Northampton has a regulation requiring face masks be worn while using the bike path. While biking there recently, I noted one-third of the people using the bike path were unmasked.
Before Musante Beach reopened last week, many people were defying messages on signs that said the beach was closed. I also see people walk and bike in Look Park everyday without wearing a mask, or the pull it down around their neck.
When I talked to someone at the Board of Health, I was told that the regulation is enforced when there is a complaint. So the city paid staff to create a regulation they thought was important for everyone’s health, but don’t enforce it unless someone complains. The city spent money having signs made telling people they must wear a mask or face a $300 fine and then pays someone to put up all the signs.
Has anyone been fined after all these weeks? Seems to me that if it is important enough to create or establish regulations, ordinances or laws regarding people’s health, you should have the capacity to enforce them. If you don’t have some sort of provisions for enforcement then don’t create them.
Lee Douchkoff
Westhampton