Ban New North Bay Tax Measures This November, Says Business Advocacy Group

Like many regions in the nation dealing with the huge impact of COVID-19, North Bay citizens may find themselves immersed in two sure things in life come Nov. 3 — death and taxes.

A collective of California’s 482 cities is lining up with ballot measures to raise taxes aimed at offsetting the monumental dent in their budgets due to the loss in mainly transient occupancy and sales taxes during the economic upheaval caused by the global pandemic.

North Bay cities in Sonoma and Marin counties, as well as Sonoma County itself, are making plans to ask for help from taxpayers.

But there is push back. North Bay Leadership Council is leading the charge of a coalition to fight the measures.

The employer-led public policy advocacy organization representing more than 25,000 businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions wrote a letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors insisting the jurisdiction impose a moratorium on all tax measures. The letter dated July 31 was also signed by the heads of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and North Coast Builders Exchange.

The opposition to the flurry of tax measures expected to hit the ballot this year is not aimed at a general disdain for taxes. Instead, the group contends the timing is poor.

“The first thing is, we’re in an economic crisis. No one has money now. We’d like government to take a pause. Their deficits are bigger than what the taxes are asking for anyway,” council Executive Director and group Co-Chairwoman Cynthia Murray told the Business Journal.

The group’s letter stated:

“There are double-digit unemployment rates, small businesses are shuttered and economists predict almost half of those businesses will not reopen. Local families are struggling to pay bills and adjust to a virtual school model. “We are fighting a health pandemic, but the resulting economic crisis will most likely have a longer effect on the well-being of our community.

The proposed tax measures spanning over two counties from Healdsburg to San Rafael range in categories from transportation to lodging. Some are new. Others represent continuations of previously agreed-upon initiatives. Major cities in Napa County such as Napa, St. Helena and Calistoga passed on the options.

But as recent as Tuesday, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors decided to place a sales tax increase for mental health and homeless services. The additional tax amounts to a quarter-cent increase over 10 years.

Despite California cities aiming to counter an estimated $7 billion shortfall, Murray warned local governments to refrain from thinking of the taxpayers as “their favorite ATMs” — especially now.

“The timing is wrong to ask the businesses and residents of the North Bay to reach into their empty pockets to fund a mishmash of tax measures in these uncertain times,” according to the leadership group’s website policy watch page. relaxinfo.ch. “This is not about what the ballot measures are slated to fund, it is about hitting people with new taxes when they can’t afford it.”

Murray recommended that local governments “need to look at the bigger picture” in finding ways “to live within their means.”

When faced with the question of how a local government funds the needs of the people when it’s lost so much, Sonoma County Farm Bureau Tawny Tesconi countered that these times require cities to operate as businesses have been forced to.

“Most small businesses have had to lay off staff, downsize or cut out discretionary purchases. Government needs to do the same,” Tesconi told the Business Journal. She suggested a government model that emulates a quasi “privatization” as a solution.

“Moving services currently provided by public employees to the private sector will likely result in more efficient use of the taxpayer’s dollar,” she said.

Whatever the route, the outcome will most certainly involve an uphill climb.

For years, cities have grappled with out-of-control payouts to fund the state Public Employees Retirement System — the cash cow for government workers. Just last week, the California Supreme Court halted these PERS recipients from heaping onto their pensions by working extra hours and cashing out unused vacation and sick leave. The practice called “pension spiking” is something that “should be looked at” more thoroughly, Murray lamented.

Still, the reality of lost revenues plagues city governments that have succumbed to asking for state and federal assistance.

A study spun out of the League of California Cities indicates nine out of 10 cities project their shortfalls will lead to service cuts, furloughs and layoffs. Nearly three in four cities have reported they may take a combination of actions to offset their losses.

“In every city and every town in California, local leaders are working to protect the health and safety of residents and the financial viability of local businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. As emergency costs continue to grow city revenues to fund local services are plummeting,” said John Dunbar, Yountville mayor and League president.

