As we move into the orange level, it is getting glaringly obvious that our area has the actual potential to move into the red level.  I have reached out to the OCHD to consider developing an alternative protocol for the small businesses in our community instead of closing them down.  They are the backbone of our economy; they put their money directly back into our local area. They sponsor local sports teams, events, and just the community as a whole.  Their sales tax helps pave roads, beautify parks, and essentially keep our town from becoming a ghost town.  In fact, most business owners have invested in some form of real estate in our town, whether commercial or residential.  

Small business owners in the Valley have done our part greatly to curb the spread of Covid-19.  We have developed stringent cleaning procedures, limited the volume of patrons, and enforced the mask mandate.  And I can't speak for all businesses, but I can confirm that our studio has a full record of every single person that walks through our doors daily, in addition to prescreening and having posted protocols.  This makes contact tracing through our business easy and efficient to cooperate in the event it would become necessary.  

I do not feel like this is an unreasonable request at all, as thousands of people are permitted to go to Walmart daily, without a record of who entered their doors.  Walmart could logically be forced to operate at a grocery pickup only capacity with open hours only for the elderly and health compromised people, but they aren't. So why are small businesses being threatened with closing, when we can actually control and document who enters our doors?

Whether small businesses are deemed essential or not, they are essential to our families. They are what pays our mortgages, puts food on the table, provides Christmas for our children, and much more.  We have already sacrificed greatly by shutting down earlier this year; we need the OCHD to take into consideration how important small businesses are to our community.  It would be an absolute shame to place such a heavy burden on the citizens of our community, when there is a blatant viable solution to permit us to still conduct business.  I fear if forced into another shut down, many of these businesses won't survive.  There is no more pandemic unemployment for business owners, no more PPP, no grants from the state (those all went to Denver area businesses only), nothing to supplement our loss of income by a pending shut down.

I have started this petition within our community, to emphasize the importance of keeping our doors open if we transition into the red level, to outline suggested safety protocol and necessary compliance, and to show the amount of support we have.  Every business owner I have talked to has zero issue implementing a strict sign in and screening protocol if we move to the red level, to be able to easily assist the OCHD in contact tracing, so long as it permits our businesses to continue to generate income.  Please take a moment to read and sign, to show the OCHD that the Arkansas Valley community supports keeping their local businesses open.

The potential for damages to local small businesses will be irrevocable and devastating.  We will not recover from this.  Our community will not recover from this.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.