The Concordia Board of Aldermen discussed the situation with COVID-19 including the HEPCON Status for the city properties during its meeting on Monday, November 16.

Unofficial minutes from the meeting say, City Administrator Dale Klussman reported the Response Team is looking at the positivity rate which is an indicator whether a community is conducting enough testing to find cases.

Lafayette County’s rate of positivity is 28.6 percent, with the recommended rate being no more than 5 percent. The Response Team is recommending the city’s properties move to HEPCON C in the Mitigation Plan through the next regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen on December 7, 2020.

Another recommendation is the city-owned walking trail and passive areas of recreation owned by the city may be utilized by the public, but that active playground equipment and shelters may not be used. The last recommendation is to request the Board of Aldermen enter into discussion as to requirement of use of face coverings on city properties.

Alderman Kaleb Nierman is against shutting all city properties down completely as he and other vendors have a shopping day scheduled around December 1 using all the precautions for social distancing and masks; and Santa is scheduled for a visit with children.

A motion made by Alderman Dwight Emde died for a lack of a second to approve moving to HEPCON C effective immediately.