The decision to keep the mask policy in effect inside the city facility was unanimously approved by the Corn Palace Entertainment Board on Thursday at City Hall. Corn Palace Director Doug Greenway recommended the move.
“Because Dakota Wesleyan University and Mitchell High School are requiring masks for the rest of their basketball season, I would like to request from the board that we stay with our mask requirement,” Greenway said.
While the Corn Palace has the authority to implement its own mask requirement that facility users and spectators are expected to follow, host schools and groups utilizing the facility can implement their own set of mask requirements. For example, DWU and Mitchell High School required all spectators to wear masks or face coverings during home games at the facility prior to the Corn Palace adopting its mask policy in mid-November.
Greenway’s recommendation to end the mask requirement in mid-March centered around the upcoming AAU youth wrestling tournament that’s set to take place at the Corn Palace on March 13, which brings up to 1,800 wrestlers from across the state. With the large turnout expected for the wrestling event, Greenway recommended leaving mask policy making up to tournament officials.
“It’s our largest event, and we would expect to see 1,500 to 1,800 kids for five hours. At that point, we would back off on that and leave it up to the event hosts,” Greenway said, noting the board could opt to keep the mask policy in effect for the youth wrestling tournament.
Greenway noted the masking signage that’s posted along the Corn Palace will also remain in place until March 13.
“Our video boards that request stay up, and we will still have the hand sanitizing stations and make announcements prior to games,” Greenway said.
Board member Ron Kogel questioned Greenway about the facility’s enforcement procedures when spectators are not abiding by the mask policy. During the Jan. 23 Hanson Classic boy’s basketball tournament that was recently held at the Corn Palace, Kogel said he witnessed a large number of spectators not wearing masks or face coverings.
“In the two sections around me, if there were 100 people in those sections, 90 of them weren’t wearing masks,” Kogel said. “What do you do when people aren’t following the rule?”
As of now, Greenway said the Corn Palace does not have any enforcement procedures for mask violators. However, he said school administrators representing the sports teams playing at the Corn Palace can help emphasize the need to follow the mask policy. Greenway estimated roughly 50% of the spectators at the Hanson Classic boy’s basketball tournament wore masks during the event.
“Right now, we have no enforcement of that other than asking them to wear a mask. … It really comes down to the schools and what they’re doing when they come to play at the Corn Palace,” Greenway said. “If you don’t wear a mask or can’t wear a mask, we ask that you move 6 feet away from everyone else. We’ve had to do that before, and we had no problem with it as people just got up and moved. Some schools have been great about urging everyone to wear masks.”
Board member Jeff Smith asked whether keeping the mask policy in place at the Corn Palace for another month will enhance event attendance.
Smith, who is the lone Mitchell City Council member serving on the Corn Palace Board, casted one of the five votes to let the citywide mask mandate expire in mid-November. After voting to let the mandate expire on Jan. 27, Smith supported city-owned facilities and all businesses having the authority to implement their own mask policy.
“If it enhances attendance, then it enhances our financial amount we receive. Do you feel it is important enough to keep it in place with the events coming up?” Smith asked Greenway.
In response, Greenway said it’s difficult to determine whether the mask policy will impact attendance, noting the demographics of spectators are divided on the effectiveness of mask-wearing. However, Greenway said continuing the mask requirement alleviates confusion for spectators and stays in line with facility-users policies for the remainder of the winter sports seasons.
“If the high school and college are going to continue it for the rest of the seasons, it just makes it difficult for people to come watch basketball and ask if this is a mask event or non-masking event,” Greenway said.
The Link LonkFebruary 06, 2021 at 03:00AM
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Corn Palace mask policy to remain until March 13 - The Daily Republic
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