On Thursday, the Larimer County Commissioners will be presenting Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and the state health department the “Level Up” proposal for small business viability in the light of the various restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Level Up plan was inspired a similar program in Mesa County on the western slope, called 5-stars, and was designed by local business owners working in conjunction with commissioners and local health officials. The program aims to establish increased health and safety protocols in various businesses, local restaurants and breweries, as well as gyms, spas, salons on the like, which would allow for increased capacities, hopefully giving businesses a lifeline while the case rate remains high.

The program, if approved by the state, will allow businesses who meet the enhanced safety and health protocols to operate at one level lower (or one level less restrictive) than the county’s current level. If approved, Larimer County businesses would be allowed to operate at Level Three (or orange) rather than the current Level Four (red).

The Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce and Berthoud Economic Development Director, Walt Elish have been working with other chambers and city and county officials on the program. Elish called the efforts to push Polis and the state to approve the proposal is part of a “two-pronged approach,” along with the other measures implemented by the town and Berthoud Chamber.

Other local governments have also been offering support to small businesses. Tuesday night, the Loveland City Council directed to staff to put together an emergency funding package to help businesses in that town, though some members of the council were not supportive of the measure, according to a press release put out Small Business for a Healthy Loveland, a group of over 100 small businesses that has been fighting against the business-killing restrictions put in place with move to “Level Red.”

“While this is a step in the right direction, we still need your help until next Tuesday to let council know how critical this package is as a stop gap in funding until the county and the state can get the “Level Up” program in place. Because so many brave Loveland businesses stood up, we are now shifting the narrative to one of true collaboration, and we hope they will join us,” read the group’s Wednesday morning press release.

If the program does not get approved by the state, some business owners have stated their intention to defy county orders, which some, including Berthoud’s Grandpa’s Café did after the move to Level Four on Nov. 24.

“I’m certainly not going to be quiet, because this is not right,” Morgen Harrington, co-owner of Loveland’s Grimm Brothers Brewhouse told the Surveyor on Tuesday afternoon when asked what her response would be if Polis rejects the proposal. “I can’t stand by people doing things that are wrong just because it’s easy. What will that mean for the brewery? I don’t know. Do we throw a few more thousand dollars when we’ve already spent $5,000 on safety enhancements?”

Harrington explained the brewery installed, “UV sanitizing .1-micron H1medical grade hepa filters which recirculate the air every 30 minutes,” which are not required by any level of the state’s COVID dial.

The Surveyor will continue to follow this developing story.