As Nampa bars flout Little’s order, they weigh healthy business and Idahoans’ health
On the day that Gov. Brad Little stressed the importance of his Idaho Rebounds reopening stages and said that bars put their licenses at risk by violating his orders, two Nampa establishments were welcoming customers — and one was hosting a pool tournament.
Bars are part of the final stage of Little’s reopening plan, which is set to begin June 13 if there are no significant increases in coronavirus cases, and if other health care targets and guidelines are met.
But some places are not playing along.
Dave Olsen, owner of Firehouse Sports Pub in Nampa, opened at the start of May and said he reduced his building capacity to 30%, allowing only 60 people at a time. He closed half of his eight pool tables, where players had a little tourney Thursday night. Just down Karcher Road, Slick’s Bar also reopened May 1, treating the state’s mandated closure amid the coronavirus pandemic as a mere suggestion.
Slick’s received a visit from the Idaho State Police on Wednesday, and Firehouse received a visit from the Nampa Police Department on May 1. But that hasn’t stopped either place from keeping the drinks flowing. And neither place has been penalized.
“We are in compliance. We are keeping people distant, wearing masks, disinfecting. We will do this until we get to the point where we don’t need to,” Olsen said. “I am trying to meet in the middle because some income is better than no income.”
The bartender at Firehouse on Thursday night was wearing a face mask and promptly washing down counters and tabletops. Olsen said that he is doing the best he can to be in compliance with health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the local health district. But not one of the approximately 20 customers inside at around 7 p.m. was wearing any form of mask.
Olsen, who noted that only one of his five employees has received unemployment during the weeks Firehouse was closed, said that if you take the word “bar” away, he is just a business owner trying to stay afloat.
“There’s a lot of people who think opening to survive is wrong,” Olsen said. “I think every person wants to be in compliance. We are not bad people.”
At Slick’s, where owner Sheila Sartorius has been unapologetic about opening early, neither the bartender nor the dozen or so customers were wearing a mask Thursday night. And unlike at Firehouse, the bar was open for seating.
Sartorius said she cannot afford to keep her family business closed any longer, and Slick’s has placed spaced-out markers on the floors, distanced tables and changed its hours of operation.
“I can’t afford to not pay the rent for my building or ask the person I pay rent to not collect my rent for a couple of months,” Sartorius said. “We are done hanging in there. It is time to save ourselves.”
Authorities would be happier if they just hung in there, but other than Little’s threat about losing licenses, there’s not much deterrent to their defiance of statewide orders.
When the Nampa Police Department visited Firehouse, the purpose was to teach the business about safe practices and what risks it could run by being open.
“We went out and are just trying to educate local businesses, bars, salons, just to touch base with them and try to give them education and tell them what the requirements are through CDC and Southwest District Health for when they do open,” said Capt. Curt Shankle.
Shankle said the police do not support or condone opening outside of the governor’s orders, but authorities are focused on keeping the public safe while being understanding. In fact, Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said at the end of April in a news release that resources would not be spent to cite offenders.
Nampa police officers have conducted over 3,800 contacts with businesses, with 860 of those receiving educational information for health and safety compliance. They also have logged over 3,000 hours on projects related to the pandemic, according to a press release sent by NPD.
“If you are blatantly in violation where you are packing 200 people in there and are not following safety health procedures, then yeah, you could get a citation,” Shankle said. “But we are trying to be understanding, too, of people feeling the crunch and looking at bankruptcy, and lost wages, and not being open at all. So we are mindful of those things.”
Little, who called it “incredibly disrespectful” for businesses to open early while a large majority follow the rules, told Boise State Public Radio on Thursday that the consequence for violating his phased-in reopening orders could be the revoking of professional and Idaho-issued licenses. Shankle said Nampa Police have emphasized that with bar owners.
“If you have a state license, you are beholden to them. If you have a license that you have obtained, whatever agency oversees that license could come in,” Shankle said. “Even if we are not criminally charging you, there is still potential for civil penalties and administrative action.”
A statement from Idaho State Police, which had Alcohol Beverage Control officers visit Slick’s on Wednesday and provide educational information, indicated that there have been reports of possible reopening violations scattered throughout the state.
“The Idaho State Police encourage and appreciate citizens’ voluntary compliance with the Rebound Idaho plan,” the statement said. “At this time, ISP’s Alcohol Beverage Control Bureau continues to prioritize education.”
Sartorius, for one, isn’t too worried about punishment. She said that she has not broken any liquor laws and that the governor’s orders are just “recommendations.”
“The risk of being closed and the risk of opening up equals about the same, and I am willing to take that risk,” she said.
Sartorius said she has seen a surge in customers — and not necessarily just her regulars, because other options are still closed. Out-of-county and out-of-state visitors have not been unusual, she said, and if people want to mingle, who is she to turn them away?
“If people come in and socialize with each other, I am not to govern that. I am not going to go up to them and tell them to stand 6 feet apart,” Sartorius said. “That is not my role in their life, and nor should it be.”
She said staying closed until mid-June would be far too costly for her business.
“We have an amazing team and have worked hard to build the team that we have, and I do not want to lose them,” Sartorius said. “So the doors are open and they will continue to stay open.”
