Polk County sheriff says businesses can open up if they can do it safely
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Wisconsin’s Polk County is a largely rural place less than an hour from the Twin Cities. County Sheriff Brent Waak says there’s no reason keep businesses in his area of Wisconsin closed just because the coronavirus is a crisis elsewhere.
“That, to me, seems like a common-sense, reasonable approach and that’s all I’m advocating here,” Waak said. “I respect the governor’s order. I just think we have to take a … look at the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.”
Waak said his “common-sense” vision applies to any business, regardless of Gov. Tony Evers’ order.
“I’m certainly not trying to override the governor, but I think we’re open to innovative ideas to get things working towards that normal that we were used to,” Waak said.
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Waak has caught the attention of many people in Polk County.
“I totally agree with what he’s saying,” said Becky Viebrock, who manages Sue’s Bar and Grill in tiny East Farmington.
“We want the doors open and to have them closed on something that we might get is kind of ridiculous.”
Standing behind the empty bar, Viebrock said customers call every day asking when they can return. She sees no reason why they cannot.
“It’s no different than going to Walmart,” Viebrock said. “I go to Walmart and there’s a million people there.”
Viebrock said when she reopens, she and her customers will take precautions by keeping everything extra clean and spacing people apart from one and other.
For now, Sue’s remains closed. The owner is taking cues from the Tavern League of Wisconsin, not the sheriff. It’s far from clear how many Polk County businesses might choose to defy Wisconsin’s shutdown order.
Polk County Health Officer Brian Kaczmarski said Sheriff Waak’s decision to interpret Evers’ shutdown order on a case-by-case basis is muddying public health efforts to contain the pandemic.
“It’s causing a lot of confusion right now. We’re fielding a lot of calls,” Kaczmarski said. “We do want to get back to business as normal, just as the public does, but we need to do it within the parameters of the guidelines.”
Kaczmarski said if a business opens that’s not supposed to open under the governor’s order, his office will intervene.
On his way out of the post office in downtown St. Croix Falls, Polk County resident Warren White said he thinks Sheriff Waak is overstepping his authority and lives could be at stake.
“They’re still predicting a peak, so I am a little bit afraid that this is going to exacerbate the peak,” White said. “I agree that there are people that are out of business right now and out of income and it becomes a lifestyle decision: Do we want to live? Or do we want to continue to live the way we have in the past?”
Bob Liggett, of Cushing, Wis., said officials should err on the side of safety. He’s 71 and, accordingly, is at an elevated risk of dying from COVID-19 if he contracts it. Liggett is concerned that if nonessential businesses begin opening in Polk County, outsiders might come in.
“That’s the part that worries me,” Liggett said. “There’s zillions of different cabins that are owned from people in the cities. They could spread it.”
But Sheriff Waak stands by his case-by-case reopening position.
“I’m trying to convey to my citizens that I respect their civil liberties,” Waak said. “I respect the law of the land, the U.S. Constitution, and I’m trying to balance all of this.”
Gov. Evers’ office did not respond to an MPR News inquiry about Sheriff Waak’s position. According to public health officials there have been no coronavirus-related deaths in Polk County. Just four people have tested positive for the virus there as of Tuesday.