First District Representative Joel Kitchens hosted a Zoom meeting Tuesday afternoon, which had 100 attendees, including business owners, concerned citizens, and municipal employees from across the area. In his opening statements, Kitchens said conditions probably warrant a quicker reopening than that proposed by Governor Tony Evers’ Badger Bounce Back framework.

Kitchens said he has found a lot to like about the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, or WMC, model. That plan seeks to reopen most businesses by May 12th in a limited capacity. There would then be criteria in place to allow for restaurants and retail stores to reach normal traffic levels once thresholds are met for a prolonged time period. Kitchens wants to open negotiations with the governor.