Some Aurora City Council Members Want Out Of New Mask Mandate

DENVER (CBS4) -- It was day one of the new mask mandate for public indoor spaces. In Aurora, there was a mixed response.

At a King Soopers in the Adams County part of the city, there were plenty of people leaving the store wearing masks, but a lot without them.

"There are a bunch of people in there without masks," one shopper said,

"Nobody told you to put one on?" CBS4 Reporter Rick Salinger asked.

"Nope."

A sign at the door is difficult to miss.

It reads, "Attention Mask Required."

A Hobby Lobby store, on Alameda, is also in Aurora. It is in the part of Arapahoe County which is also under a mask mandate.

Salinger questioned a customers who had left the store.

"Did you wear a mask inside?" Salinger asked.

"No, I didn't," was the reply.

"Did anyone ask you to put on a mask?"

"No they didn't."

Another shopper replied, "If they ask me to wear one, I wear one, if they don't, I'm vaccinated."

The manager told Sallinger they have signs, but are not telling people to put masks on, since they don't know their individual health status.

Aurora covers three counties -- Adams, Arapahoe, and a small portion is in Douglas County, which does not have a public indoor space mask mandate.

Kevin Hougen, the president and CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce explained, "When we cross over borders like Colfax.. north of Colfax is Adams, south of it is Arapahoe.... the businesses are confused."

Several present and incoming Aurora Council members have written to Mayor Mike Coffman and City Manager Jim Twombly, hoping to bypass the Arapahoe and Adams guidelines, stating, "Aurora should continue to follow guidelines set forth by the state."

"The point here is the state does not currently have the indoor public mask mandate, similar to Douglas County."

The Tri-County Health Department, which oversees public health orders for Adams and Arapahoe Counties, issued a statement, saying in part, "The good news is that the Douglas County part of Aurora is residential and not subject to this order."