Levy County Commissioner John Meeks said if it looks like hair is longer than usual it’s because his barbershop has been closed. Meeks wants a more accelerated business opening for small counties, including barbershops.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Levy County Commissioner John Meeks met online with the board of directors of the Small County Coalition Thursday morning and won support for his motion to send a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis urging a more accelerated approach to re-opening the economies of the state’s less populous counties.
Meeks, who chairs the coalition of 39 counties, with three larger counties participating as affiliates, said the vote was unanimous to send a letter asking the governor to implement the recommendations of the Re-Open Florida Task Force that urged a more accelerated approach to allowing businesses to open their doors.
Phase 1 of the task force report called for the re-opening of restaurants, retail stores, and gyms and fitness centers at 50 percent of capacity. By contrast, the governor on Monday limited restaurants and retail stores to re-open at 25 percent of their building capacity and left barbershops, hair salons, gyms and bars closed.
The Levy County Commission on Tuesday adopted a resolution similar to what the coalition will send to the governor, requesting an accelerated re-opening of businesses using the task force recommendations to the re-open restaurants, retail stores, gyms and fitness centers at 50 percent of capacity. The resolution noted that small businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, hair salons, nail salons, barbershops, gyms and fitness centers are an essential component of the economy and community of Levy County.
Meeks said he will reconvene the coalition on May 15 to review a letter being written by the organization’s lobbyist, Chris Doolin, approve the letter, and send it to DeSantis in hopes it will sway him to relax restrictions in small counties that have had low infection rates from the coronavirus.
“I think we went overboard when you consider the infection rate in Levy County is .0005 percent – 21 cases of out 41,000 people,” Meeks said.
Meeks said the coalition doesn’t want to upset or anger the governor but at the same time the board of directors believes the statistics Doolin will cite in the coalition letter will demonstrate that smaller counties can justify implementing the recommendations of the statewide coronavirus task force for a more accelerated re-opening.
In Tuesday’s county commission meeting County Attorney Anne Bast Brown said the governor’s stay at home order restricting the movement of people and limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people didn’t actually close any businesses. She said hair salons and barbershops could still sell hair care products. Meeks responded that his barbershop cuts hair and nothing else, and he said it is closed.
Meeks, the new owner of Bronson Ace Hardware, was allowed to continue operating under the governor’s order because hardware stores are considered an essential business. Barbershops, hair salons, gyms and bars and lounges aren’t considered essential businesses and their employees were expected to stay home. But as the owner of a business the governor considered essential, Meeks said he prepared his employees for the possibility of being pulled over by law enforcement and asked why they were out instead of sheltering at home.
“It really restricted people’s movements, so if you were working in an essential business you were expected to work. I had to issue a letter to all my employees. I don’t think any of them had it (the virus), but if they got pulled over they could show the letter to law enforcement and say, look, I’m on my way to work, I’m going to an essential business – all the information they would need,” Meeks said. “Someone said I wonder when they start pinning stars on people. They’re not allowed to go in public, they’re not allowed to go out; they’re not allowed to do anything. We’re ostracizing them with the mark.”
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Board of County Commission regular meeting May 5, 2020; Posted May 8, 2020
