COVID relief for some Merced County businesses kicks off 2021’s first supervisors meeting
New Merced County Board of Supervisors District 2 member Josh Pedrozo kicked off his first day on Tuesday with a board meeting underscoring challenges to come, with COVID-19’s unprecedented obstacles nearing the one-year mark.
A former Merced City Council member and social studies teacher, Pedrozo achieved more than 53% of votes over incumbent Lee Lor after a runoff for the District 2 seat. He was sworn into office via a private ceremony on Dec. 24.
District 5 Supervisor Scott Silveira advised Pedrozo that he would be drinking from the “proverbial fire hose” over the coming months as Pedrozo learns the ropes of being a new county supervisor amid a pandemic.
Pedrozo told the Sun-Star that although he served on Merced City Council, leading at the county level presents a steep learning curve.
“It’s a whole different structure, being that the county is the entity of the state, and the city kind of operates on itself. It’s completely different,” Pedrozo said. “But it’s still community service, which is why I got into this.”
Despite COVID-19’s added difficulties, Pedrozo has remained enthusiastic toward the vote of confidence to better his District 2. Pedrozo has said maintaining an open line of communication with constituents is a top priority.
“I’m incredibly encouraged and happy to get started,” he said.
Pedrozo was also elected by the board Tuesday to act as the alternate member for the California State Association of Counties Board of Directors. Silveira was chosen as the primary delegate. CSAC represents California’s 58 counties on unified issues before the state and federal government.
District 3 Supervisor Daron McDaniel was unanimously chosen to lead the county’s board meetings as chairman over the next year, with District 4 Supervisor Lloyd Pareira as vice chair.
Merced County businesses get more COVID-19 help
With the board settling in to its new roles for 2021, the supervisors turned their attention to local businesses grappling with continued COVID-19 shutdowns.
County CEO Jim Brown said some business sectors especially have been on a “roller coaster” of shutting down and reopening again over the last year.
The start of 2021 exacerbates the ongoing financial loss with annual fees businesses must make to keep their state license, county officials said Tuesday.
The board unanimously passed a three-pronged set of resolutions, effective immediately, aimed at providing payment relief for some of the county’s hardest hit businesses. That includes bars, restaurants, theaters, churches and other business sectors.
Merced County for weeks has been subject to regional stay-at-home orders triggered by low intensive care unit capacity in the San Joaquin Valley. The orders mean local bars, wineries, indoor dining and other business sectors must stay shuttered until hospital resources are less strained.
The stay-at-home orders were recently extended from a tentative three-week timeline to until the Valley reaches at least 15% ICU availability. As of Tuesday, ICU capacity was 0%.
Longer still, the county’s bad COVID-19 metrics have landed it in the most restrictive of business reopening tiers defined by the state’s blueprint. The latest data update on Tuesday showed little significant improvement.
“If (businesses aren’t) open to operate, I don’t see how the state can even have the opportunity to charge them for the services that they can’t provide,” McDaniel said at the board meeting. “The businesses aren’t open because they were forced to shut down by our governor.”
The board passed a resolution to reduce 2021 business license fees for some businesses to $5 from the typical $60 to $180, depending on the number of employees. The reduction is expected to save qualified businesses $9,500.
To qualify, businesses must reside in Merced County’s unincorporated areas and be among those listed as most impacted by economic shutdowns. A majority of the $5 payment goes toward state mandated fees, while just $1 benefits the county.
The resolution passed unanimously, but Silveira said he cast his vote begrudgingly. Lack of communication from the state over the extent and duration of COVID-19 business shutdowns is no longer an excuse 10 months into the pandemic, Silveira said.
“I just don’t want to send the $4 to the state. They’ve done nothing but send crap our way,” Silveira said. “I want to put on record my opposition and my protest to that support.”
Businesses in the county’s unincorporated regions also had their fire occupancy operation permit fees waived by the board. While planned inspections will still occur this year, cutting the $230 to $300 fees is expected to save businesses a total of $13,000.
Countywide, qualified businesses’ health permit expiration dates were extended to Feb. 28. Fees, usually ranging from $100 to $755, were waived entirely. Health inspections will still take place, but the resolution saves local businesses an estimated $425,000.
The board also elected to transfer $120,000 from the county’s general fund to the Spring Fair special revenue fund.
With the pandemic’s conclusion still far off, it was announced in fall that the fair would again be shut down.
The annual Spring Fair in Los Banos last year was among the first of many flagship local events forced into cancellation by COVID-19. What would have been the fair’s 130th celebration was nixed for the first time since World War II.
Canceled for the second time during the pandemic, Silveira, whose district is home to the Spring Fair, thanked the board for the budget transfer but said the fair is on “life support.”
“They’re losing their revenue,” Silveira said.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 3:44 PM.
