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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPED 2020-05-04 Item 1 - COVID-19 - Business Recovery UpdateCity of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Planning and Economic Development Committee FROM: Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: April 29, 2020 SUBJECT: Business Recovery Update ISSUE This item is intended as an update on Tukwila's business recovery. BACKGROUND On March 16, 2020 Governor Inslee announced a statewide closure of all restaurants, bars, entertainment and recreational facilities, and a limit on large gatherings, due to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. On March 23rd, the Governor issued the Stay Home Stay Healthy order which required all non -essential business functions to close from March 251n through May 4tn On April 21st the Governor announced the State's recovery plan and explained that many restrictions, such as business closures and social distancing, will remain in place even after May 4tn. He stated the loosening of restrictions will look more "like the turn of a dial than the flip of a switch." The reopening of businesses will be dependent on the decrease of COVID-19 infections and deaths which will be dependent on sufficient testing, contact identification, personal protective equipment for those who need it, and adequate capacity in our health care system. Until those elements are in place, we can expect most large gatherings to be prohibited and physical distancing will be required. Teleworking and distance learning will continue and some industries will reopen faster than others. Recently, the Governor allowed some construction activities to restart on April 24tn and partial reopening of some recreational activities on May 5tn Currently many businesses in Tukwila are closed. Stores selling essential items such as groceries, pharmaceuticals, and electronics (Costco, Target, Seafood City, Saar's Supersaver, Bartells, Walgreens, Best Buy, Video Only, etc.) are open. Nearly all other retail stores are closed, including most of Westfield Southcenter mall. Restaurants are only open for pick-up and delivery. Admissions and gambling based businesses are closed. Tukwila has some other essential businesses that are open such as in logistics or food production, but many are operating at reduced levels. DISCUSSION As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, the City focused on helping businesses by continuing to provide safe, fast, and effective police and fire services and public infrastructure and utilities. Additionally, the City took the following actions: 1. On March 13tn hand delivered King County Public Health Department information on the coronavirus health risk to over 100 businesses in the Tukwila International Boulevard neighborhood. Information was distributed in multiple languages. INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 2. Informed businesses of resources that may help them by posting information on the City's website and sending email updates to all businesses. Over a five -week period we sent five emails to 1,000 businesses each time. On average, 50% of the businesses opened the emails and 20% clicked on at least one item. 3. Created the "Great Tukwila Carry -Out" website and marketing campaign which enables customers to find Tukwila restaurants that are still open to offer carry -out meals. 4. Extended deadlines and reduced penalties for tax payments. 5. Provided recommendations for the State's Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant program. In terms of helping businesses recover, city staff (from multiple departments) is working on the following: 1. Continuing to learn about additional resources and sharing that information with businesses. 2. Tracking testing, tracing, PPE availability, healthcare capacity, and the economy to understand future scenarios. 3. Conducting weekly "windshield surveys" of Tukwila businesses for compliance with the Governor's closure order and also gathering a baseline of activity during closure. 4. Participating in the Southside Mitigation and Recovery Taskforce (SMART), which is a public/private partnership lead by the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce. 5. Creating and launching the Saving Local website and marketing campaign that will provide a portal for everyone in the region to make purchases at reduced prices today for products, services, and experiences in the future. 6. Conducting an online and telephone survey of our businesses in order to: a. Better understand the extent of current closures and projections for reopening b. Ensure businesses are aware of available resources c. Learn about their needs so we can assist them d. Confirm contact information for future communications e. Express the City's support 7. Exploring marketing and event partnerships with Westfield Southcenter and other businesses. 8. Continuing our work with the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and exploring more ways to support business recovery and whether we should change direction on the branding and wayfinding program. 9. Exploring whether the Southside cities should collaborate on a Community Development Block Grant application for direct small business grants. 10. Exploring whether the City should purchase GPS data on current daily visits to our businesses for tracking consumer activity as businesses reopen. As we continue our work on business recovery, there are many paths the City can take. Staff is continually assessing which of these would benefit Tukwila. The most important steps to restore our economy are happening at the national and state levels because the key is to reduce the risk of infection so that businesses can reopen. Once it is safe for businesses to reopen, the vast majority of them will do so as long as our economy does not fall into a depression. Unfortunately, many very small businesses may not recover due to financial challenges, especially local "mom and pop" stores and restaurants. Businesses that rely on large gatherings or dense clusters of people such as bars, restaurants, and theaters, will also face difficult hurdles. 2 WA2020 Info Memos\Business Recovery Memo.doc INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 3 Here are some other future options the City may consider: 1. Partner with the Chamber of Commerce and/or other community organizations to provide additional technical assistance and webinars for local businesses. Businesses may need additional guidance for how to reopen safely, how to maximize telework, applying for grants and loans, revising marketing and business plans, etc. 2. Partner with the Chamber of Commerce to create a "seal of safety" program so that when businesses are allowed to reopen, customers feel safe returning. 3. Partner with community organizations to provide technical and other assistance to businesses in languages other than English. 