Local leaders look to biz community for answers
Dec. 16, 2020 at 6:00 am
Photo by Matthew Hall
As the people of Santa Monica prepare for a holiday season under safer-at-home orders, city leaders are calling on local retailers and residents to share their ideas that could potentially spur economic growth on the Westside.
City of Santa Monica’s Emergency Operations and Business Liaison Teams launched a short survey this week online at bit.ly/38ammb1 that asks questions relating to rent expenses, how the city should best utilize funding if it receives any, and “what is your biggest stress right now?”
Staff said the City felt it was a necessary time to check in with residents since health orders have changed once again and survey responses will only be used by the City of Santa Monica’s Emergency Operations Center and Economic Recovery Task Force to focus their COVID-19 response and economic recovery on the issues residents want addressed.
Senator Wilk Sends Letter In Support Of Classifying Restaurants As Essential Businesses
Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, sent a letter signed by senators of both parties to California Governor Gavin Newsom last Friday evening, asking the state to reclassify restaurants as essential businesses.
The letter comes in the face of the fact that outdoor dining is set to remain closed until at least Dec. 27, at a time when many restaurants would normally be experiencing a business-saving boom of holiday business.
“In 2019, more than 1.8 million jobs were attributed to the restaurant and foodservice industry in California. This equates to approximately eleven percent of employment in the state. Closed restaurants means jobs lost, missed rent, mortgage and car payments and a lot of unemployment checks,” reads the letter.