PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. — Starting next week, people in Prairie Village will be required to wear a mask in indoor public spaces.
Monday the Prairie Village City Council voted 10-1 in favor of issuing a city-wide mask mandate with councilmember Sheila Myers voting against the health order.
The mandate will go into effect on Tuesday, August 24 at 12:01 a.m. Prairie Village is the first in Johnson County to issue a city mask mandate.
Anyone over five years old will be required to wear a mask while in indoor public spaces.
Customers will be required to wear a mask inside local businesses unless the owner allows for them to provide proof of their vaccination status. Bars and restaurants can allow customers to remove their masks when seated and actively eating or drinking.
The ordinance requires the mask to cover both the nose and the mouth.
Public and private schools within the city limits are exempt from the mandate, however some students may be required to wear a mask under the county mandate.
Synagogues, mosques, churches and other religious services are exempt from the mandate. Federal and county government buildings are also exempt from masking requirements.
People caught without a mask could be charged a fine up to $25. Prairie Village Police Chief Byron Roberson said officers will try to educate the public first before issuing tickets.
“It’s not our objective, nor what we are looking forward to doing if we have to enforce this. We believe if the council passes this, the vast majority of everyone will voluntarily comply. It’s not something that’s new,” Roberson said.
The mask mandate will be in effect through Friday, October 1 and the council will review the ordinance for a potential extension on Monday, September 20.
