
THIS LEADS TO A STABLE SITUATION BECAUSE THE KIDNEYS INCREASE BODY CHEMICALS SUCH AS BICARBONATE THAT HELP RESTORE BODY'S ACID-BASE BALANCE.
A CONTINUAL BUILDUP OF CARBON DIOXIDE CAN PREVENT THE KIDNEYS FROM RETURNING THE BODY TO A STATE OF BALANCE.
THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE SLEEPINESS, FATIGUE, CONFUSION, COMA, ANXIETY, HEADACHES, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, SWEATING.
THESE CONDITIONS CAN ALSO LEAD TO HYPERCAPNIA, WHICH IS HAVING TOO MUCH CO_2 RETENTION.
IT'S A CONDITION OF NORMALLY ELEVATED CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS IN THE BLOOD AND IT CAN CAUSE HYPERVENTILATION. IS MY TIME UP?
THAT'S INTERESTING INFORMATION.
>> IT'S NOT SUBJECTIVE, IT'S OBJECTIVE AND ALL MY KINDERGARTNERS AND THE SECOND GRADERS SAY, "MOM, I CAN'T BREATHE." THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANKS, MICHELLE. [NOISE] MARY, YOU'RE UP.
I'M THE MOTHER OF TWO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WITH JES AND I FULLY APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTY THAT THE BOARD IS FACED WITH IN HELPING LEAD THIS SCHOOL.
ONE OF MY CHILDREN HAD ASTHMA, THE OTHER ONE HAS TYPE 1 DIABETES.
I'M IN FAVOR OF PARENT'S CHOICE AND OPTIONS FOR EXERCISING THEIR RIGHTS TO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I FULLY APPRECIATE THE SCOPE OF GOOD HEALTH FOR BOTH OF MY CHILDREN.
MICHELLE JUST WENT OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO SHARE SO I WILL NOT REPEAT THAT.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT AS THE PARENT, MY HUSBAND AND I SHOULD BE THE ONES ABLE TO MAKE HEALTH DECISIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
WE'RE THE ONES STAYING UP LATE WITH THEM WHEN THEY'RE SICK.
WE PAY FOR THE INSULIN AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
WE PAY FOR THE DOCTOR'S VISITS.
I SUPPORT THE RIGHT FOR ALL PARENTS TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THEY FEEL ARE BEST FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES HOWEVER THAT DECISION MAY BE.
MASKS SHOULD BE ONE OF THOSE DECISIONS FOR PARENTS TO CHOOSE.
FROM EARLY LAST SPRING, WE LEARNED THAT CHILDREN ARE THE LEAST AT-RISK POPULATION FOR CONTRACTING AND SPREADING COVID AND THAT IS SUCH A RELIEF.
I FEEL THAT WE CAN EMBRACE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THERE IS AMPLE DATA AVAILABLE FROM LEGITIMATE STUDIES, FROM REPUTABLE UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE WORLD SHOWING EVERYTHING MICHELLE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
[NOISE] PLEASE DO NOT REQUIRE THAT OUR CHILDREN WEAR A MASK FOR SEVEN-PLUS HOURS EVERY DAY.
NOT TO MENTION THE AMOUNT OF BACTERIA AND FUNGUS THAT CLINGS TO THEIR MASK.
MY SON'S MASK IS COMPLETELY DISGUSTING.
I AM MORE WORRIED ABOUT HIM GETTING SICK FROM BREATHING THROUGH THAT BACTERIA AND FUNGUS EVERY DAY DESPITE THE MULTIPLE MASKS THAT HE WEARS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE OPTION TO OPT MY CHILDREN OUT OF WEARING MASKS.
MY HUSBAND AND I FULLY EXPECT TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR HEALTH AND WE'LL SIGN ANY OPT-OUT FORM YOU WOULD LIKE.
AT THE VERY LEAST, PLEASE CONSIDER MASK BREAKS WHILE STUDENTS ARE SITTING AT THEIR SPATIALLY DISTANCED DESKS AND WHILE OUTSIDE IN THE FRESH AIR, PLEASE ALLOW THEM THE ABILITY TO BREATHE THE OXYGEN THEY NEED TO SUPPORT THE COGNITIVE REASONING REQUIRED TO LEARN AND TO PHYSICALLY GROW, BE HEALTHY AND STRONG.
THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ALL THE INPUT. THANK YOU.
>> HEY KARL, WE'LL BE WITH YOU IN TWO SECONDS OR SO, WE'RE GOING TO JUST HEAR SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
ALL RIGHT, KARL? SOMEONE IN THE ROOM? YEAH. LET'S START OFF RIGHT THERE.
>> HI, MY NAME IS BARBARA TENNERS AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I'LL JUST SAY, I WISH MY DAUGHTER WHOSE A PEDIATRICIAN WERE HERE RIGHT NOW, SHE WORKS AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THREE MAJOR HOSPITAL CENTERS FOR KIDS IN THE COUNTRY.
SHE IS SEEING KIDS WITH COVID.
BY THE WAY, SHE'S WEARING MASKS MUCH MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS A DAY, SHE HAS ALL-NIGHT SHIFTS.
THERE ARE WONDERFUL KIDS WHO ARE SHOWING UP,
[01:15:02]
WHO CAN'T BREATHE, WHOSE HEARTS ARE FAILING, WHOSE BRAINS ARE BEING AFFECTED.IF WE CAN PROTECT THE CHILDREN BY WEARING ONE OF THESE, WHICH WE KNOW WE CAN, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE US TO DO THAT.
IF I TAKE MY MASK OFF AND I SNEEZE ON YOU GUYS, I CAN GIVE YOU COVID IF I'M HARBORING IT IN MY NOSE, EVEN THOUGH I'M VACCINATED.
PLEASE, YOU NEED TO HAVE A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY HERE FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS AND FOR ALL OF US.
NO ONE OF US CAN SAY, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR MY KID, BUT NOT YOURS.
EVERYTHING WE DO AFFECTS ALL OUR KIDS. THANK YOU.
>> THANKS, BARBARA. KARL, YOU'RE UP.
APPRECIATE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT SUBJECT.
I AM THE FATHER OF A SOON-TO-BE KINDERGARTNER AND WE COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROSPECT.
MY WIFE IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER AT ST. JOHN'S LIVING CENTER, AND WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SENDING OUR CHILD TO A SCHOOL WHERE MASKS ARE OPTIONAL OR NOT WORN.
OUR SON RECENTLY WAS QUARANTINED AFTER ATTENDING A PRACTICE KINDERGARTEN SESSION AND NOT ONLY WAS HE QUARANTINED, MY WIFE AND I LOST COLLECTIVELY FIVE DAYS OF WORK AS WELL.
I LOOK AT NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I LOOK AT THE ABILITY TO PAY THE BILLS FOR PARENTS, THE RENT, GROCERIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
IN ADDITION, MY WIFE, LIKE I SAID, IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER IN LIVING CENTER AND I WORRY ABOUT HER BRINGING THAT POSSIBILITY OF HAVING COVID FROM OUR SON INTO THE LIVING CENTER AND SPREAD IT TO THE LIVING CENTER PATIENTS.
IN CASE YOU ARE POSSIBLY GOING TO MASK CONSIDERATION THROUGH THE COLOR YELLOW AS WELL, TOO. THANK YOU.
>> CLARA, WE'LL COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO PICK SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
CLARA, YOU'RE ON DECK. YEAH, SURE. GO AHEAD.
>> CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME.
THE FIRST IS THE REASON I'M HERE.
AFTER YOUR PREVIOUS MEETING, A PERSON I KNOW VERY WELL TO BE A PERSON OF GREAT SENSE AND POLITICAL OBJECTIVITY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS MAN'S POLITICS UP, WARNED MY WIFE THAT MAYBE SHE SHOULDN'T COME AND TESTIFY AND SPEAK TO THIS MEETING BECAUSE SHE MIGHT BE IN DANGER.
THAT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE THAT SOMEBODY THAT'S SENSIBLE WOULD COME AWAY FEELING THAT WAY ABOUT WHAT YOU AND OTHER COMMENTATORS ARE FACING.
FORTUNATELY, I THINK EVERYBODY WHO HAS SPOKEN THIS EVENING HAS SPOKEN VERY SENSIBLY AND REASONABLY, AND WITH NONE OF THAT BULLYING ASPECT TO IT.
THE OTHER TWO POINTS I WANT TO SPEAK TO IS PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY.
PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE NOT ONLY FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN'S HEALTH, BUT FOR EVERYBODY'S HEALTH.
THERE ARE OTHER CHILDREN AND A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SCHOOLS HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THOSE WORST PLACES FOR THIS VIRUS TO BE SPREAD, BECAUSE THE KIDS ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER, DESPITE ALL OUR EFFORTS TO AVOID THAT, AND BECAUSE THEY INTERACT SO STRONGLY WITH EACH OTHER.
SECOND POINT I WANT TO MAKE ABOUT PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT PARENTS DO NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS VERY GREAT THREAT TO OUR WHOLE SOCIETY.
ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED IS WE'VE HEARD FROM THE EXPERTS RIGHT ALONG THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
THEY HAVE BEEN RIGHT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN WRONG.
WE SHOULD BE LISTENING TO THE EXPERTS, INCLUDING BOTH NATIONAL EXPERTS AND OUR LOCAL EXPERTS HERE LIKE TRAVIS AND DR. DUBRICK.
[01:20:06]
THE ONE OTHER POINT I WILL JUST SAY IS THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT MASKING GIFTS AND INCENTIVE FOR KIDS TO GET VACCINATED.NOT IF THE KIDS ARE SPOKEN TO PROPERLY ABOUT THIS, THE INCENTIVE IS TO GET VACCINATED SO THAT WE CAN ALL GET OUR MASKS OFF.
NOT ONLY THEM, BUT THE REST OF US.
>> THANK YOU, CHUCK. CLAIRE, YOU'RE UP.
>> WONDERFUL. I'LL DIVE RIGHT IN.
MY NAME IS CLAIRE VANCE. I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I HAVE HEARD DURING THIS MEETING THAT THIS IS ABOUT EDUCATION, THAT IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, THAT IT'S ABOUT VARIOUS THINGS.
I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE THAT I THINK THIS IS ABOUT NONE OF THOSE THINGS.
I THINK THIS IS ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND I THINK IT'S ABOUT THEIR ENTIRE WELL-BEING FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR LIVES.
THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE WEAKEST AND SMALLEST AMONG US AND OUR HIGHEST ETHICAL CONCERN IS FOR THEM AND THEIR WELL-BEING.
THEY CANNOT CONSENT AND WE ARE DOING THINGS FOR THEM ON THEIR BEHALF.
I DO NOT THINK THEY SHOULD BE MASKED.
I THINK THEY SHOULD BE MASKED AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
I WANT YOU TO ALSO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE.
WHEN THEY DO SPEAK OUT, THEY TELL US THEY SAY THEY DON'T LIKE THE MASKS, THEY HATE THEM, THEY'RE UNCOMFORTABLE.
A GERMAN STUDY REVEALED 25,000 ADVERSE REACTIONS OF CHILDREN TO MASK WEARING.
IT'S VERY OFTEN 10, 11, 12 HOURS A DAY BECAUSE I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO NOTICE THAT THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY IS FOLLOWING SUIT WITH THE SCHOOLS.
THE GYMNASTICS PROGRAM, THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, THE LIBRARY, ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMS ARE HANGING ON YOUR CHOICES FOR MASKING CHILDREN.
THEY'LL TELL ME WELL, THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING IT, SO THEN WE NEED TO DO IT TOO.
THE CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THE LOWEST INCOME CHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS NEED TO WORK THE LONGEST ARE THE ONES WHO ARE OFTEN WEARING MASKS FOR 10, 11 HOURS A DAY.
I WANTED TO JUST ADD THAT VIEWPOINT.
I THINK OUR ETHICAL CONSIDERATION IS TO THEM.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT LONG-TERM EFFECTS THIS MASKING WILL HAVE ON THE CHILDREN.
DOCTORS CAN BE WONDERFUL WITH CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL HEALTH, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOOD WITH OFTEN SOMETIMES THEIR EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, DEVELOPMENTAL WELL-BEING, AND THAT IS A PART OF A WHOLE PERSON AND A COMPLETE CHILD.
I THINK THE ENTIRE CHILD NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU.
>> KEVIN, WE'LL GET TO YOU IN A FEW MINUTES.
WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH SOMEONE HERE IN THE ROOM, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
ANYONE IN THE ROOM? ANYONE IN THE ROOM? YES, MA'AM. COME ON.
YOU HEARD FROM ME LAST WEEK. I WROTE A LETTER.
I BRING NEW LIGHT TO THE THINGS I'VE ADDRESSED IN THE PAST.
I DO WANT TO TELL BILL THAT I AGREE 100 PERCENT.
I THINK THE METRICS ARE WRONG.
THEY TAKE ACCOUNT THE COMMUNITY, THEY DO NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF OUR CAPACITY.
I ASK THE CHAMBER IF IT SAYS WE'RE 96 PERCENT CAPACITY IN OUR HOTELS, WHAT NUMBER IS THAT? WHAT HAS THAT ADDED TO OUR METRICS? IT'S NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING NUMBER AND I THINK IT CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE ORANGE STAGE TO REALLY HELP BALANCE THIS OUT.
I HEARD THAT WE HAVE TO WEAR MASKS, I'LL GET BACK TO THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO WEAR MASKS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LAYERED APPROACH FROM THE GET GO AND I'LL COME BACK TO THAT.
TO THE GENTLEMAN SAYING TO LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, I'LL GET TO THAT ONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD INTERNATIONALLY.
NO WAY OKAY. I SWEAR [LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND] [OVERLAPPING]
>> SHELBY, WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
>> I APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN START,.
[LAUGHTER] I HAVE THREE POINTS.
ONE, THE HEALTH RISKS DUE TO PROLONGED WEARING OF MASKS, AND THREE, DISCRIMINATION.
I DO NOT USE THAT TERM LIGHTLY.
FIRST, I WANT TO JUST BRING YOU GUYS TO TAKE YOUR TIME, LOOK AT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, LOOK AT THE EUROPEAN CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL.
THEY PROVIDE EXCELLENT INFORMATION THAT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE CDC.
NO ONE IS GOING TO LIKE THIS STUFF BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT ANYWAYS.
THERE WERE 400 DEATHS FROM COVID LAST YEAR FOR CHILDREN.
THERE WERE 477 PEDIATRIC DEATHS IN 2019 FOR INFLUENZA, AND WE DID NOT HAVE A MASK MANDATE.
I'M GOING TO SKIP AHEAD, I APOLOGIZE.
THE ONLY OTHER ONE I'M GOING TO SAY IS THAT I GOT ON THE CDC AND I
[01:25:04]
SAID IS IT SAFE FOR MY KID TO WEAR A MASK FOR SEVEN HOURS A DAY, AND I CITED ONE STUDY, ONE AT 68.IT WAS 47 CHILDREN THAT WERE STUDIED IN ITALY FOR WEARING A MASK FOR 30 MINUTES AND IT WAS PROVEN THAT THEY DID NOT CAUSE PULMONARY OR CARDIO HARM.
THAT WAS IT. PROLONGED MASK WEARING HAS A NAME, IT'S CALLED MIRRORS.
THE EXACT SAME THINGS OF LUNG COVID.
IN THE SMART START, IT SAYS THAT LUNG COVID IS A DISABILITY AND THAT WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME SYMPTOMS, WHICH ARE THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF PROLONGED MASK WEARING.
THAT WILL BRING ME TO MY POINT THREE OF DISCRIMINATION.
I BELIEVE I SPEAK FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHEN I SAY THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE A RIGHT TO WEAR A MASK.
I AM NOT TELLING ANYONE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO WEAR A MASK.
I AM ASKING AND PUBLIC INPUT FOR AN AMENDMENT WRITTEN BY YOU TO PROVIDE A PARENT WITH AN OPT-OUT OPTION.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A HEALTH PRACTITIONER, WHETHER I FIND ONE ON THE INTERNET OR ONE'S MY BROTHER OR MY BEST FRIEND.
I'M ASKING FOR AN OPT-OUT OPTION GIVEN THE LACK OF EFFICACY OF SINGLE LAYERS, AND THERE IS NO HARDSHIP CREATED FOR OTHER STUDENTS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU.
I DON'T HAVE A INCREDIBLY STRONG OPINION ON MASKING FOR THE UNVACCINATED CHILDREN AT THIS TIME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE UNDER 12 DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE VACCINE, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S TELLING THAT IT'S A UNIVERSAL MASK MANDATE THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED RIGHT NOW WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO THE VACCINATION STATUS OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST SOME CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO WHETHER OR NOT THE INDIVIDUAL IS VACCINATED.
