Arizona business groups submit plans for reopening economy
Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, and East Valley Chambers of Commerce deliver plans to Gov. Ducey for reopening of Arizona’s economy
The Arizona business community’s plans for reopening the state’s economy are starting to roll in. The plans vary in size and scope. Some include timelines and others focus on showing what businesses will do to ensure worker and customer safety. They’re coming in about two weeks after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey asked for reopening ideas ahead of any decision the governor make when his stay-at-home order expires on April 30 following several weeks of Covid-19 closures.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry submitted a letter on April 27 to the Arizona Commerce Authority, the organization tasked with coordinating the effort among businesses, detailing how it and its members thought a reopening should go. With no firm timeline established in the recommendations, the chamber says the state should continue to open economic sectors as it’s safe for workers and customers, according to the letter sent by chamber President and CEO Glenn Hamer.
Among the ideas submitted were that “public health is essential to economic success” and producing guidelines for businesses on how and when the could return to operation. Also among the suggestions are concerns about legal liability for companies and questions about what may happen if a worker or customer contracts Covid-19 at their business, Hamer wrote. Hamer says in the letter the state’s economy likely will return in phases, and so too will any economic recovery.
The Arizona Technology Council, which represents some of the fastest-growing sectors of the Arizona economy, also has submitted information based on what its members are looking for. Like the Arizona Chamber, it mentions health and safety as a key measure in reopening the economy. Among its other suggestions are that businesses should overcommunicate with workers about their strategies going forward and work to maintain trust with employees and customers about the steps they are taking. It also encourages businesses to think differently about how they operate.
The East Valley Chambers of Commerce, which represent the region’s eight chambers and a membership base of 5,000 businesses, also submitted recommendations, including setting out a timeline for business operations to begin phasing in starting May 15.
“While the dates proposed in the memo may not be implemented due to the metrics needed to ensure employees and customers are safe, they represent a movement to identify the rules and guidelines for a phased-in approach of reopening our economy,” said Kathy Tilque, Gilbert Chamber of Commerce president and CEO and EVCCA Legislative Committee chairwoman.
VISIT HERE to read the Phoenix Business Journal article in it’s entirety.