• *NEW* Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of Health John Wiesman have announced changes to “Safe Start,” Washington’s phased approach to reopening. The changes target activities that data have shown provide a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure. To combat the rising numbers, the governor and secretary are changing guidance and regulations around restaurants, bars, and fitness centers, as well as weddings and funerals. The changes will also affect family entertainment centers, movie theaters and card rooms. Find more information here.

• *NEW* The city is now offering temporary free street closure permits for restaurants and businesses seeking to expand outdoor options. This adds to the city’s free permits for curb spacing and sidewalk cafes. Applications for the street closures open on July 29. Currently, the permits are available for up to six months, and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is expediting permit review. For more information about the new permits types or to schedule an applicant coaching session, click here or e-mail publicspace@seattle.gov.

• *NEW* The Seattle City Council has passed a law that prevents landlords from seizing personal property should a small business of 50 or fewer employees (or a nonprofit) default on a commercial lease. The law, sponsored by Seattle council member Andrew Lewis, will be in effect throughout the current state of emergency and remain the following six months after to help in small business recovery efforts. Read more about the new legislation here.

• The Seattle City Council is in the midst of rebalancing the 2020 budget to account for a $300 million shortfall due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to national calls placed on defunding police departments, Council is entertaining potential cuts of up to 50% of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) Budget, while investing money into other types of support services. Council is in early discussions pertaining to any cuts to SPD’s budget. The Alliance, along with other BIAs in the city, is calling for a robust and meaningful engagement process to determine the best path forward. You may read our letter to Council regarding cuts to the SPD budget here. Council Select Budget Committee will discuss the rebalancing the 2020 budget as it pertains to SPD on Wednesday, July 29^th at 10am and 2pm. You may find the meeting agenda for Wednesday’s meeting here. Community members are encouraged to submit written comments prior to the meeting start, or sign up for verbal comments after 8a on the 29^th here.

• The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has reinstated paid on-street parking and hourly time limited parking enforcement. Starting, Monday, July 13, parking will be charged at $0.50/hour in all paid areas; which is the lowest rate allowed according to the Seattle Municipal Code. Find more information here.

• Gov. Inslee recently announced a statewide requirement for businesses to require face coverings of all employees and customers. Restaurants are now required to refuse service to those who don’t wear face coverings and under this proclamation, businesses may not serve any customer, services or goods, if they do not comply with the state-wide face covering order. Read more on the announcement here.

• The City of Seattle is launching a series of Phase 2 reopening toolkits to help small businesses authorized to reopen under the Governor’s guidance to navigate public health requirements and financial considerations. The toolkits provide critical information for small business owners, including a reopening checklist, resources to access Personal Protective Equipment and financial assistance, testing information, and rent and commercial lease assistance. The City has toolkits for the following industries:Restaurants and taverns, Personal services, Professional services, In-store retail, Fitness and training, Domestic services. The toolkits are available on the City’s new reopening website.

• Public Health — Seattle & King County has created free downloadable posters that businesses can print and post to help communicate to their customers and staff the steps they are taking to minimize the risk of COVID-19. Click here to download.

• The Association of Washington Businesses has created a hub where businesses can get access to PPE and other resources to assist with reopening. The site is free to use and available to all Washington businesses.

• The Alliance for Pioneer Square has introduced a section on our website to help provide businesses guidance and resources for best practices as they prepare to reopen their doors to customers.

• 4Culture's COVID-19 Reopen Fund application is now available. The Reopen Fund provides grants for cultural organizations and designated landmarks that are reopening, restarting, and continuing programming while adapting to COVID-19 related public health restrictions. The deadline to apply is August 17, 2020 at 5 pm PDT. Learn more and apply here.

• Visa has extended its partnership with IFundWomen to support Black women-owned small businesses in through a new grant program and educational resources. These grants provide an opportunity for recipients to grow their businesses and continue to offer much needed services to their communities. Applications are being accepted from June 30, 2020 through July 31, 2020. Learn more and apply here.

