Bent Commissioners Hear Public Response to Health Mandates + Schedule Special Meeting

Description: Bent County Commissioners Kim MacDonald, Jean Sykes, and Chuck Netherton listened to members of the public during the audience participation portion of their regular meeting.

Bent County Commissioners Hear Public Response to Health Mandates

Concerned citizens attended the Bent County Commissioner's meeting Thursday(10/7/21) morning. Those supporting and those opposed to mask and vaccination mandates spoke in response to a citizen proposed resolution presented to the commissioners at their previous meeting.

Both sides of the issue were well represented and respectful of each other despite their differing opinions. Public comments were heard for over two hours at the meeting.

Both sides for and against a resolution against public health mandates were heard during the meeting, the participants were very respectful and agreed to disagree at times, but everyone was given as much time as they needed to speak their opinion and most participants spoke it loudly citing anecdotal and personal experiences with the vaccine and COVID-19 and government limitations on personal freedoms.

Commissioner Netherton responded that the commissioners wanted to do research prior to passing any resolution in regards to the vaccine and mask mandates. 

"We're going to look into this before we just jump into something and we don't know the consequences of what it entails." Netherton said.

He said that he had contacted the attorney general's office and county attorney Sam Vigil is working on the wording of the resolution that will be reviewed next week.

Commissioner Sykes said, "Honestly, as commissioners it is a really tough situation for us right now because we are being pulled in a lot of directions, and unfortunately in my opinion, it is causing a lot of animosity among our members of the community, which shouldn't have to be. We should be a group and not pulled in one direction or another based on our beliefs on anything."

"So please understand that we are working our sides of it too. We feel like it is really important for us to make sure that we have researched...In trying to make sure that we are making the right decision and what we say or what we do is not going to hurt someone else down the road," Sykes said.

The Bent County Commissioners will hold a special meeting Monday, October 11, 2021 at 9 a.m. to take action on a resolution regarding Bent County's stance on the CDPHE issued health mandates.

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