HomeMy WebLinkAboutVirtual City Council Meeting Agenda 11-23-20 - SpecialAGENDA
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO
November 23, 2020
To commence at 7 p.m. This meeting will be conducted as a VIRTUAL MEETING.
No members of the Council or City staff will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on November 23, 2020)
2. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone:
• Click here to join and provide public comment
• Or call +1-669-900-6833 with Access Code: 999 5847 3753
3. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view
4. Individuals who, due to technology limitations, are unable to participate in the
meeting virtually (via the Zoom platform) or by calling in on the telephone may contact Danitza Sosa, Assistant to the Mayor and City Council, at 303-235-2977 by noon on the day of the meeting. Arrangements will be made for those individuals to access City Hall during the meeting to view the meeting and provide public comment
if desired. These comments will be heard and seen in real time by members of
Council and City staff. Individuals accessing City Hall must practice social distancing, wear a mask or other facial covering and be free of COVID-19 symptoms.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored
by the City of Wheat Ridge. Contact the Public Information Officer at 303-235-2877 or
wrpio@ci.wheatridge.co.us with as much notice as possible if you are interested in
participating in a meeting and need inclusion assistance.
CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS
PROCLAMATIONS AND CEREMONIES APPROVAL OF MINUTES
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA: November 23, 2020 Page -2-
CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO SPEAK a. Citizens may speak on any matter not on the Agenda for a maximum of 3 minutes under Citizens Right to Speak. Please speak up to be heard when directed by the Mayor.
b. Citizens who wish to speak on a Public Hearing item or Decision, Resolution or Motion may speak when directed by the Mayor at the conclusion of the staff report for that specific agenda item.
c. Citizens may comment on any agenda item in writing by noon on the day of the meeting at www.WheatRidgeSpeaks.org. Comments made on Wheat Ridge Speaks are considered part of the public record. CONSENT AGENDA
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ORDINANCES ON SECOND READING
ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING DECISIONS, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS 1. A motion approving funding in the amount of $250,000 for the purpose of funding phase three of the Business Stabilization Program CITY MANAGER’S MATTERS
CITY ATTORNEY’S MATTERS ELECTED OFFICIALS’ MATTERS
ADJOURNMENT
ITEM NO: 1
DATE: November 23, 2020 REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
TITLE: A MOTION APPROVING FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $250,000 FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING PHASE THREE OF THE BUSINESS STABILIZATION PROGRAM
PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCES FOR 1ST READING BIDS/MOTIONS ORDINANCES FOR 2ND READING RESOLUTIONS
QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES NO
___________________________
City Manager ISSUE: The impact of COVID-19 on American businesses continues as state and local governments order mandatory shut-downs further complicating operations for businesses already impacted by
COVID-19. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) moved
Jefferson County to “Level Red – Severe Risk” in the COVID-19 Dial Framework, effective November 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. This move to Level Red imposes new restrictions including, but not limited to, prohibiting indoor dining at restaurants, limiting capacity at gyms to 10 percent and continuing to limit capacity at critical and non-critical retail to 50%.
The City distributed $500,000 in grants to 161 Wheat Ridge businesses through the Business Stabilization Program earlier this year. The City has received federal funding from the CARES Act, through Jefferson County, which is authorized to be used for business recovery grant programs.
Councilmembers Hultin and Stites requested a special meeting to discuss authorizing $250,000 for local business grants to restaurants and retailers under the same guidelines and grant committee process used previously including:
1. No chain or franchises
Council Action Form – Business Stabilization Program – Phase 3 November 23, 2020
Page 2
2. 25 or fewer employees 3. Brick and mortar location in Wheat Ridge
4. Current Wheat Ridge business license
PRIOR ACTION: At the March 20, 2020 Special City Council meeting, City Council provided direction to staff “to come up with an amount of money that they are able to provide as a financial package to support
small businesses directly impacted by public health order 20-22 while taking into consideration
the City’s forecast discussed by the City Manager and the shortfall the City will also be experiencing.” City Council approved funding in the amount of $250,000 on March 30, 2020 and $250,000 on
May 11, 2020 for phase one and phase two of the business stabilization grant program. Those
funds have been distributed to 161 local Wheat Ridge businesses through the Business Stabilization Program. FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The City received $2,463,142 in CARES Act federal funding through Jefferson County which
must be spent by December 30, 2020. The funds can only be used for eligible expenses in compliance with the CARES Act. Guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury provides that “eligible expenditures may include expenditures related to the provision of grants to small businesses to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closures.”
The City’s spending plan anticipates the full use of this funding allocation from Jefferson County. The spending plan includes $850,000 in diverted payroll costs from the General Fund to CARES funds between payroll for staff substantially diverted to the City’s pandemic response and paid leaves mandated by the federal government. In order to fund phase three of the business
stabilization grant program, the City will reduce the payroll diverted to CARES funding by
$250,000 meaning that the General Fund will absorb the payroll costs as originally budgeted. BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, and like other respiratory
illnesses, is transmitted through person-to-person contact or by contact with surfaces
contaminated with the virus. Persons infected with COVID-19 may become symptomatic anywhere from two to fourteen days after exposure. Symptoms include fever, cough or shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Individuals with serious chronic health conditions and older adults are most at risk for becoming very ill with this disease. As of November 21, 2020, there
were 190,100 positive cases of COVID-19 in Colorado and 16,811 in Jefferson County.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends that City Council approve funding in the amount of $250,000 to fund a phase three Business Stabilization Program. In addition, staff recommends reconvening the original
grant committee to evaluate grant applications and disburse the phase three funding to Wheat
Ridge businesses. CARES Act funding must be spent by December 30, 2020.
Council Action Form – Business Stabilization Program – Phase 3 November 23, 2020
Page 3
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
“I move to approve funding in the amount of $250,000 for the purpose of funding phase three of
the Business Stabilization Program.” Or,
“I move to not approve funding in the amount of $250,000 for the purpose of funding phase three
of the Business Stabilization Program for the following reason(s) ________________________.” REPORT PREPARED BY: Patrick Goff, City Manager