A Monday visit to the customer service area of the clerk’s office proved to be enlightening. City Clerk Lovering and the Nashua Legal office informed me that my time in the office posed a health hazard. Mind you, neither one of these people was present.
Instilling and messaging fear in the Nashua residents might shut down anyone questioning how the government is operating.
The email stated, “we are in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic. City Hall has had a mask requirement in place for quite some time now. Having unnecessary people in the small, enclosed space is a health hazard.”
Aren’t we actually coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic?
And don’t we all understand the risks and precautions we can take to protect ourselves? It is shocking that the Nashua Legal Office would willingly allow a health hazardous environment to exist by allowing 6-8 people to wait in line for service, sometimes for 20 minutes, rather than mandate appointments only for City Hall.
City Hall does have a mask requirement in place and I complied. How did City leaders determine that my presence in the customer service area of the clerk’s office posed a health hazard? And when does anyone become “unnecessary”?
I consulted with the Health Department to obtain an understanding of the term “health hazard.” The staff member, baffled, suggested I call the legal office for a definition.
Based on safe distance and the room size, it would seem that 8-10 people could easily be in the office, but only two people were simultaneously present while I was there. I have asked for the surveillance video so I can identify this lurking “health hazard.”
Time spent up at the ‘masking optional’ Concord State Buildings during this legislative season has proven that these buildings are welcoming public spaces. Spending time in rooms on my computer has been met with no resistance, no health hazard warning, no exclusion.
Clerk Lovering, Attorney Bolton, and Mayor Donchess are fearful, frail senior citizens, suffering severe COVID anxiety, who cannot perform their duties to serve citizens in City Hall.
Let’s inject some youthful leadership into our city government who feel obliged to place a welcome mat.
Enough with COVID – Welcome the public into City Hall.
(Image H/T: Powerline)
