Clackamas County Commissions Chair moves meetings online because of disruptive audience
By BRIDGET CHAVEZ
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CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Oregon (KPTV) — For the time being, Clackamas County Commissioners’ meetings will be held virtually after a disruption at its January 13 meeting, over Oregon’s mask mandate.
Chair Tootie Smith said she’s made in-person meetings a priority but after last week’s interruption, plans to keep them virtual for now.
“I don’t care if you’re happy, I’m running this meeting this is the Clackamas County Board of Commissions and this is the rules. If you don’t like it you will be escorted out or I will cancel this meeting and we will not have it in person,” Smith said at the meeting.
She said she made it clear to those in the audience not following the mask mandate that she would be enforcing it.
“Put it on your face over your mouth and over your nose please,” she told audience members. That interaction happened at the start of the meeting but about 15 minutes later there was another interruption and Smith made the call to move the meeting online. Smith said she was scared.
“They hurled insults, they were raising their fists, they were moving their masks and repeatedly, repeatedly I said please stop that,” Smith told FOX 12. “I also found out it was their intent to charge where Commissioner Shull and I were seated to take us out because they were overheard saying that by one of my security people in the back of the room.”
The group that was there is called Free Oregon and its CEO, Ben Edtl, said they were there to oppose the state’s mask mandate and were trying to get support from the county.
“There wasn’t any threat of violence there at all. I think that’s an excuse and a cop out for her to not have to face her constituents. She was trying to avoid the people that elected her,” Edtl said.
Smith said she has to enforce the mandate because she doesn’t want the county to get fined or face other penalties.
“These people knew that I believe that your personal healthcare should be a choice I’ve never advocated for mandates,” she said. “The fine would have been $30,000 for the first offense for the people in the room, the second offense we could have lost some funding for the state programs that my citizens demand that we provide.” Smith said she has asked the Oregon City Police to investigate.
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