By Rep. Patrick Corey and Rep. Jessica Fay
Back
in Late June we participated in a forum organized by the Sebago Lakes Region
Chamber of Commerce. Over the past few years, the Lakes Region Delegation has
come together to listen to the concerns of our local businesses and to talk
about how we can work together to promote sustainable economic development in
our communities. While the conversation this year focused on how businesses can
be resilient and manage through the COVID 19 pandemic, the sense of cooperation
had a similar feel because when the chips are down, we do what Maine people do,
work together and take care of each other. In the Legislature, we often work
together in a bi-partisan way in order to find policy solutions that work for
the Lakes Region and are glad that this work can continue outside of Augusta.
The Department of Health and Human Services has made grant money available to municipalities and to local organizations through the “Keep Maine Healthy” initiative. These funds allow communities to do public outreach and education about public health and what steps we can all take in order to protect our health and the health of our community members. We were not surprised when out of the June forum conversation came a collaboration between the local chamber, local towns like Raymond and Windham, Windham Economic Development, and others. You may already be seeing signage and public service announcements.
We
are so proud of all of the creative ways that local businesses have found to
comply with the CDC guidance to keep us all safe. From installing barriers at
checkout counters, to continually sanitizing high touch areas, to instituting
one-way aisles and occupancy limits, these measures can be a resource intensive
investment. Our community has always done what it can to support small business
and we know that customers will recognize how important it is to support
businesses that are taking the health and well-being of all of us to heart. Our
number of COVID cases in the area has been low— As of Aug. 11, there have been
69 probable and confirmed cases in Raymond and Windham—and many have taken
steps to keep it that way. If you are a business with questions about how to be
safe, you can reach out to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce or
Maine’s Dept. of Economic and Community Development, your local municipality or
one of us.
Our
region’s people have done an amazing job keeping our numbers down. Your
vigilance and care for others over the past months has made it possible for
many businesses to open up, even with hurdles and challenging cash flows. Your
willingness to follow the guidelines that businesses have been given has helped
them push through. Thank you.
As
we move forward through this together, we will continue to look for ways to
support local small businesses and our communities so that we can survive and
thrive in this changing economy. We’re hopeful that this will end soon, but
know that with constituents like you, we’ll get through this. We welcome your
thoughts and ideas.
Rep. Patrick Corey (part of Windham), patrick.corey@legislature.maine.gov, 207-749-1336.
Rep. Jess Fay (part of Casco, Poland and Raymond), jessica.fay@legislature.maine.gov, 207-415-4218.
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