Business owners frustrated by waiver process – News – Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice

Article Tools

Chris Baranowski, owner of Rolling Paws Mobile Grooming Spa stands for a portrait in Wilkes-Barre Twp. Friday, May 15, 2020. Sean McKeag / Staff Photographer

SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Chris Baranowski, owner of Rolling Paws, a mobile dog grooming business, applied three times for an exemption from Gov. Tom Wolfs coronavirus shutdown order.

Chris Baranowski comes in contact with virtually no humans during her workday just dogs so she cant understand why she wasnt granted a waiver to continue to operate her business during the coronavirus shutdown.

She doesnt have an office or storefront people visit that could be contaminated. As a mobile dog groomer, she comes to them in a pickup truck pulling her grooming trailer. Its just her and the dog inside.

Ive been curbside the four years Ive been open. I have no human contact unless the person is eldery. I go in, grab the dog or meet the person at the doorway and take the dog back to the enclosed trailer. I take the dog back to the door and go to my next appointment, Baranowski, 36, said.

Baranowskis truck, which hasnt stopped from the moment she started Rolling Paws Mobile Grooming Spa four years ago, has been idle for nearly two months outside her Wilkes-Barre Twp. home. She applied for an exemption three times, but her requests for a waiver were denied each time.

Rolling Paws is one of hundreds of businesses in Luzerne County that were denied an exemption to continue to operate during the coronavirus shutdown.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to shutter during the lockdown. However, last Friday he announced 6,060 exemptions statewide out of 42,000 requests.

Many of the businesses in Luzerne County denied exemptions are construction companies, real estate firms, salons, and vaping shops.

Most are small, locally owned businesses, but even a national chain, like the Barnes and Noble book store, was denied an exemption.

The owner of a Back Mountain-based plumbing, heating and excavating business said his company is on the list of businesses denied an exemption despite getting conflicting advice from the state.

While he believed his industry was exempt from the beginning, Sean McGrath, owner of R.N. Fitch and Sons in Dallas, said he applied for an exemption to be on the safe side and because someone in the industry told him he might need proof of the exemption to apply for assistance.

After not hearing anything from the state, he filled out the online exemption form again.

The first response he got from the state was an email saying he didnt even need an exemption and could continue work. Then, he got an email days later, saying he must close down.

Its just very confusing. My assumption is you have two different people reading it and one person made a judgement call, McGrath said. In defense of the state, they had so many requests, there was a lot of confusion.

With the conflicting response, McGrath said hes limiting his work to emergency calls and is forced to pass on a lot of work that is now going to other contractors, some who ended up on last weeks exempt list despite being the same exact type of business.

Whats unfortunate is some people are following the rules and some people arent following the rules. We did our best to exercise good judgement. We are trying to do all the right things, McGrath said.

The document listing all the companies denied exemptions even gets confusing, as it notes that businesses are permitted to continue life-sustaining activity regardless of whether it obtained or was denied an exemption.

Efforts to reach officials with the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which processed the exemption requests, were not successful Friday.

Baranowski thinks dog grooming should have been an exception because it could be life-sustaining to the animal.

We see them every four to six weeks. Their hair gets matted. Their nails get long. We clean their ears. We prevent a lot of underlying health issues, Baranowski said. A vet might not see them for a year.

She didnt think the lockdown has been fair to small business owners, while big box stores like Walmart and Home Depot filled with hundreds of people at a time were allowed to remain open.

I have no livelihood. They took it from me. My business, beside my family, is my life. Those dogs I take care of are like my own, Baranowski said.

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

Local businesses that were denied an exemption

1Singular Sensation Dog Grooming

A) Mericle Construction, Inc. (Mericle) For The Benefit Of Wren Manufacturing, Inc.

A. Pickett Construction, Inc. / Pickett Facilities Maintenance

Action Contracting & Electrical Company LLC

Action Real Estate Affordable Parts And Service

Aggressive Realty & Rentals LLC

Ahlborn Enterprises

Al Dunn Masonry

All 4 Paws

All State Traffic Control Of Pa, Inc.

All Vinyl Sunrooms Inc.

All-in Custom Vapes

All-in Custom Vapes Nanticoke

All-in Custom Vapes Wilkes-barre

Allure Salon Group, LLC

Alluring Vapors

American Asphalt Paving Company

American Eagle

American Pie Title & Tag LLC

Apt Distributing Co.

Arena Supplements

Arthur Funk & Sons

Ashton Enterprise Construction LLC

A Team-Construction

Au Salon

Avenue Auto Tags LLC

B&D Technology LLC

Baby To Be 3d

Back Mountain Floral

Back Mountain Tobacco Inc

Baer & Evans Surveyors

Barkavenue

Barnes & Noble

Barrys Floral Shop

Bathtime Boutique

Beach Fence Company

Bedrock Gardens Landscape Supply And Materials

Beulah Construction LLC

Bob Lasota Construction

Bordentown Driver Training School LLC

DBA Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training

Borton Lawson

Brackney Leather

Brenda Reimold, LLC

Brokers Realty Group Limited Dba

Brokersrealty.Com

Bubbles And Biscuits Pet Grooming Salon

Byras Fence Company

Caddie Labars Inc

Canine Castle

Canine Designs

Caramelle Di Capelli Studio

Carmens Flowers And Gifts

Cartridge World Edwardsville

Centurion Abstract, Inc.

Commiso Flooring LLC

Commonwealth Home Inspections

Complete Fitness Equipment

Concrete Alternatives

Conrad Barbershop And Marilyn Klem Beauty Shop

Conversionworx Media

Corcoran Printing

Creative Interior Imagery

Croughns Cuts

D&N Furniture Inc

Dangola Contracting

Dave Ferrey Construction

David R. Balent Construction Co.

Debbies Beauty Salon

DeckerS

Read the original:
Business owners frustrated by waiver process - News - Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice