City Council Makes COVID-19 Decisions

City Council Item 10c

At its April 7 City Council meeting, Council members considered several agenda items related to businesses operating on City property affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Council authorized the City Manager to:

1.     Execute an amendment to the lease agreement with Bluewater Coronado, waiving monthly lease payments;

2.     Execute an amendment to the lease and loan agreements with Feast and Fareway, waiving monthly rent payments and forbearing monthly loan obligations until the end of the loan term; and

3.     Amend permit conditions to waive Coronado Flower Lady permit fees in the amount of $1,046 per month until the end of the City’s local declaration of emergency.

 

The City has had a lease agreement with Bluewater Coronado since 2014. The City executed a lease and loan agreement in 2018 with Feast and Fareway to operate a concession at the Coronado Golf Course Clubhouse. In September 2016, the Council authorized a five-year commercial use permit to allow the Coronado Flower Lady to sell flowers from a stand in Rotary Plaza.

City Council Item 10d

The Council considered economic development options for local businesses in response to the COVID-19 downturn. The Council first directed that:

The Council also considered a lifeline loan program that, as proposed by staff, would issue loans, charge little or no interest if the loans are repaid within a certain amount of time and provide loans only to those businesses who contribute to the City's financial health.

The Council directed staff to identify a financial expert to help create a technical assistance program to help local businesses find out about state and federal economic stimulus programs.

The Council approved in concept a business lifeline loan program funded by the City for loans up to $20,000 with up to $2 million in City funds and directed staff to return with more details on how such a program would be administered, who can apply and other eligibility criteria, and how to apply.

City Council Item 10e

The City Council received an updated financial condition report for Fiscal Year 2019-20. The report documented what is known so far. Due to the COVID-19 emergency, Coronado’s General Fund revenues will be short by $7.8 million.

Most of this shortfall, $5.9 million, is from reduced hotel tax revenues. The estimated shortage in sales tax revenues is $732,000. Interest earnings are expected to be $325,000 short and accelerated property tax collections from the supplemental roll are expected to be short by $354,000. This revenue shortage will be absorbed within the city’s Emergency Response Reserve Balance.

This move will leave the General Fund Emergency Response reserve with a balance of $18.7 million. The General Fund balance which includes the Emergency Response Reserve is expected to be $36.7 million after absorption of the $7.8 million revenue shortage.

It is still too early to determine the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on Fiscal Year 2020-21 revenues. Staff is working on revenue projections for Council review in May.

City Council Item 10f

The City Council reviewed the status of beach, park and public facilities closures. At the March 31 special meeting, the Council took the following actions:

• Directed the closure of Coronado Beach, including Dog Beach, on weekends;

• Directed that parking be prohibited on the west side of Ocean Avenue all day, all week;

• Place the dog wash station off-limits;

• Directed that hand sanitizing stations be placed at the entrances to the beach;

• Closed all playgrounds and the Spreckels Park Bandstand;

• Closed all tennis courts;

• Directed the closure of the Boat Launch Ramp when the Port closes San Diego Bay;

• Affirmed the closing of the Lawn Bowling Green and the Golf Course; and

• Requested to review its actions at the April 7 City Council meeting.

After reviewing the March 31 actions, the Council adopted a resolution confirming the closure of Coronado beaches and parking restrictions for the duration of the public health emergency.

City Hall Open for (Limited) Business

The City of Coronado is open for business. City Hall operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. City Hall doors will remain locked during these operating hours and opened for appointments only.

The number of staff working at City Hall and remotely is being kept to a minimum during this COVID-19 emergency and only those staff required to provide essential services to the public will be deployed for work at City Hall.

Staff working in the Community Development and Engineering departments continue to provide support for issuing building permits, plans and inspections. They are operating by appointment only.

Use of meeting rooms will be kept to a minimum with adherence to the social distancing guidelines of 3-6 foot spacing between attendees. All visitors to City Hall will be required to sign in, obtain a visitor’s badge and perform a self assessment and turn in a form. These procedures have been in effect since April 6.

New Rules at City Facilities

For the health and safety of the community and effective April 6, all those entering any City facility must be in good health, including City employees. Signs were posted at all facilities that require all individuals, before entering the building, to perform an assessment of their health using the following questions:

 

 

Patrons also are required to use a thermometer to check their temperatures and answer the following question:

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, they may not enter the building.

