Branson Board of Aldermen Vote to Restrict Public Gathering & Limit Business Occupancy

On a double read, both with unanimous votes, the Branson Board of Aldermen passed Bill No. 5806 at tonight’s Board of Aldermen meeting, amending Chapter 58 of the Branson Municipal Code pertaining to public gatherings, designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 within the City of Branson by implementing social distancing and public gathering mandates and recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other public health agencies.

Effective immediately, upon signing, Bill No. 5806 will prohibit planned or spontaneous events with 10 or more people. This bill will also prohibit businesses from exceeding 25% of their occupant load in enclosed public places. This will have the effect of making sure appropriate social distance guidelines can be met.  Daycares and medical facilities are exempt from the occupant load requirement.

Violations of this ordinance carry a range of punishment of up to 90 days in jail or up to a $500 fine as set in the general penalty provision in Section 1-13 of the Branson Municipal Code. This ordinance will sunset when the emergency proclamation of the Mayor expires, which is currently set to expire May 15, 2020.

The full ordinance, including the staff report, can be found behind the March 19, 2020 agenda at www.bransonmo.gov/AgendaCenter.

For any questions regarding this ordinance or occupancy numbers, please call Branson Fire Rescue at 417-243-2780.

Mayor Edd Akers moved tonight’s meeting from March 24, 2020, to March 19, 2020, so the Mayor and Board could discuss steps needed to keep our community safe amidst the COVID-19 outbreak as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Mayor Edd Akers Issued an Emergency Proclamation for the City of Branson to minimize suffering and promote the general life, health, and safety of residents whose lives will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Branson is a fourth class Missouri City that operates under the Council/Administrator form of government. This means the Mayor cannot act unilaterally. Any resolution or ordinance for the prevention of the introduction of contagious diseases in the city has to go before the Board of Aldermen during a public meeting.

The City of Branson will continue to work in coordination with our partner agencies, as well as the state and federal government, to monitor this evolving situation and to ensure our response actions are based on the latest facts. We will communicate updates to the Branson community as the situation changes and as we make additional decisions regarding our local response. For these updates, go to the “Coronavirus Updates” bar on the top of our website at www.bransonmo.gov.