The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Subgroup meetings next Monday and Tuesday
by Mark Reaman
A brief zoom call focused on how local businesses can come back from the coronavirus shut down was held Friday afternoon and included representatives of more than 300 businesses. While not a lot of new information was shared, the bottom line is that the ICELab and county are organizing a structure to establish a “bottom up” process to figure the best ways to keep local business healthy.
A central task force will guide the efforts while seven business subgroups have been formed to delve into details of various businesses. Those subgroups have meetings scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday.
Tourism and Prosperity Partnership executive director John Norton said the idea of trying to sell the area at the moment is not fruitful. But the business community can continue to reach out and talk to potential visitors and future tourists in an honest way. He said while the county commissioners have asked TAPP to consider moving some of its budget to local relief efforts and it will do that if needed, the best use of funds is to spend money to eventually get people back in the valley when the time is right. He said that can result in millions of dollars going to local business and employees.
“We are trying to uncover resources individual businesses can use,” said the ICELabs David Assad. “As we uncover or create resources, they will be dispersed from the central task force to the business subgroups.” He said there are about 15 different resources that have been found thus far that are available to businesses in the community.
“Organizing together, we can navigate these uncertain times,” concluded Darcie Perkins of the ICELab.
The Gunnison County COVID 19 webpage has a business resource tab that lists the potential resources for businesses.