The study showed the decline in sales tax revenue attributing to 57% of the shortfall in the estimated $7 billion gap over the next two years. TOT is predicted to be down by 27% in that equation.

“Since the beginning of this crisis, cities have stepped up to protect and serve their communities, taking actions that have saved lives and served as a model for the country,” League Executive Director Carolyn Coleman said, adding that “now is the time” for the state and federal governments to step in with assistance.

NBLC Calls for Tax Measure Moratorium for the November 2020 Ballot

North Bay Leadership Council is taking a stand, as a matter of policy and the times we are in, to oppose ALL tax ballot measures for the November 2020 election cycle.  To be clear, in taking this stand, we don’t oppose the stated purpose of any measure – our opposition is rooted in timing of being in an economic crisis, and a desire to see wise governmental spending and rational planning for the future.

There are a lot of impacts from the pandemic shutdown, re-opening, shutdown again and the resulting recession.  To help combat these impacts, there has been federal relief monies for the unemployed and businesses shutdown, as well as state and local monies to help businesses and residents, including tax paying delays, eviction moratoriums, and other ways to help reduce the burden on those so gravely affected by this economic crisis.  Providing relief is what is needed and should be continued.  We need more relief, not more taxes.

NBLC, along with the leaders of the business/employer community, have been meeting with governmental agencies asking for financial and regulatory relief and pushing back on government actions that will add new fees, taxes or mandates. We have clearly stated that now is not the time to add any more costs or regulations as businesses and residents are on the brink of survival.  To that end, NBLC and other business groups wrote a letter to the Sonoma County Transportation Authority in April asking them to not place a sales tax measure on the ballot this November.  We met with Supervisors and asked them to not place any sales tax measures on the ballot this November.  Unfortunately, the elected officials have turned a deaf ear to the business leaders and are moving forward with new sales tax measures.  Now the cities are also adding sales tax measures to the ballot for November.

The timing is wrong to ask the businesses and residents of the North Bay to reach into their empty pockets to fund a mishmash of tax measures in these uncertain times. The second shutdown has caused an increased sense of urgency to get the Boards of Supervisors and the City Councils to pay attention to the needs of the even more impacted business/employer community.  In addition to fumbling the economic recovery planning, local governments have been looking at increasing paid sick leave (the Santa Rosa Council already did this), continuing a moratorium on evictions without any relief for the landlords, and other unfunded mandates.  While ignoring the business/employer community, they are now asking the business community to support multiple tax measures on the November 2020 ballot.

By opposing all tax measures, the business/employer community shows that there are consequences for ignoring this community and assuming we will always give support and funding for the ballot measures, especially those we have cautioned against.  This is not about what the ballot measures are slated to fund, it is about hitting people with new taxes when they can’t afford it, the government not using the funding they have wisely and asking the business/employer community and the taxpayers to be their ATM.  And if we want to have our position taken as seriously as the unions, social justice advocates and environmentalists, we need to take a stand like they do.

Please note, that as employers, we have had to cut staff and expenses, but local governments have not done the same to the degree we have.  Public pension fund liabilities have not been addressed and are growing, draining taxpayer money from the general fund that could be used to pay for the things that taxes are being raised to do instead. Given the loss of revenue from the pandemic-induced recession, government needs to get its “house” in order and be strategic about their priorities and how to fund them.  There is a finite capacity for business and the residents to pay taxes, let’s ensure that they are being levied for the most important priorities.  Also, it is well known that sales taxes are regressive, so lower income people and the unemployed are more impacted.

By not passing taxes in this election, there is time to assess the situation when there is less uncertainty and confusion due to the uncharted waters we are in today.  By the next election in 2022, we hope that there will be an acknowledgement that the business/employer community needs to be heard so we can work with our local governments on finding appropriate funding solutions that we could support.

