Towns, Cities Send Letters To Governor Newsom Asking To Reopen Economy
PLACERVILLE (CBS13) - Leaders in Manteca, Placerville and Sutter County are pushing the governor to let them loosen shelter-in-place restrictions. They're sending a message that they want to re-open the economy, now.
Business owners in Placerville are singing the COVID-19 blues.
"This is a struggle, this is how we make our living," said Zacharie Kokalis with the Wine Smith on Main Street.
She says Hangtown is in trouble as businesses try to stay open during the shelter-in-place order.
"We can't wait for the doors to open again, it's been six weeks here, it's been a long, hard road," she said.
The City of Placerville gave the go-ahead last week for the City Manager to send a letter to Governor Newsom. It asks to get detailed answers on when the shelter-in-place order may be lifted and get back to normal.
The city says the infection rate is low, even though their own Vice Mayor got the virus.
"We are down to one hospitalization in the entire Northern Sacramento Valley region," said Assemblyman James Gallagher.
Gallagher says it's the same story in Sutter County. That's where another letter has been drafted to the Governor asking for local control on how and when to reopen the economy.
Gallagher says he hopes this will show the governor just how hard this has been for his county.
"Every day this goes on, local governments are losing money, those basic services that everybody relies on are losing money," he said.
In Manteca, the city manager calls her plan to reopen the economy data-driven.
"We absolutely hope to be on the forefront when it comes to opening the city back up," Interim City Manager Miranda Lutzow said in a video posted to Facebook on Monday.
Manteca's mayor says the city is working on a plan to reopen and get people back to work. The first things the city may bring back are day camps and sports camps.