Home | About | Join
March 2020
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Andrew Thomas
Westwood Village Improvement Association

1st Vice President
Steve Snider
Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt-Uptown District Associations
 
2nd Vice President
Emilie Cameron 
Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Secretary
Kathy Hemmenway
Walnut Creek Downtown
 
Treasurer
Austin Metoyer
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
 
At-Large Directors
Marshall Anderson
Downtown San Diego Partnership

John Caner
Downtown Berkeley

Karin Flood
Union Square Business Improvement District

Suzanne Holley
Downtown Center Business Improvement District (LA)

Rena Leddy
LA Fashion District
 
Steve Mulheim
Old Pasadena Management District

Chloe Shipp
San Jose Downtown Association
 
Immediate Past President
Steven Welliver
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
CDA MEMBERS
Arlington Business Partnership
Arts District Los Angeles BID
Bixby Knolls Business
Improvement Association
BLVD Association
Carmichael Improvement District, Inc.
City of Beverly Hills
City of Monterey Park
City of Ontario
City of San Diego - Economic Development Dept.
Civitas
Downtown Alameda Business Association
Downtown Association of Santa Cruz
Downtown Berkeley Association
Downtown Business Association-Bakersfield
Downtown Center BID
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
Downtown Modesto Partnership
Downtown Oakland Association/ Lake Merritt Uptown District Association
Downtown Pomona Owners Association
Downtown Roseville Partnership
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Downtown Santa Barbara, Inc.
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Downtown SLO
Downtown Vacaville BID
Downtown Ventura Partners
Downtown Visalians, Inc.
East Hollywood BID
Figueroa Corridor Partnership
Gateway to LA Airport Business District
Gilroy Economic Development
Greater Broadway District
Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
Kono CBD
LA Downtown Industrial District BID
LA Fashion District BID
La Jolla Village Merchants Association
LeerCorp
Old Monterey Business Association
Old Pasadena Management District 
ParkSmart, Inc.
Paso Robles Main Street Association
Playhouse District Association
Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
R Street Sacramento Partnership
Riverside Downtown Partnership
San Jose Downtown Association
South Park BID
Sunnyvale Downtown
Telegraph BID
Temescal Telegraph BID
The River District
The Unity Council
Times Square Alliance
Tracy City Center Association
Tulare Downtown Association
Union Square BID
Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association
Westwood Village Improvement Association 


SPREAD THE WORD
Is your entire staff reading this newsletter? Please forward to your team and ask them to sign up !
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Andrew Thomas VP
The developments of the past three weeks have been staggering for our nation’s public health, our economy and our way of life. Our once vibrant and bustling downtowns are quiet and listless.

In my own community in Los Angeles, some businesses have placed plywood over their doors and windows. I grew up with hurricanes, so this sight isn’t unfamiliar, but I never thought I would see this on the westside of Los Angeles.

Non-essential businesses in our districts have closed. Many won’t reopen. Every day brings new revelations, sobering facts and devastating statistics and shocking projections. The only certainty is that we should not expect a return to normalcy any time soon.

But we will recover, and it is crucial that our downtowns and urban centers have strong advocates to push for legislation, policy, and any and every possible solution to accelerate our recovery. CDA has, and will continue to, advocate for our communities, and will be rally our partner organizations to join us. Together, we will be heard.

In the meantime, I am humbled, proud and not the least bit surprised that our members have risen to the occasion to help each other and share best practices and real-time information. There is an abundance of terrific information available on the IDA COVID-19 Resources web page and I encourage you to review this information, as well as contact your peers and fellow CDA members for support during this challenging time.

Be well, be safe.

Andrew Thomas, CDA President
Executive Director
Westwood Village Improvement Association
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
State Health & Emergency Leadership Ramp-Up Fight Against COVID-19 Outbreak 

This week, in response to Governor Newsom’s request, President Trump issued a major disaster declaration for California to help the state address the health and economic impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The disaster declaration will give additional assistance to the state, including financial assistance for people who have been impacted by layoffs and to allow business owners to apply for disaster unemployment insurance.  

In Governor Newsom’s letter to President Trump, the Governor warned that without mitigation measures in place to stop the spread of the virus, more than 60% of the state’s population – 25.5 million people – could become infected.  

On Monday, March 16th the Legislature approved two emergency budget bills that will help the state ramp-up efforts to respond to the pandemic. SB 89 will increase hospital capacity, bed capacity, childcare facilities, will purchase hotels and motels to deal with those affected, including individuals, non-profits, small businesses. SB 115 will focus on supporting public and charter schools, childcare services, and sanitizing school sites. All told, the Legislature approved appropriations of up to $1B in general funds to achieve those goals.  The Senate passed Resolution 86, allowing for Senate administrative procedure changes during emergencies, and allow for standing committees to convene remotely, if necessary.  The Legislature will be adjourned until April 13th.  

The following resources are available to you in order to keep up-to-date on the State’s efforts to fight against the spread of COVID-19, including a one-stop website:  covid19.ca.gov

There you will find information including: 
  • Governor Newsom issued a stay at home order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and to establish consistency across the state in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Read the order here.
  • The order identifies certain services as essential. These services can continue despite the stay at home order. Read the full guidance here.
  • Governor Newsom issued an executive order to permit vote-by-mail procedures to be used in three upcoming special elections, protecting public health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more here.
  • Franchise Tax Board extends filing and payment deadline for all California taxpayers until July 15, 2020, due to COVID-19. Read more here.
  • Guidance from the Alcoholic Beverage Control to licensees on limitations of on-sale privileges. Read more here.

Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
March 2020 Legislative Update 
IN THE NEWS
Newsom Calls for Closure of Some State Parking Lots
KCRA 3
Announcement comes in response to crowds at beaches while California is under stay-at-home order

What Counts as an ‘Essential Business’?
New York Times
Californians are navigating a new reality and finding that “stay at home” isn’t a black-and-white order.

California Legislators Working on Emergency Bills to Protect Tenants, Small Businesses
StreetsBlog Cal
Although the making of laws is far from business-as-usual these days, with the state Capitol closed and all hearings suspended for the moment, that doesn’t mean work has stopped.

Few Homeless Off California’s Streets As Virus Spreads
LAist
With all Californians ordered to shelter in place in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, every restaurant that hasn't shut down has become a takeout/delivery business.

How LA's Restaurant Industry Is Trying To Save Itself — And What You Can Do To Help
GovTech
Chief information officers from four Southern California communities offered their experiences rolling out smart city...

California Construction Workers Prepare to Mobilize for Coronavirus Surge Response
Politico
The head of California’s powerful building and construction trades union says plans are in the works to deploy tens....

Study Says California Is Most-aggressive State Fighting Pandemic
The Mercury News
Research from WalletHub gives California high marks for several virus-fighting efforts.
Spread the Word
Do you have your ear to the ground when it comes to the latest downtown news in your region? To submit news to be considered for inclusion in the newsletter, please contact Allison Shashok at allison@downtown.org .
CDA District Digest Copyright 2020
Powered by the International Downtown Association