HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-22-20 Public Comment - L. Kirk - Covid 19 spikeFrom:Lisa Kirk
To:Michael Wallner; Agenda
Cc:BOHPublicComment@gallatin.mt.gov
Subject:RE: Covid 19 spike
Date:Thursday, October 22, 2020 11:56:00 AM
All,
The newly reported 100 cases for our valley this morning, and 932 cases statewide, is shocking. My company,Enviromin, sent home all non-essential personnel (e.g., those not involved in laboratory operations) two weeks ago,following my last letter to you. We respect the challenges that disrupted operations mean to small companies,especially when those disruptions are protracted and cyclical. We do not understand the failure of the community toenforce our existing mask mandate or to take actions needed to reduce the exponential rise in cases.
We can all standby, stunned by the lack of federal and state leadership, or we...you and each business and schooland church... can act at the local level. We must act at the local level, and in my opinion, the time for us to haveacted to result in a step change is weeks ago. It is not clear to me exactly where the biggest gain can be achieved(lockdown the university, close the in person attendance at schools, reduce number of people in bars?) but you mustby now have the data to identify where restrictions would be most effective. I appreciate that the options before usare painful, but we are about to have an overrun medical system and a spike in deaths. This is not getting better, it isgetting more frightening by the day.
Thanks for considering my request,
Lisa
-----Original Message-----From: Michael Wallner <mwallner@BOZEMAN.NET>Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2020 3:56 PMTo: Lisa Kirk <lisakirk@enviromininc.com>; Agenda <agenda@BOZEMAN.NET>Cc: BOHPublicComment@gallatin.mt.govSubject: Re: Covid 19 spike
Lisa,I hear you loud and clear. That decision lies with Matt or the health board.
To be clear, I agree with your perspective. Give Matt and the health board a little more time to make additionaldecisions.
Best,
Michael P. WallnerBozeman City CommissionerCell-406-595-2273
On Oct 7, 2020, at 3:50 PM, Lisa Kirk <lisakirk@enviromininc.com> wrote:
Dear Mr Kelley and Mr. Wallner,
Our COVID cases are growing exponentially, and our hospitals are filling to capacity, yet no changes are beingmade. As of 3 pm today, the Governor is clearly not going to act, and has left it to you at the county healthdepartment.
Please make some sort of step change by enforcing (no, really enforcing) the mask mandate, limiting use of bars,
and shutting down inappropriately large gatherings. You must know where these cases are coming from - and what
would have the greatest effect on reducing daily cases and getting us back below 5% positivity. Please act today to
better protect our community.
My husband and I have been strictly following covid guidance since March. I closed my business to non-essentiallab personnel again, last week, for the second time due to COVID. Most of our employees are working from home. We do strictly follow the rules, but our lives are increasingly at risk because others do not. Further, our daughter isa nurse, one of the health care workers expected to assist those who willfully expose themselves to covid. Whyshould she put her health at risk for people who won't wear a mask or enforce the mask mandate?
Something needs to change and we need you to do it. Please make it clear that Gallatin County follows science andwill not allow greed to take the lives of our community members.
Thank you,
Lisa Kirk, PhD4062245154
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) andmay be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code Annotated. As such, this email, itssender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to theCity’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confidential information such as information related toindividual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.