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RIVERTON — In a sign of just how difficult times are for many Utahns, officials in the city of Riverton released an economic recovery plan that included a drive-thru business blitz to help boost the economy.
“We have to try to do something,” said Mayor Trent Staggs, a business owner and the mayor of Riverton City. “There’s just a lot of uncertainty right now.”
Riverton is a city in Salt Lake County with more than 450 businesses. Mayor Staggs is among countless business and government leaders desperately working to lessen the impact of the coronavirus and its accompanying restrictions on public health and the economy.
“We’ve never done this before where we’ve literally stopped our economy, and we’ve got to find ways to get it back open,” Staggs said. “It’s not Amazon that needs our help right now, it’s our local businesses.”
This week, Mayor Staggs released the “Riverton Economic Recovery Initiative,” a plan to get the economy back on track. It includes five steps:
- Continue eliminating licensing fees for businesses
- Temporarily lift signage restrictions to allow businesses to better advertise during the pandemic
- Continue the city’s “eat local” campaign
- Host a virtual business roundtable with the South Valley Chamber and Riverton businesses
- Host and promote a free, weeklong drive-thru “Business Blitz”
The event will go on from May 1 to May 8.
The plan is for the city to provide large signs, free of charge, for businesses to advertise sales. Those businesses will be allowed to post their signs at Riverton City Park, where residents and neighbors will be invited to drive through, take pictures of the deals, and redeem them at those locations.
The city is also investing thousands of dollars in gift cards at local shops and restaurants that they will give out to residents and neighbors who attend.
It’s not Amazon that needs our help right now, it’s our local businesses.
–Mayor Trent Staggs
“This is an opportunity to get people out of the house, to drive through our park, and take a look at all the offers that these businesses have. We don’t feel like this is in any way, shape, or form going to conflict with any of the orders out there right now,” Staggs said. “I’m really hoping, by the end of this month, that we can get back into some sort of opening; maybe it’s a rolling open.”
At the state’s COVID-19 press conference Wednesday, Dr. Angela Dunn said, “I know these measures can be tough to follow for the long term, and I just want to let people know that we need to keep this up.”
The “when” and “how” to open are questions that many people across the state are asking.
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'Tip Your Server' program offers relief to struggling bar, restaurant workers
A sushi restaurant hit by both the coronavirus and last month’s earthquake was one of dozens of eateries and bars selected to receive a grant from Ty Burrell’s “Tip Your Server” campaign, a program designed to offer relief to struggling hospitality workers.In the end, the effort to save lives and stop the spread of the virus may mean some places won’t have the option to reopen, like Five Sushi Brothers in Salt Lake City who fears they’ve reached the end of the line after the virus and last month’s earthquake rocked their business.
“Part of that planning is also identifying what guidance needs to be given to each specific business so that they can reopen and limit the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Dunn said.
Until that time, Mayor Staggs said he is trying to do what he can to keep business going while staying safe.
“I feel like we need to do something to people back to work,” he said.