NBLC invites you to join us in taking a stand, calling for a 2020 tax moratorium, and actively opposing ALL tax measures for this November election cycle. Again, we don’t oppose the stated purpose of any measure – our opposition is rooted in timing of being in an economic crisis, and a desire to see wise governmental spending and rational planning for the future.   We hope to form a coalition with other like-minded groups and individuals.  If you are interested in joining the coalition, please contact info@northbayleadership.org.

Please listen to Cynthia Murray’s interview at KSRO:

https://www.ksro.com/2020/07/29/interview-cynthia-murray-on-the-nblcs-vote-against-local-tax-measures/

Marin Real Estate Market Shakes Off Coronavirus Slump

The median price for detached homes in Marin County rose 5.3% in June over the prior year, marking the first solid gain since the coronavirus arrested the market.

The price — $1.45 million — was based on 254 sales last month, exactly even with the sales volume in June 2019. That reversed the steep declines in year-over-year sales volume for May and April.

In the condo and townhome market in Marin, the median price reached $730,000 last month, a gain of 7.5% over the prior June. Sales fell from 57 to 51.

The data are among the latest figures from the Marin County assessor’s office. The median price is the point at which half are higher and half lower.

Patti Cohn, a Compass real estate broker based in Marin, said demand is brisk and buyers from San Francisco are “out in droves.” Cohn said she has been getting interest on properties even before they are officially listed.

“If anyone thinks there is a housing crisis, think again,” she said. “After a slowdown in the traditional spring real estate season, buyers are actively looking for homes to purchase.”

At the higher end of the Marin real estate market in June, three homes in Belvedere sold for an average price of $4.42 million, according to the assessor’s office. Five homes in Ross sold for an average price of $3.9 million. Nine homes in Tiburon sold for an average price of $3.78 million.

At the lower end, 15 condos or townhomes in Novato sold for an average price of $549,163 last month.

Properties on the market now range from an eight-bedroom home in Ross for $43 million to a mobile home in Novato for $75,000, according to the Zillow real estate service.

Cynthia Murray, executive director of the North Bay Leadership Council, a nonprofit consortium of business and civic interests, said she is not surprised to see a rebound in the real estate market. She cited low mortgage rates, a flow of families from the cities to the suburbs, and the increase in telecommuters who can live farther from company headquarters.

“The demand for housing still greatly exceeds the supply,” said Murray, a former Marin County supervisor. “The housing crisis pre-pandemic has gotten worse and now we have a great push to get everyone housed to reduce the spread, which is pushing the demand higher.”

Robert Eyler, chief economist for Marin Economic Forum, said market observers offer growth forecasts of about 2.5% to 5% over the next year in Marin.

“So we may see some slow down in price growth if the economy flattens a bit in its attempt to recover, but for right now indicators are showing a good market through 2020,” Eyler said.

“The lower interest rates and potentially some workers with portable jobs and wanting out of the cities may be driving behavior here also, and there is a short-term element to that given Marin County pricing,” he said. “However, the desire to be close but out of the city may drive demand in Marin County for years to come where that is not new, just moved up a notch with COVID-19.”

Statewide, the median price for a detached home reached a record high of $626,170 last month, up 6.5% from May and up 2.5% from the prior June, the California Association of Realtors said Thursday.

In the Bay Area, the median price for a detached home in June was $1 million, up 3.6% from May and 4.2% from June 2019, the association reported.

“Home sales bounced back solidly in June after hitting a record bottom in May, as lockdown restrictions loosened and pent up demand driven by record-low interest rates roared back,” said association president Jeanne Radsick, an agent in Bakersfield. “While the momentum is expected to be sustained as we kick off the third quarter, the resurgence in coronavirus cases remains a concern and may hinder the market recovery in the second half of the year.”

Jobs once held by lower earners may not come back

Just when the North Bay in a state known to endure wildfires, earthquakes and other natural and unnatural disasters thought it couldn’t be jarred into submission anymore, here’s this harsh pending reality.

