Bonney Lake And Sumner Mayors Ask Inslee To Reopen Business

Charles Woodman
·2 min read

BONNEY LAKE, WA — The mayors of Bonney Lake and Sumner have issued an open letter to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee asking that their cities be allowed to reopen businesses early.

Under Inslee's Safe Start plan to reopen Washington's economy, as the coronavirus wanes, businesses are reopened in four phases. Currently, all of Pierce County is in Phase 1 of Inslee's plan and Pierce is not eligible to enter Phase 2 early, but Bonney Lake Mayor Neil Johnson, Jr. and Sumner Mayor Bill Pugh argue that they should be allowed an exception.

The mayors argue that their towns are small enough to safely reopen, and that their economy is suffering unduly because of business closures.

"Our small businesses, which provide for our significant economic bases, are anxiously waiting for the green light to open," write the mayors.

The mayors say they can safely open businesses by following three new guidelines:

  • Ensure opening businesses follow the same safety standards that have been imposed in essential businesses that have remained open amid the pandemic.

  • Continue to encourage the use of face masks and social distancing.

  • Encourage senior citizens and other high-risk community members to stay home.

Under Inslee's current plan, Bonney Lake and Sumner will be allowed to reopen many businesses along with the rest of Pierce County when it enters the next phase. Pierce is currently expected to enter Phase 2 with the rest of Washington state. The governor has said that could happen around June 1, but may be delayed if there are further outbreaks or setbacks.

22 Washington counties are eligible to move into Phase 2 early and 10 have successfully applied to do so, but Pierce is not among them. In order to apply for a Phase 2 variance, counties must have fewer than 10 new cases of the coronavirus per 100,000 residents for two weeks.

Under Phase 2, a variety of businesses are allowed to return, albeit with new safety guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. Returning industries include bars and taverns, restaurants, hair salons, gyms, outdoor recreational facilities, manufacturers and more.

Read the whole joint letter from both mayors here.


This article originally appeared on the Bonney Lake-Sumner Patch