Thousands of CARES Act dollars went toward Mask Up Athens campaign

Photo of a Mask Up Athens poster on Court Street.

Athens City Council passed an ordinance July 13 that made it mandatory for all individuals to wear a face mask in any public space in the city. 

It was around that same time the city administration was spending money, received from the CARES Act, to promote wearing masks around town. From April to August 2020, the city spent thousands of CARES Act dollars on promoting the Mask Up Athens Campaign. 

Copies of invoices provided by Tonya Baker, an administrative assistant for the Mayor’s Office, showed that in total, the City of Athens spent $18,380.29 on the Mask Up Athens campaign. 

Baker confirmed that all money spent on the campaign came from CARES Act Funding, not from the city budget. 

The invoices showed that the city used this funding to purchase 34,000 disposable face masks as well as 20 infrared “touchless” thermometers from Shrivers Pharmacy and Wellness. Baker said the masks were made available for businesses to give their employees. 

The invoices also showed that the city purchased 2,000 posters to promote the Mask Up Athens campaign, as well as a large mesh banner to hang above Court Street. 

Baker also said several billboards were donated by the Athens County Visitors Bureau as part of the campaign. 

City Council President Chris Knisely said the Mask Up Athens campaign and the city ordinance implementing the mask mandate worked well together. She gave credit to Councilmember Sarah Grace, who has a master’s degree in public health, for her research on the efficacy of face masks and for coming up with the background information that went into the legislation. 

The ordinance stated wearing facial covering can reduce virus transmission by up to 75%. 

“I think it was timely for the City of Athens to do that,” Knisely said. 

She said the campaign was also important as an educational effort in promoting face masks because it would be difficult for the Athens Police Department to enforce the mask mandate in every possible situation. There had previously been no citations issued for non-compliance to the mask order. 

“There’s probably no practical way for us to have police officers all over town enforcing this in every possible situation,” Knisely said. “So, some of it’s just a voluntary compliance, and that we’re hoping that the educational efforts of the Mask Up Athens campaign helped that.” 

Knisely added that Gov. DeWine’s orders related to COVID-19 helped, especially with local businesses then being responsible for enforcing mask ordinances. DeWine ordered the statewide mask mandate July 23. He more recently issued restrictions making businesses responsible for ensuring customers wear masks back in November. Knisely said this helped different agencies at both the state and local level stay on track with each other. 

“In addition to our mask posters, then they also had the ability to say, this is not local, this is the governor declaring that businesses need to enforce the mask ordinance,” Knisely said. “So, after the governor issued that order, there was a person at the front door of Kroger, and there was a person at Walmart, looking and saying, ‘Do you have your mask on?’” 

From what she has seen, Knisely believes the Mask Up Athens campaign was a success. She added people can still call a complaint into the Athens Police Department or fill out a complaint form with the state of Ohio if a business is not complying, though that can be difficult when people forming lines outside of bars and other businesses can disperse quickly. 

“That’s why it’s all the more important to educate people and make it a voluntary kind of thing for people to wear their masks,” Knisely said. “Because you can’t possibly keep on top of that every single minute.”