May 2019 Newsletter

2020

MAY

NEWSLETTER

INTRODUCTION

From the Executive Director

A

s this strangest of years continues, we provide new and updated information regarding local and state resources available to assist businesses and individuals deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For our complete list, we direct you to our website’s new COVID-19 Guidance & Resources page, which you can access via the top toolbar or the main menu just below it.

During our initial response to the pandemic, we’ve seen our role here at the Chamber as primarily a curator and distributor of critical information. As the situation has continued, however, we have been pivoting behind the scenes to devise new ways of supporting our members.

Physically estranged from one another in this bizarre era of social distancing (a term I’m sure we’re all ready to consign to the philological dustbin), we just held our first Virtual Business After Hours. We’re pro-actively promoting our members via social media and radio to drive business your way. We’re also contacting our members in an effort to assemble a Business Response Team to help local businesses make better legal and financial decisions to mitigate losses and avoid business failure. In a related effort, we’re partnering with LEDA to collect financial donations for struggling local businesses and their employees.

Let us say that we are not only here for you, we are here with you. We ourselves have had to make the same kind of painful decisions that you have made for your businesses and employees. While we all may wish we could go back to normal today, no one knows what normal will look like or when it may return. The Chamber supports a prudent reopening of the economy that seeks to balance public health with the need for people to support themselves and their families.

As many of us have learned in the backcountry, tolerance for adversity and uncertainty is critical; now more than ever it is non-negotiable. As our suffering friends from NOLS teach us, “persevering through adversity can result in the most spectacular feelings of accomplishment and the most profound moments of self-discovery.” (We Catholics call it carrying our cross.) Let us use the time well.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Michelle Mazur, President Elevate Rehab

Jonathan Tonkowich, Vice Pres.

Wyoming Catholic College

Eric Andrews, Treasurer Fagnant, Lewis & Brinda P.C.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ann Espinosa Home Source Realty Inc. Inter Mountain Builders

Dave Fehringer WH Smith & Associates, Inc.

Suzanne Norris Wyoming Life Resource Center

Rick Bestul NAPA Auto Parts

James Whiting Whiting Law PC

Joanne Slingerland Central Wyoming College

Mika Baker, Past President Central Bank & Trust

PROFESSIONAL STAFF Owen Sweeney Executive Director

Carol King Associate Director

Kelsey Ball

Owen Sweeney Executive Director Lander Chamber of Commerce

Events & Programs

Dr. Brian Gee, Fremont County Public Health officer, has provided COVID-19 recommendations for businesses.

Please note that while these are recommendations only, businesses are strongly encouraged to consider adopting them to prevent the spread of COVID- 19.

CDC Guidelines for Offices and Businesses • Require employees to wear cloth masks and provide customers the means to keep their hands clean • Ask or even require that your customers wear masks and observe 6-foot distancing guidelines at all times • Keep frequently touched objects like gas pumps, door handles, and credit card machines meticulously clean • Make it clearly visible how you are helping to keep employees and customers safe (such as posting signs outside your business requiring customers to wear masks) • Continue to limit social gatherings to fewer than 10 MASKED people with strict adherence to 6-foot spacing • Strongly consider discouraging gatherings with people not currently living in one household • Consider stronger recommendations for out-of-town travelers into our region (Gov. Gordon has already asked visitors to self-quarantine for 14 days) Cloth Mask Use • Fremont County Public Health (following the recommendations of the CDC) is now asking people to voluntarily wear masks in public spaces, including places such as grocery stores, pharmacies, retail stores of any kind, sale barns, car dealerships, etc.

• Public Health is also asking businesses to encourage employees to wear a mask while at work and asking patrons to consider wearing masks prior entrance into businesses We continue to watch closely the numbers of self-isolation cases from the previous two weeks and monitor potential seeding from surrounding counties and states, as even last week an asymptomatic out-of-state visitor caused a large exposure in the county.

Calls to return to business as usual are understood. The economic hardship of the shutdown is catastrophic. Balancing the lives saved by flattening the curve with that economic hardship will continue to require difficult decisions as we plan how to restart our county, our state and our nation.

