Belmont forming Economic Recovery Task Force

The Belmont City Council Tuesday asked staff to form an Economic Recovery Task Force, in collaboration with the Belmont Chamber of Commerce, made up of business leaders and owners. It will allow the business community to discuss issues and develop recommendations on how the city can help financially and nonfinancially. After 90 days, the Task Force will report back to the City Council with recommendations and findings.

Jennifer Rose, Housing and Economic Development manager, said the Task Force would have 10 members, and around 20 people have expressed interest in joining. There is no date for when it will start or form, but she estimates it will have six weeks of biweekly meetings before going to once a month. Priority topics include health and public safety, changes to land use and zoning, ways to make outdoor dining easier and modifying the business license tax. If there is significant interest in continuing the Task Force after 90 days, a more permanent program could be formed, similar to the Measure I Advisory Committee. An Economic Subcommittee made up of Deputy Mayor Julia Mates and Councilman Warren Lieberman will receive occasional updates from Task Force meetings. However, the subcommittee will not be part of the meetings to give the Task Force the space to meet and speak without constraints.

Rose said the city wants to increase cooperation with the business community to understand its needs and make improvements. Both Stone and Rose said the city did not have lots of funding available but wanted to give businesses the chance to offer solutions. While people are struggling, Rose said the city had not seen a huge drop-off in business license renewals.

The city has helped businesses during the pandemic by streamlining zoning and permitting to allow outdoor business operations and contributing to San Mateo County Small Business Relief Grant Program but wants to do more. Stone said the city was concerned that many small businesses have gone through a rough period, exacerbated by the city not having an outdoor dining district the size of other cities to mitigate indoor dining losses.

We don’t have the downtown we want yet, even though we are working towards it,” Stone said.

He will support, within constraints, suggestions and recommendations from the Task Force due to the severe and extended nature of the pandemic on the business community.

“The city is going to be facing some short-term problems, and we are working furiously to mitigate the effects of those,” Stone said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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