Title
Provide Direction for Creating a COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force; and Recommendation to the City Manager regarding which Economic Development Advisory Panel members, and business/business association representatives, should to sit on the Task Force
Body
Date: May 14, 2020
To: Members of the Mayor's Economic Development Advisory Panel
From: Lois Butler, Economic Development Manager
BACKGROUND
The global COVID-19 pandemic has prompted widespread public health and shelter-in-place restrictions, resulting in a sudden recession with unprecedented increases in unemployment and business closures. Particularly hard-hit are sectors supported by consumer spending. Retail, hospitality, and food services are considered among the most vulnerable sectors.
To date, the City of Alameda's response to the economic crisis has focused on addressing the immediate challenges faced by our business community and workers:
1. Sharing information and promoting federal, state and local resources available to the business community and the general public. This includes:
a. Prominent, regularly updated pages on the city's website dedicated to resources for business and workers, and lists of restaurants and essential services that are open for businesses.
(see https://www.alamedaca.gov/ALERTS-COVID-19)
b. A webinar series conducted in partnership with local business associations and the Chamber of Commerce. Past topics include accessing Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, and a session addressing human resources concerns for businesses impacted by COVID-19.
c. Zoom town hall meetings with the city's senior management and elected officials
2. "At Your Service" program-helping individual businesses with permitting process, and connecting individual businesses to SBA and other specific resource representatives through our Business Assistance Hotline.
3. Deferred payment of sixty (60) day for business license tax, business improvement area (BIA) fees, and tra...
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