Masks are required in borough facilities, but borough lacks authority for broader mandate

Governor Dunleavy’s emergency message on Thursday stepped up wording on urging Alaskans to wear masks and practice social distancing, but stopped short of a mask mandate.  In the past, the governor has said that municipalities should make those decisions for themselves.

That leaves much of the Mat-Su Borough in limbo.  While cities such as Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston can make decisions about health mandates, Acting Borough Manager George Hays says the borough as a whole cannot.

“Without health powers, we don’t have the authority to implement such a mandate….The cities can do that. They have full powers to be able to implement that within…Palmer, Wasilla, or Houston, but the borough doesn’t have health powers, so we can’t do that.”

Acting Manager Hays says the governor’s emergency declaration also does not grant the borough the authority to make broad health-related mandates.  Even if the borough had that power, he says they don’t have the proper personnel to enforce any mandate.

What the borough can do under the emergency declaration is institute requirements at its own facilities.  George Hays says he decided to do exactly that.

“I’ve already implemented that.  About a week ago, we implemented the mask mandate for all employees.  And then the next day we implemented that mandate for all visitors as well, with the exception of people with medical conditions [that preclude wearing a mask].”

Hays says the pushback on the mask requirements in borough facilities, which includes fire halls, libraries, sports facilities, and others, has occurred, but that it is uncommon.