324 complaints 8 warnings 1 citation: Which businesses ignored safer-at-home orders?
NOTE: Since this story was published April 21, The Great Backyard Place has been deemed an essential business and has received permission from city government to continue operating.
Some nonessential Knoxville businesses have remained open during the coronavirus pandemic, despite safer-at-home rules designed to help prevent deaths and stop the spread of the disease.
City government received 324 complaints about businesses not complying with safer-at-home rules through Thursday, which led to eight warnings and one citation.
These are the businesses the city visited and warned:
The warnings were identified by Knox News through a public records request to the city.
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Last SlideNext SlideSince these warnings were issued, The Mattress Place has received a citation, GB Shoes has temporarily closed and both The Great Backyard Place and Bennett Galleries were given the city's OK to continue operating.
'Options do not exist' for nonessentialThe 324 complaints were reported through the city's 311 line. Only 219 of those complaints were about businesses within city limits, 39 were duplicates and 63 were about essential businesses.
City spokesperson Eric Vreeland told Knox News in an email that local government and health officials are able to work with essential businesses to suggest ways to help keep everyone safe.
Examples include social distancing guidelines and staggered shifts. But with nonessential businesses, Vreeland said, "those options do not exist."
Ninety-five of the complaints were about nonessential businesses. And all of the businesses that received warnings — except for Bennett Galleries and The Great Backyard Place, it was later determined — are considered nonessential, according to the city.
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Last SlideNext Slide"The fine for a citation is limited by state law at $50," Vreeland said. "Obviously, the dollar amount on the fine is relatively minimal, so it's worth noting that most businesses have come into compliance, either on their own accord prior to being contacted by the city, or after being contacted by the city."
Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday his stay-at-home order will not be extended past April 30, and some businesses in 89 counties around the state will begin reopening next week. Those are counties, almost all rural, that operate under state-run health departments.
The green light to reopen quickly likely will not be unrestricted in Knox County or the other five large counties – Davidson, Hamilton, Madison, Shelby and Sullivan – that operate their own health departments and are home to most of the might of Tennessee's economy.
City and county officials in those places will work with state officials to determine the best restart plans for their circumstances.
Businesses decline to commentKnox News spoke Friday to representatives from all the businesses that received warnings.
Steve Grossbard, owner of The Mattress Place, told Knox News he plans to keep his business open despite receiving a citation.
"I'm not commenting on it at the moment because there's probably going to be a lawsuit filed," he said.
Buy PhotoA Knoxville Wholesale Furniture store located at 410 N. Peters Road in West Knoxville on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. (Photo: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel )
Tim Harris, owner of Knoxville Wholesale Furniture, declined to comment unless a reporter met him in person at his office. However, Knox News has a policy to not put journalists into spaces that are not adhering to social distancing guidelines.
The Ashley Furniture location that was warned was taken over by Knoxville Wholesale Furniture in 2009.
A store was warned before it closedGB Shoes ended up temporarily closing its Knoxville location last week. The company's other 10 locations in North Carolina and South Carolina have remained open, GB Shoes Vice President Scott Houser said.
"To be honest with you, your city is the only city that has actually shut down our stores," he said.
Houser thinks he is in compliance with everything at the state level. He also thinks GB Shoes should be considered essential since it provides work and safety shoes to essential workers, like those in the health care industry.
"Who knows how long this stuff is actually going to go on," he said.
Bed bugs and pool chemicalsRepresentatives of the other businesses that were warned made cases for why their work should be considered essential.
For Kevin Zartman, director of sales and operations for The Bed Store, it was about deliveries and bed bugs. The latter is a health hazard, he said, and his business needs to help customers stay safe.
Zartman said only the Chapman Highway location has received a warning, although the other two locations in Knoxville were also open Friday.
For The Great Backyard Place, it was all about pool chemicals. Owner Frank May said people stuck at home will be swimming now more than ever and need to make sure their pools are safe.
"I understand that our municipal authorities are playing dodge ball in the dark and there's no rule book for what we're going through," May said.
But there are rules.
The first step for the city is to call the business following a complaint, Vreeland said. The second step is a site visit to explain the business is not in compliance with Mayor Indya Kincannon's executive order.
During the second step, the violation is discussed and a notice of violation warning is given.
If the business does not take steps to reach compliance when a second visit happens — or if it hasn't contested the warning — a citation is issued.
This is the final step.
A 'unique situation'Christina Magrans, of the city's law department, said in an email the city is allowing Bennett Galleries to stay open due to a "unique situation" the city was made aware of Friday.
Follow-up questions were not answered entirely. All Vreeland would say is that Bennett Galleries "was able to show that it was providing services authorized under Safer at Home guidelines."
An unidentified manager at Party City said "we're not actually open for business" before redirecting Knox News to the company's main phone line.
However, according to its website, the store is open for curbside pickup and same-day delivery. Attempts to reach a corporate representative were unsuccessful.
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