April 21, 2020
Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office
Attn: Jenny Wilson
2001 South State Street, Suite N2-100
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Salt Lake County Health Department
Attn: Gary Edwards
2001 South State Street, Suite N2 – 600
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Dear County Leaders,
We know that the Coronavirus pandemic has been a hardship to everyone. Whether for health or economic reasons, there is not one person who is unaffected by what has happened. While we understand that social distancing is a practice that has helped slow the spread of the virus, we believe that there are other common sense measures that can also help. Further, every person’s means of providing for themselves and their families is essential and is a basic human and constitutional right. Surely we can protect lives while protecting livelihoods.
With increased testing capacity, combined with utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE), hygienic best practices, social distancing and limited gatherings, we believe that all businesses can operate in some form within the Salt Lake County. Therefore, we respectfully request that the Salt Lake County Mayor and the Salt Lake County Health Department specifically allow hair salons and barbershops to be re-opened immediately.
We recognize that case counts and hospitalization rates in other parts of the country have far exceeded what we have experienced in Utah. Our unique situation in Utah lends to an incredibly higher level of natural “social distancing” than those other areas of the country. There are relatively much fewer areas of high density living, ride sharing or elevator riding in Utah than in parts of the country that have experienced such high case counts. Every day thousands of Utahns enter grocery stores and other “essential” places of business, and in that time the number of COVID cases has not grown substantially. Businesses such as hair salons and barbershops are much smaller, are already required to implement the highest of hygienic practices, and have less traffic than many of the other businesses deemed to be essential. These establishments have also been permitted to be opened in other counties, namely Utah County, without an adverse impact to public health. We believe these business owners have as much of a right to be open as other establishments that are currently permitted to be opened.
The names of the elected officials throughout Salt Lake County who are on this letter ask that you allow all hair salons and barbershops to re-open immediately. Surely with commonsense measures these individuals can begin working again, providing for themselves and their families.
Respectfully,
Bluffdale Councilmember Mark Hales
Bluffdale Councilmember Jeff Gaston
Copperton Council Chair Sean Clayton
Draper Mayor Troy Walker
Herriman Mayor Pro Tem Jared Henderson
Herriman Councilmember Sherrie Ohrn
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs
Riverton Councilmember Claude Wells
Riverton Councilmember Sheldon Stewart
Riverton Councilmember Tawnee McCay
Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn
South Valley Chamber President Greg Summerhays
State Senator Dan McCay (D11)
State Senator Lincoln Fillmore (D10)
State Senator Kirk Cullimore (D9)
State Representative Candice Pierucci (D52)
State Representative Kim Coleman (D42)
State Representative Mark Strong (D41)
State Representative Susan Pulsipher (D50)
West Jordan Councilmember Chad Lamb
West Jordan Councilmember Kelvin Green
West Jordan Councilmember Zach Jacob
