EPC Commissioners could vote on restaurant variance as early as Thursday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Commissioners in El Paso County say we've seen a steady decrease of cases over the past two weeks giving weight to their efforts to seek a state variance to reopen businesses here including restaurants.

During Tuesday's EPC commissioner meeting residents continued to express frustration over the current dining room shutdown. County Commissioner Stand VanderWerf says that could be changing soon with a variance to open dining rooms currently in the works. He says it may be voted on by as soon as this Thursday.

"The fact that we have decreasing numbers of cases gives me confidence and gives others confidence that we can move towards reopening our businesses as much as possible," VanderWerf says. However, before the vote can happen, the El Paso County Public Health Department, along with hospitals, and the restaurant association is finalizing the wording of the variance making sure that all possible risks are being addressed.

VanderWerf says, "This is social distancing and the affiliated and related things like a lot of sanitizing frequent cleaning of restrooms and may be limits to how many people can go into the dining rooms."

How the variance is worded is very important, not only to get commissioners approval but also the states. VanderWerf adding it should also reassure the public that all the necessary precautions are being taken, "The restaurants have to convince people to come into their dining rooms and give them the confidence that their dining room is a safe place for them to dine in."

Other variances currently in the works include tourism, outdoor recreation, and summer camps for kids.