Staff photo by Don Himsel Mayor elect James Donchess at home the day after winning the seat over Chris Williams.

NASHUA – City officials and community stakeholders are working on a guide detailing economic recovery and relief plans as businesses begin the reopening process.

The initial economic recovery report or “Phase 1” is an assessment that includes recommended steps for the city’s economic recovery from the crisis caused by the coronavirus.

The plan is far from definitive, as officials will be adjusting and expand upon guidelines as time passes and the reopening moves forward.

“It’s a guiding document that the policymakers could act upon as they wish, but as a group of economic development professionals and local community members we just thought it was important to put some ideas out on the table,” said Tim Cummings, the city’s director of development.

One recommendation in the report is to focus efforts on those in service-based industries, such as assisting retailers with having an online presence, for example, through the creation of a local Nashua task force that would provide support in developing technologies that would enable purchases from an online platform or the development of a website.

Another recommendation included is to create a centralized effort to procure personal protective equipment for small businesses and nonprofits. A push for more testing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic people as well as encouraging the state to develop a robust testing program also is listed.

Adopting an emergency rent rebate tax credit program using CARES funds is another idea brought forward, which involves requesting the state to empower municipalities to offer a local property tax credit against real estate taxes to landlords offering rebates or lease assistance to eligible tenants that are small businesses or nonprofits. This recommendation also involves requesting that the governor fund the program through the CARES Act so that municipalities are kept whole and are able to seek reimbursement of lost funds.

Other recommendations made include relaxing parking requirements temporarily and allowing access to public transit.

This may entail requesting the city to adopt a policy for waiving metered parking requirements during business hours in certain parking zones in the short term. As for public transit, this may include requesting that the city ensures there is a public transit plan and that public transit is available when businesses reopen and that distancing protocols also are enacted.

These are just some of the recommendations developed so far as the beginning of a plan, officials said. Moreover, Cummings said that, typically, small businesses do not have an adequate amount of cash on hand to survive something like the coronavirus pandemic.

“If you’re a small business, your biggest concern right now is cash flow,” Cummings said.

Another issue being heard across all industries is making sure there is an accurate understanding of what the social distancing protocols are and making sure that there is appropriate communication.

“There sometimes tends to be some conflicting information between what is being put out by various levels of government and really just making sure there’s a coherent and clear place to get the appropriate information,” Cummings said.

Another factor is giving people and businesses an appropriate amount of time to act so they can plan accordingly.

In any event, some restaurants are now preparing to reopen on Monday, and as more and more businesses do reopen, the city is looking at the possibility of narrowing Main Street.

Cummings said there has been some preliminary work done by the Division of Public Works, Economic Development and Community Development on that idea. Over the last few days, officials have collaborated on trying to develop a draft proposal for conversation regarding this possibility. It is Cummings’ hope to have another downtown stakeholder meeting to discuss the plan in the near future.

Between now and then, officials have been working individually with various businesses, nonprofits and building owners to make sure they incorporate everyone’s concerns into the plan as best they can.

Plans for narrowing Main Street are subject to approval by the Board of Aldermen.

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Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

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