I THINK THAT WHEN THE VACCINATION IS APPROVED FOR THOSE UNDER 12 YEARS OLD, THEN THAT SHOULD ALSO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
I THINK THAT IT'S A BIT OVERLY BROAD RIGHT NOW. THAT'S ALL.
>> WE'LL COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU IN A FEW MINUTES.
ANYONE HERE IN THE ROOM? ANYONE IN THE ROOM?
>> I WILL. I SPOKE LAST WEEK AS WELL.
I MISSED A COUPLE POINTS, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THOSE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I'M PROPOSING THAT YOU JUST ADD ONE SENTENCE TO THE START PLAN AND ALLOW PARENTS OR GUARDIANS TO OPT THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF THE MASK.
THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC HAS REALLY BEEN BUILT ON THE PCR TEST AND ASYMPTOMATIC SPREAD, WHICH I HAVE THREE STUDIES FROM THE CDC, NIH, AND THE WHO THAT SAY ASYMPTOMATIC SPREAD BASICALLY DOES NOT EXIST.
THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE TESTING.
THE FDA AND THE CDC ARE ACTUALLY REVOKING THE PCR TEST IN DECEMBER BECAUSE IT CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENZA AND COVID.
I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THE CDC AND THEY TOLD ME IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING UP WITH A TEST THAT CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TWO IN JANUARY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE DELTA VARIANT.
THERE'S REALLY NO PCR TEST THAT CAN DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S A DELTA VARIANT OR NOT.
IT DOES NOT DISTINGUISH VARIANTS.
YOU MUST HAVE A GENOMIC SEQUENCING TEST TO DETERMINE THAT.
THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT THIS IS LIKE THE INFLUENZA AND THE FLU VACCINE, WHERE IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.
EVENTUALLY, I'M LIKE, ARE WE GOING TO DO THIS FOREVER? BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CONSTANTLY MUTATE AND IT'S GOING TO CONSTANTLY SHOW VARIANCE.
I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE CDC AND THE WHO AND ALL THE OTHER GOVERNMENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES.
BEFORE 2020, THEY SAID INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HEALTHY SHOULD NOT BE WEARING MASKS AND THEY TALKED ABOUT LACK OF EFFICACY IN MASK WEARING.
THESE ARE ALL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES THAT I'VE PRINTED OUT.
THEY ARE CONTRADICTING THEIR GUIDELINES.
THEY'RE CONTRADICTING THEIR VERY OWN SCIENTIFIC STUDIES THAT ARE ON THEIR WEBSITE, AND YOU CAN FIND THOSE TOO.
BECAUSE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE, I JUST WORRY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LONG TERM MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
[01:30:05]
I THINK MORE KIDS KILLED THEMSELVES LAST YEAR FROM 0-17 THAN WERE IMPACTED WITH COVID.I JUST URGE YOU TO PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU BACKUP YOUR DECISION WITH SCIENCE.
AS I SAID BEFORE, TRAVIS REEDER WAS PRETTY UNAVAILABLE AS FAR AS COMING UP WITH SCIENTIFIC STUDIES AND I'M GLAD THAT HE'S ACTUALLY DOING THE TOWN HALL COMING UP THIS WEEK.
I JUST ASK THAT YOU ADD THAT AMENDMENT TO THE SMART START PROGRAM.
THE TRUTH IS WE'RE PROBABLY ALL GOING TO GET THIS AT SOME POINT AND I JUST THINK WE'RE EITHER GOING TO SAY WEIGH THE OPTIONS.
IS IT WORTH LIVING MORE THAN LIVING IN FEAR? THAT'S ALL.
>> HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS MEETING AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO SO MANY DIVERSE POINTS.
I JUST WANTED TO THROW OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON MANY THINGS.
NUMBER 1, WE DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE MASKING.
I ACTUALLY AM FOR MASKING IN SCHOOLS, BUT OF COURSE, ALL OF US WANT THIS PANDEMIC TO BE OVER, SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT GETTING TO THAT POINT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GETTING CLOSE BY HAVING VACCINES WIDELY AVAILABLE.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER REQUIRING MASKS IN SCHOOLS, PARTICULARLY FOR K-5 STUDENTS FOR WHOM VACCINES ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE.
AS SOON AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH ALLOWING PEOPLE TO PURSUE THEIR OWN FREEDOM OF CHOICE.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE VACCINATED OR WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO WEAR MASKS.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY REASONABLE COMPROMISE.
I ALSO JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT VACCINES AND MANDATES AND SCHOOLS ARE NOT A NEW CONVERSATION.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
THE FIRST VACCINE MANDATE IN A SCHOOL WAS IN 1850 FOR SMALLPOX.
I'M SURE WE CAN FIGURE OUT A REASONABLE WAY TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL, AND GIVE EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY DESERVE TO LEARN.
>> NICOLE, WE'LL GET TO YOU IN A FEW MINUTES.
SOMEONE IN THE ROOM? ANYONE IN THE ROOM?
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE].
I HAVE A 4TH GRADER AT [INAUDIBLE] ELEMENTARY.
I'D LIKE TO SAY AGAIN THAT I REALLY RESPECT THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING, AND I TRULY DO NOT ENVY THE WEIGHT THAT YOU'RE CARRYING ON YOUR SHOULDERS.
I GET HOW COMPLICATED IT MUST BE TO APPEASE A VERY EMOTIONAL BROAD GROUP OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY THIS AGAIN BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THIS.
THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A SHINING LIGHT OF THIS COMMUNITY.
THE FIRST ONE IS, I FEEL LIKE IT MIGHT BE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET BELOW TWO CASES A DAY FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
LET'S FACE IT, WE'RE HEADING INTO FLU SESSION.
IF SOMEBODY STARTS TO SNIFFLE, IT'S LIKE, IS IT COVID? THE PCR TEST DON'T WORK? THE [INAUDIBLE] CONCEPT OF TWO CASES A DAY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU SET A TIME LIMIT ON THAT AND SAY BEFORE THE END OF OCTOBER, WE THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AND SEE IS THIS WORKING FOR US? WILL WE EVER GET OUT MASKS? THAT'S THE THOUGHT. THAT'S THE CONCEPT.
THE SECOND THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS, AND I'D TALKED TO A TEACHER ABOUT THIS ACTUALLY, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS AN AMAZING IDEA.
HE SAID THAT HE THINKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR MASKS OFF WHILE THEY'RE IN CLASS.
HONESTLY, WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I WAS LIKE, THAT'S GENIUS.
BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY [INAUDIBLE].
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GAPS, THINGS ARE GETTING OUT.
THEY'RE KIDS, THEY'RE RUNNING AROUND, THEY'RE IN EACH OTHER'S FACES ALREADY ANYWAY, SO LET'S LET THEM TAKE IT OFF WHEN THEY'RE IN THE CLASS.
IF SOME KID GETS IT, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME VERSION OF QUARANTINE ANYWAY.
THAT ALLOWS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AT A MINIMUM TO SEE EACH OTHER'S MOUTHS.
TO TALK TO THEIR TEACHER, AND THEIR TEACHER CAN COMMUNICATE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO YELL AT THEM.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS THOUGH, THE TEACHERS ARE YELLING.
IN [INAUDIBLE], I USED TO BE A STUDENT IN THE CLASS.
I THINK THAT'S A CONCEPT I REALLY WANT YOU GUYS TO THINK ABOUT AND ADDRESS? TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
HOW DO THE TEACHERS FEEL? HOW DO PARENTS FEEL? FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT CHILDREN ALL AROUND THE WORLD, WE'VE GOT FRANCE, SCANDINAVIA, NETHERLANDS, UK, IRELAND, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, EVEN COUNTIES AROUND US WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED CHOICE.
[01:35:03]
WHY AREN'T WE ALLOWED CHOICE? WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT? I WILL SAY THAT IT'S POLITICS, AND WE ALL KNOW IT.WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SAY IT'S TIME FOR THE KIDS TO GET OUT OF THE [INAUDIBLE].
>> YES. THANK YOU. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE JUST BEING PRO-CHOICE.
>> NICOLE, COULD YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT?
>> OKAY. I JUST HAD TO FACE THE COMPUTER.
I'M JUST SO THANKFUL THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT PRO-CHOICE.
