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Public commenters praise Branson charity, call to ban COVID vaccines and flag ExploreBranson schedule problems
Summary
During the public‑comment period, speakers described a large charity shipment to Tennessee, urged the city to ban COVID‑19 vaccines (a request city counsel said it lacks authority to carry out) and criticized ExploreBranson.com’s show listings ahead of spring break.
Three public commenters addressed the Board of Aldermen during the Jan. 8 public‑comment period, speaking on charitable relief, vaccine policy and tourism information accuracy.
Mona Miller, speaking about community events, described an Ozark Mountain Christmas effort that packed a 55‑foot trailer bound for Erwin, Tenn., and supplied stockings, blankets, heaters and food for recipients. "This town filled a 55 foot semi," Miller said, recounting that volunteers fed 60 people and that students from Branson, Hollister and Reed Springs sent handmade Christmas cards that were especially meaningful to recipients.
Deanna Slatten urged the board to "remove the COVID‑19 vaccines from our city" and said Pfizer and the Food and Drug Administration had released side‑effect information she called dangerous. The board’s city attorney responded in the meeting that the city lacks the authority to order a hospital or medical provider to stop administering FDA‑approved vaccines, stating, "The Federal Drug Administration has preempted any authority. We have never been given the authority to regulate." The board did not take action on Slatten’s request.
Gary Groman criticized ExploreBranson.com (the city’s tourism site) for incomplete show listings for a spring‑break search he conducted on Jan. 8, saying commercial reseller sites showed more complete schedules. Groman said he found 16 shows listed on ExploreBranson’s database as of 8 a.m. on Jan. 8, and that two shows he expected did not appear in the site’s results. City staff and board members acknowledged a data‑entry/display problem and said staff and the chamber contacted the platform vendor; one board member said fixes were made the same day.
No formal board action resulted from the public comments. The city clerk advised speakers of the time limit and the board responded to some points during staff reports.
