The Reopen Wrangell Task Force, a committee of multiple community representatives working to support local businesses in reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, met last Monday afternoon. It was a fairly long discussion, according to Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore, and the topics were pretty varied.
Surveys were one topic of discussion in the meeting. The task force recently sent out a survey to businesses around town to see what their situation was during the pandemic, and what their future needs would be. The task force received 35 responses to their last survey, Rushmore said. Out of those responses, she said that 57% of businesses have closed due to the pandemic. Other businesses have modified their hours or regular operations in some way. About half of the responding businesses have submitted, or are working on, a travel safety or hazard mitigation plan. Rushmore clarified that these plans go up to the state for approval, but some businesses are voluntarily supplying their plans to the city, as well. About 40 percent of closed businesses do not have plans to reopen by May 8, she also added.
Rushmore added that the task force was planning to send out another survey
sometime on Tuesday, May 5. This survey was going to be geared towards “nonessential service” businesses. A third survey, still being put together, will try to gather information on the wider economic impacts of the virus on the community itself.
With all the information the task force has put together so far, Rushmore said that the three areas the task force wants to focus on to help businesses are in safety plan guidance, summaries of state mandates, and disinfectant protocol guidance. She said that they have put together a new email address, travel@wrangell.com, where businesses can submit their safety plans to the city for recommendations. The task force was going to issue a newsletter soon too, planned for some time on May 5 Rushmore said, that would provide information regarding state mandates and how they affect different businesses. Rushmore also said that businesses largely have a lot of PPE equipment on hand, like gloves and face masks, but there is a need for more supplies of hand sanitizer. The task force is looking into this to see how they can be of help.
In other news, Rushmore said that the task force has a new email address where businesses can submit questions: reopenwrangell@wrangell.com. A phone line is going to be set up in the near future as well.
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