North Huntingdon says 'no' to Wolf's limits on indoor crowds
A few hours after Gov. Wolf announced new covid limits for indoor gatherings to 10 people Thursday, North Huntingdon officials essentially thumbed their nose at him, saying anyone can attend their public meeting on Dec. 16.
“It they (residents) want to come, they can come and speak,” said Zachary Haigis, president of the board of commissioners.
Haigis said he did not want to hold a virtual meeting in which no one from the public could attend.
“By all means, we’re open for business,” Haigis said.
The commissioners nixed a proposal from township manager Jeff Silka suggesting that they conduct their meeting virtually using Zoom because the seven commissioners, department heads and recording secretary alone comprise a group of at least 10 people. While the township records meetings for later viewing on its website, it does not have the capacity to record the meeting and conduct a Zoom session at the same time.
The governor’s order limiting the number of people at indoor gatherings is “unenforceable,” said Commissioner Ronald Zona, a retired state police trooper.
Township solicitor Bruce Dice, offering a political opinion and not a legal one, ripped the governor’s orders on crowd size.
“I’d pack the place. I think the guy (Wolf) is out of his mind,” Dice said.
Commissioner Virginia Stump questioned whether the township was opening itself to a legal liability if someone attending a meeting and contracted the virus.
Stump did not get an answer, but other commissioners noted that a person could contract the virus anywhere, and liability would be difficult to prove.
And, any legal action taken by a person alleging that they caught the virus at a specific place could take years to be resolved, Dice said.
In mid-May, the commissioners prohibited township police from enforcing any of the governor’s orders on limiting the number of people in establishments. The township said that its resolution would not protect businesses from any possible penalties from the state, which could impact licensing.
A spokesperson for Gov. Wolf could not be reached for comment Friday.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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