California could be soon facing the economic disaster of lingering job losses among its lowest wage earners.

LaborCUBE, using Moody’s and Bureau of Labor data, stated 37% of California jobs — amounting to 6.4 million — are “at risk” of going away for good as the result of the COVID-19 crisis. Among the people who hold those jobs, 86% make under 40,000 a year.

Because many of these jobs are classified in the service industry such as leisure, hospitality and retail, the loss of those lower wage jobs could be felt particularly in the North Bay.

“That’s something we haven’t begun to reckon with,” said California Forward CEO Micah Weinberg during a June 11 webinar “Pandemic and the New Economic Abnormal in the North Bay and California,” which was put on by the North Bay Leadership Council. (The North Bay Business Journal was among the event sponsors.)

Weinberg’s California Forward, which is a statewide economic advocacy group, teamed up in the webinar with Chris Dombrowski, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s acting director of the Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

According to a McKinsey study, 24% of this probable job loss falls into the accommodations and food service industries, with 17% in retail and 11% in health care. These types of jobs are plentiful in the North Bay, making it poised to suffer more than most regions in the Golden State in the coming years as the pandemic tightens its grip on our way of life.

“(Tourism and hospitality) are industries the North Bay is dependent upon most heavily,” Weinberg said.

Leisure, hospitality and retail comprise 10% of California’s gross national product.

With the U.S. GDP dropping 3.9% this year compared to 2019, the trouble will only be prolonged as the economy sputters into recovery, according to Weinberg’s report.

“We see a more muted recovery. This is not going to be a flash in the pan,” Weinberg said. “We’ve dug ourselves into a hole. The economic crisis is just getting going.”

Full recovery is not expected until 2023.

An inequity comes about because a disproportionate number of at-risk, low-wage earners, renters and small business owners consist of people of color.

“Minority small business owners are hit extraordinarily hard,” he said, while further explaining these companies are often passed down between generations.

Weinberg calls the economic inequity “structural discrimination.”

Other aspects of the coronavirus outbreak’s resulting turmoil lie in the educational and health care arenas. The latter may surprise some considering health care and sick people go together. But treating COVID-19 patients is not a hospital’s main revenue driver. During the shutdown, countless elective surgeries were canceled among other procedures and visits.

The path forward leads to more challenges

Wear masks and avoid people were the calls of caution from the economic gurus. “This thing ain’t over,” Weinberg said.

In declaring the crisis has wiped away much success in a few months, the state’s economic watchdogs believe California residents will worsen their recovery chances if the virus spreads.

In the meantime, opportunity to reinvent the state again abounds.

“We need regulatory reform,” he said. Commerce can’t grow if it’s stifled by red tape.

“We have arcane permitting systems,” he said.

For example, if a health club needs to install a child care center — notably with some free-standing locations going under — it shouldn’t be deterred by government paperwork and restriction, he cited.

“We need to look at this with a new lens,” he said.

Infrastructure investment is also necessary, especially in terms of handling another ongoing crisis — housing.

“The lack of housing leads to overcrowded conditions and homelessness,” Weinberg said, referencing sure-fire ways to spread the virus.

Weinberg also suggested that perhaps local governments may see a way to survive by merging. These municipalities have already struggled with the burden of pension entitlements and now face what could be astronomical losses in sales and transient occupancy tax revenue.

Looming local government debacles are sure to be joined by the state, which faces a $55 billion budget shortfall in California’s $200 billion annual financial blueprint.

“This crisis unfolded in one month. It’s an incredible amount of work for the state legislatures to take on,” Dombrowski said.

The state economic official pointed to “the telework angle” as a “fascinating” part of the crisis outcome. He expressed encouragement that many companies are toying with significant portions of their workforces making these overnight sensational trends permanent.