4. Revise the Port of Seattle grant from development attraction to business support. 5. Reprioritize plans for the use of lodging tax. 6. Track business trends in a post COVID-19 environment and how cities will need to adjust. 7. Advocate at state and federal level for more business resources. 8. Communicate with our businesses on their recovery plans and how their business model will change and facilitate adjustments, if needed, in city regulations. 9. Form a Tukwila Business Recovery Council. 10. Implement new ideas arising from the business survey and recovery council. FINANCIAL IMPACT No budget changes are requested at this time. RECOMMENDATION Information and discussion only. ATTACHMENTS Governor Jay Inslee Policy Brief for April 2020 WA2020 Info Memos\Business Recovery Memo.doc 3 11 SAFE RETURN TO PUBLIC LIFE IN WASHINGTON STATE The COVID-79 pandemic has required leaders around the world to take extraordinary measures to protect people and ensure medical providers have what they need to adequately care for those who become ill. Gov. Jay Inslee declared a State of Emergency on February29 and rolled out a series of measures that ultimately led to the statewide Stay Home, Stay Healthy order on March 23. The order prohibited all non -essential businesses and travel as well as all social, recreational and religious gatherings. While the state continues its aggressive effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, Inslee has worked with elected officials, public health experts, employers and workers, philanthropic organizations and others about how to prepare communities and employers for a safe return to public life. Collaborate with Community Leaders from Around the State In the coming days and weeks, the governor will appoint three leadership groups consisting of key community figures to advise the governor on: > Public health and our health care system. > Economic recovery and safe return to work. > Social supports to the most vulnerable and those affected by COVID-19. The governor's office will actively engage with and seek input from all levels of government and other members of communities. Governor Inslee announces the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to Washingtonians on March 23, 2020. The return to public life will occur in measured steps, guided by science, and informed by our public health needs, ability to mitigate impacts, and the response of our communities. We will be transparent about the data we are using, and will use that data to make decisions about loosening or tightening restrictions on the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. O Protect the Health and Safety of Washingtonians Guided by data and science, we must continue to suppress the virus, protect our most vulnerable and treat those who are sick. We must ensure that COVID-19 infections and deaths are decreasing and that we have sufficient testing and contact identification in place before taking steps toward loosening restrictions. 0 Facilitate a Safe Start and Transition to Economic Recovery A healthy workforce is needed for a healthy economy. When it is safe, we will take measured steps to get people back to doing what they do best in a way that protects themselves and their communities' health. 0 Support All People and Communities We will use an equity lens for recovery efforts to enhance people's physical, emotional and financial well-being, with particular attention to those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including communities of color, individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals with disabilities, as well as those experiencing unemployment, poverty, and food insecurity. The safe, healthy path back to normal requires: more testing PPE for everyone a vaccine contact identification adequate capacity in capabilities our health care system .. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ • Until then, preventing another outbreak is our priority. #COP* rif 2 M # # Most large gatherings will remain prohibited. 1JppEN Teleworking and distance Physical distancing learning will continue. will continue. Some industries will open faster than others — we'll provide guidance. If another outbreak occurs, restrictions could go back into place. 0 OProtect the Health and Safety of Washingtonians Our ability to protect the health of Washingtonians depends on our ability to test everyone with symptoms, identify who they've had contact with, ensure we can treat them and — ultimately— secure a vaccine. This work is especially important as we try to protect and treat our most at -risk populations. Test, Identify, Treat > Provide wide -scale, rapid testing capabilities across the state: Have testing supplies and capacity available so we can rapidly test everyone with COVID-19 symptoms and identify people who are infected. Continue work to obtain supplies for COVID-19 tests. > Identify those who have been exposed: Quickly identify and reach out to the close contacts of those infected with COVID-19 so they can take care of themselves and protect others. Ramp up the workforce to help identify and communicate with COVID-19-exposed individuals in a culturally responsive way. > Isolate and quarantine: Ensure that people who have been exposed have a safe place to recover while being treated and don't put others at risk. > Treat those who have COVID-19: Our strong health care system must continue to care for those who have contracted the virus and provide needed treatment for their recovery. Box In The Virus 1. Test IF Widely 4. Quarantine Contacts ° 0 121 t14 2. Rapid Isolation 3. Identify Contacts Protect the Most Vulnerable > Protect high -risk populations: Have sufficient testing, infection control and physical distancing for the most high -risk people, including residents of congregate living facilities, homeless shelters or encampments, and high -risk groups using public transit and other public services. > Prevent the spread: Provide personal protective equipment, screening and testing for health care workers and maintain limited visitor policies and visitor health screens in hospitals, long-term care facilities and other locations with high -risk populations. > Ensure access to protective supplies for the public: Make sure there are ample supplies of prevention materials, such as COVID-19 testing, masks or cloth face coverings, protective and cleaning supplies, and hand sanitizer for all needing it. > Treat equitably and compassionately: Everyone who contracts COVID-19, including those from the most marginalized communities, must be treated with care and compassion, regardless of their situation, health status or ability to pay for treatment. Equip Our Health System for Success > Support a resilient health care system: Maintain a strong workforce and surge capacity capable of meeting the needs of a second wave of infections. Restart elective surgeries, if there is sufficient surge capacity and PPE. > Use data and information: Collect data across our communities to monitor and model the COVID-19 situation in real time to make recovery decisions. Develop health technology capabilities to enhance connections between public health and health care. > Prepare for treatments and vaccination: Be prepared to distribute proven treatments to help curb the onset and severity of COVID-19. Prepare for the distribution of a vaccine when it becomes available. 