Karen Newman
Legends Sports Bar and Grill owner, Marissa West, appeared before the December 15 meeting of the Clay County Commissioners to appeal for support for small businesses. West presented a statement to open the meeting, “We are desperate to break the silence and speak on behalf of several local small businesses and the hospitality industry. Please help us. The governor’s decision to pause our industry along with shutting down gyms and bars cannot be justified any longer without help. Our community needs these businesses and gathering places to reopen in order to survive both mentally and financially.” She noted that if her business was located ten blocks west, across the Red River, she would be open with fewer regulatory concerns.
Citing the difficulties encountered in running a business on the North Dakota/Minnesota border, Marissa West explained, “I understand the reason for the pause. However, North Dakota’s numbers are declining and they are not shut down. We cannot be held to the metro’s numbers, that is why we are called Greater Minnesota. We are not equals.” West continued, “It is North Dakota that we need to be compared to. We are neighbors and need to be led together through this pandemic.” She suggested that Moorhead customers are flocking to similar North Dakota businesses where public health regulations are less stringent. West opined that if Moorhead hospitality businesses were open, it would reduce overcrowding at Fargo establishments.
Josh West, owner of JT Lawn and Landscaping, spoke about future financial assistance to small businesses which appears to be coming from the state in the near future. It is West’s opinion that dollars granted to Clay County for business relief should not be divided equally by the number of relief applicants, saying, “This isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation.”
Baylee Engquist represented Legends’ employees. She spoke about increased costs to the business for sanitation efforts and the sacrifice made by the business owners for their efforts to keep staff on the payroll. She acknowledged that the owners cannot continue this indefinitely. Engquist noted that all the employees at Legends work in the hospitality business because they love to interact with people. For many employees, hospitality industry jobs offer flexible shifts which make it possible to work and study. She cautioned that employees will soon be forced to apply to Fargo businesses for jobs because the $200/week for unemployment benefits is not enough to pay the bills.
Cody Parr, Legends partner, said, “We are not trying to get rich doing this. That’s not what this is about”. He explained that opening the business’s doors to anything less than 50% is not going to work. He continued, “We are 99% ready to open another bar in Moorhead that we have a million dollars invested in. A million dollars that we can’t recoup a penny of.” He explained that they still need to pay $20,000 monthly rent on a business that they can’t open. He concluded by saying, “We need the freakin’ doors open.”
The commission voted unanimously to send an electronic letter to Gov. Walz’s office on December 15, expressing support for consideration of the extra burden carried small businesses in western Minnesota border cities and urging extra relief funds immediately.
Commissioner Kevin Campbell, concerned about unemployment benefits, said, “Two hundred dollars a week isn’t going to cut it.” He urged county administrator Stephen Larson to be clear that a special legislative session should be called to provide financial relief to employers and employees in border communities.
Commissioner Jenny Mongeau reminded Clay County citizens, “If you enjoy the businesses in your community, if you enjoy running to the store just down the block…you need to shop there. You need to go above and beyond what you would normally do because if we, as a community, don’t rally around our businesses, they won’t be there.”