Telework will lead to businesses reducing their office footprints. The hope is the transformation may end up converting commercial space not needed because brick-and-mortar retail shops have closed into residential property. One notion is industrial space may be more in demand as companies beef up their shipping and receiving operations, thus reverting back to the pre-World War II manufacturing days.

https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/northbay/napacounty/11028688-181/jobs-coronavirus-lost-north-bay

State of the North Bay: Resetting the Regional Economy

In the midst of the biggest disruption to the economy in the last century, how do we get through this pandemic and reset the economy to fix inequities and make it more resilient for all people?  While they don’t have all the answers, our two speakers will share ideas and hope for a better tomorrow.

Dr. Micah Weinberg, CEO, California Forward, and Chris Dombrowski, Acting Director for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) will provide new insights and fresh data on the North Bay’s economic resilience and what key factors are shaping our future.

Join us to learn about the Next Normal and how we can work collectively to weather the turbulence of our economy and set the stage for the rise of the North Bay.

State of the North Bay Conference – Recover, Rebuild, Reset and Rise!

The virtual State of the North Bay Conference is on June 11th from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.  In the midst of the biggest disruption to the economy in the last century, how do we get through this pandemic and reset the economy to fix inequities and make it more resilient for all people?  While they don’t have all the answers, our two speakers will share ideas and hope for a better tomorrow.

Dr. Micah Weinberg, CEO, California Forward, and Chris Dombrowski, Acting Director for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) will provide new insights and fresh data on the North Bay’s economic resilience and what key factors are shaping our future.

Dr. Weinberg is the CEO of California Forward.  This cross-sector civic leadership group is committed to producing prosperity for all Californians in all of the state’s regions and to improving government performance and accountability.  Prior to joining CA Fwd, Dr. Weinberg was President of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the leading think tank focused on the most critical economic and policy issues facing the Silicon Valley/San Francisco region, and was a Senior Research Fellow at New America.

Dr. Weinberg’s writing has appeared in diverse outlets from the New York Times to Policy Studies Journal, and he has appeared on Fox News and NPR.  Dr. Weinberg’s work focuses on increasing the dynamism, resilience and inclusiveness of communities in California and throughout the nation and world. This requires all people to have access to the building blocks of the California Dream including economic opportunity, health and wellbeing, affordable transportation, housing and lifelong education, and a healthy environment.

Chris Dombrowski is Acting Director for the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). He has served as the Chief Deputy Director of GO-Biz since 2019.  He brings over a decade of state policy experience to his role in the Administration. He has served as a policy consultant to then Lt Governor Newsom in his Lieutenant Governor’s office, including work on the Lt Governor’s 2011 Jobs and Competitiveness report.  He previously served as the California Director of Operations for Next Gen Climate Action and as a legislative aide in the California Senate for both President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg and President pro Tempore Don Perata.

Join us to learn about the Next Normal and how we can work collectively to weather the turbulence of our economy and set the stage for the rise of the North Bay.

Tickets are $25 each.  To purchase tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-state-of-the-north-bay-conference-tickets-104066708326

April Policy Watch

April – the time of Renewal, Rebirth, and now Reset? As we work our way through the shutdown, we have time to reflect and use the pause to imagine a better world when we are on the other side of this awful pandemic. I encourage you to seek out pause-itivity (positivity) while you are home and hope this edition of Policy Watch gives you some ideas on how we can reset our lives and our work to make the next normal one that has many improvements.  While we save lives and livelihoods now by staying home, we can also lay the groundwork for fixing inequities and solving problems that seemed intractable a month ago.

I am excited about that opportunity and encouraged that we can do so much when we work collectively.  This pause can be a great time of creativity and innovation if we follow historic patterns of disruption.  It can also be another community builder where we learn that we can depend on each other and that others are willing to sacrifice so much for their community.  We have new heroes now:  all of the health care professionals on the frontlines; the essential workers who stock the shelves and ring up our groceries; the delivery people who bring what we need so we can stay safe at home; the childcare workers who take care of the essential workers’ children so they can take care of us.  And The public safety workers, the government officials, the farm workers, the restaurant cooks — the long list of so many people who have been underappreciated and underpaid who are now our saviors.