City Following County Health Order

 

San Diego County health officials recently ordered that all employees who may have contact with the public in any grocery store, pharmacy or drug store, convenience store, gas station, restaurant shall wear a mask to cover their faces. The mask requirement was part of an amendment to its March 27 order and went into effect over the weekend.

Effective Tuesday, April 7, every City of Coronado employee is required to wear a face covering or mask that covers the nose and mouth when interacting with the public . It is also strongly recommended that employees have a face covering available to use while in City facilities. Appropriate coverings include scarves, bandanas and nonsurgical masks.

The amended order also requires businesses that allow members of the public to enter a facility to post, by midnight April 7, a “Social Distancing and Sanitation Protocol” form on each facility open to the public.   The protocol ensures that all required measures are implemented to ensure social distancing at each facility. It also requires that every employee in an operating, essential facility receive a copy. These documents have been posted at City facilities open to the public as well as at parks and the beach.

City Employees Continue to Ensure Services

Full staffing continues in the City with public safety, including Police, Fire and Lifeguards.

Public Services staff has been minimally reduced and continues to manage vital city services, such as physical infrastructure and maintenance of the City’s beaches, facilities, parks, sanitary sewer and storm drain systems, and rights of way. The department also provides engineering management, including planning, design, construction, and repair of the City’s buildings, parks, streets, and utility systems.

Other departments not mentioned above, including Administrative Services, City Clerk's Office, Library Services and Recreation and Golf Services, continue to operate at a vital but more basic level.

The City began its Safe at Home but Not Alone community outreach to connect with the community through programming on Coronado TV and via social media. The City is broadcasting programs it offers at the Library, Spreckels Center and Community Center such as yoga, Library Story hour, Cultural Arts videos and Recreation dance programs for kids. In partnership with the Library, Recreation Department and Cultural Arts Commission, the City is creating new content daily.

Click here to watch programming online!

Neighbor-to-Neighbor (N2N) is a voluntary program created through a partnership of local volunteers and your neighbors along with the support of the City of Coronado. N2N is built on neighbors looking out for one another. It's run by local volunteers. You are urged to fill out the information you will be receiving in your mailboxes and return it to your block captain. Residents of the Coronado Shores are encouraged to contact building managers for information. If you want to participate or need assistance, please contact the N2N program coordinator at [email protected] or call the Coronado Call Center at (619) 522-6380.

The City of Coronado is partnering with the American Red Cross for a second blood drive on May 12. The April Blood Drive in Coronado filled 90 appointments very quickly. Donors are urgently needed. This event is by appointment only. Click below for an appointment.

PAWS Helping Paws is a program that PAWS of Coronado is providing to support local pet owners during the COVID-19 outbreak in the event that they become too ill to care for their animals. If you are not well enough to care for your pet, PAWS is available to provide temporary housing and coordinate foster families as needed to make sure your pets are cared until you are able to do so yourself. Please refer to the program application and checklist for more information or contact us at 619-522-7371 or  [email protected] .

The Coronado Call Center will have new schedule effective immediately and will no longer be open on weekends. The Call Center will accept messages on weekends. If you have an actual emergency, call 911.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can provide support for people in distress. Call (800) 273-8255 for help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices and building awareness.

The Coronado Chamber of Commerce and Coronado MainStreet have pages dedicated to local restaurants and businesses, those that are open, their hours, addresses and websites. Check it out if you need a meal or want to know the hours of gas stations, pharmacies and grocery stores. As things are changing hourly, call in advance to be sure a business is open. Thanks to the Chamber and MainStreet for this service.

The City issues this newsletter – the COVID-19 Update – which contains the latest on the pandemic every weekday via Constant Contact. This is a great way to stay informed with the latest information.

The City's dedicated Coronavirus Information webpage outlines the additional precautionary measures Coronado officials have taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The  page  can be found on the City's website and includes links to the San Diego County Public Health and Human Services Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, which contains information on how to keep safe. Click here to visit the web page.

California Department of Health

Centers for Disease Control

County of San Diego Public Health

World Health Organization