November 16, 2021
The Honorable Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr., Governor
State House, 100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401-1925
Governor Hogan,
The undersigned associations representing a cross-section of business, restaurant and suppliers across Maryland write to express our strong support for the creation of a State Grant fund to assist restaurants in making HVAC modifications to their indoor air handling systems to take advantage of opportunities to use the latest technology to further sanitize those indoor spaces. We are requesting a grant fund be established offering no match grants up to $10,000.00 specifically aimed at establishments, exclusive of all large chains or franchise restaurants.
Examples of the types of modifications these grant funds would support include but are not limited to: an increase in installed air filtration levels, improvements in outside air, and the addition of indoor air sanitization measures. The increase of filtration encompasses the improvement of overall air system filtration. To facilitate the removal of airstream pathogens, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASRAE) recommends the use and proper maintenance of MERV-13 (or higher) filters (Filtration / Disinfection (ashrae.org.)
The increase of outside air within a space, either through an existing mechanical system or the increased effectiveness of open windows / doors allows the change-over of air within a space, further improving the overall indoor air quality. The CDC recommends the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as a supplemental treatment to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 when options for increasing room ventilation and filtration are limited. (Ventilation in Buildings | CDC; June 2, 2021 – update).
We believe that this Grant program would be beneficial for the industry, create and save jobs, and help drive demand to our restaurants that will have made these critical air handling improvements. As associations representing a broad cross-section of this industry and allied industries, we ask for your support on establishing this dedicated Grant Fund.
Sincerely,
William Chambers
President/CEO
Allegany County Chamber of Commerce
Charles County Chamber of Commerce
Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce
Crisfield Chamber of Commerce
Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce
Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce
Garrett County Chamber of Commerce
Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce
Greater Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce
Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce
Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce
Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce
Greater Salisbury Committee
Howard County Chamber of Commerce
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
North Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce
Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association
Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce
Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce
Restaurant Association of Maryland
Rockville Chamber of Commerce
Talbot County Chamber of Commerce
Washington County Chamber of Commerce