Mayor Jeremy Stutsman is postponing his State of the City address, scheduled to be delivered at the Founders’ Day Luncheon, which was canceled today.
Founders’ Day, an expo, luncheon and awards ceremony organized by the Goshen Chamber of Commerce, was canceled as a preventative measure to avoid potential exposure of the over 400 attendees to COVID-19.
The State of the City address will be recorded and made available on the City website, goshenindiana.org, by the end of March.
Mayor Stutsman supported Chamber of Commerce President Nick Kieffer in his decision to cancel the annual event, saying the decision to do so was not one that was taken lightly.
“We have spoken with Dr. Dan Nafziger and emergency management official Jennifer Tobey before making the decision that the possibility of exposing business leaders and community members to the virus was not worth the risk of going forward with the event,” Mayor Stutsman said.
The City of Goshen will continue to work with health officials, including Dr. Lydia K. Mertz, MD, Health Officer of the Elkhart County Department of Health, and Dr. Nafziger, MD, MS, Chief Medical Officer at Goshen Hospital. In addition, the City will work with other community leaders to decide other preventative measure to reduce potential exposure throughout the city.
“We will continue to learn more about the virus and what this community can do in the next several weeks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Mayor Stutsman said. “I want to reiterate that we are not making these decisions lightly. Instead, we want to be as best informed and prepared to serve the community. It will be important for our community to separate caution and preparedness from panic. We will work to keep Goshen informed as we continue to learn more about this ever-evolving discussion.”