Thank you for all the people who we are counting on to get us through the shutdown.  You can count on us to follow the guidelines to stop the spread.  We may not be able to touch hands, but we are touching hearts every day. We are stronger together!

Link to April Policy Watch

Sid Commons Approval Good for Petaluma

The recent Petaluma City Council approval of the Sid Commons project is welcome news for those seeking housing and particularly affordable housing, in Petaluma.

Despite opposition from some residents close to the project in the Payran area, this project clearly provides all the necessary attributes to be a significant contribution to Petaluma.

As President and CEO of the North Bay Leadership Council I am especially aware of the housing crunch facing employees in the region and those who are searching for high-quality housing.

As I watched Sid Commons move through the approval process, I have been very impressed with the developers and their commitment to building a project that is well-designed and hits the mark in the following ways:

The project was originally proposed with 278 units on a site that the General Plan designates as medium-density residential with residential densities up to 18 units per acre. In response to suggestions from neighbors and the planning commission, the project was redesigned at 180 units. With housing needs so apparent in Petaluma, the developers still chose to reduce the numbers of units to show good faith with the neighbors. Importantly as well, the project will make available at least 10% of the units to those who qualify as low-income individuals and families. The units, unlike in some projects, will be spread throughout the project so neighbors remain unaware of the income levels of others in the complex.

Developers early in the process walked the adjoining neighborhoods to ascertain the concerns and desires of those living in the area. After doing so, the project added a public park and a public dog park. The public park was added after people expressed that young children were playing in the streets rather than in a safe environment with playground equipment. Additional greenspace was added to the project by reducing the number of buildings from 22 to 12 and increasing the building height from two to three stories. An excellent use of the property to be sure.

Adding to the amenities are access to a river walk, public access to the river and in a first for Petaluma, a project that achieves Net Zero status, which means the project will produce all the energy it consumes utilizing a robust photovoltaic system that will be state-of-the-art. This production of on-site energy will assure Sid Commons is not drawing from any outside electrical capacity.

Out of an abundance of caution neighbors have expressed concerns about two very important areas, both of which I take very seriously. First, floodplain development and second, traffic circulation in the area. In both cases the developers have hit the issues head-on.

Sid Commons is not in the floodplain of the Petaluma River or its tributaries. Moreover, the developers in scaling back the project in terms of building count and specifically where they will be building on the project site, place this project over three hundred feet from the river and well outside the floodplain. Some neighbors who know better, continue to suggest this project is in the floodplain. It is not.

In connection with the false story of Sid Commons in the floodplain is the suggestion the project will be affected by or exacerbate high-level sea rise in Petaluma. In actuality, the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) categorically debunked that notion by reporting that if a 5.7- foot sea-rise, a 100-year flood event and a King tide all coincided at the same time, the Petaluma River would rise approximately one mile downstream of the site.

As to traffic, while the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document reports that vehicular trips in the area do not create “significant” impacts at any intersection, the developers nonetheless have created a suite of traffic calming measures including stop signs, traffic circles and curb extensions to lower traffic speeds.

While it is true that people near a project typically express concerns, it is also true that additional housing needs to be built somewhere. In watching the planning commission and city council hearings I heard more than one neighbor say it was a good project, just not where it is being proposed.” I would ask, if not here, where? Perhaps another parcel in town that nearby neighbors will find fault with? The housing shortage in Petaluma is real. It is real in the region. In that light, responsible developers who are willing to modify their projects to attempt to ameliorate neighbor concerns should be applauded. I applaud Sid Commons and believe it will be an excellent addition to Petaluma. source

North Bay Leadership Council is an employer-led public policy advocacy organization committed to providing leadership in ways to make the North Bay sustainable, prosperous and innovative.  The Council includes 50 leading employers in the region.  Our members represent a wide variety of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions, with a workforce in excess of 25,000. For more information please contact Cynthia Murray at 707.283.0028 or visit us at www.northbayleadership.org.

