BOCA RATON, Fla. — There's a mask there, one over there and there's a mask right here.
"This stuff is everywhere, it's everywhere," Boca Raton Councilman Andy Thomson said.
Thomson is fed up. He even found a mask in the parking lot of City Hall.
"What I'm proposing to do is to make the littering of PPE masks and gloves, face shields, that kind of thing, anywhere is a fine of $250," he said.
Right now, a littering fine is $50.
Thomson said on his quest to run every mile of every street in Boca Raton, he's already picked up 308 masks.
During Tuesday night's City Council meeting, Thomson proposed the fine hike and the rest of the council agreed. Thomson said enforcement can be challenging.
"A fine like this can be given only if a law enforcement officer or code enforcement officer observes it," he said. "So, admittedly, it's not a perfect system."
But the fine hike has support.
"Increase the fine and let's keep it clean," Olga Kargman said.
Her husband agreed.
"I think they're absolutely right," Dimitry Kargman said.
The fine hike of $250 goes into effect immediately. Along with the new fine, people will see added signage and social media posts educating people about what is at risk if littering.
