Sentinel staff report–
Citrus Heights Councilman Bret Daniels on Thursday proposed the drafting of a resolution to prohibit vaccine mandates for city employees and also ban vaccine passports anywhere in the city.
“I want to see if I can get two of my fellow council members to join me to bring back an agenda item to consider a resolution prohibiting any vaccine mandate for city employees, prohibiting vaccine passports anywhere in the city, opposing vaccine mandates in schools and opposing mask mandates in schools,” said Daniels at the end of the council’s Oct. 14 meeting.
His remarks were made during a section at the end of the meeting for council members to bring up future agenda items for the council to discuss at a later date. According to council rules, an item must receive the support of at least three council members in order to be placed on an agenda. Due to the item not being on Thursday’s agenda, council discussion of the matter was limited by law, but Daniels proposal appeared to receive the support of at least two other council members.
“I am in favor of choice, and so I would like to see a resolution that was worded that would allow choice in regard to the vaccine, and not any mandates for staff or any of our business community. I would support that,” said Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins in response to Daniels request.
Councilman Tim Schaefer also chimed in to say “I would also support that,” while Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton did not comment.
Mayor Steve Miller in a brief remark noted that schools are not in the council’s purview to address, to which Daniels clarified that his proposal would only seek to “oppose” mandates related to schools, rather than “prohibit” such actions.
City Attorney Ryan Jones told the council that such a resolution would have “a number of legal issues” to consider, which he said he would need to research and address at whatever future date the council brings forward an official resolution.
Daniels has been a vocal critic of coronavirus-related lock downs and also said he was not vaccinated when he contracted COVID-19 in July of this year. Describing his bout with the virus, Daniels said previously on Facebook that he initially had a cough and torso pain that “felt like it had been beat with a baseball bat,” but later had diminishing symptoms and “just a little congestion now and then and an occasional mild short-term fever.”
Want to share your thoughts on vaccine mandates or prohibitions in Citrus Heights? The Sentinel welcomes letter to the editor or opinion columns for publication. To submit one online, click here.
