Idaho Falls Council approves health resolution

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - UPDATE: The Idaho Falls City Council approved a resolution Tuesday night stressing the importance of following the Governor’s Stage 2 health orders.

There was one change to the original resolution.  

A final paragraph lays out a Council pledge to develop and execute a citation and prosecution procedure for organizers of public events in violation of the health order.  The Council said it would do that by December 1.

You can read the final resolution here.

Original Story:
Noting that the city of Idaho Falls and surrounding community “has reached the point of a critical threat to the city’s first-responders” from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Idaho Falls City Council is considering adoption of a resolution encouraging people to behave responsibly. 

The resolution states that the City Council supports Eastern Idaho Public Health’s mitigation strategies and legal mandates, as well as the Governor’s Rebound-Stage 2 restrictions on public activities. 

The only real enforcement tool might be a proposed amendment, which would enable the formal citation of people who violate attendance limits on public gatherings.   A citation could carry a maximum penalty of $1,000 and up to 6 months in jail.

“Compliance requires a temporary sacrifice of personal convenience in order to protect members of the community as a whole and to keep viable city services and businesses and the lives they serve,” the resolution concludes.

It will go to an official vote of the Council Tuesday night. You can read the draft resolution here.