Though it hasn't officially been approved in the House yet, the word from the federal government to small business owners (and many other groups) has been clear: help is on the way in the form of a $2 trillion stimulus package designed to bolster the economy amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

It's by far the largest emergency aid package in U.S. history and includes the following key features: $250 billion for direct payments to individuals and families; $250 billion in unemployment insurance benefits; $500 billion in loans for distressed companies AND, most importantly for Mill Valley businesses, $350 billion in small business loans for businesses with less than 500 employees, i.e., every business in the 94941.

Although the $350 billion comes in the form of loans, which are guaranteed by federal government, they will function as grants under certain conditions. The debt will be forgiven if the funds are used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent and utility payments and if businesses retain employees. 

Small Business Administration officials say a network of more than 800 lenders already approved to make SBA loans will extend the money to small business, with some choosing to hold the loans and others selling them on the secondary market.

A key component of the "Paycheck Protection Program," however, will be how quickly it can get up and running. The Small Business Administration, which is in charge of the program, distributed $28 billion in fiscal year 2019 and is in charge of the program, and now it must dramatically ramp up quickly enough to implement a $350 billion plan to rampant small business closures here and around the country.

The loans, which are guaranteed by federal government, will function as grants under certain conditions. The debt will be forgiven if the funds are used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent and utility payments, if businesses retain employees and all employees receive at least 75% of their prior pay. Companies can rehire employees in coming weeks without penalty. For businesses that reduce their headcount or reduce wages more than 25%, the amount of the loan forgiven will be reduced in proportion to payroll cuts, but the companies can rehire employees in coming weeks without penalty.

The small business loans will be 2.5 times monthly payroll costs, although some groups in the travel and restaurant industries had sought four times operating costs. The loans come with a rate of 4 percent or below, and the maximum loan amount is $10 million.

More details on how to apply through the "Paycheck Protection Program" will be available once the rescue package is officially passed. We'll update you as soon as we can.

In the immediate aftermath of the Bay Area-wide shelter in place order in an effort to combat the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Mill Valley City Council approved a resolution proclaiming a local emergency, giving the city more regulatory and buying power and facilitating a process to get reimbursed by the state and federal government for costs incurred related to the virus.

The City and Chamber also formed a Business Support Task Force to identify forms of immediate mitigation and relief of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on local businesses. One of those sources of relief centers around rent relief for commercial tenants. After significant advocacy from the City and Chamber, along with government and business leaders throughout Marin, the Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a resolution that prevents evictions of tenants suffering a sudden loss of income due to the shelter in place order through at least May 31. 

The task force made a concurrent effort to push for interest-free, 90-day extensions on the fast approaching April 10 real property tax bill, a move that would hopefully spur commercial property owners, if possible, to pass along some of that temporary relief to their tenants. Such a move would be fitting with the federal government offering taxpayer relief including extension of IRS tax payments and filings for 90 days. On a related note, Governor Newsom announced that four of the five biggest U.S. banks will provide 90-day grace periods to make mortgage payments.

Informed by county officials that a property tax deferment would require state urgency legislation, the task force sent letters to North Bay legislators state Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Marc Levine to introduce emergency legislation.

"One of the points of focus in the discussion is the cash crunch coming to all local businesses as a result of the Shelter-in-Place order issued by our County Department of Health," states the task force in the letter. "Even those businesses that are well capitalized with cash on hand and borrowing capacity will have cash flow difficulty as a result of shutting down operations. While the difficult decision to possibly lay off employees and cut other costs can partially offset the decline or absence of revenue, fixed costs still have to be paid. Our businesses are worried about the impacts on cash flow of covering rent, insurance and other fixed costs during these challenging times. Our Task Force strongly encourages you to consider a delay in the due date of this second installment of property taxes until this Shelter-in-Place order is lifted and revenues start to recover."

We'll update you as soon as have more info on this.

If no stage urgency legislation on property tax deferment is passed, property taxes are still due April 10 in Marin County despite the new coronavirus pandemic. County officials said 120 local public agencies rely on property tax revenue to maintain essential public services.

Residents have to pay their second installment of 2019-2020 property taxes by April 10 to avoid penalties. Taxpayers are advised to pay online, over the phone or by mail to limit person-to-person exposure at the tax office. Ways to pay:

• Pay online using the assessor parcel number: marincounty.org/taxbillonline
• Pay by phone using the tax bill number: 800-985-7277
• Pay by mail postmarked by April 10

Call the Tax Collector's Office at 415-473-6133 for assistance or questions.

Restaurants are in a particularly unique position amidst the shelter in place during the coronavirus outbreak.

On the one hand, they are deemed an essential business and thus can stay open, but for takeout and delivery only, thus forcing them to scale back their staff dramatically. If you find yourself picking up takeout at our local restaurants, you'll often find just the restaurant owner or manager and a chef/cook. 

How do restaurants survive this incredibly stressful period of time?

The SBDC Restaurant Program and the SBA hosted this "Restaurants Responding to Covid-19" webinar to help you get more information on loans and resources, the ABC for information on licensing status, transfers and changing restrictions, the Health Department on keeping your opened businesses and employees safe and EDD on resources for managing workforce.

GO HERE if you'd rather read the notes from the webinar instead of watching the video,
GO HERE FOR THE SLIDE DECK FROM THE WEBINAR.

[Editor's Note: We've combed far and wide for all of the possible options for your out-of-work employees. If you think we've missed something, let us know and we'll find the pertinent info and update this post].

The expected surge in unemployment insurance claims as a result of the coronavirus pandemic was quantified this week, with a record 3.3 million filing for just the week of March 16 alone. If you are among them, you can expect to see a $600-per-week across-the-board increase in unemployment benefits, up from a check of $385 per week in January. That's one of the results of the latest federal legislative package responding to the coronavirus crisis, authorizing another massive increase in unemployment insurance benefits.

The package promises these higher benefits for unemployment recipients for up to four months. The bill creates a new program, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, for self-employed and contract workers who are typically ineligible for UI. It provides some incentives for work-sharing, a program whereby the government covers a portion of lost wages for workers whose hours have been reduced. The intention here is to incentivize companies to retain workers by just employing them for less time.

According to the latest guidance from the State of California Employment Development Department, if you are temporarily out of work and plan to return to the same employer, you do not need to meet the usual requirement of looking for work while you are collecting unemployment insurance. However, if you are not attached to a particular employer with a job to return to, you are required to look for work while collecting benefits. You can do that from home, for example, by searching for jobs online.

As you might guess, the EDD website and application process is completely overwhelmed right now. If it takes you more than five business days to connect by phone, ask the E.D.D. to backdate your claim to the Sunday before you started calling; just keep documentation of your attempts (like screenshots of your call log).

Here are some FAQ's from the EDD:
How long will it take for my claim to make it through the process?

• When an unemployed worker files a claim, the process typically takes about three weeks from filing to the EDD making benefit payments to eligible workers. Claim processing will take additional time and require EDD to ask for further information from a worker if:

1. The information submitted does not match wage records.
2. ​A worker’s identity cannot be verified. Examples of situations where a claim could be delayed include a worker misclassified by their employer as an independent contractor instead of an employee, or a worker whose data may have been transposed when reporting it to the EDD.

What is the best way to ensure I submit all the required information?
To ensure the fastest processing possible, use the UI Checklist for collecting the information necessary to apply for benefits and apply through the EDD’s UI Online from your personal computer or mobile phone. Are there changes to the application? Starting Friday, March 27, workers applying for unemployment benefits will be asked to check the options on the application’s drop-down menu that indicate the Coronavirus is the reason for your unemployment or reduced wages.

How do I open a UI Online account?
​For assistance on how to open a UI Online account and how to use the system for filing and re-opening a claim, as well as certifying for ongoing benefits, visit our video tutorials through the EDD website. Tutorials are available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

If you’re a parent whose child’s school has been canceled, what options do you have for taking leave from work?
Beginning April 2 through Dec. 31, under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, eligible employees can receive 10 paid sick days and up to 12 weeks of extended leave when a parent cannot work because of the closure of a child’s school or child care because of Covid-19. (Read more on who is excluded and what benefits are included.)

Workers in California may also be eligible for paid sick days that can be used during school closures under state law, which provides a minimum of three days with full pay. Local laws may provide more.

Additionally, the California Family School Partnership Act entitles workers at employers with 25 or more employees to up to 40 hours of job-protected, unpaid leave per year in a child care emergency, including the closure or unavailability of a school or child care provider.
Beyond paid sick days and paid leave, you can apply for unemployment insurance if you need to care for a child whose school is closed, and you’ve exhausted other options for care.

To illustrate how this works, if you can’t work because you need to care for your child whose school has closed due to Covid-19, you can receive two weeks as paid sick days and 10 more weeks as paid leave, both at two-thirds pay up to $200 per day. After that, if your child’s school is still closed and you cannot work, you can apply for unemployment insurance, which will pay up to $450 per week for up to 26 weeks.

If your child (or another close family member) is sick with Covid-19 or another serious health condition, you can apply for California Paid Family Leave (P.F.L.) to take care of them. P.F.L. provides 60 percent or 70 percent of your wages, depending on income, for six weeks (extended to eight weeks, beginning July 1), and there is no waiting period.

The best way to apply for Paid Family Leave is online, using State Disability Insurance (S.D.I.) Online. The E.D.D. also accepts P.F.L. applications by mail, but you have to request that a hard copy be mailed to you (unlike with unemployment insurance, which allows you to mail or fax a form printed from the E.D.D.’s website). [Here’s more on what you need for your application].

The Employment Development Department also will require a medical certification or written order from a state or local health officer documenting that your family member is infected with or suspected of being infected with Covid-19. Covered family members include children, parents, parents-in-law, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren. Doctors can upload a certification to the E.D.D. if you apply for benefits online. Otherwise, they have to fill out a portion of the hard copy form.

Employees who are sick with Covid-19 can apply for S.D.I. benefits online or by mail. State Disability Insurance provides the same pay rate as Paid Family Leave (60 or 70 percent of your income, up to a cap of $1,300 per week), and can continue for 52 weeks, with no waiting period for coronavirus-related claims. To apply, you will need a certification from a doctor documenting your condition, or a written order from a state or local health officer stating that you have (or are suspected of having) Covid-19.

Although you cannot claim unemployment insurance, S.D.I. and P.F.L. at the same time, you can use these benefits consecutively.

For more information about your workplace rights related to coronavirus, see Legal Aid at Work’s F.A.Q. or contact its virtual Workers’ Rights Clinic at (415) 404-9093 for a free, confidential consultation.

As an employer, what am I required to provide for my employees if they need to take sick time or care for a relative because of Covid-19?

Effective April 2 through Dec. 31, the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act will require government employers and private employers with fewer than 500 employees to provide 10 paid sick days to workers to address their own Covid-19 illness, mandatory self-isolation or quarantine (at 100 percent pay, up to $511 per day). [Read more on how much you can get, and what employers are exempt.]

All employers in California also must provide at least three paid sick days at full pay, and employers in several localities are required to provide more. Paid sick days can be used for an employee’s own illness or a family member’s, including preventive care.

Under California law, employers with at least 50 employees must provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave, with continued health benefits, to an employee who is seriously ill or who needs to care for a seriously ill parent, minor or adult dependent child, spouse or registered domestic partner. Employees are eligible if they have been on the job for one year and have worked 1,250 hours in the year before their leave begins.

Questions/Comments: Email us here.

In our massive dispatch of tips, resources and possible sources of relief, financial and otherwise, for your business, we suggested that, for some of you, now was a time to invest in your business by creating, or improving your ecommerce stores, both helping to stem the tide right now and diversifying your sales channels for the long-term. That included adding an online store on a new platform to augment sales during this disruptive time, such as Esty, Amazon Marketplace, Bonanza, Ebay Store, Wish, Shopify. 

Here is a helpful article for small businesses to evaluate the pros and cons of different online marketplace options, and the Marin Small Business Development Center has a webinar set for March 24 & 31, 6-9pm. MORE INFO & REGISTER.

But what about right now? You have to make sure you're putting your best foot forward in an extremely disruptive moment. The Marin SBDC is ready to help. The organization is rolling out a free webinar, "Surviving COVID-19: Keeping Your Business Going with Marketing and Social Media," that will occur five times over the next few weeks, all between 10-11am. Marketing and social media guru Stephanie Koehler will be offering a one hour (or as long as we need) question and answer session to address: creative ideas to deliver your services even during the shutdown; best social media & marketing practices to promote business during this time; and any other marketing related topics you would like to discuss. Feel free to join more than one session — as circumstances are changing daily.

Click the date of your choice below to register for this free event:

Marin SBDC recently hosted a pair of webinars: "Emergency Cash Flow Resources and Opportunities" and "Prepping and Applying for SBA Economic Injury Loans," and those webinars can be viewed at the links above.

Marin SBDC is also hosting a webinar for restaurants, bars and the hospitality industry employers to get information and resources for their employees and businesses. Join the SBDC Restaurant Program, the SBA to get more information on loans and resources, the ABC for information on licensing status, transfers and changing restrictions, the Health Department on keeping your opened businesses and employees safe and EDD on resources for managing workforce. Webinar is set for Friday, March 2, 2-3pm. MORE INFO & REGISTER.

THIS WEEK HAS ALREADY FELT LIKE A LIFETIME. 

More than anything, as you navigate your business through the ever-changing turmoil of the shelter in place order to limit community spread of Coronavirus, please take care of yourselves. Exercise, meditate, read, do whatever makes you feel better physically, mentally and emotionally – and just make the time to focus on you and your family as much as possible.

Now onto business.
First off, there is an overwhelming amount of information below. Please review it carefully!

As you find your footing after these insane past few days, make time to communicate changes to your customers, using your social media channels to ensure that your communication is timely. 

• If you're closed until April 7 (the shelter in place order's window) or beyond, let them know. If you're open and are altering your services (curbside pickup, delivery etc.), hours of operation or anything else about your business at this time, be sure that you're customers know that, in detail. Let us know, too. This Enjoy Mill Valley blog post is constantly being updated and is getting a ton of traffic – your customers and neighbors want to know what you are up to!
• If you want to educate yourself more about Coronavirus or want to answer questions from your customers, here's some guidance from the CDC.
• Food-serving businesses. Governor Newsom called for the closures of bars, nightclubs, brewpubs and wineries to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants are only allowed to offer delivery/take out. Consider re-deploying staff to delivery and order intake, call your insurance agent to see what necessary changes you may need to make to reflect the changes in your staffing and operations. Orders could also be provided through technology applications like Uber Eats, Grubhub or Doordash. Each of these businesses will have their own policies and fees you will need to review. 
• Retailers. Most of you are closed during the shelter in place. This a is a great time to invest in your business by creating, or improving your ecommerce stores, both helping to stem the tide right now and diversifying your sales channels for the long-term. You could also add an online store on a new platform to augment sales during this disruptive time, such as Esty, Amazon Marketplace, Bonanza, Ebay Store, Wish, Shopify.  Here is a helpful article for small businesses to evaluate the pros and cons of different online marketplace options.

We're on it.

​We are working our tails off to identify ways we can bring some relief to your business. We know that it all comes down to your access to cash right now so that you can make payroll and pay your expenses. Below is the latest info we have and, not surprisingly, it's ever-evolving. Let us know if you hear of a source of business relief that we haven't listed below.

First off, we are in constant contact with our partners at the City of Mill Valley on a number of initiatives. The Mill Valley City Council unanimously approving a resolution Monday night proclaiming a local emergency related to the Coronavirus. The move gives the city more regulatory power, provides access to funding for purchasing necessary supplies, liberalizes rules to do so and it facilitates a process to get reimbursed by the state and federal government for costs incurred related to Coronavirus, according to city officials.

The City and Chamber have formed a Business Support Task Force, which includes Chamber Board President and Piazza D'Angelo co-owner Felicia Ferguson; City Councilmember and Chamber liaison John McCauley; City Councilmember-Elect Urban Carmel; Acting City Manager Alan Piombo; City Finance Director Eric Erickson; City Senior Management Analyst Linn Walsh; and Chamber co-directors Paula Reynolds and Jim Welte. The committee's purpose is "provide findings and recommendations regarding immediate mitigation and relief of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on local businesses."

The committee met Wednesday and will be updating the community regularly on its progress. Prior to the meeting, the Chamber submitted a letter suggesting an array of forms of relief for local businesses, including:

• Obtain property tax payment relief for business owners from the County—delay or spread out payments over six months.
• Deferred City Business License fee payments through end of fiscal year. New business license fees usually begin going out in the mail in June, city officials said. 
• Partnering with private foundations and/org government agencies to create an emergency, interest-free small business loan or grant program.
• Explore accelerating the Downtown Sewer Project while business is slow. Indications are that, given the fluidity of just about everything in the construction business, it is highly unlikely that the process, and subsequent work, could be expedited right now. Stay tuned.
• Urge commercial property owners to provide rent relief where possible.
• Collaborate with the regional partners, County Tourism Board and Marin Economic Forum to support our businesses.

We're working closely with the city to determine the feasibility of each of these measures and we'll update you as soon as we have news.
​
Here's what we have so far:

Property Tax Relief. With personal and federal taxes now delayed until June/July, we are lobbying County of Marin officials to allow for delayed property tax payments, with the subsequent hope that commercial property owners would pass along some of that relief to their tenants. With property taxes due April 10, we are hoping to garner a response to this request ASAP. The California Franchise Tax Board has extended filing deadlines for affected taxpayers until June 15 per an executive order from Gov. Newsom. Each county would have to extend the deadline for its property owners.

Evictions. Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order to help prevent evictions during the coronavirus outbreak. The order gives local governments the authority to halt evictions for renters and homeowners, but stops short of creating a statewide moratorium. In Marin, there is a countywide effort on this front to halt evictions "for residential and commercial tenants that are related to loss of income from COVID-19 until May 31." A resolution goes before the Marin County Board of Supervisors on March 24. 

What if I can’t pay my income taxes? Individuals can defer paying up to $1 million in federal income taxes for 90 days because of the coronavirus, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a press conference Tuesday. He said the level was set at $1 million because that covers a lot of pass-through businesses, whose business income is taxed at the owner’s individual rate. Corporations would be able to defer up to $10 million in tax payments for 90 days. “The deferrals would occur on an interest-free and penalty-free basis,” Mnuchin said. The IRS has some online resources.

Payroll Tax. The CA Employment Development Division (EDD) is granting a 60-day extension to file state payroll reports and/or deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest for employers experiencing hardship from COVID-19. For the most up-to-date information, visit CA EDD’s COVID-19 resource page.

Grants. 
Facebook has announced a program of cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries affected by COVID-19 pandemic. MORE INFO.

Cash?
The White House announced plans to send cash payments directly to Americans to replace lost wages over the next two weeks, as part of a $1 trillion stimulus proposal. The plan includes $500 billion for two waves of direct payments to taxpayers on April 6 and May 16 that would vary by household income and size. Another $300 billion would help small businesses meet payroll, the New York Times reported. Politico reported that the checks could amount to $1,000 each. Senate Democrats' proposal calls for immediate $2,000 payments to all adults and children in the U.S. below a certain income threshold. If enacted, people would get a second check for $1,500 in July and a third for $1,000 in October if the public health emergency continues.
​
Loans. 

• The State of California's Office of Emergency Services is making Small Business Administration Disaster Loans of up to $2 million available to businesses impacted by COVID-19. You can find more information on those programs here. While the SBA loan process has been described as cumbersome, time consuming and hard to qualify for in years past, the SBA announced this week that it is relaxing its criteria to receive an SBA loan. There are a ton of great FAQs and answers HERE, and the Marin SBDC, run by the fantastic Miriam Hope Karell, is built for moments like these and can help your through the application process. Miriam has a great, timely update for loan seekers: "It is now 2-3 weeks to get approved (again only if they submitted everything correctly) and then once someone signs the paperwork, it usually takes 5 days to receive funds. It is one year for deferment for first payment. If someone applies and gets a loan and then realizes they need more funding, then can submit for an increase of funds." These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.
• Bank of Marin: Easy application process for loans between $5,000 and 20,000. If the Bank’s accepted credit score is met, only one application and minimal supplementary documentation is required. To meet all your financing needs, larger loans up to $150,000 are available subject to additional documentation and underwriting. Line of credit with a 2-year maturity and a $100.00 loan documentation fee to open. Business Term Loan features fully amortized installments over five-year term. This enables your business to better forecast future obligations. Variable interest rates tied to the Prime Rate as published in the Wall Street Journal. Link your line of credit or term loan to your Bank of Marin digital banking account for 24/7 access to advances and payments. MORE INFO.


• Redwood Credit Union (for members only): In an effort to provide financial relief to RCU Members and small businesses who have been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are offering the following programs (effective immediately with an end date to be determined): Unsecured Personal Loan for Members (including Business) of between $500 - $5,000, terms 3-12 month, interest rate 0.00% and loan payments will be amortized over the term of the loan with no interest added. RCU is also offering Disaster Relief Payment Assistance and is enhancing its payment deferral program to provide extended payment relief for those Members that need it by allowing. RCU is also waiving all late fees for three months, through May. MORE INFO.
• KIVA is another small business lender. Here's what they're doing to help small businesses dealing with the impact of COVID19.​
• California IBank has low-interest and state-guaranteed business loans and micro-loans for small business borrowers who have been impacted by regional disasters and who need term loans or lines of credit for working capital.

Employees.

• On the local front, many local businesses have already had to pare back staff because of the shelter in place order. If you or any business owner you know is staffing up – we're looking at your, grocery stores – let us know by email and we'll help make the right connections.
• Am I eligible for unemployment benefits? If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down operations due to coronavirus, you can file for unemployment insurance. Benefits in California generally range from $40-$450 per week for up to six months (or possibly more than six months if you are working reduced hours and getting reduced benefits).
• Normally, state unemployment and disability benefits do not begin until a week after you file, but Gov. Gavin Newsom’s March 12 executive order waived the normal one-week waiting period before for people who are unemployed and/or disabled because of coronavirus.
• Also: “If a person is temporarily out of work and plans to return to the same employer, they do not need to meet the usual requirement of looking for work while they are collecting unemployment benefits,” Employment Development Department spokesman Barry White said. “EDD will inform them if they are not required to look for work each week. As it stands now, if a person is not connected to a certain employer with a job to return to, they are required to look for work while collecting benefits.” MORE INFO.
  For more on state disability, paid family leave and unemployment, see .
• If you have other benefits or questions for employers and workers impacted by COVID-19, the ​California Labor and Workforce Development Agency can help with unemployment Insurance and other tools for affected workers.
• The Employment Development Department (EDD) provides a variety of resources for employers who anticipate a reduction of work hours or potential closure or layoffs as a result of Coronavirus. Employers experiencing a hardship as a result of Coronavirus may also request up to a 60-day extension of time from the EDD to file their state payroll reports and/or deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest. For questions, employers may call the EDD Taxpayer Assistance Center at (888) 745-3886.
• Sick Leave: The California Industrial Relations Department administers the state’s paid sick leave law, which requires almost all public- and private-sector employers to give almost all employees in California at least three paid sick days per year. If they have leave available, employees can use it “for absences due to illness, the diagnosis, care or treatment of an existing health condition or preventative care for the employee or the employee’s family member. Preventative care may include self-quarantine as a result of potential exposure to COVID-19 if quarantine is recommended by civil authorities,” the department says. MORE INFO.

Utilities.
PG&E has placed a moratorium on shut offs due to any nonpayment.

Doomsday. What can I do if I have to shut down my business permanently?If you are facing potential layoffs or closures, you can get help through the Rapid Response program. Rapid Response teams will meet with you to discuss your needs, help avoid layoffs where possible, and support your workers through the process. Services can include upgrades to current worker skills, customized training, career counseling, job search assistance, help with filing unemployment insurance claims, and info about education and training opportunities. For more info, contact Sylwia Palczswska at SPalczwska@workforcealliancenorthbay.org or by phone at 707-699-1947 or Stacey Caico at Scaico@workforcealliancenorthbay.org or by phone at 707- 530-2322. 

If you've made it this far, by the time you've read all this, a whole universe of possibilities – good, bad and in between – could arise, so stay connected to all of our communication channels. And be good to yourselves and your people.

Email us anytime. 
Easy application process for loans between $5,000 and 20,000. If the Bank’s accepted credit score is met, only one application and minimal supplementary documentation is required.
• To meet all your financing needs, larger loans up to $150,000 are available subject to additional documentation and underwriting.
• Line of credit with a 2-year maturity and a $100.00 loan documentation fee to open

According to guidance issued this week, the U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Upon a request received from a state’s or territory’s Governor, SBA will issue under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration.

• Any such Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance declaration issued by the SBA makes loans available to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations in designated areas of a state or territory to help alleviate economic injury caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

• SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance will coordinate with the state’s or territory’s Governor to submit the request for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance.

• Once a declaration is made for designated areas within a state, the information on the application process for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance will be made available to all affected communities.

• These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.

• SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.

• SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are just one piece of the expanded focus of the federal government’s coordinated response, and the SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible.

For more Info, contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov(link sends e-mail), or send us an email and we'll help you navigate the process.

With ever-increasing confirmed cases of Coronavirus regionally, across the state and around the world, and out of an abundance of caution, the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is recommending the cancellation or postponement of nonessential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people to prevent the spread of COVID-19, commonly called coronavirus.

Willis said this recommendation is in place for two weeks and will be re-evaluated as new information becomes available. He noted that Marin HHS’ Public Health Division is not making the same recommendation for outdoor events at this time because the risk for transmission outdoors is low.

“We recognize that gathering together is vital for community well-being, and we do not take these steps lightly,” Willis said in a statement. “With increased transmission of COVID-19 regionally, we have to prioritize health first. We will reevaluate our recommendations as the situation unfolds here in Marin.”

Subsequently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide ban on gatherings of more than 250 people at least through March, a move that kicked off a wave of concert, convention, sporting event cancellations.

“Each of us has extraordinary power to slow the spread of this disease,” Newsom said in issuing the ban. “Not holding that concert or community event can have cascading effects — saving dozens of lives and preserving critical health care resources that your family may need a month from now. The people in our lives who are most at risk — seniors and those with underlying health conditions — are depending on all of us to make the right choice.”

Willis said that event organizers should consider the California Department of Public Health guidelines[External] if they choose to move forward with an event. In addition, organizers should:

• Collaborate and coordinate with community partners including the local public health department, hotels where participants are staying, airlines, event venues, and other partners.
• Use event messaging and communications to promote everyday preventive health messages to your participants and staff, including Marin HHS’s educational posters in English and Spanish.
• Recommend that participants minimize close contact (e.g., recommending no hand shaking or hugging)
• Promote messages that discourage people who are sick from attending events.

“While Marin has not seen evidence of community transmission, Marin is a popular destination for community events and activities,” Willis said. “These guidelines are in response to increased COVID-19 activity across the region.”

Marin HHS announced the first local case of COVID-19 on March 9, the same day it launched a hotline service (415-473-7191) to answer public questions about the disease. Two days later, it confirmed two additional cases in Marin.

Willis emphasized that the best way to reduce the risk of becoming infected with a respiratory virus, whether the flu or COVID-19, is to practice good hygiene with the following guidelines: 

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing;
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available;
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or crook of your elbow (not your hands).If you use a tissue, throw it away and wash your hands afterward;
• Avoid touching your face;
• Stay home from work or school if you have a fever or are feeling sick;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe;
• Get your flu shot to protect against flu.

Visit the official Marin County coronavirus webpage to review answers to frequently asked questions or subscribe to receive email updates. Individuals can contact Marin HHS with non-medical questions about the coronavirus by calling 415-473-7191 weekdays between 9:30 a.m. and noon and 1-5 p.m. or by emailing COVID-19@marincounty.org.

In addition, here are some widely circulated takeaways from the University of California, San Francisco BioHub Panel on COVID-19 on March 10:

• At this point, we are past containment.  Containment is basically futile.  Our containment efforts won’t reduce the number who get infected in the US.
  
• Now we’re just trying to slow the spread, to help healthcare providers deal with the demand peak.  In other words, the goal of containment is to "flatten the curve", to lower the peak of the surge of demand that will hit healthcare providers.  And to buy time, in hopes a drug can be developed. 
  
• We are moving from containment to care.  
  
• We in the US are currently where at where Italy was a week ago.  We see nothing to say we will be substantially different. 40-70% of the US population will be infected over the next 12-18 months. After that level you can start to get herd immunity. 
  
• Unlike flu, this is entirely novel to humans, so there is no latent immunity in the global population. The fatality rate is in the range of 10X flu.
  
• It’s going to get worse before it gets better.  
  
• It appears one can be infectious before being symptomatic.  We don’t know how infectious before symptomatic, but know that highest level of virus prevalence coincides with symptoms.  We currently think folks are infectious 2 days before through 14 days after onset of symptoms.

GO HERE FOR MORE INFO.

Whether you’re leading the reusable-laden charge toward reducing your food-serving business’ waste footprint or dizzily navigating the array of complexity when it comes to properly disposing of your recycling and compost – and even defining exactly what is recyclable and compostable in Marin – one thing is clear: change is gonna come.

At the latest Zero Waste Marin forum hosted by the City of Mill Valley and the Mill Valley Chamber, experts in the field provided an array of information about the County of Marin’s proposed Reusable Foodware regulations that would require the use of reusable and compostable foodware materials (e.g., plates, bowls, cups, utensils, and trays) at restaurants, grocery stores and delis, bakeries, carry-out, mini marts, farmers markets, food trucks, and other businesses requiring a health permit. 

The Draft Ordinance, whose primary goal is reducing Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of waste going into our landfills, prohibits the use of single-use plastic foodware items and proposes a 25-cent charge for disposable cups. If approved by the Marin County Board of Supervisors this summer, it would be “operative and enforced” one year later – approximately mid-2021 – to allow restaurants and food-serving businesses time to use up non-compliant products like straws, plastic containers and bioplastic products promoted as compostable but not accepted as compostable products at Marin County’s Redwood Landfill. The delayed enforcement would also allow food-serving businesses time to identify and source new compliant reusable and compostable foodware.

The forum also touched on the alphabet soup’s worth of state laws affecting how all businesses manage their waste, including SB 1383, which requires statewide diversion of compostable materials from the landfill by 50 percent by 2020 and 75 percent by 2025, as well as mandatory waste sorting into the appropriate (blue, green and brown) carts in both the back of the house and customer-facing front of the house.

Danielle Staude, the City of Mill Valley’s senior planner and sustainability coordinator, provided the appropriate context at the outset. “You might have thought you were in the food business, but you are also in the waste business,” she said. “Your input is important to us.”

Staude was scheduled to present the ordinance and the feedback on it to City Council on March 16 at 7pm at City Hall, but that hearing has been postponed due to the Coronavirus and social distancing concerns. Staude was joined at the March 10th event by Zero Waste consultant Debra Kaufman and Lisa Coelho of SCS Engineers, the latter of whom is able to provide Mill Valley businesses with a free waste assessment and help identify an action plan to comply (email us and we’ll put you in touch). 

Kaufman couched the proposed ordinance as the logical next step after the plastic shopping bag ban in Marin nearly a decade ago as a template for a transition to behavior that once seemed impossible but now is common.

“Now communities want to go beyond bags,” she said.

The trio were peppered with pragmatic questions by forum attendees, who included representatives from Mill Valley Market, Equator Coffees, McDonald’s, Juice Girl, Bungalow 44, BOL, Playa, Buckeye Roadhouse, CineArts Sequoia Theatre, Flour Craft Bakery and more, peppered the experts with pragmatic questions about transition to reusable and truly compostable products.

Business owners had questions about how the use of such products, particularly reusables, would comply with the county’s Environmental Health Services division. For instance, if a customer brings in a reusable cup or bowl, the business person is using subjectivity to decide if a cup is clean.

“The health department has been a partner in all of this, and they are fully aware of this aspect,” Kaufman said. “The health department will be the ones out there doing the enforcement but thy want to be consistent with the new state law.”

Mill Valley Market co-owner Doug Canepa questioned why state or county governments aren’t levying fees against the manufacturers of products like disposable bags and foodware products instead of of putting the responsibility on the shoulders of retailers and restaurants.

“This is where we’re at,” Kaufman replied. “Local governments are looking at things that they have control over.”

Peter Schumacher of Real Restaurants, which Includes Bungalow 44, Playa and Buckeye Roadhouse, emphasized his industry's overall support for the transition but called the need to educate the consumer on the product transition as paramount. 

"Customers constantly demand those extra things when get their food to go, having it go into multiple separate boxes and placed in a bag," Schumacher said. "Consumer education is an extremely important part of this process."

Flour Craft Bakery co-owner Rick Perko raised a point about the compliant products that sparked a lengthy conversation: the current roster of available products would require the use of paper/fiber-based to-go containers for things like salads. Those products would not allow for visibility of the salad itself, for instance, prior to purchase, as current plastic containers do.

“Customers want to see what they’re buying,” he said, suggesting that the ideological cart was getting a bit ahead of the practical horse. “If they can’t see it, they’ll be less likely to purchase it. That’s going pretty far to expect the customer to adjust to that.”

“I don’t have an answer for you but will bring that as feedback,” Kaufman replied.

Here's a list of foodware products that would comply with the proposed ordinance.

Click on the images below to see descriptions and illustrations of products that are approved and not approved under the proposed ordinance.