On Friday, 1st Selectman Jim Marpe announced the formation of a ReOpen Westport Advisory Team.
This afternoon he provided more details on the group. Their charge is to advise him “on issues relating to the reopening of our local economy and community as we navigate the risks of COVID-19 for the foreseeable future.”
The team includes:
- Jennifer Tooker, 2nd Selectwoman (chair)
- John Bayers, director of human resources and general administration, Westport Public Schools
- Mark Cooper, director, Westport Weston Health District
- Jen Fava, director, Westport Parks & Recreation Department
- Sara Harris, operations director, Town of Westport
- Foti Koskinas, chief of the Westport Police Department
- Mary Young, director, Planning & Zoning Department
- Randy Herbertson, president, Westport Downtown Merchants Association
- Matthew Mandell, executive director, Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce
- Brian Stern, Chair, Board of Finance.
2nd selectman Jennifer Tooker, ReOpen Westport Advisory Team chair
The Advisory Team will focus on working with the local business community. It will not make regulatory decisions.
Westport will “generally follow the guidelines issued by the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group and Governor Lamont,” Marpe says.
“However, there will likely be operational issues that will arise with our local business owners through this gradual reopening phase. The Advisory Team will seek feedback from them and assist in their understanding of the guidelines as the businesses transition through this uncertain period.”
The ReOpen Westport Advisory Team will seek input from local business and community leaders in these areas, though more may be added later:
- Real estate
- Retailers
- Medical offices
- Restaurants, bars and delis
- Salons and spas
- Offices
- Banks
- Fitness facilities
- Houses of worship
- Day camps
- Day care and preschool
- Grocers
- Liquor stores
- Dry cleaners
- Dealerships and auto repair shops.
The Westport Weston Family YMCA is sure to be one of the groups providing input to the ReOpen Westport Advisory Team.
Marpe adds, “This team of operational experts will be in communication with our local business owners in an effort to guide them through issues that will undoubtedly arise in the coming months.”
The ReOpen Westport Advisory Team’s first public meeting/work session is this Wednesday (May 6, 11 a.m.). It will be live streamed on www.westportct.gov, and aired on Cablevision Channel 79 and Frontier Channel 6020. The public is invited to view the meeting.
The ReOpen Westport Advisory Team’s email is reopenteam@westportct.gov.
Thank you so much
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How are they operational experts? Has any one of them been though something even close to this.
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DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE BUT FOR GOODNESS SAKE GIVE THEM A CHANCE. THIS IS NEW TERRITORY TO ALL OF US. GOOD LUCK TEAM.
Oh Pete, seems like you’re having a rough day. A little self-care goes a long way.
I think Dan Woog should definitely be on that committee!
While this is a smart group, none of the members is a doctor (Mark Cooper, Director of the Heath District, is not an M.D.). It seems we should also have an infectious disease specialist on this committee to help make sense of received data.