IF YOU FEEL CONVICTED TO WEAR A MASK, PLEASE WEAR A MASK.
IF YOU FEEL THAT IT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOUR JOB IN ANY WAY, OR YOUR CHILDREN IN ANY WAY, YOU'RE SCARED FOR THEIR HEALTH, I WANT YOU TO WEAR A MASK.
I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES FOR ME TOO, I DO.
I WEAR MASKS WHEN I'M IN HOSPITALS, DOCTORS' OFFICES, THINGS THAT I FEEL LIKE I'M CONVICTED TO.
BUT THERE ARE PLACES WHERE I HAVE A CHOICE TO DO A MASK, AND I JUST WANT MY SON TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CHOICE, BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
HE LITERALLY CAN'T HEAR IN HIS LEFT EAR.
THEY SAID THAT WHEN HE IS LISTENING THROUGH THAT EAR, IT'S LIKE BEING UNDERWATER AND SOMEBODY TALKING TO HIM.
THEN WITH SOMEBODY WITH A MASK ON TOP OF IT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO READ LIPS, HE IS MISSING OUT ON SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THIS.
I'M JUST TO THE POINT WHERE HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO BE? WE'VE BEEN IN THIS FOR A YEAR-AND-A-HALF.
THIS IS A VIRUS, IT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
WE CAN NEVER BOTTLE UP THE FLU AND GET RID OF THAT.
HOW CAN WE SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET RID OF THIS? WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE NEED TO LET OUR KIDS BE KIDS AND WE NEED TO ALLOW THE PARENT TO HAVE A CHOICE.
>> OKAY. ANYONE IN THE ROOM? YES.
>> HI, AGAIN. [LAUGHTER] I'M ALISON [INAUDIBLE].
I THINK AFTER THE LAST MEETING, YOU KNOW WHERE THE [INAUDIBLE] STANDS ON THE MASK ISSUE.
TODAY I WAS GOING TO DEDICATE MY TIME TO VOICING THE CONCERNS OF DISTRICT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE MASK MANDATE.
I'M REFERRING TO THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SCARED TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEIR VOICES WON'T BE HEARD OR THEIR OPINIONS DON'T MATTER, OR IT WON'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE MORE OF THOSE THAN YOU THINK.
REMEMBER, THIS MANDATE DOESN'T JUST AFFECT OUR STUDENTS, BUT OUR STAFF AS WELL, AND THEIR OPINIONS DO MATTER.
THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE AGAINST THE MANDATE ARE THE MINORITY, AND THEY HAVE BEEN SILENCED.
IT'S NO WONDER THEY FEEL DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, AND IT'S A DISGRACE.
I WOULD KINDLY ASKED THE BOARD TO CONSIDER ONE EDICT TO THE SMART START PLAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SENTENCE THAT SAYS STUDENTS MAY OPT OUT OF THE MANDATORY MASK MANDATE UPON A WRITTEN CONSENT OF A PARENT OR GUARDIAN.
I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU BE SO KIND AS TO CONSIDER A SIMILAR EXEMPTION FOR DISTRICT STAFF. THANK YOU.
>> ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM? YES.
>> HI. MY NAME IS SARAH FLANNERY.
THIS IS GOING TO BE MY FIRST YEAR HAVING A KID AT SCHOOL AND SHE IS SO PUMPED TO BE IN KINDERGARTEN.
[LAUGHTER] I AM SO HAPPY THAT THE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE IN SCHOOL.
MY CONCERN WITH THIS FREQUENT TALK OF THE EDICT TO ALLOW PARENTS TO CHOOSE FOR THEIR CHILDREN, IS THAT OTHER PEOPLE'S DECISION DO AFFECT ME.
I WORK AT THE HOSPITAL, I WANT TO GO TO WORK.
BUT IF A CHILD HAS COVID AND THEY DO NOT WEAR A MASK, AND MY CHILD IS WEARING A MASK BECAUSE THAT IS MY CHOICE OR MANDATED, MY KID HAS TO QUARANTINE.
I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO ME.
I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS CONSIDER KEEPING THE LANGUAGE AS IT IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANKS, SARAH. ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM? YES, MA'AM.
>> MY NAME IS LISA SANS SOUCI, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING IN YOUR SHOES.
GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE EMOTIONS AND THE SCIENCE AND THE DATA AND ALTERNATIVE DATAS OUT THERE THAT AREN'T BEING LOOKED AT AS WELL.
[01:40:03]
I WROTE A LETTER TO YOU ALL THIS WEEK AND I THINK YOU ALL RECEIVED IT, BUT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THE VACCINATION VERBIAGE IN YOUR SMART START PLAN.I THINK THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY TALK OF VACCINATION IN YOUR SMART PLAN BECAUSE VACCINES HAVE HARDLY BEEN TESTED ON KIDS, ESPECIALLY UNDER 12 AND THE GROUP FROM THE 12-18-YEAR-OLDS, THEY HAVE 4,000 KIDS IN THE STUDY, 2,000 WHICH TOOK THE VACCINE.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE ANY OF THE WHICH THAT RELAYS MASKS GOING AWAY OR MASKS NOT GOING AWAY BASED ON ANY VACCINATION STATUS.
I SAW BULLYING IN THE SCHOOLS BY TEACHERS, I WENT AND THEY HAVE THE IN-SCHOOL CLINICS, AND IT WAS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE.
I'VE CONTACTED BOTH THE MIDDLE AND THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO DISCUSS IT.
THEN LIKELY, IT'S CONTRADICTORY WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY VACCINE COVID BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
TO SAY THAT THOUGH IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR YOUR MASKS BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WEARING MASKS ARE AND ARE VACCINATED, ARE STILL HAVING COVID AND TRANSMITTING IT.
>> ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM? NO ONE ELSE IN THE ROOM.
>> PUBLIC COMMENT BUT WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> WE'VE COVERED THE FLOOR. WE DID 40 MINUTES TO PUBLIC COMMENT THERE WERE 22 PEOPLE, WHICH IS PRETTY GOOD TO GET THROUGH IN 40 MINUTES.
SOME OF THE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT, WE WILL TAKE A BREAK HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES.
ONE OF THE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT SHOULD THERE BE AN EXCEPTION FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, WAS ONE COMMENT FROM SASHA.
A FEW PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT OPT-OUTS.
I THINK JESSIE BROUGHT THAT UP FIRST, AND THEN SHELBY BROUGHT IT UP ALSO.
THEN THERE WAS DISCUSSION FROM A LISTENER ABOUT DEFINING HEALTH CARE CERTIFICATION, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN.
THOSE WERE SOME OF THE MAJOR POINTS.
WHEN WE DO TAKE A BREAK, GIVE SOME TIME TO THINK, SPARKED A CARLIN TRUSTEES ON WE'RE WANTING TO WORK ON THEIR VACCINATIONS LANGUAGE AND THEY COULD WORK ON THAT.
ANOTHER OPTION IS TO THROW OUT THERE IS WHAT YOU COULD DO PLEASE DELETE THAT SENTENCE, DOES NOT HAVE IT AND DELETE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE RED AND ORANGE.
WHAT WE COULD DO IN PPE IS JUST SIMPLY SAY, UNIVERSAL MASK WEARING IS REQUIRED IN INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS, PERIOD.
WE DELETE THE YELLOW ORANGE STUFF AND THEN AGREE THAT WE WILL REVISIT THIS EITHER AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING OR OUR OCTOBER MEETING DATUM, AND RE-EVALUATE IT.
AT LEAST WE COULD START THE SCHOOL YEAR WHERE WE SAY, MASK ARE REQUIRED.
THERE'S NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RED OR ORANGE, NOTHING TO DO WITH VACCINES.
THAT MAY BE A SIMPLER WAY JUST TO GET INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE CAN REVISIT EITHER AT THE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING OR PERHAPS AT THE OCTOBER BOARD MEETING.
THOSE ARE SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHILE WE TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK AND THOSE THAT WERE TO WORK ON THE VACCINE YOU GUYS SHOULD WORK ON YOUR LANGUAGE.
>> I THINK THAT THE YELLOW OR GREEN LANGUAGE ACTUALLY CAME FROM OUR COUNTY HEALTH OFFICERS ORDER THAT IN THE COUNTY THAT THERE'S A MANDATORY MASKING ORDER.