When the time comes, the local governments and businesses of Fremont County ...continued on page 6

PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE

BUSINESSUpdate AFTER Fremont County Public Health

STATE UPDATE

Governor Begins to Ease Restrictions On April 23rd, Governor Mark Gordon unveiled a plan that creates a pathway to ease restrictions and resume business activity. He will be releasing after this newsletter goes to print modified orders that will allow county-level flexibility based on objective data.

Governor Gordon’s original orders are set to expire on Thursday, April 30; his new, modified orders will be in effect through Friday, May 15.

The COVID-19 Metrics Dashboard below includes six health metrics that will be utilized for making decisions about easing restrictions. None of the metrics are classified as “improving,” leading State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist to underscore that the pandemic is far from over.

Governor Gordon continues to stress that the schedule for the state’s transition will not be driven by arbitrary dates, but through positive progress. That’s why it remains critical for citizens to continue to follow the public health guidance that has been issued. “As I’ve said before, this will not be a light switch. We are building the plane as we are flying it, and with your help we will keep it in the air.”

Three trusted Lander organizations — the Lander Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), the Lander Community Foundation (LCF), and the Lander Economic Development Association (LEDA) — have united to maximize the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Together, our three organizations will maintain and update the landerunited.org website as an information hub or “online street sign” to direct Lander residents on how they can make financial contributions to struggling businesses and community organizations as well as donate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Fremont County health care workers.

LCF has created the LCF COVID-19 Relief Fund to support organizations in Lander that provide direct assistance to those affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. In the short term, the focus will be on organizations providing basic services where they are most needed. In the longer term, the LCF Board is committed to researching other avenues for helping the community recover from the outbreak. To make a contribution to the LCF COVID-19 Relief Fund, visit landerunited.org and click on the Support Community Orgs button.

To support small businesses and their employees, the Chamber and LEDA have together created the Lander Small Business Relief & Recovery Fund to provide immediate financial relief in the form of grants to help business owners retain their businesses and their employees as a bridge of support before additional state and federal resources become available. The Chamber and LEDA will manage the application and selection process for these emergency relief grants and will use specific criteria to prioritize support for the most vulnerable businesses. This is a nascent initiative, and more information will be provided in the near future. If you would like to contribute to the Lander Small Business Relief & Recovery Fund, please visit the visit landerunited.org and click on the Support Lander Businesses button.

Special Recognition Although the Chamber, LCF, and LEDA have taken over administration of the Lander United initiative, we would like to recognize Michael Kusiek, Kristen Gunther, and Claire Cella for inspiring the initial vision of Lander United. We also would like to recognize Ron Hansen for his creation and management of the ongoing Lander Strong effort.

LOCAL BUSINESS RELIEF NEW MEMBER WELCOME

Lander United

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MEMBER BENEFITS

WY Chambers Health Benefit Plan Participate in a Remarkably Affordable Health Insurance Plan for You and Your Employees Your membership in the Lander Chamber of Commerce affords you the ability to participate in the Wyoming Chambers Health Benefit Plan, an exciting program designed specifically for Wyoming small to mid-sized employers. This Plan is truly employer-driven, as the employer owners are the insurance company and they decide the benefit levels and coverage designs. The Plan has been growing both in the number of participating chambers as well individual employer members of those chambers. This has allowed the Plan to maintain a very substantial reserve account, resulting in significant premium stability and security for participating employers.

Program Objectives • Stabilize insurance premiums now and in the future • Provide broader accessibility to health insurance and coverage options in the Lander community • Create a community-wide wellness mindset and culture • Educate about access to a broader range of choices to promote better healthcare decision making Why Should Your Business Enroll?

• Helps you recruit employees by enhancing your benefit program • Helps you retain employees by improving their morale and loyalty to your company • Provides flexibility and affordability - employees choose the benefit program that bests suits their personal needs • Stabilizes your insurance rates Enrollment Requirements (partial list) • Employer must be a current member in good standing of a participating Chamber • Minimum group size is two employees; each employer must have a minimum of 75% participation rate for groups of five or more and 100% for groups of four or less; husband and wife groups of two are eligible if both are full-time employees • Employer must contribute a minimum of 50% of the employee’s premium or the equivalent if offering multiple plans How Can I Learn More?

Contact Melissa Bilby at mbilby@wercs.com or 307-233-8591.

can help chart the safest path to what will be the NEW NORMAL. That new normal may last another year before science has found an adequate vaccine or treatment for this virus.

