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TODAY'S GLIMPSE OF LAGUNA
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Happy Tuesday,
Spring is definitely in the air and it’s great to see so many people out dining, shopping, and enjoying our beautiful city!
Although the Cal Trans project has caused some traffic congestion, the city has done a great job mitigating the situation with the addition of flagmen directing traffic at several intersections.
Regarding Pageant of the Masters, I have been receiving daily phone inquires as to the status this year. We should have answers within two weeks and will send an update at that time.
Upcoming Events:
April 28th – Spring Mixer – Rooftop Lounge – La Casa del Camino
May 6th – Government Affairs Committee Meeting with guest, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer
May 17th – Annual Chamber Golf Tournament – Aliso Viejo Country Club
Have a great week and thank you for supporting local businesses and restaurants and for Thinking Laguna First!
Warmly,
Sandy Morales
President/CEO
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Orange County Advances to the Next Stage of Reopening
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Coast Highway Construction Update
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The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is scheduled to replace the 100-year-old box culvert under Coast Highway at Main Beach this spring.
Beginning April 1, daytime construction work on the project will begin. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on Coast Highway at Main Beach for the duration of the project. Caltrans crews will be working double shifts as needed to finish by Memorial Day. Adjacent businesses will be open during construction.
Downtown traffic control will be provided by the City of Laguna Beach and Caltrans 7 days/week to help mitigate traffic impacts due to the long-term lane closures needed to complete the work safely and quickly.
For questions regarding the project, please contact Caltrans at (657) 328-6000 or email Darcy Birden at darcy.birden@dot.ca.gov.
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City of Laguna Beach COVID-19 Business Assistance Services - Update on the PPP for Sole Proprietors/Self Employed
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For anyone still applying to the Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP2), the White House has directed the SBA to allow Sole Proprietors/Self-Employed to calculate their PPP loans using Gross Revenue.
What Has Changed?
- Originally, Self-Employed could only use Net Profit/Loss (Line 31 of your Schedule C) to calculate owner’s “salary”. This punished entrepreneurs who operated at a loss or a slim margin in 2019.
- You can now use your Gross Revenue to calculate the owner's portion of the PPP calculation
- This applies to all who file a Schedule C (Form 1040): Sole Proprietors with or without employees, 1099 Independent Contractors, Self-Employed, etc.
How Do I Take Advantage of This?
- If you thought you were'nt eligible for PPP because of your Net Profit/Loss, you may be eligible now!
- IMPORTANT: Lenders are changing their website applications to these new rules. Check your lender's application daily to see if they have made the change yet. Do not complete and submit your PPP application if they ask for your Line 31. Otherwise you will receive the smaller Net Revenue amount.
- Wednesday, March 31st is the deadline for your lender to submit to the SBA. You will want to submit your application several days before then, as lenders have long lines of PPP applicants.
- If you are having any difficulty with a lender's application, you may choose another. Click HERE to see a short list of lenders we know do not require you be a preexisting customer to apply (pages 1 & 2).
But I Already Received PPP Funds With Only Net Revenue. Can I Expand My Loan?
- The SBA has ruled that they will not allow you to expand your PPP loan if you have already received it.
- Several small business and community organizations are voicing their outrage on this SBA ruling. We encourage you to contact your U.S. Representative and your City staff to make them aware of this punishing of businesses who applied early.
For your convenience, please click on the following links to access our guide to the PPP2 as well as the three (3) other major COVID-19 relief programs available to you:
- SBA Paycheck Protection Program Round 2 (PPP2) – CLOSES MAR. 31
- California Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – ONGOING – Unemployment to those not usually eligible for unemployment
- SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) – ONGOING – Non-forgivable loan of low interest working capital
- CA IBank California Rebuilding Fund (CRF) – ONGOING – Non-forgivable loan of low interest working capital
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Four New Rounds of CA Small Business COVID-19 Grant
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On February 23rd, Governor Newsom signed into law a comprehensive package providing urgent relief for the small businesses of CA. The package provides an additional $2 billion – a four-fold increase over the $500 million currently being distributed – for grants up to $25,000 for small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and allocates $50 million of this total for non-profit cultural institutions.
Please read below for additional information about each round.
Round 3 (waitlisted applicants from Rounds 1 and 2): This is a closed funding round; no new applications will be accepted
Round 4 (non-profit cultural institutions only): This is a closed funding round; no new applications will be accepted
Round 5: This is a closed funding round; no new applications will be accepted
Round 6: Date to be announced soon
- Eligible applicants: current waitlisted small businesses and/or non-profits not selected in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 and new applicants that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com
- Eligible grant award: $5,000 - $25,000
Visit www.CAReliefGrant.com for more eligibility, criteria, and updates. |
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Wishing you a happy New Year!
I'm writing to you from my desk in the Capitol, where I am pushing hard for urgent action to address major hurdles related to vaccine supply, funding and staffing. I'd like to share a few updates:
PRE-REGISTER TO GET A VACCINE
You can now sign-up for Orange County's official vaccine app. Once you are registered, you will receive updates, be alerted when it's your turn, and be able to make a vaccine appointment. You can learn more about vaccine distribution plans on the County website. |
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We have partnered with the City of Laguna Beach and Visit Laguna Beach as we believe it is extremely important to encourage all Laguna Beach businesses to operate within the State guidelines and follow the appropriate safety protocols. These safety measures not only slow the spread of COVID-19, they also give residents and visitors a renewed confidence to patronize your business.
We are calling on YOU to partner with us in our effort to protect our community by taking the CLEAN.SAFE.READY. pledge. This pledge demonstrates your business’ commitment to placing a priority on the health, safety, and well-being of your employees, customers, visitors, and residents. Please use this link to sign the pledge showing your commitment to our community. |
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The Laguna Beach Chamber has compiled a useful list of restaurants and retail shops throughout the city with updated information as we enter our new normal. We encourage you all to support these businesses during this difficult time.
Think Laguna First also has information about WHY it is so important to Support Local. We will be updating our website daily, so keep checking in for new info!
We encourage business owners to continue emailing us and tagging us on social media with your promotions. We can only promote the information we have, so be sure to let us know what you've got going on!
Instagram: @ThinkLaguna1st
Facebook: Think Laguna First
E-mail: ashley@lagunabeachchamber.org
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Remember, if you don't support your chamber, your chamber cannot support you!
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Are you hiring? As a Laguna BeachChamber Member, you have the opportunity to display job postings on our website for our community to search.
Looking for a job? View our postings by clicking here. You can always locate this under the 'Resources' tab on our website.
Login to the Member Information Center to post open positions, or email us and we will create the posting for you!
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Are you a Chamber member and have an event coming up or a special offer to promote? Let us know!
Do you have gorgeous Laguna Beach photos you would like featured in our new weekly "GLIMPSE OF LAGUNA"?
Contact Ashley von Gremp, our Marketing Manager, at ashley@lagunabeachchamber.org to promote your event or offer across our platforms.
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Be sure that you receive important updates and resources as we navigate this pandemic together. Traditional Chamber benefits are adapting as our businesses are pivoting their business models. Our Chamber staff is here to support you, and to help you market your business, as well as network with the Laguna Beach community!
View Member Benefits & Join Today!
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THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL INVESTORS
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