St. Tammany, LA. – Parish President Mike Cooper announced the formation of the St. Tammany Economic Recovery and Resiliency Advisory Council, to establish the Live Safe. Work Safe. Shop Safe. Action Plan and re-opening strategy following the April 30, 2020 expiration of the concurrent Stay At Home Orders for the state and parish.
Cooper tapped Chris Masingill, CEO of St. Tammany Corporation to spearhead the two phases of the Advisory Council, and he has reached out to local hospitals for their advisement as the strategy is assembled.
“We are looking ahead to prepare to move forward with the health and economic recovery in our Parish. We have worked hard as a community to slow the spread of COVID-19. As we plan to gradually re-open, I want to remind everyone that we need to stay the course over the next ten days,” Cooper said. “We each have the choice to either detract from our progress or to contribute to our recovery. Let’s all choose to move toward recovery, so our plan can be implemented.”
Cooper went on to say, “I am grateful for our community where so many people from across every sector are willing to step up and come to the table to find solutions and offer their time and expertise to contribute to our recovery.”
In the first phase, the Advisory Council is tasked with developing short-term reopening framework to address the needs of St. Tammany Parish, while at the same time, taking into consideration the health and safety of St. Tammany residents and the needs of our entire region.
The Advisory Council will use standards put forth by the White House, the Governor’s Office and other industry-related resources, to draft recommendations including: the timelines for the phased reopening of the business and the recommended protocols for businesses using state and federal guidelines as well as industry recommendations.
During phase one, the Council will include representatives from both the private and public sectors, including the private and healthcare and hospitals, public agencies, elected officials, non-profit organizations, and the business community.
As phase two unfolds, the Council will be expanded to include a broader spectrum of business, healthcare, and community partners to plan long-term recovery strategies.
The Advisory Council is expected to submit preliminary guidelines for phase one to President Cooper by Friday, April 24, 2020.
