New Business Reopening Allowances Effective 1-25-21. On January 25th, the State lifted the Regional Stay at Home Order, which placed Orange County in the Substantial (Purple) tier status. This status allows gyms, and restaurants to reopen outdoors with modifications, as well as personal care businesses to reopen indoors with modifications. For further information, please visit covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.
There are a wide variety of resources from different federal, state and private agencies for businesses and employees during this unprecedented time of uncertainty. Below are some of the many resources available to employers and workers:
In light of COVID-19 and the various health orders, The City is temporarily allowing opportunities for outdoor dining as well as various business activities. The following provides additional information for the various options currently available:
Are you a restaurant that would like to use some space outside your business to temporarily expand dining for your customers? Great news! The City is temporarily allowing this use. A simple, streamlined application process has been developed specifically for this purpose, allowing for use of private property (parking lots, sidewalks, etc.) and public sidewalks within the Main Street business corridor. Simply fill out the Temporary Outdoor Dining Permit Application and email it to Community Development Director Les Johnson at ljohnson@sealbeachca.gov. For questions about this program, please call the Community Development Department at (562) 431-2527.
Due to limited outdoor space available for restaurants to establish outdoor dining in the Main Street business corridor, temporary dining parklets are being allowed. Up to two angle parking spaces or a single parallel parking space can be used to create or expand outdoor dining. The City will provide barricades for placement between the parklet and the fronting street while the restaurant will furnish the parklet space. Just complete the Temporary Parklet Dining Permit Application and email it to Community Development Director Les Johnson at ljohnson@sealbeachca.gov. For questions about the parklet program, please call the Community Development Department at (562) 431-2527.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in encouraging various activities and functions to be performed outdoors when possible. As a result, the City Council has provided the opportunity for various business activities to be conducted outdoors, subject to space availability, consideration of impacts to others, and compliance with all applicable Federal, State and County provisions. Complete the Temporary Outdoor Business Permit Application and email it to Community Development Director Les Johnson at ljohnson@sealbeachca.gov. For questions about this program, please call the Community Development Department at (562) 431-2527.
The City of Seal Beach has created a Business Resource and Resiliency Guide for Seal Beach businesses that serves as a comprehensive clearinghouse of business resources and toolkit intended to provide assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guide is a 16 page document that was prepared in conjunction with the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce. The Guide includes:
For more information on coronavirus business relief programs and resources, continue to visit the City’s website or email Community Development Director Les Johnson at ljohnson@sealbeachca.gov.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently announced a short-term relief grant becoming available April 20th to small businesses who employ between 3 and 20 people and have been financially harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.. Seal Beach is considered an economically vulnerable community meaning that small businesses meeting the aforementioned criteria qualify for this grant opportunity. Please visit the following link for more information: https://savesmallbusiness.com/
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) provides a variety of support services to individuals affected by COVID-19 in California. For more information about COVID-19 specific resources, please visit their webpage or:
The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency has compiled resources for workers affected by COVID-19 to centralize information on paid sick leave, paid family leave, unemployment and more. See the chart to the right to find out what resources are available to workers. For more information, visit their webpage.
California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) has gathered federal, state, and local resources that provide guidance as well as examples of what communities are doing to help their local businesses. For more information, visit their webpage.
The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by the coronavirus. Additionally, on March 20, the IRS, along with the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Department of Labor announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees. For more information, visit their webpage.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development has compiled helpful information for employers, employees and all Californians as it relates to the cornonavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. For more information, please visit their webpage.
The California Association for Micro Enterprise Opporutnity (CAMEO) has compiled a list of resources for small- and micro- businesses affected by COVID-19. For more information, visit their webpage.
On March 16, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved an Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance declaration for California, which makes loans available to applicable small businesses and private, non-profit organizations in designated areas of a state or territory to help alleviate economic injury caused by COVID-19. These loans may be used for select activities, with interest rates of 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere (businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible) and 2.75% for non-profits. For more information, please visit their webpage.