Variance of governors orders requested

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Weston County commissioners have approved a variance allowing bars and restaurants to remain open past 10 p.m. to be forwarded to Dr. Mike Jording, the county public health officer. The 10 p.m. closure time was included in Gov. Mark Gordon’s newest set of public health orders, which also included a statewide mask mandate. 
The motion to approve the variance passed unanimously on Dec. 15 before a visit from Jording. During a later discussion with Jording at the meeting, the doctor said that he needed to review the document before he could provide an opinion. 
The variance is the newest of a number of variances removing public health orders on a county level. Jording has refused to sign all of the requested county wide variances, although he agreed to send them onto  Alexia Harrist, the state health officer. 
Commissioner Marty Ertman questioned the 10 p.m. curfew placed on bars and restaurants, stating that they were “interesting” and that fellow Commissioner Tracy Hunt had called the curfew “arbitrary.” 
“To shut down the local bars and restaurants, as we are entering a new year,” Ertman said. “Everyone wants 2020 gone. Closing local bars and restaurants is going to push them into another state.” 
Ertman elaborated on a scenario that includes watching cars with licenses plates from all over driving past her house on U.S. Highway 85 toward the South Dakota border, more specifically Deadwood.  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has opposed state mandated health orders and allowed businesses to remain open at their own discretion. 
“There is going to a be a stream of cars going to Deadwood … There is going to be a pool of people in Deadwood, celebrating getting rid of 2020,” Ertman said. 
According to Ertman, allowing local bars and restaurants to stay open past 10 p.m. would encourage residents to stay home. She noted that this would prevent a potential “super-spreader event” in Deadwood with people from surrounding states. 
“We need to encourage people to stay in our own tribe,” Ertman said to Jording. “If you could grant Weston County a variance allowing our bars and restaurants to stay open, it would encourage our tribe to stay here. We would not be encouraging people to go over there. We are just asking people to pool over there, probably from a six-state area.” 
Jording explained that he would have to review the documents, as he does with all variance requests. He said that all variances had to be sent to the state health officer for approval. 
“This request, I don’t think is unreasonable. There are provisions in that new set of orders,” Jording said, noting that if he had any concerns with the variance when he reviewed it, he would reach out. 
“I would like to have your blessing,” Ertman said. 
“I don’t know how many papers; I need to be able to review them,” Jording replied.