3 7 © Facilitate a Safe Start and Transition to Economic Recovery Economic recovery requires a safe start and healthy workforce. Workplaces will continue to look and operate differently. Continued physical distancing, teleworking and other measures will continue to be necessary to keep workers and customers safe. Getting People Back to Work > Implement a phased -in approach: Businesses should prepare for interventions to be rolled back slowly and deliberately; develop a phased -in approach for when certain industries and venues will reopen based on their ability to address health risks. Develop specific science -based guidance around the phases of return to public life for employers, employees, customers, and the general public. > Maintain smart physical distancing and other public health requirements: Businesses and public spaces will need to maintain physical distancing, prevent touching of surfaces, construct barriers, and make modifications, as necessary, to keep employees, customers and the public safe. > Implement requirements for employers and workers: Keep the workforce healthy and allow businesses to reopen and stay open by: frequent handwashing and worksite cleaning; screening and clear plans if an employee becomes ill, including contact identification/notification to other workers in close proximity; worker training; adequate supplies available for worker protection; and continuing teleworking policies, wherever possible. Continue to make special accommodations for high -risk workers. Preparing for a "Safe Start" > Leverage lessons learned from businesses adhering to new safety standards: Replicate best practices from industries that have adjusted to new safety standards and apply them to other industries for a safe start, as appropriate. > Listen and learn: Understand levels of preparedness for industry transition and assess what businesses, industries and communities need to have a safe start. > Assist small businesses with preparedness for new safety standards: Prepare restaurants, main street businesses, and manufacturers that are critical to local economies and paying living wages to be able to meet the new safety standards as soon as it is appropriate for a safe start. > Assess and support the recovery of regional economies with attention to both urban centers and rural communities: Develop and use a data -based approach to determine support needed by sector and region, including infrastructure needs to assist with recovery. Getting to Economic Recovery > Accelerate investments and innovation: Leverage strong partnerships to coordinate efforts across state and local governments, collaborate among industries, and leverage the private sector and philanthropic communities to assist with economic recovery and invest in innovation and critical infrastructure. > Make informed decisions: Use data and analytics to: 1) Develop tools for assessing economic impact. 2) Inform how stimulus and recovery dollars are directed to ensure equitable access for under -served communities. 3) Develop a comprehensive economic analysis tool by region and sector to inform budget and policy decisions. > Make it easier for workers to navigate the new economy: Create pathways for workers to find newjobs through training and upskilling, and offer worker supports for identified areas of critical need. > Build job creation capacity through entrepreneurship and small business development: Empower small businesses with tools they need to transition back to work, restore trade activity and promote supply chain resiliency. 4 8 © Support All People and Communities The COVID-79 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Each person in our state will need some kind of help to get through this. We'll work together to make sure people have the support they need to get back on their feet. Increase Social and Emotional Supports > Build capacity for behavioral health services: Recognize the increased need for substance use, mental and behavioral health services and build new innovative approaches to delivering care, including telehealth expansions. > Offer supports for stress and anxiety: Develop resources for those who have experienced stress, depression or anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. > Ensure equitable access to social and emotional resources: Provide access and enhanced or directed supports to communities that have experienced disproportionate impacts due to the COVID-19 crisis. > Counteract social isolation: Encourage virtual gatherings and socially -distanced reconnections. Encourage outdoor recreation that naturally encourages physical distancing and has behavioral health benefits. Provide Food and Housing Security > Ensure individuals, families, and high -risk populations have access to ample, nutritious foods: Secure food for people who no longer have the financial means to provide food for themselves. > Increase food supplies to all areas of the state: Build a stronger sustainable food supply chain to fulfill the nutritional needs of Washingtonians, including through local farms and industry. > Help individuals and families experiencing homelessness find access to safe housing: Assist the growing population who have lost their homes to find safe, temporary and permanent housing. Provide supports to people so they can stay in their existing homes. > Offer social, health, and employment supports to those without food and housing security: Provide services and financial assistance for people to get back into the workforce, while also ensuring access to adequate food supplies, essential services and affordable permanent housing. Offer Education and Child Care Supports > Innovate on academic learning: Provide school districts, teachers, and students with additional tools they need to improve distance learning capabilities and maintain academic and social -emotional supports for students. Provide post -secondary students with resources to be able continue their education. > Prevent additional educational disparities caused by COVID-19: Develop and provide resources to close the educational opportunity gap for students of color, English language learners, students with individualized education plans, students in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, students who are homeless, and those who have not had the same preschool or distance learning opportunities. This includes increasing access to broadband. > Promote access to child care for unemployed parents returning to work: Remove or reduce child care costs for parents seeking employment opportunities. 59