IF WE WANT IT TO BE YELLOW OVER THE GREEN, IT WOULD BE LITIGATED.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT CAME FROM MAYBE THAT WAS YOUR IDEA TO FOLLOW THAT, BUT JUST TO KNOW IF THAT'S RIGHT.
>> SORRY, LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK.
[01:51:23]
HERE'S WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE WE DO,[01:51:26]
SO WE CAN MOVE THIS ALONG VERY QUICKLY.IF SOMEONE WILL MAKE A MOTION JUST TO APPROVE THESE SMART START PLAN AS PROPOSED AND THEN WE'LL WORK AMENDMENTS ONE AT A TIME SLOW THEM UP OR DOWN IF WE NEED TO.
THEN TAKE A FIRM TO VOTE THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS.
>> I WOULD MOVE IF YOU WILL HAVE TO START SMART START PLAN AS PRESENTED, CORRECT?
>> CORRECT. CAN ANYBODY SECOND IT TO APPROVE THE SMART START PLAN? LET'S WORK THROUGH SOME AMENDMENTS POTENTIALLY.
DOES ANYONE HAVE AN AMENDMENT THEY'D LIKE TO OFFER?
>> I WOULD MOVE WITH THE SHORT TERM.
[NOISE] ON PAGE 6, UNDER THE, VACCINATION WE ELIMINATE THAT PARAGRAPH.
WE WILL REVISIT THAT AS WE MOVE INTO THE FALL AFTER SCHOOL GET STARTED.
>> THEY MOVED AND SECONDED TO LEAD ON PAGE 6 IN ENTIRE PARAGRAPH DEALING WITH VACCINATIONS, BUT THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL WORK ON IT AND COME BACK AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.
DID YOU WANT TO SAY WHICH MEETING, SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER?
ADD THAT IN. DISCUSSION TRUSTEE TESKE WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'RE THINKING OF?
>> MY THINKING IS, IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS TO BE WORDSMITHING THAT'S ON THE FLY LIKE WE ARE.
NOW, WHETHER WE DO IT SEPTEMBER OR WE DO IT IN OCTOBER IT'S PROBABLY ANYBODY'S GUESS THAT, I WOULD LIKE THIS PARAGRAPH TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE A WHOLE PICTURE IN TERMS OF VACCINATIONS, MASKS, AGES SO THAT IT'S A CHART THAT DEMONSTRATES AT WHAT POINT WHAT HAPPENS.
SO THAT IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR TO PEOPLE WHO LOVES TRIGGER TO THE WORD SMITH THIS TONIGHT.
>> HAVE THEY CALLED IT OFF? I'LL GIVE YOU THE REPORT ON THREE OF THE ONE CAN BROUGHT THEM WITH THEM.
>> I FEEL LIKE I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE TESKE THAT TO TRY AND WORDSMITH IT'S ON THE FLY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THINKING IT THROUGH.
>> I JUST SUPPORTED IT ON SEPTEMBER BUT JUST FEEL LIKE I DON'T LIKE KEEP DANGLING OUT THERE FOR TOO LONG.
>> YOU'RE VERY GOOD. OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS PARAGRAPH, TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE]?
>> JUST A QUESTION DID YOU SAY TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE PARAGRAPH OR JUST THE LAST SENTENCE?
>> THE ENTIRE PARAGRAPH. REWORK THE WHOLE PARAGRAPH.
>> OTHER THOUGHTS, DISCUSSION ON THIS AMENDMENT? SEEING NONE.
>> EXCUSE ME. JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY.
WHEN I SAY SEPTEMBER, OUR MEETING IS SEPTEMBER 8TH.
>> BECAUSE I THINK THE FIRST SENTENCES IS GOOD.
>> WELL, FINE. BUT LET'S FLIP THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO DELETE
[01:55:02]
THE VACCINATION'S PARAGRAPH AND THAT WE'LL REVISIT IT AT OUR SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING WITH SOME DIRECTION FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT.ALL THOSE FOR APPROVAL, SAY "AYE."
>> ALL THOSE AGAINST? LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, THE PPB.
ARE THERE ANY EDITS TO THAT PARAGRAPH, TRUSTEE CARLIN.
>> MR. CHAIR, I WOULD MOVE TO SAY THAT IF THE T-TYPE COMMUNITY IS IN HIGH OR SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF TRANSMISSION IN THE DESIGNATED RED INVERTS ON MASKING IS REQUIRED INDOORS AND IN CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS.
IF WE MOVE TO ORANGE, WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING IN THERE.
I'VE SAID IT BETTER FOR COURT.
BUT HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS.
>> IS THERE A SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND THOUGHT?
>> I GUESS IT'S SECONDED AND WE CAN THEN MOVE TO DISCUSSION.
>> IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THE TRUSTEE CARLIN, IF WE DID MOVE TO FOREIGN THE MASK WOULD STAY ON.
IT'LL THEN AUTOMATICALLY COME OFF.
IT WOULD JUST TRIGGER A SPECIAL MEETING.
>> YES, SO WE COULD EVALUATE THE BIG PICTURE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT TRUSTEE CARLIN HAD BROUGHT UP AND WHAT NOT.
IT'LL FIGURE LOOKING AT THIS SMART START PLAN AGAIN, RATHER THAN SAYING EVERY THREE MONTHS, EVERY TWO MONTHS, THAT CRITICAL CHANGE IN [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE YELLOW, GREEN, THE MASS AUTOMATICALLY CABAL ORANGE WITH JUST TRIGGERED THE SPECIAL MEETING.
>> WELL, IN YELLOW OR GREEN MASKS BECOME RECOMMENDED.
>> [INAUDIBLE] OTHER DISCUSSION ON TRUSTEE CARLIN'S FOR BOTH AMENDMENTS. TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE].
>> MR. CHAIR WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU KNOW I DO THINK THIS LANGUAGE CAME RIGHT OUT OF TRAVIS [INAUDIBLE] ORDER, WHICH IS WHY YOU USED IT.
IF WE AS IN SAY AGB AREN'T TO FOLLOW THE TETON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT VISION AND WHATEVER YOU SAY WITH REGARDS TO THIS.
IT'S CONSISTENT TO SAY THAT WE'LL COME UP WITH OUR HOME PARAMETERS OR WHAT WE SHOULD DO BECAUSE WE CLEARLY DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO DO THAT.
I AGREE THAT THE HOSPITAL BEDS ARE SHORT THAT THING.
WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS.
BUT IT SEEMS THAT TO AT LEAST FOLLOW WHAT THE TETON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS DOING IS SAFE WAY TO APPROACH THIS.
>> OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT. TRUSTEE BRUMSTED.
>> I'M WORRIED ABOUT GOING BACK AND FORTH.
WE GO TO RED, BUT THEN WE COME BACK TO ORANGE AND I'LL GET AT B AGAIN.
I AGREE WITH TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE] THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE FOLLOWING THE HEAVY GUIDELINES IN HAVING THE RED AND ORANGE THAT REQUIRED MASKING.
WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT OUR CHANGE THAT NIGHT IT COULDN'T HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MY ONLY ISSUE IS, AND I KNOW I DON'T GET A VOTE ON THE THIS BUT, I DON'T LIKE THE NEW METRICS.
I MEAN, THE WAY WE WERE DOING IT BEFORE.
I MEAN, LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED THIS SUMMER.
WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ORANGE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SUMMER.
NOBODY RAISED TO FORCE UNTIL WE STARTED BLOWING UP WITH 20 CASES A DAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I'M NOT SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING.
WHEN YOU SAY TWO CASES A DAY FOR A WEEK, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ORANGE.
TWO CASES OUT OF 23,375 PEOPLE OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, NEW CENSUS, I MEAN, I STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
>> I RESPECT KATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT TRAVIS' DEFINITION,
[02:00:05]
BUT IT JUST [OVERLAPPING]>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK IF WE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT TRUSTING, HE'D SAID, BUT IF WE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED OUR POLICY, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER GONE BACK TO SCHOOL LAST YEAR.
WE ALL REMEMBER THE LETTER THAT THE TRIBE WAS SENT TO THE MAYOR RECOMMENDING THAT WE DON'T GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
>> THEN SEND IT TO US. SEND IT TO THE MAYOR.
>> I'M NOT SURE IF I LIKE THE FACT THAT THE ORANGE IS TRIGGERING SPECIAL MEETING.
I'M HAPPY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD IN THE TIMEFRAME, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO ORANGE BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 8TH, AND IF WE DO, WE ARE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING [LAUGHTER].
