City Hall Scoop

Application period ends February 8
Free application webinars offered daily in several languages.

California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), today announced that Round 2 of the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is open. 

The $500 million program is intended for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $25,000. Approximately half of the available funds were awarded in Round 1, with disbursement beginning January 22, and the remainder will be awarded to eligible businesses in this second round. The application portal opened at 8:00 a.m. today and will remain open through 6:00 p.m. February 8. Eligible applicants who submitted all necessary documents in Round 1, but did not receive a grant, will be rolled over for consideration in this second round – there is no need to reapply. 

“What we are seeing is an unprecedented, urgent need,” said Dee Dee Myers, Director of GO-Biz. “Millions of hardworking Californians, who provide jobs to millions more, need help. Inclusive, equitable relief is fundamental to the small business support this state is providing. Surveys find that without additional funding, more than one in three small business owners will not survive past the next three months, including an astounding 32% of Latinx-owned and 41% of Black-owned businesses. This grant program serves to address an immediate need, but there is so much more that needs to be done. We look forward to the additional grants and loans proposed by the Biden Administration.”

California’s small businesses employ nearly half of the state’s private sector workforce and create two-thirds of new jobs. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, studies showed small businesses were facing low cash flow levels – estimating nearly half of all small businesses had only two weeks of cash flow pre-pandemic.

CalOSBA is pleased to share preliminary data from the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program’s first round of recipients:

• 77% of selected applicants went to underserved & disadvantaged small businesses, which are businesses owned by minority, women, veteran, or businesses located in rural, low-to-moderate income (LMI), low-wealth, and rural communities (applicant may fit into more than one category).
  • 53% of selected applicants are minority-owned businesses, 
  • 49% of selected applicants are women-owned businesses,
  • 14% of selected applicants are business owners in rural areas, and
  • 58% of selected applicants are business owners in low-to-moderate income areas. 
• 61% of selected applicants are business owners in highly impacted industries including personal care, restaurant & other eating places, child daycare services, retail clothing stores, & specialty foods. 
• Small businesses or non-profits in all 58 counties received awards.

The California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant is administered by CalOSBA through a competitive bid award to its intermediary, Lendistry, and its statewide network of community-based lenders and partners. Many of the State-supported small business centers, which prioritize the expansion of technical assistance to underserved business groups, are also available to help small businesses with the application process in multiple languages and formats.

For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, along with links to application tips and webinars, visit CAReliefGrant.com.

2/3/21

Concerned about neighborhood coyotes? Interested in learning how to help keep them away? Then join this family-friendly Coyote Safety webinar! Our expert Wildlife Manager Lauren Hamlett will share information about the urban coyote and demonstrate humane hazing techniques so that you can peacefully – and safely – coexist with coyotes.

Coyote Safety Workshop
Wednesday, February 24
12-1pm

Register here

2/3/2021

The City of South Pasadena Planning Division will be sharing draft proposals with the community to amend the Zoning Code’s regulations for building accessory dwelling units (ADUs) at a virtual meeting to be held on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Homeowners across South Pasadena have shown increasing interest in building ADUs, with 27 applications submitted in 2020 compared with just five in 2017. State law requires all cities in California to allow ADUs and “Junior” ADUs on single family and multi-family properties through administrative processes.  Code amendments at the end of 2019 brought South Pasadena into compliance with the most recent State legislation, but over the past year homeowners interested in building an ADU have asked for additional refinements to clarify the requirements and ease the process.  This includes, among other matters, objective design standards to allow compatible two-bedroom and two-story units, appropriate standards for ADUs in hillside areas and objective standards to ensure appropriate units on designated and identified historic properties. 

The February 10 community meeting will review proposals the City is developing with support from Arup, a planning consultant firm, for most of the proposed changes.  Specific objective standards for historic properties will be brought forward later through a separate process, funded through a State Office of Historic Preservation Certified Local Government (CLG) grant.  That project is being conducted by Architectural Resources Group (ARG), a specialized historic preservation firm selected in January through an RFP process.  Separate community meetings focusing on ADUs on historic properties will be announced and recommendations are anticipated in the summer.

The Planning Division requests that you RSVP for the meeting by emailing housingelement@southpasadenaca.gov, but RSVPs are not required to join the meeting.  The Zoom link is provided on the Planning Division web page. 

2/3/2021

We are at a critical moment in the pandemic. We are all still living through the nightmare of a surge; last week, on average, 217 people died each day from COVID 19, and two days last week, we reported that more than 300 people died each day. This is the very real cost of following the public health rules.

The revised Health Officer Order issued on Friday is a detailed blueprint for everyone to follow to ensure we see a continued downward trend in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Some restrictions have been lifted, but now is not the time to relax. Now is the time to remain super vigilant against this deadly virus and continue to stay home as much as possible. 

Let’s keep reminding each other of how important it is to follow the rules to protect ourselves, our friends, our essential workers. Together, Los Angeles County can keep working to reduce cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

2/2/2020

Los Angeles County has launched the Small Business Stabilization Loan Program designed to provide eligible businesses with a competitive interest rate for loans ranging from $50,000 to $3 million. 

The Small Business Stabilization Loan Program application portal opened on Jan. 28, and will remain open indefinitely. The Program offers technical assistance from partners who offer complementary online webinars, one-on-one financial consultations, application assistance, and an evaluation of a business’ readiness to submit an LACDA loan application. Technical assistance is available in various languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), and Korean. 

For more information on the requirements to apply for the Small Business Stabilization Loan Program, please visit BizStabilization.lacda.org.

2/2/2021

On Thursday, February 4, 2021, at 6:30 p.m., Richard Rothstein will discuss his book The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America in conversation with Susan D. Anderson, History Curator and Program Manager at the California African American Museum.  In The Color of Law, Richard Rothstein argues with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America—the incessant kind that continues to dog our major cities and has contributed to so much recent social strife—is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state, and federal level. This virtual event is part of the Be the Change author series sponsored by Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and the Southern California Library Cooperative, with funding provided by the City of Glendale Arts and Culture Commission and support from Niche Academy and Outlook Newspapers. The event is free, but registration is required: clickHERE to register. Click here to view the copies of The Color of Law that are available to borrow from the South Pasadena Public Library. Explore Black History Month and find more virtual programs by visiting the African American History Month website. 

Cathy Billings
Library Director

2/1/2021

Testing does not prevent COVID-19. The virus is still in our community & measures like wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing, and avoiding indoor gatherings work to protect you and others around you.

2/1/2021

To slow the spread of COVID-19, restaurants and bars must follow all guidelines and protocols for reopening.

Please click here for the updated health order link for restaurants.

1/29/2021

Beginning today, January 29, 2021, the L.A. County Department of Public Health has revised the Health Officer Order. Please click the link below for additional information.

Health Officer Orders January 29, 2021

1/29/21

Los Angeles County’s COVID-19 Vaccine website, VaccinateLACounty.com has incorporated the State’s new appointment registration platform, MyTurn. The registration system features a streamlined process for residents eligible to receive the vaccine. Those who are registered can receive alerts when new appointments become available, or when vaccinations are allowed for additional priority groups. Currently, MyTurn will make appointments for the County’s five large capacity sites, as well as two other County-operated vaccination sites. Appointments for other locations, including pharmacies and clinics are also available.

Residents with internet access and a computer are urged to use VaccinateLACounty.com to reserve an appointment. For those without access to the internet, or with disabilities, a call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments; dial 833-540-0473 if you are in need of assistance. Please note that this phone line is reserved for people with disabilities or for those who don’t have internet access.

1/28/2021