News & Events from the Lafayette Chamber
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Jay Lifson, Executive Director
251 Lafayette Circle, Ste 150, Lafayette, CA
Virtual Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-1pm
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Lafayette Begins Remote Live Audio Public Comment
The City of Lafayette continues to hold public meetings and conduct business during the present Covid-19 public health emergency. To protect public health, our residents, officials, and staff, and align with the Governor’s executive order N-29-20, certain teleconference requirements of the Brown Act have been suspended, including the requirement to provide a physical location for members of the public to participate in public meetings. Beginning with the City Council meeting on Monday, June 8, 2020, the City of Lafayette will allow remote live audio public comment at public meetings.
Meetings are broadcast on the City of Lafayette’s
YouTube Channel. An archived, on-demand video of each meeting is maintained on the channel as part of the public record. Before meetings are held, members of the public can comment by sending an e-mail to
cityhall@lovelafayette.org (for City Council meetings) or
planner@lovelafayette.org (for Planning Commission/Design Review Commission meetings) no later than noon the day of the meeting. Those e-mails will be distributed to the members of the City Council, the City Manager, and the City Attorney, and will be posted as part of the public record.
If you wish to make a live audio public comment via Zoom conferencing, you may do so. Simply download the Zoom mobile app or if using a desktop computer, login to the meeting, and when the Mayor or Chair invites public comment on the item on which you would like to comment, please use the "raise hand" feature (or press *9 if connecting via telephone). Each speaker is allowed three (3) minutes to speak. Any graphics a speaker wishes to use must be emailed to
cityhall@lovelafayette.org (for City Council meetings) or
planner@lovelafayette.org (for Planning Commission/Design Review Commission meetings) by 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. The Zoom Webinar link and password will be posted on the meeting agenda prior to the start of the scheduled meeting.
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FREE “OPEN FOR BUSINESS” and 15 Minute Parking Signs
The City of Lafayette and the Lafayette Chamber are at your service as we begin to reopen commercial businesses in Lafayette.
We have prepared
“OPEN FOR BUSINESS” signs that will affix to traffic A-Frames. You can include your business name or logo and your hours of operation.
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We now also have
15 minute parking signs to note spaces for curbside pickup. Simply send a request to
jay@lafayettechamber.org for delivery of either sign!
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Lafayette Business Assistance offered by the City of Lafayette
The City of Lafayette has collaborated with us, the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, and Townsend Public Affairs to run the Lafayette Business Assistance Program, a way for Lafayette businesses and non-profits to get help on Small Business Administration (SBA) loan and grant applications. The City designed the program to make it as easy as possible for our businesses to get the support they need during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Lafayette Business Assistance (LBA) program wanted to provide you with a brief update regarding Payroll Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief funding:
On Friday morning, the Payroll Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 was signed into law. This bipartisan effort gives substantial expansions to how you may use PPP funds and still receive forgiveness.
These expansions include:
- Allowing you a window of 24 weeks to spend PPP funds instead of the original 8 weeks.
- Allowing you to spend up to 40 percent of PPP funds on non-payroll costs (such as rent and utilities) instead of the original 25 percent maximum.
- Allowing you until December 31, 2020 to rehire employees to their pre-disaster (February 15, 2020) wages with PPP funds instead of the original June 30, 2020 deadline.
- Extending the loan term to five (5) years instead of the original two (2) years, for any amount of PPP funds that are not forgiven.
- Adding that you may defer employer payroll taxes due for PPP funds. You may defer 50% of the employer’s share of payroll taxes until 2021 and the remaining 50% until 2022.
Much of Congress’ motivation to enact these expansions stemmed from their displeasure in the rigid way the SBA and US Treasury have decided to interpret and enact the PPP to date. We will continue to update you as the US Treasury announces what their interpretations of the program will be under this new law.
For those of you that have already received PPP funds, this gives you much more flexibility to use your funds in a way that will support your business as Contra Costa County slowly facilitates reopening. This will also give you much more time to apply for loan forgiveness.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have regarding your loan forgiveness process in light of this change. We are here to be your information resource and want to provide any assistance that we can!
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Chamber Welcomes Cobain Orthodontics to our Marquis Premier Member Circle
The “Premier Membership” program offers a “top shelf” relationship between the chamber and the businesses that wish to participate at a higher level. Not only do the “Marquis” members get exceptional exposure, they also partner with us on the “intangible efforts” our organization makes to promote the Business Community.
Dr. Leif Cobain and his wonderful team are very active members who joined the Lafayette Chamber nine years ago. They have been major sponsors of most of the chambers’ events like Art & Wine, Reservoir Run for Education and and the Taste of Lafayette.
Cobain Orthodontics joins Oakwood Athletic Club, Mechanics Bank, Douglah Designs/Luxe Home, ParkSmart, Wells Fargo and Diablo Foods as
Premier Members. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact
sara@lafayettechamber.org. The Chamber has a”cap” on the number of Premier Members, and we have one opening left.
