It’s time to talk about saving KY livelihoods as well as KY lives
My friend Tammy Hoehler is familiar with the hustle.
On New Year’s Eve, the storied gift shop she moved to Somerset’s Fountain Square in 2019 was bursting at the seams, stacked with people in line to buy signature drinks. Tammy made the bold decision to add a bar to her store upon moving downtown, and that night as she quickly shifted from one customer to the next, she learned her innovation would pay off.
Today Tammy is making different bold decisions. She’s offering lunches and signature drinks for pick-up, pushing online sales of gifts, and driving just about anywhere in Pulaski County to make deliveries. She’s just one of the scores of dedicated small business owners in my community and across Kentucky trying to innovate a new, often frightening, way — concerned for their health, worried if they’ll make enough to keep going.
Others simply can’t keep going. They are reeling from sweeping government-mandated closures that keep them from the hustle. Every day, mayors like myself across Kentucky are listening to their plights, and the fear and anguish never get easier to hear. As a small business owner, I sympathize with their struggle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdown, and I wonder — how can I help them feel confident we are not only here to protect their lives, but their livelihoods as well?
Protecting the health of Kentuckians, of course, is of the utmost importance and as a state, we are excelling. Statewide public health efforts to minimize and ameliorate the impact of COVID-19 have been necessary and seemingly effective. In a recent letter to Gov. Andy Beshear, I thanked him for his effort, hard work and the difficult decisions he has made for the people of Kentucky during this time of tribulation.
As mayor of Somerset, I understand the burden Gov. Beshear carries for our citizens, their safety and their well-being. As a father of three young girls and the husband of a nurse, I share his concern for every Kentuckian’s family. But I am also gravely concerned about every Kentuckian’s future.
We are nearing the point at which the economic downswing and the resulting damage to thousands — if not millions — of Kentuckians will last years, if not decades. It is time that we, as a unified Commonwealth, begin to work with business, education and health leaders on a timely and sure reintegration strategy. Slowing the virus — flattening the curve — is an essential component to battling this pandemic, but it is not the only step. We must eagerly prepare Kentuckians to go back to work, our children to go back to school, and our state to return to a sense of normalcy and progress.
I stand firm in my conviction that we can accomplish this while remaining vigilant in protecting the well-being of those most at risk.
What does this look like? There are many options to consider, but I believe it’s vital to use common sense and focus on businesses and industries that can safely operate while using social distancing practices. We should be able to reopen barbershops, salons, dental and chiropractic offices and similar businesses using the “one in one out” patient or client model, which can also allow our hospitals to perform elective surgeries again. If we eliminate waiting room traditions, these Kentuckians can get back to work providing services to those in need.
We should also consider allowing restaurants to open with limited capacity as soon as we feel confident we have enough tests to test all who show symptoms. Perhaps 50 percent capacity restraints — already in practice at large retail stores — and reservation blocks to allow cleaning between sessions would be an effective strategy.
The bottom line: There is no reason to wait to have this conversation in hopes we can flip a switch and return to normal. Allowing certain sectors to go back to work as soon as possible enables us to slowly, and safely, jumpstart our economy — helping our citizens in ways that still minimize exposure to our most vulnerable.
Elected officials across the state must come together to look at this from every possible angle. We must then consult with health care officials and business leaders from all sectors to develop a holistic and integrative strategy, in a timely fashion, to bring our economy back sooner and stronger than ever.
Let us act before it’s too late for Tammy — and Del, Daniel, John, Jamie, Sarah, Kristyn, Bill, Jenny, Amy and every other small business owner who is struggling in my community and across the state. Kentucky lives, and livelihoods, depend on it.
The government closest to the people can be the most responsive, and Main Street is pleading for our help. We led as a Commonwealth on early social distancing. I ask Gov. Beshear to lead now in getting our citizens back to their life’s work.
Alan Keck was elected mayor of Somerset, a community of 11,500 in southeastern Kentucky, in 2018. A small-business owner, he is a 2003 graduate of Somerset High School, a 2007 graduate of Western Kentucky University, and a 2014 MBA graduate of the University of the Cumberlands.