By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
SEA ISLE CITY – Leonard Desiderio co-chaired the task force that created a proposal to reopen Cape May County’s economy, but he didn’t come at the issue solely as a county official.
Desiderio is the vice director of the county Board of Chosen Freeholders, but he also is the mayor of Sea Isle City, one of the county’s barrier island communities that thrive because of their tourist economies, and he is a small businessman on the island.
He knows that small businesses are hurting.
Desiderio owns a hotel and Kix McNutley’s – five bars and a package store under one roof. He knows what has affected him, other small businesses on his island and throughout the county, along with people who rent their homes for part of the year to help pay their mortgages.
He wants to get these “little guys” open. He points out that large businesses that were deemed essential under Gov. Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 restrictions because they sell food and other necessities, also have kept selling clothes and other non-essential items. That has left small stores, the kind that cater to people at the shore with clothing and beach gear in these quiet downtowns and along promenades and boardwalks, out in the cold.
“I explained, when COVID-19 started, it was March and many of the small stores were starting to bring in their spring attire, bring in spring wear, and they never got a chance to sell it, but they have to pay for it,” he said. “Could you give them some relief so they can open?”
“I’m trying to get these little guys open, even with restrictions, even if they allow them to do sales online and merchant meets them at the curb or at the front door,” under the reopening proposal (see related story, page A1), small retailers would be allowed to do just that for the time being until they open after Memorial Day with social distancing restrictions.
“This (pandemic) is ever-changing and has really taken a toll on many, many people, especially these small businesses,” he said. It has affected people who rent their homes for the weekends in order to help pay for their mortgages. “We need to get them open. We understand there are going to be restrictions … and we’re willing to do that,” he added about the proposal.
“We’re intelligent people. We can be very innovative,” Desiderio said of the task force members. “When pushed up against the wall we know what we have to do and how to make things work and make things work in a safe manner. And that’s our number one thing – safety for all, for our visitors, our homeowners, our merchants, safety for the employees.”
He said Memorial Day, generally the kickoff to the summer season, “is going to be like no other.” Talking about the proposal, he said, “We could have said, we have to get motels open, we have to get this open, we have to get that open. I’m a motel owner. I know my motel is not going to be open. I knew this from April. What we did was started calling people who had reservations, and we asked them, would you like to change to a July or August date, no up-cost, or would you like a refund. I knew I wasn’t going to be open. It’s the same with other small businesses. We’re all trying to survive, trying to practice safety. We want everyone to remain safe.”
That is why the reopening proposal offers timelines to slowly reopen the businesses, allowing retailers to sell online and take it to the curb for pickup this week, then open after Memorial Day with restrictions on how many people can be in the store.
“When we open up, and we know we’ll do it for Memorial Day Weekend, our beaches are going to be open for exercise, for fishing, for surfing, you can walk along the water, exercise that way. We know you’re not going to be able to be out there sitting on chairs and sunbathing for this Memorial Day Weekend,” he said. “The promenade will be open, for walking, exercising, surfing, fishing, and it will be a different type of Memorial Day Weekend.”
Sea Isle and other beachfront communities will be doing “capacity management” on the beaches “to make sure people are not on top of each other. That everyone keeps moving and that everyone is safe. That is what we can do. We’re listening to the governor. He has set some rules and regulations. And I have to say the governor has shown strong leadership. He has done an excellent job and we have followed his orders to a T in Sea Isle City and in Cape May County.”