City Council Hears Local Business Owners Concerns Over COVID Restrictions

The City Council started off with the approval of the October 21st meeting minutes. Followed up with the mayor’s report along with a presentation by Morgan Starr from Amatics CPA Group from the financial audit. This Begins at the 6 min mark.

The meeting flowed smoothly with reports from committee members giving reports. Fire Chief Klose gave a report of the increase in numbers of calls. In October, the Dillon Volunteer Fire Department saw a total of 28 calls, they average 120 per a year.

The calls consisted of:

• 4 Motor Vehicle Accidents

• 5 Gas Fires

• 1 Structure Fire

• 3 Gas Leaks

• 8 False Alarms

• 1 Dumpster Fire

• 2 Carbon Dioxide Alarms

• 1 Pot left on a stove

• 1 Slash pile from June that reignited

This starts at the 35-minute mark of the meeting.

When opened to public comment on items of significant public interest not on the agenda. Local George Warner brought up documents he signed as Mayor that helped form the Beaverhead County Health Committee.

At the 45:30 min mark Mr. Warner feels that the Health Committee has overstepped their power and have gone above what the board was formed to do. we have included the papers he passed out with this article. Mr. Warner brought up the fact that we have not had an updated County Health meeting in the last 2 and a half months. The last one held was July 31st, 2020.

Mr. Warner then went on to say that they have held two meetings he is aware of one was an Incident Command meeting and one sponsored by the hospital. He went on to explain that he has issued an appeal with what they are doing.

Mr. Warner then went on to describe how certain restrictions have started to ruin a lot of businesses, through quarantine close contact cases, reducing of business hours, business capacity, and other restrictions in events in the community that have been put in place.

At the 1 hour 24 min mark council person Mary Jo O'Rourke ask's what businesses have been hurt by the directives.

"Tell me a business that has been cited by the city police, the county sheriff, by anyone, tell me a business that has been hurt by these directives."

Another citizen stepped in and used the example of ACE Hardware shutting down for a day after they had been told they were violating rules. The Mayor then interjected with a list of businesses that have been injured.

A few concerned business owners spoke on this matter as well, and how it has affected their business and the impacts it is having on the communities.

After this the meeting was called and adjourned.

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