The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
BUSINESS OWNERS LOOKING FOR RELIEF
Commissioner Cirino asks for guidance on restarts
Lake County Commissioner Jerry Cirino announced he has been working with several business owners throughout the county on how to get operations back to normal once restrictions are scaled back or stopped altogether.
“While everyone has been complimentary of the health actions that Gov. (Mike) DeWine has taken, we do need to begin giving businesses who have either shut down or seen material reductions in revenue some idea when these restrictions may be lifted and how they may be able to operate,” Cirino said during the board’s April 16 meeting.
“Businesses have been very patient and are suffering a great deal. They need time to plan on their emergence from these restrictions
“They need time to plan on their emergence from these restrictions and their ideas need to be heard.” — Jerry Cirino
and their ideas need to be heard.”
After discussions, several business owners/operators offered suggestions on how they may begin to fully restart from the COVID-19 shutdown, following established protocols of categorized “essential” businesses.
“Two major multiple-location restaurants, Yours Truly and Panini’s Bar and Grill, are prepared to limit the number of customers at one time, use fewer tables to provide adequate social distancing, provide separation between booths, and require staff use of masks and continuation of take-out business,” Cirino said, acknowledging the overall process of reopening will not occur overnight.
“Additionally, use of outdoor seating, with spacing, would also be promoted. Revenues for both of these owners are down 80 to 90 percent. They need to reopen soon.”
Other businesses which would follow similar reopening strategies are Rocco’s Hair Design, JayDee Cleaners and Custom Cleaning and Maintenance.
“As an ‘essential’ business, we have been operating, but revenue has taken a hit,” said Marlene Cornachio, owner of Custom Cleaning. “We have gone out of our way to support and accommodate our employees. What we need is for our commercial customers to reopen so we can begin serving them again while taking all the appropriate precautions.” Adam Sanden, owner of Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home and Cremation
Center, suggested that instead of looking at the “hard counts” of attendees for a funeral, he would rather focus on the “relationship” to the deceased, proposing sites with multiple viewing rooms limiting service to one at a time.
As things continue to improve, attendance would be modified, accordingly, to extended families sometime in May, he said.
“We deal with families at a very sensitive time,” Sanden added. “We believe we can gradually expand services while (also) being careful about the virus transmission, and staff could wear masks as long as necessary. Relatives need the opportunity to grieve and to remember their loved ones as a family.
“Due to lack of regular services, revenues are down substantially and relief from the feds is coming very slowly.”
Cirino, who has been in contact with DeWine’s office, emphasized there has been no pushing for a definitive “reopening” date and that the importance of healthy living remains as crucial as ever.
“These are simply a few of the affected business people discussing how to get the economy back and they all realize the governor’s rescue plans are a process, but we have to get that process started,” Cirino said. “Everyone I have spoken with said that they understand these steps were necessary and complimented the governor for taking swift action.
“Now, they want to be prepared to jump back into business and they need some time to plan on how they will do it.”