City Council FYI: Decisions, decisions, decisions
For Steamboat Pilot & Today
As I reflect upon these past 8 weeks, I find myself analyzing decisions I have made for myself, my family, the business I help run and the city of Steamboat Springs. During times of uncharted waters, reflections become therapeutic.
My family and I have been doing our best as have most of you. I’m trying to keep my sanity as I home-school two elementary-aged kids while helping with our business and maintaining the household. My physical health … well that’s for a different article.
Decisions I’ve made include simple ones like: do I allow my kids to go to the grocery with me? Does the lack of one ingredient warrant a run to the grocery store? Do I let my kids watch TV even though it’s not our normal practice? More complex decisions include: do we as a city cut budgets drastically now or take it slowly?
The toughest decisions are not being made by me, my business or even the city. The governor, Routt County Board of Commissioners and Routt County Public Health officials are making those. Public Health is focused on health only and have the difficult job of keeping our communities as safe as possible. The county and state have even a bigger challenge — juggling health, economics and the entire state.
I implore you to take just a moment and consider the decisions these officials must make. Opening our communities could afford our cities economic recovery and sanity to all, but it could also bring pandemic numbers again. Weighing consequences of economics versus health is not as easy as one would think. Staying safer at home is hard emotionally, physically and monetarily.
If you were a decision-maker for a major population, ask yourself if it is as easy as “Should I open or close?” Think of all the potential reactions to your decision. Will you make the right one? Will you live in regret? Will it keep you up at night?
These public officials are doing their best given that no one has lived through anything like this before. Place yourself in the minds of these people who represent all of us. Some decisions may be wrong in your opinion, but they may be absolutely the best for your neighbor. Either way, it’s a decision an official made based on the information they had.
It’s scary to think what comes next — open or closed — but these individuals are trying and balancing a variety of interests. They make day-to-day family and business decisions, and then, are tasked with making decisions for our greater population. Be aware, and please be gracious. That is all we can be.
Grace is given when we let the kids watch a TV show. Grace is given when we skip the necessary ingredient and it doesn’t taste the same. Grace is given when your neighbor isn’t doing what you’re doing. Grace is given when you give your employees thermometers and ask them to complete forms they’ve never had to complete before. Grace is given when you listen to those in need. Grace is given when you try to understand decision-makers, and you offer them support.
Be safe, be well and keep making the best decisions you can.
Heather Sloop serves on the Steamboat Springs City Council.
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