South Lake Tahoe, CA- Today, City Council approved the Winter Operations COVID Compliance Business Protection Grant Reimbursement Program.
The program would reimburse local businesses for PPE and the equipment they need to operate safely during the winter months.
“We know small businesses are what keep our City running and we are committed to doing everything we can to help them through the pandemic,” said City Manager Joe Irvin, “Council is being creative and finding new ways to help. This program is a clear sign of that.”
The program would provide reimbursements of 50-percent of winter operations expenses up to $5,000. This includes things like outdoor heaters, tents, tables, etc. Right now, the program is funded with $75,000 but
Council did say if the program is in high demand, they would be willing to discuss providing the program with more money.
“We know our businesses are operating with limited occupancy, and we know Tahoe’s winters can be cold,” said Irvin.
The winter program is funded with money from the COVID Compliance Grant Reimbursement program, which paid local businesses for purchasing personal protective equipment, or PPE. That program was approved at the start of this pandemic.
El Dorado County is currently in the orange/moderate tier of reopening. To move to the yellow/minimal tier, the average daily rate of new cases needs to be less than 1 and positivity rate of less than two percent for the previous two weeks.
“City Council has been committed from the start of the COVID-19 crisis to helping people through the restaurant voucher program, the PPE reimbursement program, even through our ambassador program which gives out PPE to people who don’t have it,” said Irvin, “This will continue that practice and will be one factor in helping make sure this winter is a good one for businesses no matter the circumstances.”
If you are a business who would like to get a reimbursement, email receipts to recovery@cityofslt.us.