The state-mandated "Ad Astra" Covid-19 plan designed to slowly reopen businesses is now merely a guideline in Sedgwick County.
After Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday she would dissolve her executive order and put the decisions into counties' hands, Sedgwick County commissioners on Wednesday voted 3-2 to recommend residents and businesses continue to adhere to the second phase of Kelly's plan, which restricts bars, nightclubs, swimming pools, large entertainment venues and summer camps from reopening until June 8. It also limits gatherings to no more than 20 people who commonly know each other.
But the message was clear from the commission: The guidelines will not be enforced.
"There’s nothing in here that says if you don’t adhere to it that you’re going to have the sheriff's department or the police department come and shut down your business," said commissioner David Dennis, who made the motion for the vote. "All I said is we recommend that they do that, it is not a requirement in my motion."
There was back and forth during Wednesday's county meeting, with commissioners Michael O'Donnell and Jim Howell advocating for letting businesses decide whether to reopen. They were the two dissenting votes.
"I believe that it’s in the best interest to our businesses to demonstrate to the public and their employees that they're being thoughtful," Howell said. "If people don’t feel that that business has taken that position, then they have the opportunity to not go into that business.... I think we ought to back off and let the public have the reigns here and we shouldn’t try to order them to do anything."
Commissioner Lacey Cruse argued that the commission should "stay the course" with the Ad Astra plan to avoid creating confusion.
She was also critical Wednesday of fellow commissioners who she says attended events over the Memorial Day weekend, didn't wear masks and shook hands with World War II veterans "and more than 60 other individuals."
"If we don't follow the own rules that we set how can we expect the public to follow the rules we set for ourselves?" Cruse asked.
The county's health officer, Garold Minns, warned the commission that there's a chance the county will see a spike in about two weeks because of Memorial Day gatherings.
"I got to tell you I’m a little concerned," he said. "We’ve got to stay on track, we’ve got to make sure we don’t regress."
Otherwise, Minns said Sedgwick County has one of the lowest case rates and death rates in a Kansas metropolitan area.
"The good news is we are doing well and I attribute that success to the fact that a sizable segment of our population is adhering to the social gathering restrictions, they’re listening to the mask recommendations we’ve made," he said.
Although the action taken Wednesday will not be enforced, Dennis said businesses fear being the site of a Covid-19 case cluster.
"I would think that with that motivation that... they would try the best they can to adhere to these different guidance that we put out," he said.
Ultimately, commission chairman Pete Meitzner was the deciding vote to approve the slightly more restrictive plan, which suggests a 20-person gathering limit in addition to recommending residents and businesses follow phase two of the Ad Astra plan.
"I vote 'aye' so we can make this community go forward and continue to be safe," Meitzner said.