As businesses try to stay afloat, Portland loosens rules, Bangor and L-A add resources
Photo / Renee Cordes
Portland has eased up on restrictions for nonessential businesses, allowing them to ship items, and offer non-contact deliveries and curbside pickup. Stores have told customers they'll begin offering more services with the rules, which the city council will officially vote on Monday, April 27.
After a backlash from business owners, Portland has revamped its rules for nonessential businesses to allow for shipping, delivery and curbside pickup. And now other cities in Maine are clarifying rules affecting businesses that fall outside of the "essential" designation.
Until the city posted a set of FAQs on April 16, many business owners didn't realize rules that had been in effect for a month did not allow nonessential businesses to ship items or offer non-contact services. When the FAQs that made that clear were published, the city was inundated with email and online postings.
Following the the reaction from businesses owners and residents, Mayor Kate Snyder Friday said the no-shipping and non-contact delivery and pickup rule wouldn't be enforced. The council at an emergency workshop last night unofficially agreed, and will take a vote at next Monday's meeting.
"The rules have been the same since March 16, however, we understand that intent has been interpreted differently," city officials said in the Friday posting that reversed the rule.
Portland's adjustment comes as the state's largest urban areas, including Bangor and Lewiston-Auburn, try to find ways to navigate safe social distancing while businesses deal with possibly irreparable damage.
Under Friday's clarification in Portland, shipping, no-contact delivery and curbside pick-up in order to fulfill online and phone orders is allowed until the city council votes on it Monday, April 27. "Businesses still need to ensure social distancing safety practices are followed and the least number of employees are used to conduct this business," it said.
Snyder said Friday, "From the beginning, our response to COVID-19 has been aggressively cautious in hopes that we could stem the spread of the virus, and that collective efforts would allow us to resume normal operations sooner rather than later. Throughout it all, we have been and remain very concerned about the impacts that the Stay At Home restrictions would have on our local business community in Portland."
'Taking away a lifeline'
Business owner Samara Kupferberg's post on the city's website last week was typical of reactions across the city after the FAQs were posted Thursday.
"As a Portland small business owner who shut down on my own before the stay at home order, I find this to be grossly insensitive and destructive to the fabric of what makes Portland so unique and vibrant and has attracted so many to our town," she wrote. "Many people have reached out wanting to support my business and I will now have to turn them away to shop from Amazon and stores in other cities? This is crushing news. Please reconsider."
Kupferberg, owner of the children's clothing store Starry Eyes on Washington Avenue, posted on her store's site that not allowing small businesses to ship items "is taking away the last lifeline for many of us. This is stricter than the statewide order and, from what I've heard, anywhere else in the country."
Print, a Congress Street bookstore, told customers on April 1 that it was adhering to state and city rules. "We know many of you live within blocks of the store and while it may seem silly, your safety and ours is the most important thing right now, so we really must comply with the ordinance." In the meantime, it has kept up a robust Facebook and virtual presence, with story times, online author talks, a link to audio book seller Libro, and more.
Friday's decision not to enforce the rules barring shipping and non-contact pickup and delivery, and last night's verbal agreement by the council, brought an immediate online reaction from businesses.
Kupferberg told customers she is ready to make deliveries. She lauded the "overwhelming passionate response in support of local business."
While Print's owners, Emily Russo and Josh Christie, said this morning on Facebook they still won't offer curbside pickup, they're working in the store with minimal staff, to fulfill orders. "We're pleased to share that the city of Portland has heard the public outcry about restrictions on shipping for local businesses," they posted. The store may offer curbside pickup if the stay-at-home order becomes less restrictive, the post said.
Making, remaking decisions
Even before last week's uproar, businesses had pushed back on the city's rules, which are more restrictive than the state order of March 23.
The council on March 30 approved the city's March 27 emergency stay-at-home order, which also restricted nonessential businesses. At that meeting, and again April 14, the council rejected a proposal by Councilor Belinda Ray that businesses be allowed to ship orders and offer no-contact delivery and curbside pickup.
At Monday night's workshop, councilors said that the situation is ongoing and changes will continue to be made with public health in mind. All nine informally indicated that they will support lifting the shipping, pickup and delivery ban at Monday's council meeting when an official vote is taken.
"We have had to make, and remake, these decisions based on the data available," Councilor-at-Large Jill Duson said.
Bangor, L-A adjustments
Bangor, Lewiston and Auburn have aligned their business rules with those the state ordered in March, but have added resources to connect businesses and consumers as the COVID-19 situation evolves.
Last week, Bangor upgraded its interactive map and listings to include businesses that aren't related to food. Businesses can now also edit their own listings, "Which will help as businesses are constantly evolving in response to changing recommendations and regulations," a city news release said.
The map had been created a few weeks earlier to show restaurants and other food producers that were offering delivery and curbside pickup.
"This new map will provide a much needed link between consumers who seek to shop local and businesses who are continuing to provide service to customers in new and innovative ways," said downtown coordinator Betsy Lundy in the release.
Lewiston and Auburn also have a joint "L-A Adapts" site that offers information and resources for businesses, lists what businesses are open, what services businesses are offering and more. Auburn has an interactive map that local businesses can submit information to.
Lewiston Mayor Mark Cayer, in a video message Friday, urged residents to support local businesses in the ways that are now available. 'You can shop local online, you can take a fitness or yoga class online," he said. "Or order a banner online from a business celebrating our local graduating seniors or a local frontline worker. But most importantly, please stay home and protect yourself, friends, family and our neighbors who are working on the front lines."
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