IT'S A LITTLE BIT BORED, I WOULD PREFER THAT WE JUST FOLLOW THE TETON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION FOR SEPTEMBER MEETING WHERE WE CAN CLEAN THIS UP.
IF IT NEEDS US TO FORWARD THEN SPLIT.
I GUESS, FOR ME, LISTENING TO ALAN I DO AGREE WITH ALAN THAT BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH, AND HAVING IT IN THE PROCEDURES, THAT WE WOULD CALL A SPECIAL MEETING EACH TIME.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO CONSIDER, WE GET INTO THE ORANGE AND THINGS ARE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD.
IF WE GO BY THE COUNTY CODE, THE COUNTY COLOR, THEN IT COULDN'T GET SORT OF AN ANGLE.
I COULD STICK WITH THIS LIGHT. I'M SORRY.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME SPEAKING OUT LOUD.
I DON'T WANT TO BOUNCE BACK AND FORTH AND HAVE MEETINGS EVERY OTHER WEEK, THAT SEEMS SILLY.
BUT I WANTED TO PUT SOMETHING IN THERE THAT ALLOWED US TO BE NIMBLE ENOUGH TO LOOK AT THE SITUATION.
AS YOU SAID, IT COULD BE A PARTICULAR TIME WHERE WE WERE IN THE GREEN, AND FOR, WHATEVER REASON, OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS ARE TOTALLY OVER WORKED, AND IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO GO BACK INTO MASS.
I WAS TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING, MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE NIMBLE, AND FORCES TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, BUT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION EVERY OTHER WEEK.
[OVERLAPPING] I THINK [INAUDIBLE] BROUGHT UP A REALLY VALID ISSUE AND THE BEST THAT ARE ASSIGNED JUST HERE TO THE RIGHT.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE GOING EVERY SINGLE WEEK OR EVERY OTHER DAY WHEREVER IT GOES UP AND DOWN, LOOK IT'S GREEN TODAY, BUT TOMORROW IT'S RED, WHICH IS A POSSIBILITY UNDER THESE LOW NUMBERS.
WE NEED TO PUT FORWARD A LITTLE TIME THINKING THROUGH WHEN WE GO TO A NON MASK SITUATION.
WHEN DOES THAT TAKE PLACE? BECAUSE WE COULD BE GOING IN AND OUT OF THIS ON A DAILY BASIS.
[OVERLAPPING] IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT ANY OF US CAN CALL A MEETING.
IT ONLY TAKES A COUPLE OF MEMBERS IN THIS BOARD TO ASK FOR A MEETING AND WE GET ONE, AND IF THERE IS A SITUATION LIKE THAT, I'M SURE OUR BOARD CHAIR WILL SUGGEST TO SOME OF US THAT WE WANT TO HAVE A MEETING ABOUT IT, GET THE MEETING ABOUT IT WITHOUT HAVING TO REQUIRE US TO HAVE A MEETING, ABOUT SOMETHING WHICH MAY BE TOO INFLEXIBLE.
[INAUDIBLE] HAS A GOOD POINT THAT IF WE'RE SITTING IN ORANGE FOR A LONG TIME AND WE'RE ALL SAYING, [FOREIGN], IT'S AN ORDINANCE BECAUSE I HAVE A MEETING CHANGED THE POLICY, CHANGE THE PLAN.
IF THE TOP IS THE SAME, THAT YOU ARE [FOREIGN] BUT MAYBE NOT PUT IT IN HERE.
IT'S JUST ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE FLEXIBLE DOCUMENT.
AS I [INAUDIBLE] SAID, TWO MEMBERS CAN ALWAYS CALL A MEETING AT ANY TIME, AND WE CAN HAVE A MEETING AND DISCUSS EVEN THOUGH THE POLICIES SAYS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THE MASS ON WEARING ORANGE.
WE GOT AN ODD TO PUT A WHILE, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE AND IT'S THE ATMOSPHERE OUTSIDE IT'S SORT OF LIKE IT WAS THE SUMMER.
[02:05:04]
YEAH. I AGREE.I THINK I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE KEEPING IT IN AS IS WITH THAT RED AND ORANGE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LINE UP WITH WHAT DR. RIDDELL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND IT'S ALSO LINED UP WITH WHAT CDC IS RECOMMENDING RIGHT NOW.
FIRST SETTINGS WITH TRANSMISSION LEVELS.
I THINK I'D RATHER KEEP IT IN THE WAY IT IS AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE JUST SAYING, THAT IF WE'RE IN ORANGE AND CALL ME.
[INAUDIBLE] DO YOU WANT US TO VOTE ON THIS OR DO YOU WANT US TO WITHDRAW? I WITHDRAW.
I DON'T MEAN TO BE DISRESPECTFUL COUNTING HEALTH FOR THESE DESIGNATIONS, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU I DO NOT AGREE WITH SOME OF THE FLIP-FLOPPING THAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN THE CDC TO PUT OUR KIDS AT THIS RISK.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH KIDS WEARING MASKS ALL DAY.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
WE NEED TO FIND THE MEANS TO WORK THROUGH THOSE BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, TWO PIECES A DAY WITH TRIGGERS, TO LOOK AROUND ON MUCH CRAZY.
WE CAN CERTAINLY BUILD ON THAT.
CHRISTINE SCARLETT WANTED TO BUILD ON IT.
YOU WANT ALLOWED I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT AT ORANGE LEVEL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE CAN CHANGE IT IN SEPTEMBER 8TH, [INAUDIBLE] AND I IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 8TH, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO PUT IT ON OUR RADAR.
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO VOTE.
VOTED. EVEN RED I THINK IS THREE PLACES, ON AVERAGE, PUTS US IN RED.
I JUST THINK THAT IT'S OPERATIONALLY EVEN THOUGH WHAT THE CDC SAYS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS AMENDMENT? [INAUDIBLE] THE MOTION WAS THAT YOU WOULD READ, IF THE TETON COUNTY COMMUNITY IS AT HIGH OR SUBSTANTIAL RISK OF TRANSMISSION DESIGNATED FROM THE RED, DELETE OR ORANGE DESIGNATIONS.
UNIVERSAL MASK WEARING IS REQUIRED INDOORS AND BEING PROUD OF OUTDOOR SETTINGS.
IF TETON COUNTY IS IN THE ORANGE LEVEL, A SPECIAL MEETING WILL BE CALLED AND THEN TO CONTINUE.
IF TETON COUNTY IS YELLOW OR GREEN DESIGNATION UNIVERSAL MASK WEARING IS RECOMMENDED INDOORS, PRETTY CROWDED.
DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND ME BETTER? YEAH.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, AYE. AMENDMENT FAILS.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS, PARTICULARLY FOR THAT PARAGRAPH ON PPB? COULD THERE BE ANY WAY WE'RE JUST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 8TH? I WOULDN'T MOVE THAT WE AMENDED TO SAY WE'LL CALL TETON COUNTY HEALTH OFFICERS ORDERS AND THEN SCRATCH EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE COLORS BECAUSE I JUST THINK THE COLORS NEED TO BE REWORKED.
REWORKED IS IT WHAT WE JUST SAID.
BASICALLY SCRATCH EVERYTHING THAT MENTIONS THE COLORS FOR THE SHORT-TERM WOULD FOLLOW THE ORDERS OF TETON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR HEALTH OFFICER.
ARE YOU PROPOSING, IF I CAN HELP, TCSD WILL FOLLOW ALL STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS, PERIOD, AND THE REMAINDER IS DELETED OF THAT PARAGRAPH? [BACKGROUND] IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? AMANDA? IS THERE A SECOND? I WILL SECOND IT.
IS THERE DISCUSSION? TRUSTEES, [INAUDIBLE].
I GO BACK TO THIS, LET'S COLOR.
I'VE LOOKED AT THE GRAPHS AND CHARTS A [INAUDIBLE] I HAVE A MOMENT.
I WENT TO THE WYOMING STATE A LITTLE BIT, PRINTED OUT THE LABORATORY CONFIRMED CASES BY SYMPTOM ONSET FOR SPECIMEN COLLECTION DATE BETWEEN THE AUGUST 3RD AND AUGUST 23RD.
THEN I PRINTED OUT THE TETON COUNTY HEALTH COUNTY, WYOMING COVID CASES PER DATA FROM AUGUST 10TH TO AUGUST 21ST, BUT IT HAD NOT UPDATED THE 22ND WITH 23RD OF IT SO WE'LL LOOK.
