最新杏吧原创

The recreation center was part of a deal, signed in 2019, between 最新杏吧原创 County and the 最新杏吧原创 Convention and Visitors Commission to help fund the $210 million expansion of the downtown convention center. Negotiated by Days鈥� predecessor on the council, Hazel Erby, the agreement provided that the CVC would spend 35% of the county鈥檚 hotel-motel tax revenue that was not already encumbered by other projects on the new North County facility. But the plan is still being studied, CVC President Kitty Ratcliffe told the Post-Dispatch last month.

In an interview, Days, D-1st District, said she would continue to delay a vote on the county鈥檚 funding for the expansion until Ratcliffe presents a plan for a new North County facility.

鈥淎 plan was promised, a commitment was made,鈥� Days said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking for a plan, in writing, on how we鈥檙e going to move forward.鈥�

Ratcliffe said she had responded to Days and expected to schedule a meeting soon. She told the Post-Dispatch last month that a consultant was still working to determine what type of recreation would best serve North County. She said plans had been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered the tourism industry and forced the CVC to furlough staff.

In other council action Tuesday, Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District, dropped three bills she had sponsored to require masks countywide, for county employees and for visitors to county buildings. The move came days after the council on Friday passed a resolution endorsing the county mask order issued on July 26. Enforcement of the county order has been blocked by a 最新杏吧原创 County Circuit Court judge, but the county has asked the judge to lift a preliminary injunction against the order, citing the 4-0 council vote. The county has requested a hearing on Sept. 8.

The council voted to support the mandate after previously rejecting it amid weeks of debate and contentious public hearings featuring angry testimony from people who characterized the measure as government tyranny. On Tuesday, for the sixth consecutive meeting, a crowd again packed the council chambers to complain. Some criticized Days and Shalonda Webb, 4th District, for joining fellow Democrats Dunaway and Lisa Clancy, 5th District, to vote in support of the resolution after previously voting with Republicans to reject mask requirements.

鈥淢ask and vaccine recommendations are welcomed, but unconstitutional mandates are not,鈥� Zina Hackworth said Tuesday. 鈥淲hen it comes to unconstitutional ordinances, we will not comply.鈥�

Other speakers questioned the effectiveness of masks and COVID-19 vaccines, ignoring public testimony from public health officials and medical experts emphasizing that research has shown both to greatly reduce the risk of infection and sickness from the coronavirus.

鈥淔or a year and a half we have not gotten any data about masks working,鈥� Karen Smith said Tuesday. Another man, Steve Casey, called the COVID-19 virus a 鈥渓ab-produced virus鈥� and vaccines 鈥淏ig Pharma鈥檚 gene-altering vaccine.鈥�

Other speakers asked the county to bar governments and businesses from requiring vaccines for employees. A bill under council consideration would require all county employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 or else wear masks and submit to regular COVID-19 testing. Webb, who has sponsored the measure, withheld a vote on the bill.

Days, who has given mask protesters hours of public testimony in recent weeks, quieted the crowed when several protesters jeered and shouted over Dunaway as she dropped her legislation to require masks. Dunaway thanked the council for voting in support of her resolution backing the county mask order, based on the recommendation of public health officials and doctors who urged the council last week to adopt the measure.

鈥淚 thank this council,鈥� Dunaway said, 鈥渇or standing up for the tools science tells us will help end this once and for all.鈥