Mendham Boro Mayor Advocates 'Reservation Only' Retail Openings

MENDHAM, NJ - With the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic forcing businesses large and small to cease primary operations, Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner is trying to restore some of the retail outlets in her community to partial functionality.

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In a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy, Glassner requested that these businesses be allowed to open their doors again, with conditions.

"Mendham Borough, like so many towns in New Jersey, is home to a variety of small businesses. These local enterprises add unique charm to our historic Main Street. Without them as our mainstays, our town would look blighted and our infrastructure would fall apart," Glassner said.

Glassner noted that in some instances, these businesses serve as the owner's sole income, and they may not qualify for SBA or state relief.

"Getting these businesses open again is crucial not only to ensure they don't close forever, but to keep towns like Mendham Borough vital," Glassner said.

Her way forward would be to permit small retail businesses to open on a reservation-only basis. Retail and small service providers like dress shops, gift shops, antique stores, salons, to name a few, need an opportunity to resume some level of business if they're to survive, Glassner said.

"For these businesses its not possible for people to order blindly over the phone. However, by allowing
them to take reservations and permit one shopper in the store at a time and ensuring that the shoppers are healthy and wearing masks, they may be able to generate enough revenue to save their business and our once-vibrant Main Street from extinction," she said.

While she has not received a response from Murphy, Glassner and the governing body have been doing what they can to help businesses.

"We are working on a package for small business, we can't help them with funding but we have relaxed the signage ordinance so they can better advertise. We are in the process of passing a new outdoor dining permit process for when restaurants are open again since some patrons may not want to eat in," Glassner told Patch. "I am also putting together a small business round table with our local businesses that we will do on zoom."

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