ON AUGUST 21ST, STATE OF WYOMING SAID WE HAD THREE COVID CASES.
THREE LAB CONFIRMED CASES BY SYMPTOM ONSET.
AUGUST 20, TETON COUNTY SAID WE HAD 16.
[02:10:06]
WYOMING SAID WE HAD 10.AUGUST 19, TETON COUNTY SAID WE HAD 31.
OVER THOSE SEVEN DAYS, WYOMING SAID WE HAVE 103 CASES, WHICH PUT US IN THE RED UNDER CDC STANDARDS.
EMPHASIS OF A LARGER PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE'RE GETTING NO DIRECTION FROM THE STATE EITHER.
WHAT NUMBERS DO WE USE? WHEN YOU GO TO SOME OF THE OTHER SITES, I THINK OF MAYO SITE, THE JOHN HOPKINS SITE, THOSE NUMBERS ARE EVEN BIGGER THERE.
I GET A LITTLE CONFUSED THAT WE DO RELY ON THE COUNTY, SO THE CDC STUFF.
THAT'S WHY I THINK WHEN WE START PLAYING NUMBERS, WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NUMBERS TO LOOK AT AND NONE OF US ARE EXPERTS AT THIS.
WE REALLY NEED OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO COME AND EXPLAIN TO US WHAT WE SHOULD USE AND WHY WE SHOULD USE IT.
>> TRUSTEE [INAUDIBLE], I THINK I STOPPED TALKING TOO QUICKLY.
IT WAS ACTUALLY THE FULL SENTENCE WAS PCSD WILL FOLLOW ALL STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS, INCLUDING ANY PERTAINING TO MASK WEARING PERIOD.
THEN I THINK YOU MEANT TO DELETE THE REST.
>> INCLUDING PERTAINING TO MASK WEARING.
THIS JUST GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
I KNOW I'M CONFUSED BY IT AND PARENTS ARE CONFUSED.
I THINK EVERYBODY IS TRYING [INAUDIBLE] THE SAME THING TWICE, BUT WE JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN RELY ON AS THE PROPER NUMBERS.
>> JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, HERE'S HOW I UNDERSTAND THE SCENARIO GOING FORWARD.
THERE WERE THE 48 HOUR PERIOD OF PUBLIC COMMENT TOMORROW AT NOON.
I ASSUME HE COULD PUBLIC COMMENT AND DECIDE NOT TO.
BUT LET'S SAY HE DECIDES TO, DR. RIDDELL WILL ISSUE HIS ORDER TOMORROW AT NOON.
IT IS THEN VALID UNTIL SEPTEMBER 4TH.
NEXT MONDAY IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN THE TOWN COUNCIL WILL VOTE INDIVIDUALLY BASED ON THEIR JURISDICTIONS, WHETHER OR NOT TO EXTEND IT BEYOND SEPTEMBER 4TH.
DEALING WITHIN THE CITY, WHICH WOULD APPLY TO, I GUESS, JACKSON ELEMENTARY, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL [INAUDIBLE] SOMEHOW.
THEN THE COUNTIES IN THE UNINCORPORATED WOULD APPLY TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ALL WILL SIT IN OUR OUTLINE SCHOOLS THERE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THAT IF WE APPROVE THIS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE APPROVE THIS, HIS HEALTH ORDER TRUMPS ANYTHING WE'RE DOING, BUT WE'RE AGREEING THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW HIS HEALTH ORDER.
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT IT DOESN'T GET EXTENDED BEYOND SEPTEMBER 4TH.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT EITHER OF THOSE BODIES WILL DO WITH THAT ORDER. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW THIS, BUT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT KNOW IT.
ON JULY 1ST, THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED THE LAW.
DR. RIDDELL'S ORDERS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR 10 DAYS, AND THEN THEY MUST BE EXTENDED BY EITHER THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OR FOR THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY.
JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
>> WHEN YOU DESCRIBE THAT, I HAVE A TWO BIG CONCERNS.
THE FIRST IS THAT POTENTIALLY THE ORDER COULD RUN OUT BEFORE WE HAVE OUR BOARD MEETING.
THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN FOR ME.
THE OTHER CONCERN IS IF THE COUNTY AND TOWN SPLIT, WE WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT MANDATES IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
I THINK THAT SOMEHOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE REAL MAJOR CONCERN.
>> [OVERLAPPING] SEPTEMBER 4TH IS A SATURDAY, THE SATURDAY OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
THAT WOULD LEAVE US EXPOSED FOR THE 7TH AND THE 8TH.
[02:15:04]
THERE CAN'T BE MEETING ON MONDAY.>> MONDAY THIS WEEK. THE 31ST.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN. HOWEVER, [OVERLAPPING] OUR POLICY ALLOWS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO CARRY THAT MASK MANDATE.
TRUSTEE SCARLETT IS EXPLORING OTHER INTERESTING OPTION FOR US.
>> I'M SAILING RIGHT BEHIND YOU THERE, DOCTOR.
>> IS THERE A WAY TO GET SOME OF THESE DATA JUNKIES TOGETHER SO THAT WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION THAT BILL'S TALKING ABOUT.
I'VE WORKED DATA ALL MY LIFE AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT THE NUMBERS TO SAY? I'LL GO TO THAT SOURCE.
HOW DO WE FIND A WAY SO THAT THERE'S CONFIDENCE THAT THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY? WE COULD SIMPLY START WITH WHY IS THERE SUCH A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE STATEMENT? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW THEY'RE TABULATING IT? IT COULD BE SOME OF THE DUMB STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT.
I THOUGHT WHEN I DID A COVID TEST, MY RESULTS WERE COUNTED AGAINST THE ZIP CODE OF THE ADDRESS I GAVE FOR THE RESULTS.
>> BUT WE HAVE 72 TOURISTS THAT ARE IN THE NUMBERS THAT KATE SHARED WITH US?
>> [OVERLAPPING] THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED ON THE DASHBOARD.
THESE ARE JUST NUMBERS THAT SHE KNOWS ABOUT, BUT SHE DOESN'T PUT THOSE ON THE DASHBOARD.
SHE'S ONLY PUTTING ON THE DASHBOARD THAT YOU PULL UP THE NUMBERS THAT ARE TETON COUNTY RESIDENCE.
SHE WAS SHARING WITH US [OVERLAPPING] THAT ACTUALLY 72 OTHER CASES WERE FROM OUT OF COUNTY.
>> AGAIN, THE AMENDMENT BY TRUSTEE SCARLETT IS TCSD WILL FOLLOW ALL STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS INCLUDING ANY PERTAINING TO MASK WEARING PERIOD, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PARAGRAPH IS DELETED.
I'M ASSUMING THE SIGNAGE PARAGRAPH STATES, RIGHT? [BACKGROUND] OKAY. DID YOU HAVE A SECOND?
>> BECAUSE OF THAT FLEX BETWEEN THE 4TH AND OUR MEETING, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO REVISIT THIS, I WOULD THINK THAT IF WE LEFT IT AS IT STANDS FOR THE MOMENT, THEN WHEN WE COME BACK TO REVISIT IT, IF ON THE 4TH WE'RE STILL IN THE RED AND YET THE TOWN PEOPLE SAY WE DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S HURTING OUR BUSINESSES OR WHATEVER, BUT WE'D STILL BE IN THE RED.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE THAT DESIGNATION, AND SO IT WOULD GIVE US THAT FLEX FOR THE COUPLE OF DAYS.
WE JUST LEFT IT. IF WE'RE COMING BACK TO REVISIT VACCINATIONS AND OTHER THINGS ON THE 11TH, IF YOU JUST LEFT IT, THEN WE'RE COVERED UNTIL THE 11TH AND WE DON'T THROW OUR SUPERINTENDENT UNDER THE BUS.
IT'S NOT A SCHOOL BUS, IT'S A CITY BUS. [LAUGHTER]
>> I'M JUST MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT I SEE A REASON FOR JUST KEEPING IT AS IT IS, IS THAT IT WOULD GIVE US THOSE COUPLE OF DAYS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE REVISITING IT AGAIN ON THE [INAUDIBLE].
>> ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THE AMENDMENT? TRUSTEE ZUNG?
>> YEAH, I WOULD AGREE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEING POLITICAL.
I FEEL LIKE THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER, HE'S NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
HE'S NOT DOING THIS AS A POPULARITY MOVE.
