Health director, downtown bar owners may meet soon

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce is working to set up a meeting between downtown bar and restaurant owners and the local health director.

Boone County businesses have to stop selling booze at 9 p.m. and close at 10 p.m. because of coronavirus concerns. The Columbia City Council gave Stephanie Browning the authority to extend those restrictions beyond Sept. 17 if she wants.

Executive Director Matt McCormick with the Columbia Chamber of Commerce says the business owners want to let Browning know about some unintended consequences of the restrictions.

“It’s been a struggle, without a doubt,” McCormick says. “But what we’ve also heard from many of them is everybody wants to do their part to make sure that we keep our community safe.”

McCormick says the chamber has already set up meetings during the pandemic with the health director on limits affecting local construction and hospitality industries.