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Safer at Home
Governor Jared Polis announced that Colorado will transfer to a safer-at-home model on April 27th after the stay-at-home expires. Safer-at-Home means most Coloradans should continue to limit social interactions to the greatest extent possible to just individuals in your household and wear facial masks when you are out.
The goal of this phase is to maintain 60-65% physical distancing.
- Critical businesses will remain open with strict precautions (social distancing, masks for all employees, more frequent cleanings, etc.)
- Retail businesses may open for curbside delivery and phased-in public opening with strict precautions.
- Elective medical and dental procedures begin, with strict precautions to ensure adequate personal protective equipment and the ability to meet critical care needs.
- Personal services (salons, dog grooming, limited personal training, etc.) will open with strict precautions. (starting May 1st)
- Telecommuting continues for offices. Starting on May 4th, up to 50% of staff can work in person (with social distancing in place).
- Nightclubs, gyms and spas will remain closed.
- No group gatherings of more than 10 people.
- K-12 schools remain online only for the 2019-2020 school year.
- Vulnerable populations and older adults must stay home unless absolutely necessary.
More information on Safer-at-Home can be found online here.
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Bennett Stronger Together
The "Bennett Stronger Together" program is a way for the Town to provide additional support to our businesses and community in overcoming economic hardship. It is our goal to support our local economy by providing businesses with down payment or franchise assistance, building maintenance funding, workforce incentives, and various other efforts to ease the burden of the COVID-19 crisis.
The "Bennett Stronger Together" program will be administered to:
- Support local businesses affected by the disruption of services and the workforce during this crisis.
- Encourage and support diverse and high-quality retail and service establishments, with an emphasis on local businesses that contribute to Bennett's sales and property tax base, so the Town can continue to provide essential infrastructure, physical amenities, and other public services.
- Assist businesses in attracting and hiring recently unemployed individuals to work in Bennett, either temporarily or permanently.
- Provide down payment or franchise assistance to retail establishments currently underrepresented in the Town of Bennett, such as clothing stores, bakeries, restaurants, specialty food stores, sporting goods stores, unique non-franchise retail stores, and other types of retail not currently available.
- Provide down payment or franchise assistance to health and wellness facilities, lodging and hospitality, and other personal services not currently available.
- Provide down payment or franchise assistance to cultural facilities such as art and science venues, family-oriented recreational and entertainment facilities, including but not limited to sporting facilities and "family fun" facilities.
- Provide assistance for existing building façade upgrades
- Provide assistance for essential interior building repairs that might be impossible given the revenue loss because of COVID-19.
- Support upgraded or improved, xeriscape, or water-wise landscaping, to help minimize water service fees.
- Support replacement or enhancement of sidewalks adjacent to buildings parking lots, and other areas. As we reconnect to our community, these connections will become essential and a foundational principle of the Town's existing comprehensive plan.
If businesses are in the situation where they could benefit from COVID relief funding, administered through the "Bennett Stronger Together" program goals, we ask they submit an email with the following information to
rsummers@bennett.co.us:
- Give a brief description of the business's product or service.
- Explain the impact COVID-19 has had on your business.
- Is your business currently open or closed?
- Explain how payment assistance or rebates will benefit your business and our local economy.
- What is your strategic business plan for the next 90 days? (i.e., reduction of staff, hiring unemployed workforce, adjustment of operating hours, etc.)
The "Bennett Stronger Together" program is subject to available funding. Support is determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Final approval for assistance or rebate up to the funding availability will be by the Deputy Town Administrator, based on recommendations from staff and the Bennett Business Advisory Committee.
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Town of Bennett Introduces New Board of Trustees
The Town of Bennett is excited to introduce three new board members who are dedicated to serving the Town of Bennett for the next four years. We are pleased to have Denice Smith, Whitney Oakley, and Donna Sus join our current board.
Sus, Oakley, and Smith join current board members Mayor Royce Pindell, Rich Pulliam, Darvin Harrell and Phyllis Webb. The new Town Board selected Darvin Harrell as the new Mayor Pro Tem.
