BRIGHTON, Colo. (KDVR) — The mayor of Brighton is pushing to change his city’s fate for reopening after the Tri-County Health Department extended stay-at-home orders for Arapahoe and Adams county through May 8.

Tri-County Health covers Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties.

Brighton’s mayor, Greg Mills says if the department is not making a one-size-fits-all decision, they should consider jurisdictions versus entire counties.

Mills personally knows how serious this virus is and respects that safety precautions must stand in place.

“I lost my dad to this two weeks ago,” Mills said, adding, “It’s affected my family, it’s affected people that I know, even our police chief.”

Mills says the grief of losing his father is part of the reason he wrote a letter to the Tri-County Health Department asking for an exemption from the extended stay-at-home order for Brighton.

“We’re not going to have a parade and we’re not going to make this the Spanish flu, but we need to showcase the good and celebrate that we are getting passed this,” Mills said. “We are flattening the curve here, I know it.”

“We will work with Brighton leadership to make the best decision for Brighton,” Tri-County Health Department Deputy Director Jennifer Ludwig said.

Tri-County Health Department says there is no formal waiver process in place, but it is willing to work with any municipality who brings concerns forward.

“We will have to look at the data and that will tell us, whether or not we feel, as the public health agency serving that jurisdiction, if it is safe,” Ludwig said.

Ludwig says all three counties can open retail stores for curbside and deliveries starting tomorrow despite the extended stay-at-home order over Adams and Arapahoe Counties.

“Flower shops, boutiques, cigar bars, cellphone stores, fish and tackle,” Ludwig said. “All of that can begin opening tomorrow with curb side delivery or pickup.”