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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Reno County Health Department and the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce are jointly convening the Reno County Economic Recovery Taskforce to begin developing a local plan for the opening of Reno County businesses following the conclusion of Governor Kelly's stay at home order on May 3. Reno County Commissioner Bob Bush wants the public to know that the problem and the solution is countywide."We've worked with the Chamber to put together different industries that are important to the community and then identify stakeholders in some of our larger cities," Bush said. "We've gone out of our way to identify businesses and operators and stakeholders that are outside in Reno County. We've specifically looked at Nickerson, Buhler, Turon, Pretty Prairie. We've invited a number of people to the table, so that it's going to be a true countywide effort. We don't know who is going to choose to participate."The purpose of this task force will be seeking input for local strategy to be prepared in anticipation of a reopening date in May. "We're working on putting together subcommittees that are going to really inform the process, so that there's a lot of buy-in," said Hutch Chamber CEO Debra Teufel. "We want well thought out strategy how we reopen the county on the day that we hopefully can reopen."In order to participate in any of the subcommittee meetings, businesses must register through the Hutch Chamber’s Zoom meeting link. The schedule and registration links for these meetings will be publicized at hutchchamber.com/recovery, as well as renogov.org. Health Department director Nick Baldetti notes that there won't be specific dates, but more of a general timeline, with the state level having first crack at when things will be lifted."We want to be very specific to try to have guidance documents for each industry to kind of have in hand, if you will, at said time when we can reopen," Baldetti said. "Now, obviously, we're beholden to any statewide gubernatorial orders that are in place, but, should, all else being equal, the current executive orders that are in place lapse on May 3, we would like to have some form of a plan for what May 4 looks like."In order for Kansas to fit the criteria put out by the White House for reopening, there would need to be 14 days of a reduction in cases first. Kansas is still gaining cases day by day.

Taskforce to begin working on economic plan