HARRISBURG — Business owners spoke on both sides of the issue of re-opening the city of Harrisburg Tuesday morning at a special city council meeting at city hall. The meeting was called to discuss if and how the city could open non-essential businesses like hair and nail salons safely.

Jerry Hunt is a business owner in Harrisburg, he spoke for Sunny and Lisa Winn who own a nail salon in town. After reading multiple safety protocols the salon has in place, he told the council that the shutdown has taken its toll on their family and the business.

Christi Bailey is a daycare owner in Harrisburg who does not think the community should open back up. She says we may not have many cases here, but we don’t know if and when someone who has the virus will come into the community and infect many more people in town.

State Senator Dale Fowler and State Representative Patrick Windhorst also spoke to the council at the meeting. Fowler told the council that they were doing everything they could to convey to the governor that a regional re-opening is needed for this area. He says the governor has shown the state is taking small steps towards re-opening.

Fowler and Windhorst say the public can help lawmakers make the case for re-opening. They encourage constituents to write letters to their office and those letters will be relayed to the Governor’s office.

No action was taken at the meeting, but Harrisburg mayor John McPeek said that no action will be taken to overstep the governor’s executive order. He encouraged residents to reach out to their lawmakers as well.