How North Bay’s largest counties handle COVID compliance

Tyler Mannion had his first encounter with Sonoma County’s enforcement of COVID-19 urgency orders via an on-site warning a few months into the pandemic that masks were required to be worn by him and his crewman at Mannion’s A+ Smog vehicle service shop near Sonoma County airport. That was followed by a $1,000 citation in October and a $5,000 citation the following month.

At the Sonoma County warning visit, Mannion said he told the Permit Sonoma worker he and his crewman had breathing difficulties that should exempt them from wearing masks. After the visit, he put up a plastic shower curtain at the front counter with a small slit to pass paperwork to customers.

“We tried to comply with them to some degree. I think this is about directives and control and money,” Mannion said. “Personally, if I go to a grocery store and they require it, I wear a mask. We’re all adults.”

He said he doesn’t plan to appeal the citations.

Mannion’s was the largest of the penalties issued against businesses in the unincorporated areas of the North Bay’s most populous county, but it was only a fraction of the complaints received, according to Sonoma County officials.

“Our enforcement prioritizes compliance with the COVID-19 regulations,” Sonoma County officials said in an email statement to the Business Journal. “Typically, a warning is the first step, unless there is an egregious violation. If we get further complaints and view a violation, we then issue a citation.”

The Business Journal compared Sonoma County’s approach to COVID-19 compliance to Solano County’s because they have similar populations.

Rather than issuing citations itself, Solano County refers cases to city or state agencies after receiving multiple verified complaints, a system county board of supervisors approved to go into effect July 1, according to the Solano County Environmental Health Division.

On receiving a complaint, Solano environmental health staff make a trip to the business, and if the complaint is valid, the manager is informed of county and state orders and guidelines.

“If we continue to receive complaints, we follow this same process for three times,” said a county spokesperson. “After our third verified complaint, we refer it to the enforcement agencies having jurisdiction to enforce these requirements such as the city manager, chief of police, the office of the mayor, city attorney or sheriff’s office depending upon the jurisdiction of the location of the site. In addition to these entities, we also refer the complaint to the state agencies such as the ABC, Department of Barbering and Cosmetology and the Department of Industrial Relations.”

Solano County received 740 complaints between July 1 and March 25. Originally, they were coming in at a rate of up to 30 on some days, but the flow of complaints has tapered off in recent months, according to an official. The county has referred 24 businesses to other agencies for enforcement.

Sonoma County has received over 3,000 complaints of coronavirus health order violations since its hotline went active in early August, the same month the county board of supervisors approved fines in the unincorporated areas of $100 for individuals who don’t wear masks. Businesses could get $1,000 for the first violation, $5,000 for the second and $10,000 for the third.

County staff are monitoring 242 alleged violations of county and state public health orders and 18 penalties against 12 commercial operations as of March 24, according to officials. If more help is needed with compliance, violations can be referred to corresponding state agencies, such as the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control for bars.

Timber Cove Inn, Bodega Bay Lodge and owners of two vacation rentals were hit with $1,000 citations for hosting guests not to be considered essential workers around the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Others getting mask violation citations were MD Market (a $1,000 fine in November and one in February) and G4 Firearms (one in February for $1,000).

And in a high-profile case, Spring Hills Community Church received three $100 fines in January for indoor gatherings, when the county was in the purple reopening tier, when such gatherings weren’t allowed. Anytime Fitness got a $1,000 citation for allowing customers inside, something that just became possible at 10% capacity when Sonoma County moved into the red reopening tier early this month.

Jeff Quackenbush covers wine, construction and real estate. Before the Business Journal, he wrote for Bay City News Service in San Francisco. He has a degree from Walla Walla University. Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256.