Gyms, Restaurants, Bars Slow To Follow Masking Requirements. Nearly 300 Reports Filed By Inspectors
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — City of Boca Raton Code Enforcement Officers, sometimes with the police, have been working around the clock since June — investigating reports of businesses not complying with COVID-19 rules and regulations. BocaNewsNow.com received the initially confidential file following multiple requests. Despite the yellow “confidential” banner on each report, the file has been approved for public review.
The reports show a complete disconnect between business owners and managers who worked hard to comply with regulations, and those who apparently didn’t care about protecting the public during the first months of COVID-19 orders.
While many businesses followed the rules from the beginning, several required multiple visits and warnings. Among the most visited: RedCon1 — a gym where an enforcement officer wrote on June 29th: “I advised (the manager) that the ordinance states that when you come into the gym you have to have a mask on. Verbal warning issued.”
On July 1st: “I sat out in front of the business and watched employees and patrons not adhering to the mask order.”
While investigating RedCon1, a City of Boca Raton Code Enforcement Officer was approached by an employee. “Manager came out (to say) people feel uncomfortable that I was there.”
On July 4th: “I have sat out in front of this business and witnessed nobody coming and going wearing masks. There’s approximately 45 cars in a parking lot at this time.” The officer also wrote: “Manager came out (to say) people feel uncomfortable that I was there.”
RedCon1 received among the most visits from code enforcement officers of any business in Boca Raton.
The issues were resolved by the end of July, when an inspector recorded that the gym was in compliance.
Other focal points: bars, restaurants and hookah lounges. The bar One11 at 111 SE Mizner Blvd was cited multiple times. A magistrate fined One11 $2500 last week.
The following file is a large PDF. Page controls appear if you hover over the bottom. You may also download the report here. You should be able to search by name in your PDF reader.
