Petition calls out Atwater’s ‘sanctuary city for business’ status. Council stands by vote
Nearly two weeks have passed since the City of Atwater became a sanctuary city for all businesses to open amid the coronavirus pandemic without fear of local retaliation — a move that defied Gov. Gavin Newsom’s staged reopening of California.
While support for the City Council’s decision has continued to flow in from both inside and outside the community, there are those who have made their opposition known.
An attendee at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Caleb Hampton, has started a Change.org petition, asking the City Council to formally announce a stay of the resolution until certain concerns are addressed.
“I would like to see from the Council leadership what safe operation during reopening looks like and some clear guidelines for local businesses to implement,” Hampton said at Tuesday’s meeting.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition has 320 signatures out of a 500 signature goal.
Critics like Hampton say the city jeopardized the community’s health and safety without providing guidelines for local businesses to reopen ahead of the state.
But city officials say they trust businesses and patrons to operate responsibly. “We have been told we are nasty people for doing this,” said Councilmember John Cale. “We’ve also been told we’re heroes for doing this.”
Councilmember Brian Raymond, who came up with the idea to reopen as a sanctuary city, said he was told by one man that he hopes Raymond and his family die from COVID-19.
Some Atwater residents during Tuesday’s public comment pointed to a lack Public Health Department-recommended safety precautions at City Council meetings as reason for skepticism.
“Social distancing during the meeting was very poor,” read a comment from Atwater resident Martin Sullivan. He also noted a scarcity of face masks and that misinformation about how the virus spreads went uncorrected by City Council.
”Not a very good example for the Atwater businessmen or the rest of the citizens,” Sullivan said.
The city opted to leave preventative safety measures up to the business owner and patrons’ discretion. Hampton’s petition says the decision resulted in “catastrophic confusion” and protective modifications that vary significantly from business to business.
The petition asks that City Council recommend cautionary measures that align with the county public health order’s guidelines of social distancing, face coverings and sanitation.
“Atwater has shown that it is a place that is friendly to businesses,” Hampton said. “I think we need to show that we are also a place that is friendly to workers and friendly to patrons.”
City Council members say they welcome the critiques, but feel confident in their decision to reopen Atwater for the sake of its local economy and the business community.
“I am aware of your fears, I am concerned about your fears,” Councilmember Cale said. “But please be concerned about our people who cannot make any money.”
Merced County unemployment has soared due to coronavirus-related closures, reaching 21,800 unemployed and an unemployment rate of 18.8% in April.
These hardships have driven residents to plea for faster reopening. However, even with local approval, cities and counties have no jurisdiction over protecting the state business licenses of those who reopen ahead of the governor’s schedule.
Newsom announced this week that religious services and retail may reopen statewide. Hair salons and barbershops may open in regions like Merced County that have been approved by the state for advanced reopening.
“I think we did the right thing, we made the right decision,” Councilmember Raymond said. “And you know, the governor is catching up to us.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 1:38 PM.