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Lafayette Chamber Renewing Members - May 2020
Thank you
to our renewing members!
Atria Walnut Creek
Bistro Burger & Grill
C & H Development Co.
Cancer Support Community
Caroline's Salon
Cedercreutz Company, LLC
Clear Organizing, LLC
Compass Real Estate
Diablo Rapid Print, Inc.
Dudum Real Estate Group
Friends of the Lafayette Library & Learning Center
Got Watts Electric
The Grapevine – Coupon Books
Lamorinda Audiology
LeapFrog Plumbing & Home Improvement Inc.
Moraga Art Gallery
Oakwood Athletic Club
Old Firehouse School
Phoenix Skincare & Waxing
Rubens Partners LLP
Sideboard Neighborhood Kitchen & Coffee Bar
Soroptimist International of 24-680
Stanley E. Smith Insurance Agency
Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation
Wendy Tamis, Harpist
Whole Foods
Yolo Gold & Silver
Zahra Boutique Salon
Zenops Harmonious Workflow
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Become a Friend of the Lafayette Chamber!
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A
Friend of the Chamber
membership provides a way for community members to support the efforts of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.
We are 73 years strong and our mission continues “To promote and maintain a healthy business climate and to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Lafayette.” All aspects that make up a community are important to us: schools, residents, churches and synagogues, community organizations, activities, and the city government. Chamber members work with representatives of all these groups for the betterment of our community.
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Thank you to our Friends!
Patricia Battersby
Karen & Larry Blodgett
Anne Birdsong
Buddy & Roni Brodwin
Doug & Corinne Cole
Sue Cross
Jill & David Douglas
Reid Edwards
Norma Evans
Tom & Barbara Gilmore
Anne & Marshall Grodin
The Herpich Family
Earling Horn
Daniel Horowitz and Valerie Horowitz
Don Jenkins
John & Colleen McCormick
Mary & Daryl McCosker
Kathy & Mike Merchant
Mike & Jamie Ney
Cheryl Noll
Caesar C. Perales
Karen & Rich Rose
Audrey Richardson
Niroop Srivatsa
Kyle Sumner
Ellen Reintjes & Don Tatzin
Barry & Judith Toomajian
Chuck Yeager
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Insurance Commissioner Lara's letter & Insurance Coverage Fact
As communities throughout the State contend with this time of great uncertainty and unrest across the state, Commissioner Lara wants to assure community leaders and elected officials that he and the Department of Insurance stand in solidarity with them as they seek to support those individuals and businesses tasked with picking up the pieces and rebuild. As such, he has written the
attached letter and
CDI Fact Sheet on insurance coverage during civil unrest.
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The Lafayette Chamber is providing COVID-19 business and community resources through a number of channels. Please visit the following for further information:
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Parking remains free in all City of Lafayette owned lots and private lots.
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Please note, we have cancelled all in-person events through the end of July. This includes the postponement of the Rock the Plaza concert series, Citizen of the Year dinner and all ribbon cuttings and mixers. If you have purchased a ticket please send us an email at
info@lafayettechamber.org for reimbursement. See below for virtual events!
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Commercial Real Estate Shockwave
Walnut Creek Chamber presents it's Back to Business webinar series with guest Eugene McGrane, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield of California Director; Walnut Creek Chamber Graduate, Leadership Contra Costa.
Eugene McGrane will discuss the effects of Covid-19 on the physical workplace. With more companies going to work-from-home, suburban satellite offices, and hub and spoke distribution models for future office plans, hear what employers and employees can expect to see in the coming months and years for commercial office space use.
Questions can be asked via the Zoom Chat Feature or submitted in advance by emailing
wcchamberca@gmail.com. As always, we welcome member input and feedback regarding topic and speaker suggestions.
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Meet The Expert with Elliot Kallen, Episode 8: Savy Women Make Smart Investors
Tuesday, June 9, 11am,
Zoom
Susan Kay (VP, Director of Business - MFS) will be discussing Savy Women make Smart Investors.
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Noon Webinar Wednesdays + Virtual Speed Networking
Nearly 85 percent of B2B results from business referrals. Would you like to meet 100 new prospects free and learn how to meet new prospects free each month?
We've developed a new program specifically for Chamber of Commerce Members (but Chamber Membership is not required).
Think you hate traditional business networking events? We understand and so we INVENTED a whole new approach to business networking and share it this Wednesday for free.
www.NoonWebinarWednesdays.com
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Quick Discussion of Videoconferencing: Zoom; FaceTime; Facebook Live. Ask us anything-Live Question & Answer Session
Wednesday, June 10, 1pm,
Zoom
We'll discuss some of the most popular videoconferencing solutions. Then, we'll be standing by to chat with you and answer your questions.
