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Two Sonoma County supervisors on Wednesday criticized the large marriages held during the pandemic and again called for stricter enforcement of public health orders while lamenting obstacles they say hamper the ability of county authorities to impose penalties in cases of unlawful marriage.
Venues that repeatedly host weddings in violation of COVID-19 health ordinances should be fined, said Lynda Hopkins, new chair of the supervisory board. The county will examine the potential for future weddings at a set of Sonoma-owned restaurants, inns and event venues that have reportedly hosted several weddings over the summer, a county spokesperson said on Wednesday. .
The call to strengthen enforcement of the Sonoma County wedding industry follows a report released this month by the San Francisco Chronicle that the county has issued no fines or citations – and only three warnings – despite receiving 15 complaints about weddings at unincorporated parts of the county, including one that reportedly drew up to 100 guests.
Weddings with more than 12 people have been banned in Sonoma County since June, as part of a series of restrictions on public gatherings where COVID-19 can spread. Wedding ceremonies must take place outdoors, while receptions cannot take place anywhere in the state.
The county, ranked for months at the worst in the Bay Area for containing the spread of the coronavirus, has focused on voluntary compliance with health orders and educating offenders before taking more stringent action.
Verifying allegations after an event has taken place is more difficult than taking preventative action against a planned rally in the future, county officials said. And people who socialize in larger gatherings who contract COVID-19 may be reluctant to admit their actions.
“They know it was wrong, and they’re probably worried about putting people in trouble,” Hopkins said.
Retroactive application is “much more difficult to do,” said Dr Sundari Mase, Sonoma County public health official. “Certainly you can ask the entity that allegedly had the event about it.”
Mase said on Wednesday that the issue of large weddings “had not caught the attention of the public health department,” but said these types of gatherings are among those leading to the spread of COVID-19 and has approved the supervisors’ call for further enforcement: “It looks like that would definitely be appropriate at this time,” she said.
Data from the counties shows that marriages have played a relatively small role in contributing to the local spread of COVID-19. Nine cases were definitely linked to a marriage that involved a large gathering, while weddings were a possible, but unconfirmed source of exposure in seven other cases.
In total, the county has received 24 marriage complaints since the start of the pandemic, according to data released by county officials on Wednesday. Fifteen were in the unincorporated county, eight in towns within the county, and one outside of Sonoma County. Fourteen of the 24 complaints were received before October, when the county cited the organizer of a running race in Healdsburg as its first and only reported fine for a rally that allegedly violated health orders.
The county authorized fines related to the pandemic in early August. Trade offenses can be subject to civil penalties of $ 1,000, $ 5,000 or $ 10,000, depending on whether it is the first, second or third violation by the same party.
Supervisor Susan Gorin, the outgoing board chair whose district includes the Sonoma Valley, a popular wedding destination, said she was “extremely disappointed that anyone flouting health regulations by providing event space for them. weddings.
“It’s unfortunate when so many people play by the rules that we have one or more people breaking the rules,” Gorin said.
Gorin, who has repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of violations of public health orders this year, reiterated this position in an interview on Wednesday afternoon. But she and Hopkins have both come to the defense of their code enforcement teams by lamenting the challenge of verifying complaints after an event was reported to the county.
“We cannot issue a fine based on someone’s word or someone’s allegations,” Hopkins said. “It’s not as cut and dried that we don’t follow. Do we really have the evidence to back it up? “
The Chronicle reported that four weddings, each with at least 22 guests, were organized and hosted this year by Sonoma’s top hospitality group. The company, owned by Ken and Stacy Mattson, operates a series of restaurants, inns and popular venues, including Ramekins and Cornerstone Gardens. None appear to have happened after the strict regional stay-at-home ordinance imposed this month that banned virtually all social gatherings.
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