Back in late June we participated in a forum organized by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. Over the past few years, the Lakes Region Delegation has come together to listen to the concerns of our local businesses and to talk about how we can work together to promote sustainable economic development in our communities. While the conversation this year focused on how businesses can be resilient and manage through the COVID-19 pandemic, the sense of cooperation had a similar feel because when the chips are down, we do what Maine people do, work together and take care of each other. In the Legislature, we often work together in a bipartisan way in order to find policy solutions that work for the Lakes Region and are glad that this work can continue outside of Augusta.

The Department of Health and Human Service has made grant money available to municipalities and to local organizations through the “Keep Maine Healthy” initiative. These funds allow communities to do public outreach and education about public health and what steps we can all take in order to protect our health and the health of our community members. We were not surprised when out of the June forum conversation came a collaboration between the local chamber, local towns like Raymond and Windham, Windham Economic Development and others. You may already be seeing signage and public service announcements.

We are so proud of all of the creative ways that local businesses have found to comply with the CDC guidance to keep us all safe.

From installing barriers at checkout counters, to continually sanitizing high-touch areas, to instituting one-way aisles and occupancy limits, these measures can be a resource intensive investment. Our community has always done what it can to support small business and we know that customers will recognize how important it is to support businesses that are taking the health and well-being of all of us to heart. Our number of COVID cases in the area has been low – as of Aug. 11 there have been 69 probable and confirmed cases in Raymond and Windham – and many have taken steps to keep it that way. If you are a business with questions about how to be safe, you can reach out to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce or Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development, your local municipality or one of us.

Our region’s people have done an amazing job keeping our numbers down. Your vigilance and care for others over the past months has made it possible for many businesses to open up, even with hurdles and challenging cash flows. Your willingness to follow the guidelines that businesses have been given has helped them push through. Thank you.

As we move forward through this together, we will continue to look for ways to support local small businesses and our communities so that we can survive and thrive in this changing economy. We’re hopeful that this will end soon, but know that with constituents like you, we’ll get through this. We welcome your thoughts and ideas.

Patrick Corey represents part of Windham in the state House of Representatives and Jess Fay represents part of Casco, Raymond and Poland.