Dunn says nation faces 'a new normal' as it reopens from pandemic

By Scott Benjamin

As Brookfield and the rest of the Nutmeg State slowly emerge from the pandemic, First Selectman Steve Dunn cautions that there will be "a new normal."

"In the town hall, for example, we are setting up systems and shields that will protect our employees' health," he explained in a phone interview on May 20 as the gradual reopening of Connecticut began.

The first selectman said he believes similar steps will be taken at other venues.

"You have to find a way to do it safely or otherwise there will be another phase of the pandemic," Dunn said as the retail outlets and offices began to gradually reopen and outdoor dining was allowed at restaurants.

He said that following reviews by municipal officials five restaurants were opening on May 20 for outdoor dining at up to "50 percent of the capacity of their indoor seating."

The Still River Greenway, which began operations in November 2016, and is a popular destination for walkers and runners, will remain closed for now.

"You don't want to have people flock there and not maintain social distancing," Dunn explained.

Dunn says there has been a plateau in new COVID-19 cases. The complete ledger as of May 20 was 157 in Brookfield.

"I see that 95 to 99 percent of he people wear masks and people in town are maintaining social distancing," he said in explaining the lower rate of virus cases.

But will there also be "a new normal" for the local and national economies?

Dunn said two of his children are doing their jobs remotely from home and that he expects that there will be people now working from their homes that will not go back to an office following the pandemic. Thus, he expects there will be alterations in the commercial real estate market.

He said the municipal budget has incurred about $150,000 in pandemic-related expenses, but the town is in a position in which he believes it can go forward without utilizing any of its fund balance.

State Rep. Steve Harding (R-107) of Brookfield recently told Patch.com that he speaks with constituents who can't pay their rent, mortgage or college student loans.

Dunn said he is proud that the town has received $45,000 in private contributions to the Brookfield Recovers fund, which is being used to purchase items for the municipal food pantry and provide financial assistance to needy families.

"Some of that assistance [from the CARES Act] has really helped," he said of the $2.2 trillion appropriation that was approved by Congress on March 27 and promptly signed by President Donald Trump.

However, the national unemployment rate is at 14,7 percent, the highest since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Dunn said he agrees with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell, who said in a May 13 speech to the Peterson Institute that more federal assistance will probably be needed to avert permanent damage to the American economy.

The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved the $3 trillion Heroes Act on May 15, which would, among other things, provide more assistance to states and municipal governments.

Brookfield has seen its state aid reduced each year since Dunn took office in 2015 and CT Mirror reported on May 1 that the state government faces a projected $7 billion deficit over the next three years combined.

Trump and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have expressed opposition to the Heroes Act. The Wall Street Journal reported that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told a congressional committee that the White House is taking a wait and see position for now on further assistance as it evaluates the impact of the nearly $3 trillion in federal aid that has been approved during the pandemic.

Remarked Dunn, "They should come up with an agreement [on the Heroes Act]. Cutting off the fuel supply now is not a good idea."

However, the first selectman underscored that all funding should be scrutinized and the long-term implications be considered.

Dunn, who retired in 2013 as a vice president with J.P. Morgan Chase, praised the actions taken by the Federal Reserve Board to combat the economic impact.

"The Fed immediately took steps on interest rates and was pro-active," he exclaimed. "It usually is reactive."

However, Washington Post economics columnist Robert Samuelson wrote on May 20 that "Powell — as well as officials in most advanced countries — face a fundamental problem of governance. Can democratic societies tolerate today’s sky-high unemployment rates without questioning democracy itself?"

Dunn said it "won't happen in three or four months," but "if the right steps are taken the economy will become stronger after that."