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Stay Informed Regarding COVID-19
Visit the Center for Disease Control's website for the most current information and health tips to keep yourself and others safe.

Visit the City's website to stay up-to-date with the City response to COVID-19.
How Can We Help?
Our team is here and ready to assist your however we can. We know each business has its own unique circumstances and challenges during this time, and we stand ready to do all we can to help you navigate this uncertain time. Please let us know how we can help!
Andrea Worthy
Economic Development Director
Caroline Davis
Economic Development Specialist
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM
SANDY SPRINGS MAYOR RUSTY PAUL

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul issued a formal statement on March 24, 2020, which calls for all residents and businesses to continue efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Among the requests highlighted in the statement: 

  1. Individuals must take all possible and practical steps to shelter at their places of residence, leaving only to receive certain essential services, to obtain necessary provisions, or to engage in certain essential activities and work for essential business and government services; 
  2. Businesses must cease non-essential operations at physical locations within the City and augment their work-from-home and telecommuting strategies whenever possible; 
  3. Businesses providing essential services must enforce CDC social distancing requirements among all patrons and staff within their facilities and frequently sanitize counters, credit/debit machines, carts and other items used by the public or face closure under Gov. Kemp’s Executive Order mandating social distancing; 
  4. Non-essential gatherings of groups of individuals outside a single household unit must cease; 
  5. Individuals must follow the CDC and other public health authority guidelines, as stated in the Emergency Declaration. 

Without attempting to define what businesses are “essential,” the City has confidence that its partners understand the seriousness of the pandemic situation as described in the Mayor’s statement and will conduct only those activities within the business, whatever its nature, that are essential for the survivability of the business, adhering to the priorities and guidelines outlined in the Mayor’s message.  
 
“We hope that each Sandy Springs business will make wise decisions in determining what activities are necessary to sustain the business and will take prudent actions to ensure that such activities do not impact the health and safety of its neighbors. If not and impact to the city is noted, we are prepared to take further action,” -Mayor Rusty Paul

View Mayor Paul's video message to the community on the Cit y website .
In This Update...
New GDoL Rule: Filing for Unemployment Benefits for Your Employees
Apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan
Federal AND State Income Tax Filing Deadline Extended to July 15, 2020
Passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Additional Federal & State Information & Resources
City of Sandy Springs Updates
SCORE: Free Online Business Mentoring & Webinars 
Kabbage Offers Free Account to Sell Gift Certificates
Restaurants: Submit Your Information to Visit Sandy Springs
Register Your Restaurant For Food Delivery
Georgia Commute Options: Free Teleworking Resources
Grace Periods for Utilities & Services
Facebook Small Business Grants Program
Other Hardship Resources
COVID-19 Business Bulletin: March 25, 2020
New Georgia Department of Labor Rule:
Filing for Unemployment Benefits for Your Employees
The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has adopted an  emergency Rule 300-2-4-0.5  Partial Claims, effective   March 16, 2020 . The rule mandates ALL Georgia employers to file partial claims online on behalf of their employees for any week during which an employee (full-time/part-time) works less than full-time due to a partial or total company shutdown caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency . Any employer found to be in violation of this rule will be required to reimburse GDOL for the full amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid to the employee. Find step-by-step instructions on how to file partial claims as an employer and find other important documents on the GDOL Alert Page.
 
Filing partial claims results in your employees receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefit payments faster, usually within 48 hours for claims filed electronically. Employees for whom you file a partial claim are NOT required to report to a Georgia Department of Labor career center, register for employment services, or look for other work.
 
Please continue to monitor the GDoL website  or any updates to these guidelines.
Apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan
Georgia is now designated as an Eligible Disaster Area for the Small Business Association’s  Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)  program. This loan program provides targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue.




Contact disaster customer service: 1-800-659-2955 or [email protected]

Federal AND State Income
Tax Filing Deadline Extended to July 15, 2020
The 2019 income tax filing and payment deadlines for all taxpayers who file and pay their Federal income taxes on April 15, 2020, are automatically extended until July 15, 2020 . All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties. This relief is automatic, taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify.

On March 23, 2020, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp authorized extending the state tax filing to July 15 to coincide with national extension.

The IRS has established a special section of the agency’s website focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by this coronavirus. The page will be updated as new information is available.
Passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
On March 18, 2020, Congress passed H.R. 6201. This bill responds to the COVID-19 outbreak by providing paid sick leave and free COVID-19 testing, expanding food assistance and unemployment benefits, and requiring employers to provide additional protections for health care workers. Find more information here .
Additional Federal and State Information & Resources
City of Sandy Springs Updates
Sandy Springs Police Offers New “Check-In” Services
For businesses closed as a result of the  Emergency Declaration Ordinance  of the City imposed March 20, 2020, the Sandy Springs Police Department is offering complimentary business checks to keep businesses safe and bring business owners peace of mind. To request a business check, fill out this  form .

Sandy Springs City Council Approves Extension To Monthly Reporting Of Alcohol Excise Tax
On March 20, 2020, the Sandy Springs City Council approved an extension of the required monthly reporting and payment of alcohol excise taxes by local businesses. Businesses will have until May 31 to provide without penalty or interest. The City Council approved the extension citing the state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic and closure of all city buildings. 

