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April 24, 2020

City Offers Zero-Interest Loans to Small Businesses

The City has created a new Small Business Sustainability Loan Program to help our small brick-and-mortar businesses here in Healdsburg weather the coronavirus pandemic. The loan program will provide zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 to eligible small businesses of 25 or fewer full-time employees; these funds may help businesses cover day-to-day operating expenses, lease or mortgage payments, materials, supplies and services. Loan payments will be deferred until May 1, 2021. The $600,000 in loan funding will come from the City’s Measure V funds. Businesses can apply for these small business loans starting today, Friday, April 24. For the SBS Loan Program full guidelines and information, please go to: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/982/Help-for-Businesses-Impacted-by-Coronavi

Coronavirus: Economic Impact to City Finances

Like other governmental agencies, businesses, and organizations, the City of Healdsburg is being economically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The revenue the City collects from taxes and fees (such as business license fees), for instance, has been sharply curtailed: The sales tax and TOT revenue shortfall alone for this fiscal year is about $3 million.

Collecting less revenue than budgeted impacts City services and programs. As a result, the City has taken these and other measures to shore up our General Fund and keep vital City services and programs going:

• Keeping several City positions vacant
• Eliminating most part-time staff hours
• Reducing contracted services
• Reducing staff travel and training

To learn more, a mid-year budget review was presented at the April 20 City Council meeting. The link to the agenda packet  and the meeting video link can be found here: http://healdsburgca.iqm2.com/Citizens/default.aspx

Despite the economic impact, the City is trying to help our community members who have fallen on hard times. Here’s what has been done to date:

• Waived late fees and other fees for our utility customers through May 31.
• Suspended disconnection of water/wastewater and electric services when utility customers can’t pay through May 31.
• Expanded our utility discount program (CARE) for low-income utility customers from 15-25 percent (depending on the utility service) to a 100 percent discount on electric bills for April, May and June. If you’ve lost wages, you may be eligible for our CARE program. More information: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/173/Utility-Programs.
• Delaying the requirement for Healdsburg businesses to make Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) payments for February (due on March 31, 2020), March (due on April 30, 2020), April (due on May 31, 2020), and May (due June 30) until July 31, 2020. For questions about TOT payments, go here: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/171/Transient-Occupancy-Tax. You can also contact the City’s Finance Department via (707) 431-3184.
• The City has just launched a $600,000 small-business loan program to help our small brick-and-mortar businesses weather the crisis. More information and the loan application: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/982/Help-for-Businesses-Impacted-by-Coronavi

Coronavirus Update Newsletter and Website

The City will start a new bi-weekly newsletter with news and information on the coronavirus pandemic that Healdsburg community members may find helpful. If you'd like to get this update in your email inbox, sign up for the newsletter by going to: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/list.aspx and clicking on the "Coronavirus Newsletter" box. This newsletter will also be published on the City's Facebook and Nextdoor pages.

In addition, the City has a coronavirus website with information specific to Healdsburg, including the CARE utility-discount program, the City's new small-business loan program, and other resources. Go to: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/974/Coronavirus-COVID-19

Weed Abatement: Start Now Before Fire Season

The Healdsburg Fire Department will start annual weed abatement inspections next week. This process typically starts every year in April, before the next fire season starts. We also encourage community members to cut back vegetation on their properties and fill up their  green compost bins. Community members can also use the Healdsburg transfer station. Weed abatement information and a checklist can be found by going to: https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/273/Fire-Prevention If you use a paid service, you can do that for fire safety but not for cosmetic/upkeep reasons per the Shelter-in-Place Order.

Senior Meals on Wheels Service Expands

Community Services is partnering with Council on Aging to expand the Meals on Wheels program during the Shelter-in-Place Order. Seniors age 60 or better can enroll for a five-day pack of meals which includes single-serve, heat-and-eat, heart-healthy entrees, fresh fruit and low-fat milk. Pre-enrolled members (or a proxy) will receive their meal packs by vehicle pick-up at the Healdsburg Community Center. City Staff and volunteers will check in recipients and place items into the recipient's vehicle to avoid contact. The first scheduled meal pick-up will take place Monday, April 27, from 10:30 AM -12 PM and each following Monday after that through the Shelter-in-Place Order. This service is the latest food distribution option for the senior population and is intended to supplement ongoing grocery delivery and food distribution services in partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank. For more information and to enroll in Meals on Wheels, please contact Council on Aging at (707) 525-0143 or https://www.councilonaging.com/meals-on-wheels

Community Nutrition Work Continues

Community Services continues to work with our partners Corazon Healdsburg, Redwood Empire Food Banks, and Council on Aging to help ensure food is available to our community. Since the beginning of stay-at-home orders in March, we’ve coordinated delivery of food baskets to seniors, groceries-to-go pickup for the general community, and meals on wheels to those most in need. Please consider supporting these organizations.

Healdsburg Hosted Successful Blood Drive

Vitalant (formerly Blood Centers of the Pacific) hosted a blood drive with 29 blood donors on April 22 at the Villa Chanticleer Annex. Blood donations are in high demand nationwide as many blood drives have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Blood donations are an essential service and Vitalant has taken extra safety precautions to keep people safe. Those precautions include taking donations only by appointment, giving ample space between draw stations, and conducting expansive health background checks. City Staff and the Tayman Group worked with Vitalant to provide a facility and set-up for a successful and safe blood drive. A second blood drive has been tentatively scheduled at the Villa Annex for June 25. For more info, please visit www.vitalant.org

Highway Paving Between Geyserville and Cloverdale

 
Caltrans is scheduled to start paving U.S. Highway 101 between Geyserville and Cloverdale next week. Most of this work will occur at night with lane closures and/or freeway closures and detours. There is a small portion of the Caltrans project that will take place on the freeway adjacent to Healdsburg (South Healdsburg Ave Undercrossing to Lytton Springs Rd). This portion will be limited to repairing the approach slabs at the overcrossing of South Healdsburg Ave., installing and repairing drainage piping and swales between Westside Rd. and Dry Creek Rd., and repairing drainage piping at the Lytton Springs/U.S. 101 interchange. Where detours are implemented, no traffic is expected to be routed through Healdsburg but rather off and back on at the same interchange or detouring to the north when working at Lytton Springs Rd. For more information, go to: https://bit.ly/2wvSOpN. 

Please Take Our Electric Vehicle Survey

Want to Lower Your Utility Bill?

Over the past several weeks, the City has been publishing low or no-cost energy and water-saving tips on our Smart Living website https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/424/Smart-Living-Healdsburg and on our Smart Living Healdsburg Facebook page. Please follow us and share these tips with your neighbors.