Contact:  Cynthia Murray, President and CEO

Email:  cmurray@northbayleadership.org

Phone:  (707) 283-0028

Community Organizations in Need

Side By Side

The young people that they serve already face difficult challenges in their day-to-day lives and the uncertainties presented by the COVID-19 outbreak are additional hurdles that they didn’t need. Many of their clients come from underprivileged homes who live paycheck to paycheck and are dependent on service sector jobs that may be impacted by the social distancing policies now in place.

Their clinicians and youth advocates will continue to provide counseling and link their clients to the resources that they need to stay safe and healthy. Their teachers at the Irene M. Hunt School will oversee distance learning and therapeutic services for their students. Side by Side will always be with the youth they serve through every adversity.

https://www.sidebysideyouth.org/donate/

North Bay Children’s Center 

Following the recommendations of Public Health Officials and NBCC School partners, all 13 NBCC locations closed their regular on-site school service operations as of 3/16/20. NBCC continues to pay teachers who are working from home, performing tasks to actively engage with families, providing early learning activities remotely, and connecting parents to food and basic need resources. NBCC is working in both counties with the EOC to provide emergency child care for health care first responders. Following the CDC/EOC guidelines, NBCC is providing “pop-up” child care for 36 infants and toddlers in Marin and 24 preschoolers in Sonoma.  To put that in perspective, normal operations serve more than 680 families across the region. In addition, NBCC operates a Saturday Food Pantry at its 934 C St. Novato location from 8-8:45am. Families in need of food, are welcome to pick up essentials without requiring documentation or prior approval to receive food.

Each year NBCC must raise $700K to fund the operating gap between their earned income and actual cost of care. Of that $700K roughly 10% comes from the corporate community. Support from local businesses has never been more important as they seek contributions to ensure NBCC’s vital services will be available once the shelter in place order is lifted.  They truly appreciate every philanthropic dollar that can come their way.

https://nbcc.net/make-donation-nbcc/

Becoming Independent

As we find ourselves collectively adjusting to these unprecedented times, here at BI we find reassurance remembering that our strength lies in our ability to creatively and effectively adapt. Like the people we support, BI is resilient, and though we would prefer not to be navigating these uncharted waters, we are prepared for the challenge. Since the “Shelter in Place” mandate, Becoming Independent has been working diligently to find ways to continue to support the 1,000+ individuals who regularly rely on our services by doing just that – adapting and evolving.

Donate to Becoming Independent and help support our vital services for individuals in need. Your support and generosity will help to ensure certainty in these uncertain times.

https://becomingindependent.org/donate/ 

Santa Rosa Junior College

This situation has a major impact on SRJC students beyond academics. In addition to missing important classes and valuable learning opportunities, many students will miss work and suffer financial challenges. Some will not have access to food, shelter, medical and mental health care, childcare, and other support resources and services that SRJC normally provides. Many students are already working multiple jobs just to afford the high cost of living in Sonoma County. Now they are facing additional financial hardship as businesses close, forcing them to do without regular income.

Your help can make all the difference. Make a gift to the SRJC Crisis Response Fund today. This fund will support the most vulnerable students by providing grants and scholarships that will help them get through these difficult days. Working with their college partners, students will have access to funds to help pay rent, buy food, and support their families as they go without work or access to important services.

https://santarosajc.ejoinme.org/crisisfund?bblinkid=210092622&bbemailid=19955963&bbejrid=1407011187

College of Marin

The College of Marin students will be similarly impacted by the Coronavirus. Just as stated above many students will be facing financial hardships and could use your support.

https://marin.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com/giving

Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa

In response to this unfolding crisis, they are launching the Essential Services Fund.

