City to consider extending mask mandate until May
Feb. 27—Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will consider extending the citywide mask mandate until May 16.
The legislative session begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, but only 29 people are allowed to attend the meeting. It will air on Cox Cable Channel 3, the Manhattan city government website and Facebook.
Commissioners voted 3-2 in December to extend the face covering ordinance to April 1, 2021, to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus; the commission initially passed the mandate in July. The ordinance requires people to wear masks or face coverings in public spaces.
In December, commissioners Aaron Estabrook and Linda Morse plus Mayor Usha Reddi voted in favor of the requirement while commissioners Mark Hatesohl and Wynn Buter voted against it; this was the same split that occurred on previous votes on the mandate.
Additionally, commissioners will consider approving requests for proposals (RFP) from developers for the redevelopment of the city parking lot south of Kite's Bar and Grill in Aggieville. An RFP is a formal document that outlines an intent from a business or developer to establish a site. If approved by commissioners, developers can apply for an RFP for the site in Aggieville for considerations.
Commissioners also will look at a request from HCW Manhattan LLC, a hospitality company that oversees the Manhattan Conference Center, to rebate its 2021 payment because of financial effects from the pandemic.
If approved, the city would have to cover $100,000 in debt service for HCW, according to the city memo.
