A Vote on the Unknown Future of Coronavirus

The vote that we, as the Board of Aldermen, took on March 20th was the toughest vote that I've ever taken on the Board in a decade of service. “Why?” you might ask. With all of the positive growth, economic development decisions, and extremely divisive topics that we have voted on, this topic was proven to not have sufficient data provided at the time of the measure. As elected officials, we have to make decisions that ultimately affect the town as a whole, not just our own personal lives. It's a tough role, and often times we are making decisions that have monetary repercussions, this decision may have physical consequences.

Unanimously, as a Board, we voted to follow the Centers for Disease Control's recommended guidelines to restrict gatherings to ten or less people in areas deemed non-essential. This will limit for thirty days our restaurants to delivery and curb-side pickup only. This also limits the insides of businesses to ten or fewer people, excluding essential services, such as grocery stores, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, gas stations and convenience stores.

There are two groups of people whose opinions probably matter the most to me in this town, and that is pastors and small business owners. Surprisingly, I'd estimate that ninety percent or more of churches and businesses had self-imposed the CDC guidelines, and were practicing proper social distancing. Best case scenario, in a month or two, this COVID-19 scare was overrated, and the elected officials will be mocked for overreacting. Worst case scenario, this measure wasn't enacted soon enough. Either way, only time will tell, and I don't believe that sufficient data could have been provided at the time of our meeting.

The problem with the predictability of a pandemic curve, is that at the onset, the peak of the curve has not been realized yet. Honestly, at 39 years old, I'm not too concerned with the mortality rate for myself, wife or our kids. I am however concerned more for our family and friends that are 65 and older. This is my parent's generation, and that is a little bit more unsettling. I believe that each of us have to look to the depths of our souls and ask a simple question: if one single life were spared from this virus, was all of this precaution worth it? If your own parents lives were spared, would it have been worth the precaution? Sadly, at this point, there may be some people that say no to that question. Others would say that we aren't prepared enough. No one has the right answer at this point in time. That's the only reality of the question posed, there isn't an answer yet. As of today (March 21, 2020), there are one hundred forty confirmed cases of Corona virus in the State of Mississippi,

none in Oktibbeha County, and only one death statewide. In fifty years, when a school child finds this article as they prepare to do a project for school, what will be the final numbers? Was this virus overrated? Did it serve to better prepare the USA for future pandemics? Only time will tell.

What to expect in the near future? In spite of all the negativity, there are positive reminders every day that show the generosity of our Starkville residents. Local bus drivers will continue to deliver meals daily to those people who need them most. People will be seen out enjoying the sunshine on their daily walks, families will be in their yards playing catch, people will wave a sincere friendly wave when you pass by, businesses will continue to provide the goods and services that we need, and the hype and hysteria will die down at some point. Expect people to need prayer, and expect people to be open and honest about their concerns. If you can be the one person that can help someone else out in some way, step up to the plate and deliver. Treat every day as if it's a gift, it is. This is uncharted territory for this town, how will we be remembered fifty years from now? It's up to us to make that decision.

Life will return back to normal, it's only a matter of time.