Culver City Joins with Other California Chambers to Form Coalition for Safe Re-Opening

Following Governor Newsom’s order to temporarily close indoor dining and operations for restaurants in 19 counties less than a month after allowing them to reopen, the Culver City Chamber joined the California Coalition for Safe Re-Opening, a coalition of Chambers of Commerce and business associations throughout the state. The coalition came together to formulate proposals for reopening California businesses in a logical and methodical manner that maintains the safety and health of customers, workers and the public. Building on previous efforts, the coalition proposed a Three Point Economic and Public Health Recovery Plan – immediate measures that should be considered prior to any more business shutdowns.

Those measures include:
1.) Require the State to use emergency funds to supplement funding for county health departments and enforcement divisions that oversee adherence to reopening regulations. That would include authorizing counties to grant immediate reopening for all restaurants and bars that demonstrate compliance with that county’s reopening regulations, in accordance with state regulations.

2.) The creation of a California COVID-19 Emergency Business Interruption Fund to provide grants to businesses to cover expenses related to safe reopening in June 2020, as well as all losses including displaced revenue related to the July 1st closure order and future unanticipated closures.

3.) Creation of a Safe Re-Opening Task Force which would work directly with state and local officials in the implementation of Mandatory Testing and creation of Recovery Centers as the dual alternative to shutting down segments of the economy.

The Coalition emerged over the last few months through unprecedented dialogue among local businesses, organizations and chambers throughout California, and their members, who, while understanding the necessity of closure orders in March, are frustrated with the lack of coordination of re-openings and the haphazard recent closure orders. The Coalition urges local and county governments to support the effort to promote safe, organized, methodical and long-term reopening schedules.

The Coalition believes that safe re-openings and customer confidence are undermined by the most-recent closure orders issued by Governor Newsom. Businesses require stability and predictability, and the public needs confidence and certainty. Simply put, the economy cannot survive in an environment of “open one month, close it down the next month”, which is a dangerous precedence that threatens to impact all businesses under the guise of the “New Normal”.

Colin Diaz, President and CEO of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Westside Council of Chambers of Commerce (WC3) and co-founder of the Coalition drives this point home, “We understand that there are bad actors in the business, as there are with some individuals. These businesses should be held responsible for their actions and neglect. But, this sweeping policy that punishes the responsible business owners, many of whom have spent small fortunes bringing their businesses up to an extremely safe environment, further creates hardship and will continue to have drastic consequences beyond what we have already seen. We will lose a great deal of our small businesses with every round of closures that our government imposes on the business community.”


In the proposed plan, business returns with COVID-19-related protection practices in place, including enhanced cleaning procedures, distancing, and safe service protocols. Government must invest in resources necessary to ensure that County Health measures are being adhered to. There must be adequate access to regular COVID-19 testing and the state must pass Legislation to fund the California COVID-19 Emergency Business Interruption Fund to cover losses related to all government and health department orders including forced closures, social distancing requirements, and gathering limits.

“Elected officials at every level in our state need to understand that the health and safety of employees and customers is paramount to any responsible business owner,” said Genevieve Morrill, President and CEO for the West Hollywood Chamber. “They also need to know how tenuous the existence of almost every business in the state of California is right now.”

Culver City Chamber of Commerce

The Actors' Gang

1 Comment

  1. Thank you for understanding the challenges that businesses, such as mine, a One-on-One Nail Salon located in Culver City, that have met all the safe service protocols established by the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, as well as the Los Angeles County Department of Health. Yes, I have spent a small fortune in meeting these protocols was open for one week after having been closed for nearly 4 months. I didn’t even come close to breaking even in the expense of making sure my Salon was safe for my clients as well as myself. The main thing was I was able to provide much needed manicure and pedicure services, as many of my clients are not able to care for their feet by themselves and the neglect could possibly cause health issues. One of my clients is a Medical Doctor, who works in Urgent Care as well as Private Practice, and she felt very safe in the measures I am taking to ensure safe services. Her concern was “was I ready for her, not just ready to reopen”. She knows from a medical standpoint what protocols need to be followed and she was 100% confident in my practices. She had a great suggestion; rather than close all businesses in a sector, have them Certified to Reopen. That way those that have spent time, a small fortune and actually practice safe service protocols can continue in business and not be a drain on the already suffering economic structure of our State and actually generate income that will facilitate the collections of sales taxes for the city, income to spend in other businesses that are open and pay rents and utilities on time so these sectors don’t suffer more than they already have. Again, thank you for understanding what our challenges are.

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