Economic Development Newsletter
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A Message from Estelle Bussa, Economic Development Manager
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The City of Ventura's Economic Development Division is committed to providing local businesses with timely information and resources to help our community navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay connected at the City's
Economic Development webpage
.
On May 8, and again on May 12, the State and County expanded the Stage 2 list of lower-risk businesses allowed to re-open as part of the
Governor's 4-Phase Resilience Roadmap
. Additionally, the County of Ventura launched a website,
VCReopens.com
, where businesses can complete the attestation form and register. Please watch the video provided above for a step-by-step guide on what businesses need to know and do to re-open. Additionally, please see below for more details in the 'Business Opening Update' section.
Next week, the City will host a "
Virtual Business Town Hall" on Tuesday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m.
The WebEx meeting will provide updates for our local business community and feature City staff and a panel of key community business partners. Speakers include Stephanie Caldwell,
Ventura Chamber of Commerce; Marlyss Auster,
Ventura Visitors Bureau; and Claire Brigilio,
Economic Development Collaborative.
Register
now or see below to learn more (click on "register" next to "Event Status").
Lastly, City Council will have a special meeting to review changes to the limited closure of parks and beaches order on Wednesday, May 14. The
agenda
has been posted to the City website.
On behalf of the City of Ventura, thank you for your resiliency and willingness to adapt to new ways of doing business and helping support one other.
Stay safe and healthy Ventura,
Economic Development Manager
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Business Reopening Update
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WHAT CAN BE OPEN?
On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, Governor Newsom announced modifications to the State-wide stay-at-home order to add additional businesses to Early Stage 2. The Governor announced that Counties, under the guidance of the Public Health Officer, can move forward in reopening the following businesses.
The full list can be found on
State Industry Guidance
website, but includes:
- Office workspaces (telework is strongly recommended)
- Manufacturing, Logistics, Warehousing
- Childcare
- Retail: Retailers and shopping malls can re-open for delivery or curbside pickup only. Retail does not include personal services such as beauty salons but does include the sale of goods, such as:
- Bookstores
- Jewelry stores
- Toy stores
- Clothing and shoe stores
- Home and furnishing stores
- Sporting goods stores
- Florists
- Retail facilities specializing in medical goods and supplies
- Grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retail that sells food or beverage products, and animal/pet food
- Fuel centers such as gas stations and truck stops
- Hardware and building materials stores, consumer electronics, technology and appliances retail
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
- Check out the County's new website www.VCReopen.com. Businesses can open immediately after self-registering and completing the State provided guidance.
- Stage 2 businesses that are just now reopening must complete the registration and the State requirements for completion of a Worksite Specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan before opening.
- Existing businesses that are already open under the previous order will have ten days to register and verify the necessary requirements at www.VCReopen.com. The due date is May 18th.
- The City and County will conduct in-person verification visits focused on education and support for reinforcing best health and safety practices.
- Before reopening, every business must have a written prevention plan.
- Sample prevention plan templates for retail and manufacturing can be downloaded here or found on the County's website (scroll to the bottom).
- Businesses are not required to use these specific templates, and are free to craft their own written plan as long as it meets State guidance requirements. The State anticipates adding more Prevention Plan templates for other industry sectors.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
- Verify that your business is one of the designated industries permitted to reopen by the State of California & the VC Health Officer order.
- Demonstrate that you have performed a detailed risk assessment of my business in accordance with state guidelines.
- Create a written worksite-specific COVID-19 prevention plan and have posted it at your business (Retail sample form / Manufacturing Sample form)
- Be able to show that you have implemented control and screening measures for your business.
- Show that you have implemented disinfecting protocols for my business in accordance with state guidelines.
- Be able to show that you have trained your employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19 including how to screen themselves for symptoms.
- Agree to have an on-duty employee responsible for monitoring compliance with your plan
- Post the compliance hotline flyer in a prominent location visible to the public and employees.This flyer must include the County COVID hotline where compliance related questions or complaints may be reported by employees or patrons.
- Show that you have completed the attestation form that you can find on www.VCReopen.com.
For questions about this process, please contact the County's COVID Compliance Hotline at (805) 202-1805 or
[email protected]
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Virtual Business Town Hall
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On Tuesday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m.,
the City of Ventura’s Economic Development Division will host a virtual Business Town Hall. The Town Hall will consist of a four-person panel of key community business partners and City staff providing updates to our business community.
- Akbar Alikhan, Assistant City Manager, City of Ventura: Updates to City Development Process
- Stephanie Caldwell, President and CEO, Chamber of Commerce: COVID-19 Business Impacts
- Marlyss Auster, President and CEO, Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau: Tourism in the wake of COVID-19
- Clare Briglio, Communications Director, Economic Development Collaborative: Federal funding update and insights
We look forward to having a great discussion with our panelists and engaging with our attendees during the Q&A portion of the event.
We encourage you to pre-register for this event via the link below Once registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a meeting link and option to add the event to your calendar.
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Current Federal Programs & Benefits Available
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Paycheck Protection Program UPDATE
– The SBA's Paycheck Protection Program is still open and accepting new applications. This SBA loan program may be accessed through any bank that currently issues SBA 7a guarantee loans. To find an approved lender visit this
link
.
This program will be available retroactive from Feb. 15, 2020, so employers can rehire their recently laid-off employees through June 30, 2020. NOTE: For more information please visit the
SBA website
. For frequently asked questions please visit the
U.S. Department of Treasury
.
As a reminder, there are six federal programs available and administered by the Employment Development Department (EDD) or Small Business Administration (SBA).
*NOTE: The City’s Economic Development Division, in partnership with the EDC, will try to answer loans and disaster relief aid questions, however, we are not experts.
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Local Disaster Relief Options
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The
EDC
serves Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and created the EDC Disaster Loan Fund, which offers applicants 4.25% interest loans from $5,000- $50, for 48 months, to give a cash flow boost to businesses impacted by reduced sales, supply chain disruption or other challenges related to COVID-19.
In addition, EDC provides free business consultations on how to deal with COVID-19 disruptions. They’ve also created a
COVID-19 Business Resource Guide
that is applicable to employers, employees, and self-employed individuals. The EDC is also hosting weekly webinars on local, state and federal resources.
WEV
has set up a
Quick Response Loan
program where applicants can have access to up to $10,000 at a 4.5% interest rate for 36 months, no fees, no payments for the first three months. WEV also provides
resources
and weekly webinars for navigating through the COVID crisis.
The
Ventura County Community Foundation
(VCCF) has launched the Ventura County Rapid Response Fund to support
non-profit
organizations, addressing the needs of individuals and families with food and housing support, childcare, wage replacement, mental health care, and more.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS RESOURCES
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City & County Information
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Changes to the City closure of parks and beaches is under consideration at the emergency City Council meeting, schedule tonight, Wednesday May 14. The
agenda
has been posted to the City website.
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The
County of Ventura
has created a one-stop shop for information relating to County issued ‘Stay Well at Home Orders’, COVID-19 updates from Ventura County Public Health, FAQ’s, information for seniors, homelessness and housing, and much more.
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Food, Beverage, & Retail Information
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Looking for local information on what's open and ways to purchase food and beverages via delivery, pick-up, eCommerce (internet sales), and gift card purchases? Click below for a comprehensive list from our amazing Community Partners.
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CITY OF VENTURA
501 Poli St, Ventura, CA 93001
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HERE
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