Hilton Head chamber: Why a safe coronavirus ‘Path Forward’ is needed quickly | Opinion
Charlie Ferguson parks cars. Lots of them.
For more years than he can remember, the Hilton Head native islander has served as a valet at the Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa. On his days off, he moonlights at the Sonesta Resort. Between the two jobs, Charlie makes a good living.
That was until the coronavirus pandemic brought the travel industry to a screeching halt. With few visitors on the island, there are no cars to park, leaving Charlie without a job.
Thousands of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton workers, from hourly laborers to business professionals, have suddenly found themselves unemployed. Like Charlie, they are local residents, neighbors and friends who contribute to the financial and social fabric of our community.
The impact of the shutdown stretches far beyond those who have lost their jobs.
It has dramatically affected all of us who enjoy the rich and vibrant lifestyle the Lowcountry offers. We can no longer dine at restaurants, go to the theater, take our kids to the playground or attend a concert.
We can’t get a haircut at our favorite barbershop or salon, work out at the gym or even have our teeth cleaned.
And each passing day raises the risk of putting a growing number of merchants and service providers permanently out of business.
According to J.P. Morgan research, the median small business has enough cash on hand to survive 27 days without incoming revenue. These are our neighborhood shopkeepers, bakers, craft brewers, florists, lawyers, accountants, hairdressers, music instructors, dog groomers and dry cleaners. Their stores, restaurants and businesses add to our unique coastal flavor.
We are a community that has faced our share of storms and challenges and we’ll get through this one too. We can find a way to protect the health of residents and the economic health of our community too.
As much as we want to safeguard public health, the lockdown as it now stands is unsustainable.
Fearing the long-term damage it is doing to our lives, more and more states are preparing to gradually reopen the economy in the hopes of heading off a financial crisis some predict could approach the levels of the Great Depression.
This is not about putting profits over people. It’s about adapting our lives to a global health threat that could remain with us for months to come.
To that end, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce is jumping ahead of the curve and bringing together business leaders, public officials, residents and health authorities to develop the Path Forward Readiness Plan, a comprehensive start-up strategy that will provide protocols for best practices and appropriate protective measures aimed at ensuring the health and safety of our residents, visitors and workforce.
The plan will serve as a road map to incrementally reopen businesses in five major areas of our business community — restaurants, retail, lodging, recreation/attractions and small business/services.
Protocols included in the plan will provide businesses with specific steps and community mitigation measures they can take to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.
The Path Forward Readiness Plan is one of many programs the chamber has initiated in support of our community, our workforce and residents during these unprecedented times. We’ve put forth numerous initiatives including, but not limited to:
▪ Joining forces with the Watterson Family Foundation to launch Help4Hope, a program that provides meals to laid-off workers while at the same time supporting local restaurants. The group has provided over 10,000 meals in the last three weeks.
▪ Airing weekly Community COVID-19 calls with representatives from the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Small Business Administration, local town leaders, our congressional delegation and our governor on topics of interest presented in real time via Zoom, social media and the County Channel.
▪ Creating the Takeout Blitz, an online list of restaurants offering to-go menus used by more than 20,000 people to date.
As longtime residents of the Lowcountry with deep roots in the community, we’re committed to protecting the health of our neighbors, friends and co-workers. By taking responsible and measured steps, we can continue our fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 while allowing laid-off workers like Charlie Ferguson the opportunity to go back to work.
This was signed by all members of the chamber’s board, chaired by Chris McCorkendale:
Jean Beck; HH Area Assoc. of Realtors; Steve Birdwell, The Sea Pines Resort; Dru Brown, Island Time Hilton Head; Andrew Carmines, Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks; Jeremy Clark, Hilton Head Regional Healthcare; Susana Cook, Palmera Inn and Suites; Chris Corkern, Prudential Insurance; Tim Friesen, Retired; Casey Lavin, Montage Palmetto Bluff; Diana McDougall, Coastal States Bank; Walter Nester. Burr Forman McNair; Dr. Al Panu, University of SC Beaufort; Karen Ryan, Weichert Realtors Coastal Properties; Andrew Schumacher, Palmetto Dunes P.O.A.; Michael Scioscia, Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa; Jerome Smith, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort; Steve Stauffer, McGriff Insurance Services; Terry Tadlock, Correll Insurance Group of HH; Ray Warco, Retired; Jay Wiendl, DeSoto Savannah Hotel; Baker Wilkins, NAI Carolina Chapter; Alan Wolf, SERG Restaurant Group; Warren Woodard. Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort; Bill Miles, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce.