by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Applications are available for Thief River Falls bars and restaurants planning to open temporary outdoor dining/bar areas Monday, June 1. The Thief River Falls City Council met in special session Friday, May 29 to approve a resolution pertaining to the change necessitated by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The applications are expected to be available soon at www.citytrf.net. When applying, a bar or restaurant is required to provide a site plan of the planned outdoor dining/bar area, provide a copy of the business’ COVID-19 Business Preparedness/Mitigation Plan, list the hours of operation and list the proposed seating capacity. Bars and restaurants aren’t allowed to have enclosed structures for their outdoor areas; however, they need to have a barrier between their parking lots and seating areas. The temporary outdoor dining/bar area must also be contiguous to the main building structure, but the licensee may use about 25% of his or her parking spaces. If the contiguous space weren’t owned by the licensee, the licensee needs to have an agreement with the neighboring property owner for the use of the additional property. The licensee must also provide proof that his or liquor liability insurance covers alcohol sales to the expanded outdoor location.
City Attorney Delray Sparby said the state has given no guidance as to whether patrons will be allowed to use bathrooms inside the bars and restaurants, or whether portable toilets should be provided.
The resolution came after Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order, giving bars and restaurants the opportunity to operate temporary outdoor dining/bar areas starting Monday, June 1. Bars and restaurants have only been allowed to provide curbside and/or take-out service since 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 17.
In order to have their applications approved, Thief River Falls bars and restaurants agree to comply with Walz’s order and other guidance. Among other things, that includes developing and implementing a COVID-19 Business Preparedness Plan; ensuring at least six feet between tables with a maximum capacity of 50 people; limiting table service to “four persons, or six, if part of one family unit;” and not allowing walk-in customers.
The majority of the council met via Webex on Friday since City Council members and meeting attendees learned that someone at the Tuesday, May 19 meeting had tested positive for COVID-19. The Times has learned that at least one attendee received a letter from the city, disclosing the exposure.
Besides discussing the resolution related to bars and restaurants at the meeting Friday, council member Jerald Brown asked if the council could forgo enforcing the city’s two-hour parking ordinance in downtown Thief River Falls. He said several business owners had called him to complain about enforcement of the parking ordinance after stores were allowed to reopen.
Mayor Brian Holmer told Brown that matter wasn’t germane to the issue at hand since the council was specifically meeting in a special session to consider the resolution related to bars and restaurants. Brown then asked to have the matter placed on the agenda for the council meeting Tuesday, June 2.