Coronavirus relief: Riverton mayor announces economic recovery plan

RIVERTON, Utah (ABC4 News) – Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs announced the Riverton Economic Recovery Initiative Tuesday.

The initiative’s ultimate goal is to get the local economy back on its positive trajectory by helping local businesses address challenges stemming from COVID-19 and closures mandated by Salt Lake County.

“I continue to be very concerned about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but we must be able to find a balance between protecting public health and the need to get businesses opened back up and our residents working again.” said Staggs. “These goals aren’t mutually exclusive. In an effort to achieve that balance, I’m excited to announce the Riverton Economic Recovery Initiative.”’

The initiative consists of a five-point plan to lay the groundwork for an economic recovery in Riverton. The first three points have already been executed, or are ongoing, and the last two points will be rolled out over the next two weeks, according to the city.

The plan points according to the city include:

Business License Fee Elimination Extension – Riverton City will extend $0 business licensing fees through the 2020-2021 city budget and beyond. Riverton was the first city in Utah to eliminate licensing fees for businesses and did so back in 2018.
Temporary Signage Approval – Temporary signage restrictions have been temporarily lifted in Riverton to allow businesses opportunity to better advertise their products and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eat Local Campaign – An “eat local” campaign continues in Riverton encouraging residents to support local restaurants who offer pick up, carry out or drive-thru options. Restaurants were the first businesses to be hit with operational restrictions in Salt Lake County, and Riverton City said they acted quickly to roll out the campaign shortly after the announcement. A list of local restaurants currently open in Riverton is available at rivertonutah.gov/eatlocal.
Virtual Business Roundtable – Riverton City and the South Valley Chamber will host a virtual business roundtable for Riverton business owners and managers on April 21 at 10 a.m. The roundtable will be used to connect businesses with available state and federal resources, gather input, take questions and outline Riverton’s road to economic recovery. Local business owners and managers can register to participate at rivertonutah.gov/roundtable.
Business Blitz – Riverton City will host and promote a free drive-thru event, called the Riverton Business Blitz, where residents and neighbors can access special deals and discounts offered by local businesses. The event will be held from Friday, May 1 to Friday, May 8 at Riverton City Park. The city will design and print large format ads for local businesses that are interested in participating. Residents will then drive-thru the park, photographing or accessing great deals and discounts they are interested in that are then redeemed at local businesses. There is no cost for businesses to participate. Riverton City will promote the event to the public and encourage residents to drive through the park to see the deals and discounts being offered. This is a safe, social distancing event that will connect customers to our local businesses and help invigorate our local economy. Commercial businesses in Riverton are eligible to participate and can sign up at rivertonutah.gov/blitz.