• On June 15 the SBA reopened the EIDL application for new applications from qualified businesses. Businesses that have not previously applied may now apply for the loan which can be used for debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact, and that are not already covered by a PPP loan. Read more and apply here.

• On June 5, 2020, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPP Flexibility Act) was signed into law to provide businesses with greater flexibility and more time to maximize forgiveness of loans received under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP Flexibility Act extends the 8-week “forgiveness period” to 24 weeks, but no later than December 31, 2020. Learn more here.

• 501 Commons is offering PPP application assistance to nonprofits. If your bank does not respond, can't confirm your status or cannot assure you access, 501 Commons can provide application assistance and may be able to place you with a lender. For application assistance, email PPPLoans@501Commons.org.

• SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Washington Small Businesses Economically Impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• OED provides technical assistance to businesses applying for SBA loans and understanding the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aids, Relief & Security). This includes helping businesses navigate the application process and documentation. For general inquiries, please email OED@seattle.gov or call 206-684-8090.
• Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications here.
• Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Note, the deadline to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Dec. 16, 2020.
• The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic development has compiled a summary of the CARES Act and a SBA FAQ.

• *NEW* A partnership of the University of Washington Foster School of Business and School of Law is offering a series of free legal consultations and negotiation trainings to help small businesses that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The series, funded by the UW Population Health Initiative, will kick off July 29 and run through November. Learn more about this initiative here.

• *NEW* Facebook for Business, through Facebook BluePrint, provides resources to learn new marketing skills with free online courses. Explore self-paced and step-by-step tutorials that can help you build your digital marketing knowledge and bring your business online. Learn more here.

• On July 1st, The Office of Economic Development hosted an informational webinar to discuss updates from Public Health – Seattle & King County, Phase 2 business reopening requirements, support for small businesses reopening and SDOT's temporary outdoor permits. Visit here for webinar recording and presentation slides.

• OED has created a comprehensive resource page for workers and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and is providing technical assistance to support small businesses. News and information about new policies and resources available from the City of Seattle, the State of Washington, the federal government, and philanthropic partners can be found on the OED's weekly Bottom Line blog.

• The Office of the Mayor has created a page containing information and links for City of Seattle programs and services that may be helpful for residents significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Federal Government has launched a comprehensive webpage for small business owners to research their options.

• *NEW* The Alliance for Pioneer Square will host a virtual information session on Friday, August 21st from 1:30-2:30p where we will be presenting on the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on Pioneer Square, and the Alliance’s response to support our neighborhood. RSVP here to attend (note, a Zoom link will be provided on Thursday, August 20th to those who RSVP). Find previous meeting slides and webinar recordings here.

• The Alliance for Pioneer Square, in collaboration with DEI Creative, has launched an online marketplace as a tool for member businesses to generate revenue through online sales during the Coronavirus pandemic. Read DEI Creative's full press release about Support Local here.To participate in the Pioneer Square Marketplace, register your business here.

• As the neighborhood continues to navigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we want to offer an opportunity to reconnect. Click here to join the Pioneer Square Business Owners and Managers Facebook page.

• On July 10, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) launched an opportunity for community members to express what they need to move on and off the West Seattle peninsula and improve safety and traffic outcomes in communities along the detour routes resulting from the closure of the West Seattle Bridge. The Reconnect West Seattle Survey and Neighborhood Prioritization Ballots will help SDOT prioritize the right improvements in a highly resource constrained environment due to COVID-19 impacts. Visit the Reconnect West Seattle website for more information and to access all materials. The survey and ballots will be open from July 10 - July 31.

• Mayor Durkan has launched “Seattle Protects”, an online marketplace to connect local manufacturers and businesses with organizations, communities, and individuals in need of cloth face coverings. Seattle Protects seeks to help local organizations, businesses, and nonprofits struggling to find face coverings at the scale necessary to serve their workforce. Learn more here.