FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield Mayor Ken McClure and the Greene County Commission issued stricter amended “Stay-At-Home” orders Monday, April 6, following an announcement by Gov. Mike Parson the previous Friday.
The amended local Orders remain basically intact but reflect a few changes to incorporate the State’s more restrictive measures, including the restrictions on occupancy for retail establishments. The State order only takes precedence over the City and County’s Orders when it is MORE restrictive. Thus, the City and County will now enforce occupancy limits on retail locations.
Those include:
Any Essential Business, as defined in the City Order, that is engaged in retail sales to the public shall limit the number of individuals in any particular retail location as follows:
The result of the total square feet of the building at the retail location divided by 30
Times twenty-five (25) percent for a retail location with square footage of less than ten thousand square feet (10,000 ft2);
Times ten (10) percent for a retail location with square footage of ten thousand square feet (10,000 ft2) or more.
The State Order specifically states that local authorities may make further rules, regulations and orders which are necessary for a particular locality (highlighted on the bottom of page 2 of the State order).
Therefore, the list of “Essential Businesses” and “Essential Business Activities” outlined in the City’s order remains the same.
Last week, the City provided clarifications that include the following:
- State law provides that a locality cannot regulate the sale of firearms and ammunition. This applies to guns only – not archery or fishing. Every Springfield gun licensee with a storefront presence received a letter last week plainly stating this. An amendment to the City Order, however, reverses that and makes firearm repair permissible, so a new letter is going out today.
- State law also requires that car dealers must be open 4 days per week and 20 hours per week in order to retain their dealer license. That City has specifically inquired as to whether the State will be waiving that requirement and have not received a response. As of now, the City is permitting car dealers to remain open unless/until other guidance from the State is received. Every car dealer received a letter from the City last week plainly stating this.
- Pawn shops may be open ONLY for gun and ammunition sales and to make and service secured personal credit loans. They cannot sell merchandise other than guns and ammunition. Every pawn shop received a letter from us plainly stating this.
“We ask that our citizens and businesses continue to stay the course and follow the City’s Stay-At-Home Order, remembering that it is in place to protect the further spread of COVID-19. Limiting that spread helps us mitigate the damage this disease has on our community and especially the impact on our health care resources, which are finite,” said Clay Goddard, Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director. “It is a moral imperative that we take continue these drastic measures NOW, so that we can more quickly open again.”
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For more information, media may contact Cora Scott, Director of Public Information & Civic Engagement at 417-380-3352 or [email protected] or Donna Barton, Greene County Public Information Officer at 417-844-4311 or [email protected]. Citizens or businesses with questions or concerns may call the hotline at 417-874-1211.