Boonville Mayor Hopeful for No More Restrictions

On the heels of government leaders putting more restrictions on businesses due to increased covid-19 numbers leaders in surrounding areas are wondering if they should do something similar.

And tonight-- 44news reporter marisa patwa is in boonville-- to see if the recent spread - could create policy changes there.

After fighting off covid-19 for several weeks -- boonville city mayor charlie wyatt is back in office and while the building is closed to the public -- the mayor hopes to keep the other businesses on the downtown square open but is open to adding restrictions if there becomes a surge in deadly cases "it doesn't make any other sense other than we're in an emergency situation but right now, i don't think that we are in our 47601 zip code which is the city of boonville and the surrounding areas."

But he did not say if a possible mandate would consist of limiting social gatherings "i'm sure that we would pull in the health department -- and look to see what other cities have done to get some guidance - other then reinventing the wheel."

And to help struggling business owners, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in grant money is being distributed among fifty right here in boonville, with each getting almost five thousand.

And the money cannot be coming at a better time.

"you have to order merchandise so far in advance.

And it was either gamble and not have product and gamble and order it and put it on a credit card and i put it on a credit card hoping for the best and i've laughed and told everybody if we didn't make it we'd go down in a blaze of glory, but hopefully, things wiur around and this will be wonderful to help around and pay for all of the products i have ordered."

While mayor wyatt says any future restrictions are in the community's hands "if you're not social distancing, if you're not wearing a mask.

You're contributing to the problem.

As long as our citizens continue to, wear our numbers are not out of whack.

I don't see anything that i would do other than encouraging everybody to not spread the virus."

The grant money for businesses is scheduled to be handed out the first week of november.

Reporting in boonville marisa patwa