Community and Business ideas to Consider now for “WHEN” restrictions are lifted • Gyms - Many good plans have been proposed to maintain social distancing and stringent cleaning. Share plans with like businesses to make sure there is consistency across the county.

• Churches - Consider two or three separate services with wide spacing between church members instead of one large service. Alternate aisle seating with vacant rows. Keep entrance and exit doors open so that guests do not touch door handles. Require masks. No potlucks, please.

• Movie Theaters - Customers and patrons should wear masks. No adjacent seating for non-household groups. Seat alternate or every third row only.

• Restaurants and Bars - Create wide spaced seating. All employees should wear masks. Customers do not have to wear masks. Implement numerous hand cleaning stations.

• Personal Care Businesses - Both employees and patrons should wear masks.

Come up with strict guidelines to maintain social distancing and hygiene practices at all times.

• Nursing Homes and Senior Housing - Realistically, those living here are our most vulnerable citizens and have the least flexibility. NO lifting of current industry restrictions until this pandemic is over.

Again, these are recommendations only. Current restrictions remain in place and no lifting of these will be considered by the County Health Officer until the Governor’s office gives further direction.

If these conditions are extended or changed in any fashion these orders would be followed as well. If local health conditions worsen and are deemed to require more urgent action, then stronger restrictions may be considered by the County Health Officer as per Wyoming Statute 35-1-227 (in conjunction with the State Health Officer consultation under Wyoming Statute 35-1-240 (a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv).

Do You Have Specific Questions Regarding COVID-19?

FremontCountyWYCovid.com is a public information website through which the public can post questions related specifically to the COVID-19 virus. The Fremont County Public Health Department and the Fremont County Incident Command Management team are reviewing questions daily and posting answers as soon as possible. Personal/private health related questions can be asked by calling the following emergency numbers: 307-857-3677 or 307-856-6979.

COUNTY UPDATE

County Public Health Update (cont.)

Whiting Law PC James Whiting 277 Main St., Suite 3, Lander

Air Lander Andy Gramlich 920 Mountain View Court, Lander

Homestead Properties Lauri Griffin 288 Cascade, Lander

Wind River Aviation Gary Loose PO Box 1331, Lander

Alchemy: An Artists’ Cooperative 320 Main St., Lander

Labyrinth Productions Chris Amend 514 Northridge Dr., Riverton

Wyoming.com 937 W. Main St., Riverton

Bailey Tire & Auto/Pit Stop Mike Bailey 755 S. Federal Blvd, Riverton The Bike Mill Rio Rose 109 Main St., Lander Bomgaar’s 275 Grand View Dr., Lander Breadboard Bob Born 1350 W. Main St., Lander Community Health Center of Central Wyoming, Inc. 115 Wyoming St., Lander Cornerstone Christian School 80 Mortimore Lane, Lander Family Chiropractic Vince Irene 8135 Hwy 789, Lander

Lander Bar/Gannett Grill Kyle Vassolopolis 126 Main St., Lander

Wyoming Community Bank Kendall Hayford, Branch Manager 685 Main St., Lander

Lander Economic Development Association 160 S 4th St., Lander

NEW Pingora Consulting Stephanie Weaver PO Box 1716, Lander

Lander Medical Clinic Ryan Hedges, CEO 745 Buena Vista Dr., Lander

Western Wyoming Medical LLC Alan Daugherty 535 E. Main, Lander

Mountain West Business Solutions Randy & Janet Barker PO Box 702, Evanston

Whiskey Goats Mountaineering Jessica Evans 3207 Magnolia Dr., Rock Springs

NAPA Auto Parts Rick Bestul 391 Main St., Lander

Wind River Visitors Council Paula McCormick, Executive Director, 263 N. 8th St., Lander

RENEWING MEMBERS

Hammer Shredding Walt Neil, 10888 Hwy 789, Riverton

RENEWING MEMBERS

Adam E. Phillips, Attorney at Law, PC 260 Lincoln St., Lander

Rodney’s Collision & Custom Center Rodney & Leona Rohn 330 Mortimore Lane, Lander

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid LANDER, WY PERMIT NO. 78

This issue of the Chamber newsletter is printed by Western Printing.