Join Zoom Meeting.
Meeting ID: 891 5331 3809; Password: 8XFiPj
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Three R’s to Getting Back to Work During COVID-19 for Contra Costa County
The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County is proud to sponsor this webinar for Contra Costa County Businesses on June 16, 2020, at 9 am. Let CEA help you prepare to get employees back to work when operations can resume during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll cover the 3 R’s of how to plan and successfully bring your employees back to work – Reconstruct, Reinstate, and Reconnect.
Learning Objectives:
Reconstruct – Determine what your workplace will look like under this “new normal.” Learn how to bring people back and what to do if some of the workforce cannot be reinstated.
Reinstate – Evaluate the effectiveness of remote work for your team and if it can or should continue. Be prepared for a variety of federal, state, and local requirements regarding testing employees, PPE, physical distancing and more.
Reconnect – How to welcome employees back and ensure a safe working environment.
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White Rabbit Business Solutions - June ZOOM - Time To Get Out And Network!
Tuesday, June 16, 1pm,
Zoom
Join us at 1:00 for an afternoon of summer networking. This is a fun way to meet local professionals and to say hi to those you may already know. Learn about the different ways
White Rabbit Business Solutions can benefit your business and the special pricing available by attending this event!!!
Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
whiterabbitbusinesssolutions.com
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Member & Community Announcements
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Have you been laid off or your employment terminated? Are your corporate benefits ending soon?
Steve Snyder, a licensed insurance agent with HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, has been helping people that have lost their corporate benefits, to maintain their health, dental, vision, hearing and life insurance coverage, without having to rely on COBRA as an alternative.
All of our services are FREE to our clients. We compare all plans available in your area side-by-side to make sure we’re getting the best plan possible that both fit your needs and your budget. I look forward to helping and being of service for you and your family during this very different time in our lives. Stay inside, stay safe.
Steve Snyder – Licensed Insurance Agent CA 0H79427. Mobile: 510-599-4700
Certified Enrollment Agent – Covered California
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Retail Space for Lease in Lafayette
Small retail space for lease (600 square feet). It was formerly a salon but can be converted to another retail or office use.
Located at 3511 Mt Diablo Boulevard. Please view
flyer for additional information. Contact Ron Mucovich, American Realty and Investments at 925-980-7861.
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Free promotion for Lafayette Chamber Members
Photographer Craig Isaacs has offered to take promotional photographs of you (with or without staff) in front of your businesses to help promote Lafayette business. This is an adjunct to his “Pandemic Porch Portrait” project, which has raised nearly $10,000 for
Monument Crisis Center.
You may take and use the photos to promote your business, and the photos will be displayed on the Chamber web site as well as Craig’s web site. You can see the Pandemic project
here.
There is no charge for participating in the project, but if you are able, donations to MCC food bank would be gratefully accepted. Contact Craig directly to set up your portrait:
craig@bluegoo.com.
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Town Hall Theatre Music & Comedy Series
Town Hall Theatre has taken their Music & Comedy series online for now. Please tune in to Town Hall Theatre's Facebook page each Thursday at 7:00 PM to see a varied lineup of musicians and comedians, and help support Town Hall Theatre through these challenging times.
View calendar here.
THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020: Dave Martin, from Dave Martin's House Party and the Buzztones. Dave is a human jukebox, who knows what's going to happen!?!?!
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From the Lafayette Library and Learning Center
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Thank you to our
Night at the Library
sponsors, donors, volunteers, and our MC’s Cameron Burks and Carrie Barlow. Because of you,
Night at the Library
was a success!
To see a list of our generous sponsors and silent auction donors, please click
HERE
.
LIMITED EDITION LAFAYETTE LIBRARY WOOD PUZZLE - Commemorate your support of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (LLLC), the educational and cultural heart of our community, with a special edition 1,000 piece wooden jigsaw PUZZLE! Hurry! Limited quantities available!
Click here to Purchase
.
Friends of the Lafayette Library Sweet Thursdays presents: Cynthia Li, MD - Brave New Medicine
In her revelatory memoir Brave New Medicine, Dr. Cynthia Li shares the truth about her disabling autoimmune illness, the limitations of Western medicine, and her hard-won lessons on healing mind, body, and spirit.
This is a virtual online event -- Please
register with your email address, and you will receive the Zoom link and password the day of the event.
Sweet Thursdays is an ongoing author program created and supported by the Friends of the Lafayette Library & Learning Center.
We are all in this together.
Our LLLC Foundation team is working remotely. If you need assistance or have questions about Library and community resources, we’ll do our best to help. Email (
information@LLLCF.org
) or phone message (925-283-6513 ext. 102).
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Please note: to signup you will be asked for your birthdate. This information is not stored, it is only used for verify you are over 21 years of age.
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