Local leaders are beginning discussions about what reopening will look like in Cascade County.

Discussions are preliminary as everyone is awaiting the rollout of the phased reopening plan from Gov. Steve Bullock’s office, which he said in an April 17 press briefing, would be this week.

Bullock set to release plan for phased reopening next week

Representatives from the city, county, health department and business community met April 20  at the Emergency Operations Center to start discussing how that will work locally.

The local level can be more restrictive than the state, but not less so.

In Cascade County, the last positive COVID-19 case was reported on April 10. The county has had 13 confirmed cases, two deaths and nine have recovered so far, according to the Cascade County City-County Health Department.

Bullock extends stay home, school closures, dining-in directives through April 24

Statewide, there were 437 confirmed cases as of April 21, four new since yesterday. Of those 273 have recovered and there have been 12 deaths related to COVID-19, according to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Bullock said last week, that one factor in the phased reopening plan would be a sustained reduction in positive cases.

March 26 COVID-19 updates: First Montanan dies of COVID-19; Cascade County has another confirmed case; Bullock issues shelter in place; county health officer closes tattoo parlors, salons, spas; Bus service suspended through April 11; Montana now has 90 cases

According to local officials, they know Bullock is using guidance issued by the White House, ‘Opening Up America Again,’ but do not yet know how this guidance will be adapted to the unique needs of Montana and its health districts, according to the Cascade County City-County Health Department.

The stay-at home order remains in effect through April 24, unless Bullock directs otherwise.

March 24 COVID-19 updates: School closures, dine-in restrictions extended to April 10; Catholic schools closed through May 4; election updates; county landfill changes; changes to GFPD operations, city animal shelter; GF Clinic now accepting homemade masks

City and county officials are, according to a release, now beginning to:

• “Develop conditional opening plans for businesses, subject to the governor’s requirements, that allow businesses to resume while reducing risk of rapid growth in case numbers
• Prepare our community to implement new or revised plans from the Governor
• Work with local businesses/establishments in developing preventative measures and practices (based on the type of business) for operating safely”

Once Bullock issues his guidance, local officials will define business and establishment sector groups, which has already being done by the Great Falls Development Authority, Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Great Falls Association.

March 20 COVID-19 updates: Library offering curbside pickup; Malmstrom AFB raises health protection level; Cascade County declares emergency; county jail still accepting offenders; Bullock orders closures of dine-in food and beverage businesses; Showdown closing; GFPS food drive today at Bison Ford; Great Falls Rescue Mission adjusting operations

Next steps for Cascade County include a meeting, after the Governor’s guidance on reopening is issued later this week, to define business & establishment sectors for focus groups. The Chamber of Commerce, Great Falls Development Authority, and Downtown Great Falls Association are responsible for this.

City Manager Greg Doyon said during the April 21 City Commission meeting that the city will use library staff to help conduct a survey of the business community to have a better understanding of the realities of the local business environment and what they need.

“At this point in the recovery process, we need to engage the business community directly,” Doyon said.

CCHD “will provide a framework for businesses to reopen based on appropriate medical and public health protocols. This will include a continued focus on social distancing, clear guidance on cleaning and disinfection, and an ongoing and rigorous assessment of the impact on the health system,” according to a release from CCHD.

March 19 COVID-19 updates: health officer orders restrictions on bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc.; city declaring sate of emergency; changes at city attorneys office, animal shelter and Municipal Court; downtown metered parking enforcement suspended; Lewis and Clark Trail Mixer postponed; GFCMSU changing access, operations

Bullock’s guidance is expected soon, but the local reopening plans will also be impacted by local epidemiology.

“The goal for Cascade County is to find a ‘new normal’ that leads to sustained recovery and circumvents the need to reimplement social distancing control measures later,” according to the CCHD release.

County health board calls emergency meeting, opts not to restrict bars and restaurants yet; working with business owners to develop plan for eventual restrictions [March 17]

In an interview with Brett Doney of the Great Falls Development Authority on April 21, he said his organization and others are reaching out to different industry sector groups through their associations and individuals to hear their ideas, challenges and needs and the community begins to reopen.

GFDA hosted a virtual meeting that was open to business owners on April 21 as the first in a series of conversations to start getting ideas and concerns. The Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Great Falls Association will also be hosting similar virtual discussions with their memberships. The Homebuilders Association of Great Falls and the Great Falls Retail Association are also talking to their members about having a similar discussion, Doney said.

Protecting the public and employees will be paramount, Doney said, “there’s going to be lots of challenges” though for some businesses it will be a fairly easy transition while others will have more trouble due to the nature of the health concern and distancing requirements.

Doney said in an interview with The Electric that there’s uncertainty and may be some back and forth due to health conditions should there be a spike in new COVID-19 cases.

“We all hope that it opens up and we don’t have to clamp back down but every other epidemic in history has had waves,” Doney said.

Doney said GFDA is also talking to business owners about their challenges and needs to reopen, such as capital, strategy and other support.

Once the guidance is released from the governor’s office, Doney said locally, officials want to be able to provide clear guidance and assistance.

GFDA is looking at training a staffer in COVID-19 related specifics to be able to focus on providing advice and guidance to local businesses as they adapt to the new COVID-19 environment, however the phased reopening transpires.

Re-opening will be different for industry sectors and even individual businesses within those sectors, Doney said.

GFDA is working with existing businesses now to help them stabilize and preserve since “we know that this crisis is going to cause some economic harm,” Doney said, and some businesses may not be able to staff at the same pre-pandemic levels.

Doney said that some jobs may not exist as the community recovers from COVID-19 closures and continued restrictions, but “whenever there’s an economic shock there’s opportunities as well.”

Doney said they want to hear from local business leaders to hear their ideas and share them with others to have industry come up with solutions versus having government dictate all of the plans. GFDA supports businesses throughout the Golden Triangle and Doney said having ideas shared among regional business owners will be helpful.

“It’s an unprecedented economic hit, but Great Falls an the Golden Triangle are very well positioned to come out of this strong and continue to grow and diversify our economy,” Doney said.