The Economic Recovery Program for Yountville was previously called the Business Transition Support Program. This Business Transition Support program was put into place by the Town in 2020 to assist businesses with adapting to the changes caused by COVID. This involved outdoor dining and seating and other limited and temporary modifications to Use Permits and ordinances. The idea is to transition to the Economic Recovery Program as we move through the lockdowns and into our new operating considerations post COVID.
Some background, the business community and the Chamber have met a few times on this topic, including a recent meeting with Town Manager, Steve Rogers, to share their needs around economic recovery. Businesses and Town staff will present recommendations and collaboration between the business community and Town staff for Council’s review in April. The Town will need to monitor impacts on parking, noise, and other potential side effects from this modified activity. And at the same time, continue to support the survival and sustained recovery of the local businesses.
Our Mayor, John Dunbar, serves as a representative on the countywide Economic Recovery Work Group and provides input for Yountville. The task force of Mayors/Supervisors met this past Friday and received a summary of the results of a survey that Whitney Diver Mcevoy and Jeri Hansen put together to get business community feedback. The meeting Friday included reviewing those results and talking about what steps can support the short and medium time frame. We want to focus on immediate action items, then will look more long-term later. The countywide Economic Recovery Work Group meets again on March 18.
As Dunbar stated, “With both the Yountville Economic Recovery Task Force and the Countywide Work Group, we’re evaluating how best to support our businesses immediately, as well as medium and long term. The group of Mayors, along with Supervisors Pedroza and Gregory, have expressed support for extending many of the modifications allowing outdoor service through at least the end of 2021. We recognize small business owners have spent significant amounts of money in temporary facilities to operate outside, and a long-term commitment by us gives them a level of certainty and validation for that investment. We also realize that recovery will need to continue well past the lifting of public health orders.”