The Town of Bennett would also like to thank former trustees Neil Mancuso, Larry Vittum, and Charles Bayley for their many years of service on the Bennett Board of Trustees.
The Town of Bennett Board of Trustees also appointed a new Town Clerk, Christina Hart, and Town Treasurer, Danette Ruvalcaba.
More information on the new Board of Trustees can be found online here.
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Share the Love Bennett!
While we are all practicing social distancing, we can still reach out to our friends and neighbors. The Town has created yard signs for residents to decorate and design and put out in their yards to show support for our community!
If you are interested in decorating a "Share the Love" yard sign all you need to do is send us an email to
abelcher@bennett.co.us with your address and Town staff will drop the sign off on your porch. Please help us keep staff safe and exhibit social distancing protocol if you see them.
After signs are completed we will be holding a contest for a $50 gift card to King Soopers. Participants should email a picture of their design to
abelcher@bennett.co.us.
The photos will be shared on social media, and the one with the most "Likes" will win!
Be sure to share your photos on social with #ShareTheLoveBennett
Please note, only addresses within Bennett Town limits are eligible. Limit one sign per address.
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Bennett Businesses Endure
During these unprecedented times, many businesses in Bennett have been able to remain open and continue operations in compliance with Governor Polis' mandatory Stay-at-Home order, because of the goods and services they provide.
Businesses in Bennett have been able to adjust their hours, change how they come into contact with their customers, comply with state construction requirements and amend their service delivery in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Long time Bennett business, High Plains Diner, has attributed part of their resilience to the support of local residents. They expressed their appreciation by saying that they "would like to thank the community along the I-70 Corridor and beyond for all your support over the years and especially during these trying times."
Many small businesses in Town continue to grow. Some have made substantial investments to expand their business and service capability. Living Springs Veterinary Care, for example, is expanding their clinic to include new kennels and boarding facilities. Construction should be completed later this year.
Construction of new businesses
continues in Bennett. Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) recently broke ground in Bennett Crossing on a new 14-acre eastern service area operations facility. Construction should be completed in late 2020 or early 2021.
Despite the lodging and hospitality industry being particularly hard hit during the Coronavirus downturn, Colorado Hospitality Services is moving forward with a 79-room Comfort Inn and Suites, also in Bennett Crossing.
Construction of new residential neighborhoods continues with Ash Street Townhomes, LGI Homes and D.R. Horton projects underway. In addition, Oakwood Homes is about to break ground on a recently approved 366-unit subdivision.
The Town of Bennett, through the Board of Trustees, is committed to partnering with our business community through our recently approved Bennett Stronger Together Program.
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Bennett Arts Council Virtual Art Class
The Bennett Arts Council is hosting a virtual art class on Saturday, May 9th, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.
Local artist, Wendy Balfe, will be leading the class in drawing or painting. Anyone can participate with the art supplies they have at home, whether that be pencils, paint, markers, or crayons. Enrollment is limited to 25 people.
If you are interested in attending, please email Public Relations Coordinator, Alison Belcher at
abelcher@bennett.co.us for login and participation information.
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The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of census data.
Emergency situations like this one illustrate just how important it is for health care facilities in our communities to have the funding and resources they need to effectively support the populations they serve.
Complete and accurate census data helps to make that possible.
Together with data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), census data also allows scientists and health care experts to model the potential impact of an emerging health threat.
This is a powerful tool that enables them to anticipate needs and advise the nation's policymakers on the expected demand for resources.
A
ll of this data (made possible when we complete the census) is critical to helping the nation get ahead of our biggest challenges.
Now more than ever, your response to the 2020 Census matters. Respond today and make sure your family, friends and neighbors respond too.
Learn more about the 2020 Census and respond
online here.
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Upcoming Bennett Events
- Virtual Town of Bennett Board of Trustees Meeting - April 28, 2020
- Bennett Arts Council Virtual Art Class - May 9, 2020
- Virtual Town of Bennett Board of Trustees Meeting - May 12, 2020
- Virtual Town of Bennett Board of Trustees Meeting - May 26, 2020
- Virtual Board of Adjustments Meeting - May 28, 2020
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Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Contact Alison Belcher, Public Relations Coordinator
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