With this fund, they will be able to provide expanded services including:

  • Food access for people who are facing hunger due to COVID-19
  • Financial assistance for people who are at risk of losing housing due to COVID-19
  • Safe and sanitary shelters and permanent supportive housing with newly expanded health precautions in place
  • Services for people over 65 who are experiencing isolation

To adapt their existing services and respond to urgent new needs, they’ll need significant additional resources.

Catholic Charities of Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo

During this unprecedented time of Coronavirus and with the shelter-in-place order, the needs in our community and our challenges are greater than ever. Our Catholic Charities programs and services are critical and essential.

Their teams are on the front lines, bravely and tirelessly supporting those in our community who are most vulnerable and at-risk. Our essential services include housing and caring for people with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. They support aging adults, adults with disabilities, and immigrants. They provide food and care to seniors and families experiencing homelessness. And give safe harbor and resources to children who have experienced trauma.

These programs remain open and their dedicated employees continue to care for our neighbors in accordance with all the safety measures to keep them and those being served safe.

Like never before, they need your support. Please give today to help ensure we can meet the needs of our community.

https://www.catholiccharitiessf.org/how-to-help/donate-2019.html

Dominican

Dominican is sharing medical supplies to Marin County Office of Emergency Services (750 N-95 masks, 1000 sterile tubes for COVID-19 testing). They are seeking gifts to the Dominican Angel Fund, which supports emergency needs of students (travel funds to get home, laptop purchase for our move to online education, any non-tuition need that arises). People can make a gift here.

Redwood Empire Food Bank

You can help feed our neighbors in need during these difficult times. Donate now! 

In order to help combat hardships brought on by COVID-19, the Redwood Empire Food Bank has activated Station 3990, their disaster relief program. As part of this activation, they have partnered with Santa Rosa City Schools to initiate drive-thru food distributions at 13 schools across Sonoma County. At these distributions, the schools will provide meals for the children, while the Redwood Empire Food Bank will supply groceries for their families to take home.

If there’s a hungry child at home, you can be sure there is also a hungry family. These 13 drive-thru school distribution sites are an extension of the school lunch program — redesigned to help the entire family in addition to the child. For many low-income children, their school meal is the only meal they’ll get all day. Once again, Station 3990 enables the Redwood Empire Food Bank to do even more. яндекс

Canine Companions for Independence

Disability doesn’t vanish in times of crisis – the life-changing work of Canine Companions® exceptional assistance dogs must continue.

While all six of Canine Companions’ training centers are closed during these challenging times, our assistance dogs are being trained remotely, virtual puppy classes are being held, fundraising efforts continue, and we are working with clients to transition their placement trainings to web-based instruction.

We are confident in our ability to work and advance our mission; however, support from our community is greatly needed.

The majority of our graduates are being isolated right now and have compromised immune systems. Many cannot receive assistance from others. Our graduates rely on their assistance dogs to: retrieve a cell phone to make important phone calls, pick up the remote so they watch the news, pull open the refrigerator door so they can prepare a meal, and so much more. Our expertly trained assistance dogs are making a difference every day.

We must move our mission forward. There are over 400 people waiting to be matched with a Canine Companions assistance dog.

We are counting on you to keep our operations going. Now more than ever, we need your support.

http://cci.org/nbl

Another great way to support your favorite business during this extraordinary time is to buy gift certificates to be used at a future date. In particular, hotels and restaurants could use your support through gift certificates or ordering takeout. We can help each other if we work together!

Northern California Public Media Virtual Town Hall on the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Northern California Public Media hosted a Virtual Town Hall, in partnership with Sonoma County, to share information about Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. News Director Steve Mencher and Assistant News Director Adia White moderated the discussion with Supervisor Susan Gorin (Chair, Sonoma County Board of Supervisors), Chris Godley (Director, Sonoma County Emergency Management), and Dr. Sundari Mase (Sonoma County Interim Public Health Officer) who presented information and answered questions from viewers in this one hour live news special.

A link to the live stream is below. Please watch for vital information on how to protect yourself from Covid-19.

Coronavirus: What You Need to Know

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejJ-bStXlgA