Public-Private Task Force Charts Way for Chippewa Valley Post-Quarantine

Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

Queuing FOR A CONE. Ramone’s Ice Cream in downtown Eau Claire re-opened in mid-May with public health measures in place such as masked employees, no indoor seating, and curbside pickup.
QUEUING FOR A CONE. Ramone’s Ice Cream in downtown Eau Claire re-opened in mid-May with public health measures in place such as masked employees, no indoor seating, and curbside pickup.

As the Chippewa Valley – and the rest of Wisconsin – emerges from two months of “Safer at Home” quarantine, we’re all struggling to navigate a world that suddenly seems unfamiliar. Should we wear masks everywhere? Is it safe to go to out? If we do, is anything open?

With a statewide order struck down by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and an Eau Claire City-County Health Department order set to sunset by May 28 (unless it’s been extended by the time you read this), uncertainty reigns. Where can individuals, businesses, and institutions turn?

One place is the Chippewa Valley COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. This public-private effort was formed in April with the mission of pulling together “resources, organizations and talent from across the Chippewa Valley to help us emerge from this crisis in an orderly, successful, safe and stronger position to support our local economy.”

“Every business owner I’ve talked to has said, ‘I want to protect my employees, I want to protect my customers. How do I do that?’ ” – David Minor, president and CEO, Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce

The task force is a joint effort between city and county officials, including the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, and the private sector, including the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce. The task force has navigated changing circumstances while trying to provide different sectors of the community with information on best practices for re-opening safely.

“Every business owner I’ve talked to has said, ‘I want to protect my employees, I want to protect my customers. How do I do that?’ ” said David Minor, the chamber’s president and CEO, during a virtual town hall in early May. The online event introduced the two veteran local leaders who are chairing the task force: former Eau Claire County Board Chairman Gregg Moore and former chamber board chairman Mark Faanes, a retired partner for accounting firm Wipfli.

The task force is composed of several branches, most notably 12 subcommittees dealing with economic sectors including agriculture, retail, hospitality and lodging, arts and entertainment, and restaurants and bars. Each subgroup is chaired by a local leader in that business sector who is working with representatives of the health department to provide industry-specific guidance to their peers. Some of the heavy lifting has already been done by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which has issued detailed reopening guidelines aimed as a range of businesses. Nonetheless, local conditions vary, making local cooperation important.

One of the first actions taken by the task force was the announcement of what it has dubbed the COVID-19 “Committed to Safety” Covenant: Businesses are asked to pledge to follow orders and guidelines issued by the local health department and the WEDC, as well as any future orders from state or federal agencies, in order to “provide a safe environment for customers, employees, and the public at large.” In exchange, the businesses will be allowed to prominently display a “Committed to Safety” decal – a sort of “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” to let customers and employees alike know they are doing their best to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. (Businesses can find more information by going to bit.ly/committedtosafety and scrolling down to the application form.)

During an online town hall for Chamber of Commerce members on May 21, the chairpeople of several of the task force’s subcommittees spoke about how they are dealing with the post-quarantine reopening process.

Dave Burg of King Pin Management – which manages numerous establishments in the region, including Wagner’s Lanes, 44 North, and Wisco’s – is co-chair of the task force’s restaurants and bars sector. Burg said he is working to ensure eateries are familiar with best practices, such as emphasizing six-foot physical distancing, decreasing occupancy, and limiting the number of items that customers touch. For example, restaurants are encouraged to offer scannable QR codes at tables instead of printed menus, and to eliminate shared items such as ketchup bottles.

As they reopen, restaurants and bars will inevitably face challenges, so Burg advised members of the public to be kind and patient. “All these businesses are struggling, and they’re working to re-open and doing the best they can,” he said. “Some of them are operating at 50% of their employee staff as well, so when you go into a place and it’s taking a little bit longer, remember they’re working through the same issues that everyone else is.”

Betsy Maher, general manager of Oakwood Mall and co-chair of the task force’s retail sector, expressed similar sentiments. As the mall and its stores gradually reopen, customers can expect to see changes, from reducing the number of spots where people would otherwise congregate (for instance, the play area has been closed) to spreading out tables in the food court, to masked security and cleaning employees.

“People are going to need to be patient,” Maher said. “It’s going to be a gradual process. These retailers can’t just fling open their doors as they were on March 17.”


To learn more about the Chippewa Valley COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force, visit tinyurl.com/CVrecovery.