Despite the cancelation of their annual event due to COVID-19 concerns, Welby Gardens continued with their 2020 summer flower trials. A total of 584 plant varieties were grown for evaluation, and voting was done over the course of a week by visitors to the facility. It was an unusual year in every aspect, and voting resulted in numerous ties.

The importance of securing your company's IT system and data have never been more important. With staff working remotely during the pandemic, new vulnerabilities arise. Business owners can help close up security gaps by stressing cyber safety as they do physical safety at work. 

In late July, the city of Lafayette suffered a cyber attack that took down their computer network. The small city paid a $45,000 ransom to the attackers in order to regain access to their files. Similar attacks have happened in small and large towns across the US, as well as at public libraries and medical centers. Taking the time to set up proper security protocols in your company can help prevent you from becoming the next victim.

On August 8, President Trump issued an executive order allowing workers who earn less than $4,000 in a two-week period to defer payroll taxes between September 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. It is important that employers are aware of this order and that they may need to make adjustments to payroll processing beginning in September.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA), opened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness process on August 10. Loan forgiveness applications are now available at sba.gov. The PPP loan program closed on August 8.

Some experts are cautioning business owners against applying for loan forgiveness right away. Just as the rules around applying for PPP funds changed after the program launched, some anticipate upcoming changes to the forgiveness process.

Colorado Springs Utilities has proposed an ordinance change for the City of Colorado Springs concerning underground damage prevention safety. As a home rule entity, the city would establish its own utility locates program and would be responsible for enforcement.

City and County of Denver launched a program to help small businesses access PPE related to reducing the spread of coronavirus. Last week, a registration form was made available for businesses to register for a free personal protective equipment (PPE) kit.

In each issue of Colorado Green magazine, Dr. James Klett at Colorado State University (CSU) recommends plants and trees that have been proven successful in Colorado’s conditions. In the July/August issue of the magazine, Klett repeated some recommendations for trees. When asked why he was repeating the recommendation, he noted that despite the recommendations, the plants’ success in CSU’s woody plant evaluations, and availability at local nurseries, landscape companies seem slow to use these trees.

This week, August 10-16, is Safe + Sound Week, an OSHA initiative that celebrates successful safety programs and encourages workplace safety across the nation. This year, in light of pandemic restrictions, many events are being offered online as webinars.  

The official launch in fall 2017 for the Colorado State University (CSU) online Bachelor of Science degree in horticulture enrolled 25 students, and the first student graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the online program in fall 2018. As of spring 2020, enrollment in the online program was 102.