A question many might be asking during the coronavirus outbreak is, “When do I have to wear a mask while out in public?”

During a work session meeting of the Jamestown City Council on Monday, Tamu Graham-Reinhardt, At-Large councilwoman, asked Jamestown Police Chief Harry Snellings whether the public can be charged for not wearing a face mask.

Snellings said this question has been a concern for a lot of police chiefs across the state after Gov. Andrew Cuomo implemented a mandate requiring a face mask be worn when social distancing is not possible. Snellings said there is no penalty for not wearing a mask in public so there is no mechanism in place for the police to enforce the mandate.

“So, technically, there’s no violation of the law,” he said.

However, Snellings said if someone walks into a store or a business that asks its customers via a sign to wear a mask and someone doesn’t, store officials can ask them to leave. If the customer refuses to wear a mask or to leave, store officials could then call the police. Police could then charge the individual with trespassing because a store or business is private property.

“There is not a lot of teeth to it (the face mask mandate),” Snellings said. “The best we can do is remind them.”

In other business, Tom Nelson, Ward 6 councilman, said he received a call from a Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Stadium park employee from last year who wanted to know if his job would be available again this summer following the pandemic.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said no summer employees have been hired by the city. He said city officials are in a “holding pattern”to see what its finances will look like following the pandemic. He added that former summer employees have been asked to fill out the necessary paperwork in case the city does hire additional help.

“Right now, we’re not officially hiring any summer employees,” Sundquist said.

The council also discussed a change that needed to be made to the plan to implement smart parking meters and directional signage for downtown attractions. Jeff Lehman, city public works director, said the plan was approved about a year ago by the council, but recently state officials contacted the city about a minor change that needed to be made.

In 2017, city officials received a Transportation Alternatives Program/Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant to fund “Smart Tourism” initiative that will assist city officials in developing signage to help people navigate downtown easier. The city received a $400,000 federal grant, which was allocated by the state, with a local match of $100,000 being provided by the Gebbie Foundation for the wayfinding improvements that also includes the installation of smart parking meters. In December 2019, city officials announced 200 smart parking meters, which monitor two spaces each, will be installed.

Grant Olson, Ward 5 councilman, asked Lehman if there was any chance the city could lose the $400,000 grant following the coronavirus outbreak. Lehman said he was contacted by state officials last week about the change that needed to be made, so he believes the funding will still be allocated to the city.