LYNN — State lawmakers told the city’s business community to prepare for a gradual reopening of the economy with heavy restrictions on what and how businesses would be allowed to operate during a conference call hosted by the Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce Tuesday night.
Gov. Charlie Baker has released an overview of his four-phased approach to reopening the Massachusetts economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but has declined discussing specifics until next Monday, when the stay-at-home order and ban on non-essential business operations is set to expire.
What remains unclear is what businesses would be cleared to open in the first phase of Baker’s plan, “Start,” which calls for “limited industries (to) resume operations with severe restrictions.”
State Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) said details have been limited from the governor, but she’s anticipating that the first phase will not change much in terms of what businesses will be allowed to operate. She said the phase will likely encompass essential businesses that have already been open.
“I’m not sure how this will roll out, but from what I understand the first day the stay-at-home order will not be in effect, it will pretty much be the businesses that are already (operating),” said Ehrlich. “The first wave of openings will not be much different than what we have now.”
The additional phases in the governor’s plan are: a “Cautious” Phase Two, which calls for additional industries to resume operations with restrictions and capacity limits; a “Vigilant” Phase Three, which allows additional industries to resume operations with guidance; and a “New Normal” in Phase Four, which would be enabled with the development of a vaccine and/or therapy.
Citing restrictions on restaurants that will include social distancing measures and disposable menus, Ehrlich said “businesses are going to have to prepare (themselves).
“Everything that we have thought about business in the past will have to be rethought through and altered,” she said.
Both Ehrlich and State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) cautioned against reopening the state’s economy too quickly, saying that if not done carefully, the results could be “devastating.”
Public health officials have warned that reopening the nation’s economy too quickly could lead to a resurgence of the virus, which economists say could lead to a “double dip recession.”
“As anxious as we are to get back to relatively normal, we have to be focused on doing it as safely as possible because the hit to our economy if we do it too soon could be devastating to our community,” said Crighton, noting that state revenue projections for the next fiscal year’s budget show a $4-6 billion shortfall.
“We have a lot of challenges as a state legislature,” said Crighton.
Mayor Thomas M. McGee said Lynn would not be making reopening decisions independently and would seek guidance from the state throughout the process. He cited the importance of working with local and state leaders throughout Massachusetts to ensure that reopening is successful.
“We want to avoid an uneven patchwork response that would create confusion among our residents and businesses,” said McGee. “We want to ensure we’re doing it the right way.”
During the Zoom call on Tuesday night, business owners and other community members expressed wide-ranging concerns.
One participant mentioned that the city seemed to be more focused on regulating businesses rather than individuals, in terms of enforcing face mask and social distancing regulations, and felt businesses were being held to a different standard.
Crighton said enforcement has been a “nightmare” at the municipal level. He said it’s not realistic to expect regulations to be enforced for every person who is not wearing a face covering.
“I think everyone is doing their best to enforce these guidelines,” said Crighton. “This has never happened before in our lifetimes. I know it’s frustrating when you see people behaving in a way that’s not responsible and putting others in harm’s way. I know municipalities are doing everything they can to enforce it.”
John Olson, who participated in the Zoom call, said he was told by a non-food related business owner that a health inspector had showed up to his establishment three times in the past month to make sure the face mask regulations were being followed.
Olson wanted to know if those frequent checks would become normal during the phased reopening and if there would be penalties.
Similarly, another participant, who submitted a statement that was read by Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Colin Codner, suggested that Lynn has been more restrictive on businesses than other parts of the state and wanted to know if the city was going to continue to be a “restrictive business community” going forward.
However, James Cowdell, Economic Development & Industrial Corporation of Lynn (EDIC/Lynn) executive director, said he disagreed with the assessment that Lynn has been overly restrictive on businesses throughout the pandemic.
“The inspectors go out, they enforce the laws that are on the books,” said Cowdell. “The inspectors are doing their very best of trying to keep everybody safe. This is historic what we’re going through and it’s not easy. I don’t think we’re overly restrictive. I think it’s just a balance.”
Citing the $1 million of federal COVID-19 relief funding that the city was awarded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and plans to distribute to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the virus, Cowdell told business owners on the call “we’re there for you.”
Joe Scianatico, chairman of the Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, urged city officials to be patient with local businesses when it comes to inspections. He said business owners will be learning about the new regulations during the phased reopening and hoped that inspectors wouldn’t be quick to issue fines.
In addition, Scianatico said it would be difficult for people who own commercial space in buildings in the city to pay their taxes if their businesses remain closed.
“I think all of you know how passionate all of the business owners are because this is their livelihood,” said Scianatico. “They want to get back to work and (provide) a future for themselves and their families. I know there’s no real easy answers to anything … but hopefully we can think about something that we can do to help everybody.”
