Governor defends disbanding advisory group
Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday defended his decision to disband the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group just as the state enters the first of four phases of the reopening process.
At an afternoon press conference, Lamont emphasized the amount of time the group members had invested in the reopening plan and said the group had mostly finished its job.
“What they put in place was the metrics that allow us to see phase one, phase two, phase three,” Lamont said. “Many of them are going to stay very actively involved. It’s just the formal structure of the advisory board is going to take a back seat as we move toward implementation of many of the metrics that they recommended.”
The group, which includes an eight-person core panel and a number of subcommittees, will disband Wednesday, as retail outlets are permitted to reopen and restaurants are allowed to offer outdoor dining. The advisory group has guided Lamont on all facets of the state’s initial reopening, including business, public health and education concerns. Lamont said group members would now “go back to their lives.”
State officials say the state has met its seven criteria for an initial reopening — but while Lamont has suggested the second phase could begin June 20, the state hasn’t set any benchmarks for phases two to four. Even the first
phase of reopening remains somewhat fluid, as evidenced by Lamont’s decision Monday to roll back the opening of barbershops and salons from Wednesday to early June.
With the advisory group disbanded, the state is expected to rely more heavily on Boston Consulting Group, a firm the state hired to assist with the reopening process.
On Monday, both Lamont and the state’s chief operating officer, Josh Geballe, defended the state’s contract with the firm, which calls for about $2 million worth of work. The governor repeatedly emphasized that he, not any outside advisers, will ultimately make reopening decisions.
“We set policy, that’s our job,” Lamont said of himself and his team. “At the end of the day, it’s Connecticut policy and we make that policy.”
Geballe said hiring consulting firms is standard practice for businesses and governmental bodies. BCG, he said, will help the state move more quickly on its coronavirus-related decisions.
“The people of Connecticut expect us to move quickly and thoughtfully to protect their health and mitigate this financial damage. And most people I’ve spoken to are strongly supportive of us bringing in additional help,” Geballe said Monday.
The inner workings of Lamont’s soon-to-be-disbanded advisory group have mostly remained unknown. The group, co-chaired by Yale Public Health epidemiologist Albert Ko and former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, was set up under the umbrella of the nonprofit AdvanceCT and therefore not subject to open records laws.
When asked Monday if BCG will be more transparent, Geballe reiterated that the governor, not the consulting firm, will make all final decisions about reopening.