The U.S. and Canada have temporarily closed their borders to non-essential traffic.
Currently there remain two (2) reported cases of Coronavirus infection in Pasadena.
Social distancing (maintaining six (6) feet between you and another person (regular hand washing, cleaning surfaces, working remotely if possible, etc) is highly recommended, especially for anyone in vulnerable populations. Events of more than 50 people are prohibited and gatherings of more than 10 people are discouraged.
City of Pasadena Actions
On Monday, the Pasadena City Manager issued a state of emergency. As a result restaurants, bakeries and lounges remain closed for all but take-out, delivery or curbside pick up service. (You can find a list of Pasadena Chamber member restaurants on our website at http://www.pasadena-chamber.org/directory/restaurants-catering). Workout gyms, yoga studios and similar businesses are also closed. Many are providing online or virtual classes. (You can find Pasadena Chamber members in those fields here: http://www.pasadena-chamber.org/directory/fitness-personal-training-services-yoga). Grocery stores remain open. hair salons remain open, though many are scheduling appointments to ensure social distancing is practiced. Many companies are still operating, though many are working remotely. For other Chamber member contacts, click here.
The Pasadena City Council deliberated yesterday and decided on some measures to address the Coronavirus contagion. They ratified the emergency declaration. They also imposed a moratorium on evictions for the duration of the emergency order, which applies to commercial as well as residential tenants. The City Council suspended collection of any late fees and penalties owed the city for municipal services, citations, or other activities and suspended utility shut offs. They also waived some parking enforcement. The City Council also approved $150,000 that can be used for emergency food aid for senior citizens.
The City has ceased parking enforcement and writing citations in business districts.
The City Council did not act on any of the other recommendations of submitted by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce which included:
- Cease billing retail and restaurant businesses for utilities and user taxes until one month after any closure orders are lifted.
- Encourage landlords to suspend rent payments while retail and restaurant tenants are unable to conduct business as usual.
- Provide a grant or no-cost loan fund that local businesses can access for emergency funds that may be needed for them to remain open. Provide a similar but separate fund for those employees and their families so they can purchase necessities such as food while they may not be collecting paychecks.
- Provide cost-free inspections and building permits for businesses that may choose to do capital improvements, expansions or other work while their businesses are essentially on hiatus. Fast track any approvals required so no permit takes longer than 5 business days to process.
- Rebate health, fire or other inspection fees paid by restaurants and retailers in the past year and cease any inspection fees going forward until one month after the crisis is abated.
- Suspend take-out prohibitions related to alcohol sales so that a person who orders food can also get beer, wine or a cocktail with that to-go order.
The City Council did say they were open to adding mitigations should businesses and residents experience significant hardship as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.
You can communicate your experiences and suggestions to the Pasadena City Council by clicking here.
Emergency Loans
Emergency Injury Disaster Loans are now available to Small Businesses in Los Angeles County who are suffering from the impacts of COVID-19. Small Businesses can apply at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/
Resources and Information
COVID-19: What Small Business Owners Should Do Now webinar hosted by Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Thursday March 19th @ 10AM. Registration required: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/599448647397791235?source=web
Good luck during this crisis. If the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce can be of any assistance, please call us at 626-795-3355 or email paul@pasadena-chamber.org. Also, please let me know if you hare doing anything different, extraordinary or special to remain open during the emergency. We are sharing information with our many constituent groups, so let us know what you would like customers to know.
The Chamber offices are open. One of us (and no more than one) is in the office during business hours. Others are working from home.
All the best,
Paul