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Consider Creating a Grant Program for Park Street (Downtown Alameda Business Association-DABA) and Webster Street (West Alameda Business Association-WABA) to Adapt the Configuration of Park and Webster Streets, including Potential Temporary Street Closures. (Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmember Oddie)
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COUNCIL REFERRAL FORM
The Council can take any of the following actions:
1) Take no action.
2) Refer the matter to staff to schedule as a future City Council agenda item.
3) Take dispositive action if sufficiently noticed such that the public and Council have been provided sufficient information by the published agenda, and no formal published notice of a public hearing is required.
Name of Councilmember requesting referral: Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmember Oddie
Date of submission to City Clerk (must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on the Monday two weeks before the Council meeting requested): 8/17/2020
Council Meeting date: 9/1/2020
Brief description of the subject to be printed on the agenda, sufficient to inform the City Council and public of the nature of the referral:
Create a grant program for Park Street (DABA) and Webster Street (WABA) Business Associations to adapt to configuration of Park and Webster Streets and potential temporary street closures; eliminate red tape.
Leaders of the Chamber, DABA, and WABA are concerned about the continued viability of local businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers. The City has reconfigured Park and Webster Streets to provide space for outdoor dining and enhanced social distancing. However, in order to maximize the effectiveness of lane closures, and possible temporary street closures, the city needs to find additional ways to support the vibrancy of these districts. Time is of the essence as many businesses are struggling to survive and often encounter "red tape" when attempting to find creative solutions to remaining open. To qualify, any parklets, etc. set up with these grant funds must fully comply with the Public Health Officer's orders.
This referral respectfully requests that the Council approve the following framework and direct the City Manager to implement it immediately:
1. Establish a grant pool of up to $125,000 for each business district, DABA and WABA, ($250,000 total), to be funded from reserves (our reserves are there for times of emergency, and if COVID-19 is not an emergency, then what is?)
a. Compliance with Public Health Officer's orders
i. To qualify for grant funding, any parklets, communal dining areas, etc. must submit drawings or diagrams to scale showing required distance between tables and plans for sanitizing table and chairs between diners, and applicants must fully comply with the Public Health Officer's orders regarding outdoor dining, including, but not limited to:
1. Distancing of tables
2. Requiring all diners to wear masks except when eating or drinking
3. Customers waiting for pick-up and take-out must wear masks at all times and maintain 6 feet of distance from others waiting in line
4. Businesses found to be in violation of the Public Health Officers orders are subject to loss of grant funding
b. Eligible expenditures:
i. Additional insurance required for expanded outdoor dining - up to $5,000 (the city is requiring the associations carry additional insurance)
ii. Rent expenses for communal/shared dining spaces (e.g., Webster/Taylor lot) - up to $25,000 (multiple restaurants can share space, opening up the option for outdoor dining to more merchants)
iii. Furniture and umbrellas for outdoor dining
iv. Other cosmetic modifications to sidewalks and cost for cleaning and sanitization of shared dining spaces - up to $10,000 (this would be the only item that could be used for personnel costs)
v. Signage with Public Health Officer's orders/requirements and PPE/sanitizing materials for servers - up to $5,000
c. Associations would be responsible for storing, moving, and scheduling the use of furniture/umbrellas and any communal dining spaces/parklets not directly in front of an existing restaurant
d. Rapid payments - time is of the essence
e. Why DABA/WABA? Only associations with assessment fees and this is in response to the changes implemented by the city, not by the associations.
i. Signage should be prominently displayed outlining these guidelines
2. Cut the “red tape”
a. City will expedite and prioritize permitting request to permit any proposed street closures, parklet installation, or other requests for outdoor dining (target turnaround time?)
b. City will expedite the permitting, installation, and delivery of barriers (target turnaround time?)
c. City will temporarily suspend any permitting requirements that impede the prioritization listed above
d. Covid-19 permit expiration date extended from 11/3/2020 to Oct. 2021 (but could end earlier if pandemic is defeated before then)
e. City to allow parklets in front of vacant storefronts (associations to manage scheduling, this will expand opportunities)
f. City to set up loading zones on the cross-streets for non-restaurant merchants for pick-up and delivery (vendors and customers)
g. City to provide free parking passes to merchants for parking garage and/or parking lots for days/times of any street closures
h. City to assist with proper waste/recycling collection
3. City purchase barriers for use to protect parklets ($50,000) - use parade budget for this? (approx. $325/each for the water filled barriers)
4. Proposal for permanent/temporary street closures will be on the 9/15 Council agenda. Modifications to this plan can be discussed then as well as ways to accommodate non-restaurant merchants who need delivery and merchandise drop off locations (see 2.f)
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