Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution Approving Appropriation of Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000) of General Fund Reserves to Address Business Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City of San Leandro City Council adopt a Resolution approving appropriation of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) of General Fund Reserves to address urgent business needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BACKGROUND
Following the initiation of the Alameda County Shelter-in-Place Order on March 17, 2020 in order to protect employees and customers from transmission and limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many San Leandro businesses, including specialty retail, restaurants, personal services (hair, nails, etc.), and health and fitness were required to close, or limited to pick up service only. The initial and subsequent orders and their restrictions devastated local businesses, particularly small service, food, and other direct customer serving businesses. Even as certain businesses were permitted to reopen for a time during the fall, small businesses continued to suffer from reduced customer traffic due to work from home arrangements and customer reluctance for person-to-person contact. With reduced sales, increased costs of operations due to required personal protective equipment and physical protective measures, and the cost of ongoing and past overhead, businesses continue to have significant operations and financial challenges.
In recognition of the continued operational and financial stress on small businesses, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors authorized the implementation of the Alameda County CARES Grant Program, funded by Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security ("CARES") Act funds on November 10, 2020. The program provided grants of up to $5,000 to eligible small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alameda County allocated
$5 mill...
Click here for full text