I FEEL LIKE HAVING IT VOTED IN 10 DAYS, THAT BECOMES MORE POLITICAL.
I'D RATHER HAVE OUR SCHOOLS CONSISTENT AND QUESTION WHAT THE DISTRICT'S DOING BECAUSE IN THINKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF IT PASSING IN [INAUDIBLE] COUNTY WHICH IS A TOWN.
>> FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? SEEING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
FURTHER AMENDMENTS ON THAT PARAGRAPH ON PPE RIGHT NOW, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
IT IS AS WRITTEN IN FRONT OF US.
[02:20:02]
NOTHING HAS BEEN CHANGED TO IT.[LAUGHTER] I'VE MARKED IT UP A BUNCH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT. [LAUGHTER]
>> YOU MAYBE SHOULD HAVE HAD SEVERAL COPIES.
>> I KNOW. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT.
>> ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS? ARE THERE ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS ON ANYTHING IN THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT? ANYONE HAVE ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS IN ANY OTHER PART?
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M TRYING TO FIND THE EXEMPTION FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES.
IT'S IN PPA. THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT REQUIRES ALL INDIVIDUALS OTHER THAN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWO OR WITH A MEDICAL EXEMPTION FROM A HEALTH CARE PROFESSION.
ANOTHER GREAT CONVERSATION TONIGHT ABOUT NEEDING TO TIGHTEN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL UP TO WHAT THAT MEANS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S [INAUDIBLE] IF WE TRY TO DO THAT TONIGHT OR IF WE PUT THAT FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN.
THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR DR. CHAIRMAN OR ANYBODY, ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT WAS FLOATED WAS THE PARENTAL OPTION, SIGNING AWAY LIABILITY, OR ACCEPTING THE LIABILITY OF SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL WITHOUT A MASK.
I DON'T EXPECT ANY OF US TO KNOW THIS ANSWER, BUT SOME THINGS TO PONDER ABOUT, IS THERE ANY CASES OUT THERE WHERE PARENTS WHO KNOWINGLY SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL SICK ARE HELD LIABLE FOR QUARANTINE? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S [OVERLAPPING].
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, "HELD LIABLE FOR QUARANTINE?" HOW DO YOU HOLD THEM.
HOW DO YOU HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE UNLESS YOU HAVE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES AND SAY, OKAY, IT'S QUARANTINE, YOU PAY $25,000 OR $100,000.
[LAUGHTER] THERE IS NO LIABILITY INHERENT IN DOING THAT.
BUT IF YOU KNOWINGLY SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WITH THE NO MASK, DO WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE]. YOU'RE SAYING, THAT'S FINE? WELL, FIRST, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE [INAUDIBLE] OR IF WE SEND THE KIDS TO SCHOOL SICK, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST US TO PAY FOR QUARANTINE, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THAT WOULD BE.
I GUESS THE CONCEPT OF A PARENT SIGNING AWAY THEIR OWN WAIVER, ACCEPTING THAT VIABILITY, THERE'S NO REAL RECOURSE TO THAT? NO, BECAUSE UNDER A EPIDEMIC OR PANDEMIC RULE, THE SCHOOL JUST DOESN'T HAVE ANY LIABILITY, BUT I SUPPOSE YOU COULD MAKE PARENTS HAVE LIABILITY BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A TOUGH CALL TO MAKE THAT STICK TO ANYTHING.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE ACTUALLY IS A CASE FLOATING AROUND IN LAKE TAHOE WHERE THE MOTHER KNOWINGLY HAD COVID, KNOWING THE SON KNOWINGLY HAD COVID, SEND HIM TO SCHOOL.
YEAH. WELL, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HELD LIABLE FOR SPREADING AIDS.
THERE ARE SITUATIONS LIKE THAT ON THE BOOK.
[INAUDIBLE] JUST FOR A SECOND.
CAN I OFFER A MODIFIER HERE ON HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL? YOU WANT THE WORD "LICENSE" IN THERE? YES.
WE'RE DOING [INAUDIBLE] PHYSICIANS, PHYSICIANS ASSISTANTS, AND ADVANCED NURSE PRACTITIONERS LIKE INVOLUNTARY [INAUDIBLE].
PHYSICIANS, PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANTS, AND ADVANCED NURSE PRACTITIONERS THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CAN PRESCRIBE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
INSTEAD OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL, INSERT LICENSED AS YOU JUST SAID AND MAYBE EVEN A WYOMING LICENSE.
I DON'T KNOW, WE ARE NOT TO GIVE [INAUDIBLE] BUT LICENSED PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT, OR ADVANCED NURSE PRACTITIONER.
IS THAT A THOUGHT ANYBODY WANTS TO THINK ABOUT? I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I DO AND I KNOW I DO IF YOU JUST GET A CERTIFICATE IN A WEEKEND.
HI. TO ADD THAT LANGUAGE, PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT ADVANCED CERTIFIED NURSE PRACTITIONER.
[02:25:04]
THE AMENDMENT IS TO DELETE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL AND INSERT LICENSED PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT, ADVANCED NURSE PRACTITIONER.IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? OR ADVANCED NURSE PRACTITIONER? YES. THAT'S MOVED AND SECONDED, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE.
[INAUDIBLE] WE DEALT WITH YOUR OTHER ONE.
WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO COVER, I THINK.
PRESENTLY AS IT SITS, IT'S EXACTLY HOW IT WAS EXCEPT VACCINATION IS DELETED.
THAT PARAGRAPH, WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND LOOK AT THAT ON SEPTEMBER 8TH.
THE PPE IS THE SAME EXCEPT WE TOOK OUT HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL AND PUT IT IN PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT AND ADVANCED NURSE PRACTITIONER.
RIGHT. I SHOULD PROBABLY MAKE SURE, WE DON'T HAVE ANDREA TODAY, DID SOMEONE ACTUALLY WRITE ALL THAT DOWN? WE HAVE IT.
OH, OKAY. [LAUGHTER] I JUST REALIZED ANDREA IS BACK.
FIRST TIME [INAUDIBLE] STARE AT ME, I'M LIKE, SHE IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER STAFF.
[LAUGHTER] [NOISE] [OVERLAPPING] I MEAN, MY MAIN REASON FOR NOT ALLOWING FOR A PARENTAL EXEMPTION IS BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE MASK, WHICH YOU ALL KNOW I'M NOT THE BIGGEST FAN.
IS MY MASK IS PROTECTING MY GERMS FROM YOU? AS A PARENT, JUST BECAUSE YOU OPT OUT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOUR CHILD DOESN'T BRING IN GERMS THAT COULD BE FORWARD TO SOMEONE ELSE.
THE [INAUDIBLE] ANYONE THAT HAS GENERAL COMMENTS, YOU'RE WELCOME. PLEASE SPEAK [INAUDIBLE].
WELL, JUST TO ADD ON TO THE JEANNINE.
IT'S INDEPENDENT VERSUS INTERDEPENDENT.
IF YOU OPT-OUT, THAT MAY BE WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR FAMILY.
BUT WE NEED TO BE THINKING AS A BOARD BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO THINK THIS WAY., WHAT'S BEST FOR [INAUDIBLE].
ANY OTHER GENERAL COMMENT THAT ANYONE HAS? I DIDN'T [INAUDIBLE] PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT, I THOUGHT EVERYONE WAS VERY HELPFUL.
THEY WERE GIVING US IDEAS AND THOUGHTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE DONE STUDIES AND WE HAVE A VERY EDUCATED [LAUGHTER] CONSTITUENCY, EVERYONE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND I WAS JUST VERY IMPRESSED BY WHAT EVERYBODY THAT SPOKE TONIGHT.
MR. CHAIR, YOU DID A VERY NICE JOB.
THANK YOU. [OVERLAPPING] I GUESS I WAS IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT WE HAD IN OUR LAST MEETING.
I THINK THE PIECE THAT [INAUDIBLE] WHAT WE'VE JUST SAID IS THAT WHILE A PARENTS READ IT IN THE END THERE, WELL, IT'S NOT ABOUT TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT FEAR, IT'S TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT CARE.
SO THAT THE MASKING ISSUE IS REALLY AS YOU [INAUDIBLE] WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY ELSE DOESN'T GET. THAT'S IT.
ON THAT NOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
WE HAVE PASSED THE [INAUDIBLE] AND I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
SO MOVED. [LAUGHTER] ALL OF IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
ALL OPPOSED. WE ARE DONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.