New Hope officials to host video conference with local business owners Friday

New Hope officials will host a remote roundtable meeting with local business owners on Friday to begin planning for the eventual reopening of borough businesses shuttered by state executive orders to mitigate the spread of covid-19.

The meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at 1 p.m., and a separate meeting for restaurant owners and managers will be held next week.

Officials say there are quite a few measures that could be put in place locally to make reopening as smooth as possible when executive orders are lifted.

“We will explore every avenue of support that New Hope Borough can offer to our merchants,” said Borough Council President Connie Gering. “We want to hear first-hand what their needs are, what concerns they have, and how they think the borough can help.”

Among the issues council members plan to discuss is the three-phase reopening strategy announced by Gov. Wolf last month. Under that plan, the first phase will allow in-person retail operations to resume, but restaurants and bars will still be limited to takeout and delivery only, and entertainment and personal care facilities will remain closed. 

“For our shop owners, we want to be sure that they can follow social-distancing guidelines in their retail setting, and explore any parking improvements, signage and pick-up zones we can create to help them get back on their feet,” said Gering. “Our hospitality businesses, who are very much at the heart of New Hope, will need additional support because they will be the last to return under the governor’s plan.”

Businesses interested in attending the May 15 Zoom event should email Laura Kent at laura@newhopeborough.org by 3 p.m. Thursday.