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April 2020
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Andrew Thomas
Westwood Village Improvement Association

1st Vice President
Steve Snider
Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt-Uptown District Associations
 
2nd Vice President
Emilie Cameron 
Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Secretary
Kathy Hemmenway
Walnut Creek Downtown
 
Treasurer
Austin Metoyer
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
 
At-Large Directors
Marshall Anderson
Downtown San Diego Partnership

John Caner
Downtown Berkeley

Karin Flood
Union Square Business Improvement District

Suzanne Holley
Downtown Center Business Improvement District (LA)

Rena Leddy
LA Fashion District
 
Steve Mulheim
Old Pasadena Management District

Chloe Shipp
San Jose Downtown Association
 
Immediate Past President
Steven Welliver
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
CDA MEMBERS
Arlington Business Partnership
Arts District Los Angeles BID
Bixby Knolls Business
Improvement Association
BLVD Association
Carmichael Improvement District, Inc.
City of Beverly Hills
City of Monterey Park
City of Ontario
City of San Diego - Economic Development Dept.
Civitas
Downtown Alameda Business Association
Downtown Association of Santa Cruz
Downtown Berkeley Association
Downtown Business Association-Bakersfield
Downtown Center BID
Downtown Long Beach Alliance
Downtown Modesto Partnership
Downtown Oakland Association/ Lake Merritt Uptown District Association
Downtown Pomona Owners Association
Downtown Roseville Partnership
Downtown Sacramento Partnership
Downtown Santa Barbara, Inc.
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Downtown SLO
Downtown Vacaville BID
Downtown Ventura Partners
Downtown Visalians, Inc.
East Hollywood BID
Figueroa Corridor Partnership
Gateway to LA Airport Business District
Gilroy Economic Development
Greater Broadway District
Hollywood Property Owners Alliance
Kono CBD
LA Downtown Industrial District BID
LA Fashion District BID
La Jolla Village Merchants Association
LeerCorp
Old Monterey Business Association
Old Pasadena Management District 
ParkSmart, Inc.
Paso Robles Main Street Association
Playhouse District Association
Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
R Street Sacramento Partnership
Riverside Downtown Partnership
San Jose Downtown Association
South Park BID
Sunnyvale Downtown
Telegraph BID
Temescal Telegraph BID
The River District
The Unity Council
Times Square Alliance
Tracy City Center Association
Tulare Downtown Association
Union Square BID
Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association
Westwood Village Improvement Association 


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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Andrew Thomas VP
As stay-at-home orders remain in effect in California and across the nation, there are signs in our state that COVID-19 cases may be leveling off. Thus, our elected officials are cautiously developing plans to ease restrictions.

While the battle versus coronavirus will not be won until there is widespread immunity, millions of Californians have sacrificed for each other, altering the models that showed so many of our neighbors sick and our hospital ICUs overwhelmed. These sacrifices have come at a heavy price, one that we downtown practitioners see reflected in our districts' empty streets and shuttered businesses.

If in the next month we do see a relaxing of stay-at-home orders and people begin to emerge, then we will likely also see a first glimpse into the actual conditions of our commercial districts. I expect the impact on our urban places to be pronounced, and the true effects may not even be felt for months as businesses attempt to navigate vicious market conditions that include high unemployment, economic insecurity, and lost consumer confidence, all on top of physical distancing mandates that our country hasn’t seen in over 100 years.

This “new normal” will fuel uncertainty, and our commercial districts will require a heightened level of advocacy both at the local and state levels. This is why CDA and our BIDs are as important now as they have ever been. No organizations are better positioned to deliver on this mission than we all are.

CDA continues to lobby our state legislators to ensure that relief comes to our commercial tenants and property owners, and we will make our collective voices in our state heard to benefit our downtowns. I also encourage you to advocate locally in your cities and counties. Talk to your mayors, councilmembers, and supervisors. Tell the stories of your communities so local ordinances and policies can be crafted that return value to your districts. If you need help devising strategies to do this, please ask. CDA is a resource for you.

Hang in there and be well and be safe.

Andrew Thomas, CDA President
Executive Director
Westwood Village Improvement Association
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Modifications to State’s “Stay-at-Home” Order Coming; Legislature to Reconvene in May 

This week, Governor Newsom announced that he plans to bring “meaningful changes” to California’s current stay-at-home order, but also warned that progress in combating COVID-19 would be compromised if people do not adhere to strict physical distancing practices.  

Based on the Governor’s statements during his daily press conference, he believes the state is “a few weeks away, not months away” from altering the stay-at-home order that began on March 19th. Earlier this month the Governor outlined a number of key healthcare-related indicators that would assist the Administration in relaxing the order and allowing Californian’s to return to some semblance of normal routines and in many cases, return back to work.  The State’s stay-at-home order established benchmarks for local governments – allowing more restrictive policies that were adopted in many of the most populated municipalities, and fewer restrictions in more rural areas that had seen fewer COVID-19 cases.  

Given growing pressure from less populated communities and the realization more densely populated cities are still facing a significant number of cases, it is likely the Governor would consider easing restrictions to allow for flexibility depending on the jurisdiction. Los Angeles County, where half of the state’s infections have occurred, could see a different shelter-in-place policy then less populated Sacramento County under a potential modified order.  

In other news, the State Legislature is expected to reconvene the Legislative Session in May – with the State Assembly announcing the house will return on Monday, May 4th. While the Legislature is planning on holding committee and budget hearings, procedures are still somewhat fluid at this point as the Legislature considers establishing a process that is fully open and accessible to the public, yet maintains the health safety of those participating in that process. Striking that balance is proving to be challenging given some of the disagreements amongst lawmakers as to how to best conduct legislative session and manage the committee hearing process. Many lawmakers would like to see the recess extended another month, and others, due to health concerns or preexisting conditions, believe the process should be conducted virtually. Some believe returning now is important to maintaining the role of the Legislature in the policymaking process, which has been dominated by the Governor over the past 6 weeks.  The State Senate has announced it will return on May 11th.  

Jason Bryant 
Bryant Government Affairs
April 2020 Legislative Update 
IN THE NEWS
Bixby Knolls Keeps Moving Despite Coronavirus Changes
The Grunion
It's hard enough making life-altering changes, and even harder when those changes have an impact on a paycheck...

Surviving And Thriving: How Some Small Businesses Are Seeing Success During Coronavirus Pandemic
CBS Sacramento
Several small businesses in our area have reported their struggles in these unprecedented times, but many...

Slow Streets Program to Help With Social Distancing
SFMTA
With Muni service temporarily reduced during the COVID-19 health crisis, many San Francisco residents need to walk...

Coronavirus Stay-at-home Orders Have Reduced Traffic Accidents by Half
LA Times
“The reduction works out to about 15,000 fewer collisions per month and 6,000 fewer injury accidents per month,”

California Awards $500 Million in Transit and Rail Project Grants
Mass Transit
The $500 million is through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program that supports expanded transit use and the state's...

A New Program Sees Restaurants Serving Meals to the Homeless
Berkleyside
When the 80 regulars go to the daytime drop-in shelter on Center Street to pick up lunch today, they won’t get their usual helping of an apple and a sandwich in a paper bag.

Vacaville To Reopen Seasonal Farmers’ Market With Coronavirus Modifications
CBS San Fransisco BayArea
The seasonal Vacaville farmers’ market will reopen Saturday at its familiar location at Creekwalk Plaza in Andrews Park...
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