The Ripon City Council recently approved the reopening of non-essential businesses in town.

Since that May 4 special session, Chief Ed Ormonde reported that the Ripon Police Department received eight complaints, with five being community based and the other three aimed at businesses.

"One (of the three businesses) was unverified so no action was taken and the other was a general violation with no police action required," he said at last Tuesday's monthly online session put in place since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ormonde added: "The (third) complaint was validated — that business was provided with the educational paper work."

Council's intent, in seeking to strike a balance between the importance of public health objectives outlined in the State and San Joaquin County Orders, as part of the recent openings, was using public education as the primary enforcement tool in addressing those in violation.

"We are fielding questions on a daily basis from local businesses and other entities. We're helping to guide them in to making educational decisions," Ormonde said.

As a last resort, police could employ the existing administrative procedures — in this case, a small fine — in the Ripon Municipal Code.

Since March 16, they've received 160-plus calls on those possibly violating the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Those numbers have since dwindled during the past week.

"Since the new enforcement policy, everyone started at zero," said Ormonde.