Community voices frustrations with businesses remaining closed

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Frustrations continue to build as business owners and employees in El Paso County ask to reopen and go back to work. Tuesday they took to the commissioners meeting to voice their concerns.

Ten people were allowed into the room to speak, but many more showed support for local small businesses still not allowed to reopen.

"Business owners are losing everything they've worked for and are going bankrupt in the name of public health," one Colorado Springs resident said.

Commissioner Stan VanderWerf says he too doesn't understand why the state is choosing who makes it and who might go out of business.

"I'm really bothered when a public agency decides what is considered to be essential and what is not considered to be essential because every business is essential to somebody," he said.

VanderWerf admitted he also wants small businesses to reopen, but with COVID-19 enforcement.

"Creating a coronavirus safety standard like a food safety standard, the companies meet the standard they can be open, that's what I would love to have," he said.

Not everyone agrees with the idea, and Susan Vella is one of them.

"Opening businesses is not a process, it takes less than a minute. I've diverted my time, you talked about diverting your time, I diverted my time from actually working to having to fight to go to work," she said.

Vella is now choosing to support businesses who are going against El Paso County health and state guidelines.

"I would be less likely to catch COVID in a little mom and pop diner say like the one in Calhan that I frequently eat at and will continue to eat at and take my kids to. I have no problem with it, I'm not afraid," she said.

While there is no clear path to when all businesses will be able to reopen, people here say they hope it comes soon.