Extended Shelter In Place and Available Resources

District 1 Supervisor Connelly Banner Image

Greetings:

We appreciate the camaraderie in our community during this very difficult time.  Whether it is uncertainty about the next paycheck, business owners making difficult decisions, Zoom fatigue, navigating relationships at the dining room table - turned home office, our daily lives have changed in so many ways.  We will get through this by taking care of each other and staying well ourselves. 

Every night I am calling seniors in my District to check in and say hello.  It is uplifting on both ends of the line, as we all seek ways to continue to communicate with each other. I want to thank our residents for checking on neighbors, offering to pick up groceries, and for stepping aside on the sidewalk and saying hello. My immense gratitude goes to those on the front lines, from health care workers to first responders, grocery clerks and food banks.  Marin is a wonderful place to live, with green hillsides, friendly people, and so many people are finding a way to help.  So - thank you, pat yourself on the back, and keep doing what you can to keep yourself sane while “flattening the curve.” Which brings me to the most recent announcement from Marin County Public Health and our neighboring Bay Area jurisdictions.

Seven Bay Area Jurisdictions Extend Shelter in Place

The Public Health Order for people to shelter-in-place safely in their homes is extended until May 3. The Bay Area is fortunate to have a group of dedicated public health leaders who are working to address the interconnectedness of our region.  Today they announced their joint sentiment and order, that we need to continue to Shelter in Place.  This means we need to continue to stay home, only go out for essentials, and engage in social distancing.  The health officers have determined that more and stricter social distancing is needed to slow the rate of spread, prevent deaths, and stop the health care system from becoming overwhelmed.  Together, this is our time to get it done.

Property Taxes

Our County tax collector will proceed under Revenue and Tax Code §4985.2 and consider any application for waiver of penalties and fees due to financial hardship related to COVID-19 on an individual basis.  The form will be available online April 11th.  Please look for the form to apply for the waiver on the Department of Finance website, where there will also be instructions on how to complete the one-page form and Frequently Asked Questions on the website.  We are urging all residents who can pay to pay their property taxes online, by phone or by mail.

It is a tough time to have to pay a property tax bill, and many constituents have asked us to move the April 10 deadline.  Local property taxes paid are used to keep critical and mandated functions (schools, police, fire, sewer and other critical services) operating during this unprecedented event.  While the County cannot legally move the tax payment deadline, we have reached out to our state delegation for urgency legislation that would provide blanket relief from penalties for late payment for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  A copy of our letter to Senator McGuire and Assemblymember Levine is here

Eviction Moratorium and Marin Community Foundation-County Relief Fund

The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a COVID-19 Relief Fund and eviction ban on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.  The eviction ban is an effort to protect residential and commercial tenants who are facing a sudden loss of income due to COVID-19 and cannot afford their rent. This is not a rent forgiveness program – tenants are expected to pay rent on time, or if unable to do so for COVID-19-related reasons, they must give notice and provide documentation to their landlord. Additional information about the eviction ban, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found here.  The eviction ban requires a tenant to advise their landlord in writing if they are unable to pay rent.  Legal Aid of Marin has resources available here.

Additionally, the County of Marin and nonprofit Marin Community Foundation (MCF) created the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The $1 million fund is intended to assist vulnerable populations amid the COVID-19 response. MCF allocated $500,000, with the County matching from its General Fund, to address some of the most urgent safety-net needs for local residents.

The fund will be allocated over the next two months to soften the social and economic impacts of the pandemic with five main efforts:

  • Emergency rental assistance for low-income residents
  • Expanded food for economically disadvantaged families
  • Expanded meals for seniors
  • Wi-Fi mobile access for economically disadvantaged students
  • Emergency childcare for health care workers and emergency responders

If you need help paying your rent because you have lost income due to COVID-19, you are welcome to call the Health and Human Services Call Center at (415) 473-7191, who will do an initial screening and then will refer you to one of the Community Based Organizations dispensing the funds.  Canal residents will be directed to Canal Alliance and Community Action Marin.  San Rafael and Central Marin residents will be directed to the Ritter Center and St. Vincent de Paul.  The goal of this program is to provide relief to residents, and to prevent homelessness due to the ramifications of COVID-19.  Any checks will be made out directly to the landlord. 

We know this moratorium will impact landlords. We are hopeful that between the County-MCF COVID-19 Relief Fund and other supports from non-profits, the State, the Federal government, mortgage lenders, and commitments not to shut off services from utilities, our landlords can weather the storm and we can avoid evictions related to COVID-19.

Small Business Support.  #ShopLocal

I am working with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, the City of San Rafael and local community partners to put together a San Rafael Small Business Relief Fund. I am optimistic that we will have this together shortly and that it could be expanded countywide to help small companies fill gaps that may otherwise not be filled by state and federal resources. 

Congressman Huffman spoke at our Board of Supervisors meeting today about the money forthcoming through the recently enacted federal CARES Act.  A Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act is available here.  Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans, and Small Business Debt Relief are two of the programs available through the Small Business Administration.  A great source of information and local technical assistance is provided through the Marin Small Business Development Center.

We know that our small businesses are hurting. Our local businesses are delivering and offering curbside pickup, while doing everything they can to provide essential services and meet their payroll. The City of San Rafael has compiled a list of businesses open in the San Rafael area, including what they are offering while social distancing.  AIM’s Sunday and Thursday Farmer’s Markets are open and modified to conform to new public health guidelines, with food roped off, and clear markings to maintain social distancing.  Now more than ever, we can make a difference for our small businesses in Marin.  #ShopLocal

Parks and Open Space

Our preserves are open for locals to use their neighborhood open space to get exercise. Driving to recreate is not essential.  An updated Public Health Order was released today, which states “any motorized vehicle driving to or parking around a Park Facility for the purpose of accessing that facility is in violation of this Order unless displaying a Disabled Parking Placard or Disabled Parking License Placard.”  The intent of the Order is for people to remain local to their place of residence and comply with Social Distancing Requirements.  #StayLocal

Public Comment at Board of Supervisors Meetings

The Board of Supervisors continues to hold regular public meetings on Tuesday mornings during the COVID-19 emergency, to conduct essential government business. We are striving to provide a place for public comment during the meetings without the resident being physically present.  It is a work in progress, and details can be found here.

Current Reliable Information

I encourage you to sign up for the Marin Health and Human Services daily updates regarding COVID-19 by subscribing here.

In closing, please keep me posted on how you are doing. My email address is dconnolly@marincounty.org. For weekly updates, please "like" my County Facebook page listed below.  If you know of someone in the District who could use a phone call, please email me the phone number, and I will give them a call.

Sincerely,

 

 dc

 

Marin County Board of Supervisors, District 1

3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 329, San Rafael, CA 94903

Direct Tel: (415) 473-7331

 

Newsletter: https://www.marincounty.org/depts/bs/district-1/newsletters

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