Considering that 49 percent of the County population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Montgomery County Council has proposed guidelines for phased in reopening of businesses and other activities as more and more residents are vaccinated. Council will hear testimony beginning at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, April 27, and vote on the proposal following the hearing. Individuals wishing to testify must sign up here by 5 p.m. today, Monday, April 26.

The proposed three phases of reopening would be automatically triggered when the Montgomery County Health Officer reports the vaccination progress to the Board of Health.

The reopening would require continued face covering usage and social distancing. The proposed phases are:

1.) At 50 percent of the population receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine:

2.) At 60 percent of the population receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine;

3.) At 50 percent of the population being fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine all conduct and business in Montgomery County must follow any State or Maryland Department of Health requirements in place at the time.

If the Montgomery County Health Officer finds that after reviewing community transmission metrics that continued reopening phases would be contrary to the public health, the Health Officer must report those concerns to the Board of Health and the continuation to the next phase must be suspended pending a hearing before the Board of Health.

The GSSCC cordially invites Chamber members to join us for GSSCC 101: Virtual Member Orientation. This virtual event is for new members or new representatives of member companies with a maximum of two per business.

This is the perfect event to learn how to make the most of your membership investment, connect with your fellow Chamber members, and meet the GSSCC staff.

As more and more people become vaccinated against the COVID virus, Montgomery County will likely move toward lifting capacity restrictions on gatherings.

As that time approaches, the GSSCC staff looks forward to resuming operations and getting our members together in person when it is safe to do so.

At the same time, the health and safety of our members and staff remain a top priority as we begin to plan for Chamber activities in the coming months.

So that we can begin to understand our members' comfort level with various options for in-person events, please complete this 3 minute survey linked here.

Thank you to everyone who attended the Joint Virtual Networking with the Rockville Chamber of Commerce last week. Members from both chambers found the opportunity to network in smaller breakout rooms, meet new contacts, and grow their networks.

In early April, the Chamber presented a panel discussion on how to use LinkedIn to build an online brand, effectively engage target audiences, and utilize LinkedIn to grow their business.

The recording of the event is now available on the Chamber YouTube page here.

Thank you again to Adam Lowe, Peak Performance Digital; Brian Loebig, Loebig Ink, LLC; and Mark DeVito, Beyond Definition for sharing their expertise and insights with fellow Chamber members.

Georgia Avenue: The right-hand lane of southbound Georgia Avenue (US29) from Wayne Avenue to Bonifant Street is closed for emergency repairs through the middle of May.

Wayne Avenue: Beginning on or about Wednesday, April 28, crews will perform underground utility relocation on Wayne Avenue at Fenton Street for approximately five weeks, weather permitting. Temporary closures of the right lane of westbound Wayne Avenue will occur. Work may take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and as needed, on weekends.

* Blumen Lumen, the kinetic art installation at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, is now open to the public. To celebrate the opening, and to honor their partnership with Adventist HealthCare, Downtown Silver Spring has launched a thank-you campaign online that allows participants to purchase a “Bouquet of Gratitude” with a $25 donation going to the Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Foundation. Read the Source of the Spring article here for more information.

* GSSCC Member Mark Meszaros, Digital Industry, has been selected to join a panel of experts for a presentation on “New Cyber-Threats in the Next Normal: Issues Employers Need to Address as Work Environments Evolve.” This event is Thursday, May 6, from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. For more information, read here.

* Costco’s annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraiser campaign is here. In exchange for a donation, businesses can have their name enlarged and displayed prominently in the Costco warehouse during May. This promotional advertising is only allowed once a year and will be seen by more than 50,000 members who visit the location weekly. Read here for more details.

* GSSCC members can participate in Bethesda Magazine’s “Top Places to Work” survey and awards program dedicated to identifying and recognizing the best employers in Montgomery County. Winners will be recognized in the November/December 2021 issue and at an awards luncheon, date and location still to be determined. For a one-page program overview, read here and read here to register.

See your company's news here! Send us your news releases and news items by noon on Friday for publication in the following Monday's edition. Click here for guidelines on submitting Member News.

* Membership Development Committee Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27.

* Economic Development Committee Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28. Topic: MCEDC's Silver Spring Economic Development Project. (Advance registration required here).

* Small Business Owners Network Virtual Meeting - 12 noon on Thursday, May 6. Topic: Getting things off your plate: outsourcing or delegating successfully. (Advance registration required here).

* Non-Profit Team Virtual Meeting - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 11.

Corporate Partners - Downtown Silver Spring; Lee Development Group; Montgomery College; Joseph W. McCartin Insurance;

 Business Partners - Andalman & Flynn, AFI Silver Theatre; Apex Home 

 Partners - Peak Performance Digital; Bell Flowers; EBA Ernest Bland Associates; Image360.