PLANO, Texas — According to dfw.cbslocal.com, restrictions have been placed on businesses in order to fight COVID-19, but the various orders have left some carwashes confused.
John Kim, who owns Red Wave Car Wash in Plano, said he was caught off guard on March 24th when he heard he was allowed to keep his full service carwash open, the article continued.
“We were slammed yesterday. We were busy yesterday. And we didn’t have enough employees coming in, because we didn’t know if we were going to be shut down during the day,” he said.
However, because he wasn’t sure if he would be staying open, he gave all his employees a pay advance, the article added.
“So I gave out all the paychecks, another week to our employees on Monday night to make sure if they get quarantined, they have money to be sustainable at their house,” Kim said.
Kim’s business is in Collin County and therefore allowed to operate, the article noted.
However, in neighboring Dallas and Denton counties, full service carwashes are not considered essential businesses and are not allowed to operate; only self-serve carwashes can remain open, the article noted.
CBS 11 found three full service carwashes operating in Dallas on March 25th that should have been closed while another two such washes were already shuttered, the article noted.
Anyone caught violating the order in Dallas County may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor and face a fine or even jail time, the article stated.
The Dallas County Sherriff’s Department, Fire Marshal and peace officers are authorized to enforce the order, the article noted.
Unfortunately, the rules can be confusing, since some cities are located in multiple counties, the article added.
Frisco, which lies in both Collin and Denton counties, is following Denton County’s definition of what an essential business is, while Richardson and Dallas, which are in both Collin and Dallas counties, are following Dallas County’s order, the article continued.
Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere acknowledged the situation, saying in a statement, “There is quite a bit of confusion right now. The City of Plano is under a State order, a Denton County order, a Collin County order as well as our own emergency declaration. Absent of any further action from the State, I will agree with my fellow Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s plea for a regional collaborative approach, which would be in the best interest of all residents.”
Read the original article here.