Business License Renewal Deadline EXTENDED
To help ease the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sandy Springs City Council approved during its March 17, 2020 meeting EXTENDING the due date for businesses to pay their Business Occupational Tax Certificate (business license) from March 31 to May 31, 2020 .  While City Hall is closed, you can renew your business license or pay your business occupational tax online .

City of Sandy Springs Issues State of Emergency
During its March 17, 2020 meeting, the City of Sandy Springs City Council approved an ordinance declaring a State of Emergency exists as part of the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Global Pandemic. The State of Emergency allows the city to do what is needed to meet the needs of the community related to this emergency event.

City of Sandy Springs Facilities Closed Until Further Notice
To support mitigation efforts for disease control related to the current COVD-19 pandemic, all City of Sandy Springs facilities are closed to the public until further notice. While the buildings are closed, city staff will continue operations remotely to provide continued service to the community. Learn more about specific city services here .
SCORE: Free Online Business Mentoring & Webinars
SCORE North Metro Atlanta provides free, online mentoring with a SCORE-certified business mentor, along with free online business workshops and professional development webinars. 
Kabbage Offers Free Account to Sell Gift Certificates
Atlanta-based Kabbage Inc. launched  www.helpsmallbusiness.com  to support small businesses financially impacted by COVID-19. Through Kabbage Payments, any business can sign up for free to sell gift certificates online, and anyone can purchase them to support participating small businesses.
Restaurants: Submit Your Information to
Visit Sandy Springs
Visit Sandy Springs is dedicated to supporting our restaurant and hospitality industry. This dedicated webpage provides the community with information regarding the offerings of Sandy Springs restaurants including take out, curbside pickup, delivery and more.

If you would like to add your restaurant to their list or update your current information, please submit your details  here or email [email protected] . 
Register Your Restaurant For Food Delivery
If you are an eatery of any kind, you can sign up with any of these delivery services to facilitate deliveries to your loyal customers in Sandy Springs and the surrounding area. This is a great option for restaurants right now that are seeing a decline in foot traffic.
DoorDash is offering contact-free delivery options to customers and is testing various ways to limit contact during food delivery.
Grubhub now offers contact-free delivery, including an order pickup option for people who are more comfortable picking up the food themselves. Customers can select the delivery option at checkout and instruct the driver to leave food at the door, in the lobby, or wherever the customer prefers.
Postmates offers contact-free delivery choices and encourages customers to report if their delivery person appears unwell. The company has set up a Fleet Relief Fund to help employees with COVID-19 medical expenses. If a Fleet member tests positive, they get two weeks of paid sick leave from the fund.
In addition to instituting contact-less deliveries, Uber Eats is providing delivery personnel with more sanitization options and materials. The company is providing restaurant partners with CDC-issued guidelines to ensure food is sealed in tamper-proof packaging. Uber Eats has also temporarily waived the delivery fee for customers ordering from locally-owned independent restaurants.
Georgia Commute Options: Free Teleworking Resources
Georgia Commute Options has created a webinar series that will offer practical guidance on how companies can maximize productivity and decrease employee stress while navigating responses to COVID-19.  


GCO is also offering a free quick start telework guide .  Whether you have a solid, formal telework policy in place or are starting from scratch, this can be a great resource. 

If you need additional assistance implementing a telework program please contact:
Samantha Pratt,
Worksite Advisor, Georgia Commute Options
678-808-8970
Grace Periods for Utilities & Services
Atlanta Gas Light and Georgia Power, both owned by Southern Co., will not terminate services for customers due to nonpayment amid COVID-19 concerns.

AT&T is proud to support their customers by pledging that, for the next 60 days, they will:   
  • Not terminate the service of any wireless, home phone or broadband small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Waive any late payment fees that any wireless, home phone or broadband small business customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Keep our public Wi-Fi hotspots open for those who need them.
  • More information.

Comcast is taking steps to implement the following new policies for the next 60 days:
  • Xfinity WiFi Free for Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots, and then launch a browser.
  • Pausing Data Plan: They are pausing data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.
  • No Disconnects or Late Fees: They will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if they contact Xfinity to let them know they cannot pay their bills during this period. Care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and can help find other solutions.
  • More information.
Facebook Small Business Grants Program
Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where they operate. They will begin accepting applications in the coming weeks. Sign up to receive more information as it becomes available.
Other Hardship Resources
Businesses with a loan or line of credit that are concerned about their ability to make payments on time are encouraged to reach out to your banker or lender to learn what assistance or relief they are able to provide during this time. Many insurance businesses also have business interruption insurance, so this is a good time to review your policy and contact your insurance agent to understand precisely what you are and are not covered for in the event of an extended incident.
Your Economic Development Team
We are here to support you.
Please reach out to us with questions or concerns.
Economic Development Director
Economic Development Specialist
This newsletter is prepared by the City of Sandy Springs. You can learn more about the City on our website at  sandyspringsga.gov. You can also telephone our Call Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 770-730-5600.