Salt Pump Community Update — May 1st

Dear All,

We hope everyone has been well and finding new and unique ways to pass the time. The coming of May means we are fully into spring and ready to give an update on the status of re-opening Salt Pump.

We are hopeful that we will be able to adjust to the new reality while maintaining the culture of Salt Pump that is so essential to fostering our community. However, there is still much uncertainty and there is no doubt that when we do re-open, we will have to operate differently to manage the direct risks of COVID-19 as well as its financial impact.

We will not open, at a minimum, for a few more weeks, and possibly longer.

Governor Mills announced that “fitness and exercise centers” will tentatively be allowed to open June 1. It’s possible that the governor will revise that tentative opening date to be earlier or later. The governor and the Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”) also stated that they will prepare COVID-19 Prevention Checklists. According to the governor/DECD, these checklists are designed to:

• Identify best practices for the business specific to its operations as well as general best practices related to physical distancing, hygiene, personal protection, and maintenance of clean workplaces, among others.
• Differ sector to sector and will undergo a rigorous review process including from government officials, health experts, and industry representatives.
• Allow businesses that commit to complying with the requirements on the checklist to post a badge on their business door or website. Their names will also be posted on the DECD website.

Financials

Given our closure since March 16, we have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. Our April receipts – including membership dues from members who kindly agreed to be charged their monthly dues – amounted to approximately $5,000. This does not come remotely close to covering our monthly expenses. Notwithstanding, we took a variety of action to minimize the financial impact of COVID-19 and to ensure that we can pay our staff as long as we can, including obtaining additional financing, which we expect to be forgiven if we comply with its conditions.

• If you generously agreed to be charged your April dues but would like to NOT be charged for May, please let us know via email to info@saltpumpclimbing.com.
• If you have not already done so and would like to financially support Salt Pump by re-starting your membership, please kindly fill out a Covid-19 Membership Change Form, please click HERE to do so. We thank you in advance if you choose to keep supporting Salt Pump by continuing your membership or purchasing pre-paid memberships or gift cards.

Re-opening Plan

Getting to re-opening will be difficult. We will follow government guidance and create our own checklists and plans. We are already trained to manage risks specific to climbing, and we will have to train ourselves to operate differently to manage new risks and requirements. Our priorities are to:

• Protect the health of our employees, customers, and community. This will entail operational and management changes including, but not limited to, occupancy restrictions, social distancing and hygiene rules and protocols, cleaning, and PPE and other protections.
• Communicate effectively with staff and community members. In order for these operational changes to be effective, they have to be communicated clearly and followed strictly. Furthermore, we may be required to re-close and re-open, which will require an effective communication plan.
• Protect the economic health and continuity of Salt Pump. We will undergo a review of our business model, including the impact of the current situation on our various programs.

We will be increasing our communication frequency as we make strides towards re-opening, including information regarding summer camps. Thank you as always. We are grateful for our community. If you have any thoughts or questions about the information noted above or anything else, please reach out to us directly at info@saltpumpclimbing.com.

Gamba!

Taki