The Davis Community is responding to an unprecedented threat from COVID-19. The Vanguard spoke with Councilmember Lucas Frerichs about the community pulse and response by the city.
“There is a fair amount of apprehension,” Councilmember Lucas Frerichs told the Vanguard. “Fear and uncertainty.”
The concern about the virus itself, he said when combined with the potential tailspin of the economy, “has really increased people’s levels of anxiety. That’s something we’re really starting to see in a lot of the phone calls, emails, text messages, social media post. We’re seeing it locally as well as we’re seeing it in other parts of the country.”
So far people seem to be cooperating with the measures.
“By and large people have really been adhering to the shelter in place directive, that has come from the county,” he said. “We’re really fortunate in Davis that we have such easy access to parks and greenbelts. It’s really easy for people to get outside and still spent time outdoors and not just be cooped up inside all the time.”
A big question forward is going to be what role the city council plays in all of this.
For Lucas Frerichs, a key point is that the council, “is still setting policy for the city.” He said, “There are still business items that are coming before the city that need to be taken care of – even in this time of international pandemic.”
He added, “People are utilizing – especially those of us that are more active on social media – they are really utilizing us as a clearinghouse for information.”
He said, “We have been able to distribute information widely in the community.”
They have also served a role as verifying information or debunking false information.
“We have really played the role of letting people know if something is true or false,” he said. “Making sure that we’re providing accurate information to the public.”
The role played by the county health officials has been critical now – with the reported cases in Yolo County up to 24.
The communication has been vital. Councilmember Frerichs described a call with Dr. Ron Chapman, the Yolo County Public Health Officer, who had a conference call with a number of city officials on with him and local electeds across the county.
When they made the call to order shelter in place, city officials were told about the latest information and what the status in the county was.
“I have been really appreciative of the public health officials and being able to be accessible to us as things have arisen and incidents have come up,” he said.
Lucas Frerichs described a number of concerns at this point.
“One is just the actual public health component,” he said. “Ensuring that people are adhering to the shelter in place order and slowing the spread of the virus.”
“Another major concern that I have is if we’re on pace to follow some of the places like Italy where we’re seeing just a drastic uptick and increase in death, and an inability of the medical community to respond where they’re totally overwhelming,” he said.
Longer term, his concern, “are these issues surrounding the economy. Seeing the photos of downtown and seeing all of the businesses closed. Most of the businesses are closed, no one around, no customers. Obviously very worried about the long term ramifications of the lack of economic activity including the lack of people staying in hotels.”
He said, “Both locally and at the state level, we’re going to see significant declines in sales tax revenues and other types of income.” He said, “That’s going to have a really negative effect on our local and state budgets.”
That is one area that the council is already working on several things hoping to cushion the blow.
One of the things they did on Tuesday of last week, was “deferring a number of the transient occupancy taxes on hotels.” In addition, “we are going to be insuring that we’re not turning off people’s city utilities.”
One of their big actions was the vote to put a moratorium on evictions for commercial and residential tenants.
In the city release, Councilmember Frerichs said, “During this unprecedented time, it is imperative for us to attempt to help those – both commercial and residential tenants – that will most need assistance, so that we don’t end up with additional vacant storefronts, empty houses, and apartments throughout Davis.”
These were tools he said they could utilize now. He also said, “We should consider looking at if the city is able to carve out funding… that can be put up as a match for folks in need of it.”
He suggested a community wide fundraiser – city or a countywide event – “there’s some discussion about a community wide fundraiser for individuals that need it.”
“The key is that people in the city have really stepped up when there have been natural disasters in other places,” he said referring in particular to the fire in Paradise and Sonoma and Napa County. “We need to consider a community wide fundraiser for people who are hurting here in our own community.”
Lucas Frerichs believes we can control and slow down the spread of coronavirus.
The bottom line is that “one of the most surefire ways to prevent the spread of a virus like this, is reducing people’s interactions with each other and one of the best ways to do that is through shelter in place.”
—David M. Greenwald reporting
Excellent idea. Get the details worked out so we can publicize this.
Hope it can be set up as a ‘charity’ for tax purposes… fund-raisers are generally self-tax imposed by the most affluent, on themselves… at least if it is deemed a ‘charity’, there is some “write-off”… bigger %-age for the more affluent.
I support the concept, but suggest it will be more successful if it is able to be considered a charitable gift…
Just finished taxes… because of SALT legislation, we left up with an excess (of what can be deducted) state and local taxes that were fully taxed, at marginal tax rates…
What will be the City’s economic response to the Covid-19 crisis’ impact on the Cuty budget? Is there an emergency contingency plan to address the gaping General Fund revenue shortfalls that will be coming immediately?
As I wrote in a recent article about street funding, “As part of the City’s approximate $61,000,000 budget for FY 2019-2020, revenues of $16,226,000 are expected from sales and use taxes levied and collected in the City. Many pundits expect this to fall by a minimum of 50% and possibly 75% on an annualized basis due to plummeting retail and car sales and Transient Occupancy Taxes from our now empty hotels and motels during the duration of the current ongoing Corona Virus crisis. This could result in an annual shortage of as much as $8,000,000 to $12,000,000 if the economic damage is extended for a year into the future. This would be disastrous for the City government’s economic well-being”.
The City must be proactive in addressing these shortfalls. The County’s Board of Supervisors has already scheduled negotiations with the labor unions and employee representations to begin the discussions by just adding a special agenda item to their weekly meeting, as follows:
Closed Session
Conference with Labor Negotiator; Patrick Blacklock, County Administrator; Alberto Lara, Human Resources Director; Alexander Tengolics, Chief Negotiator
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
Bargaining Units: All
Unrepresented Employees: All
Bargaining Units
G General
U Supervisors
M Management
A Attorneys
A2 Supervising Attorneys
O Correctional Officer
S Deputy Sheriff
P Sheriff Management
PR Probation
C Confidential
H Department Heads
H2 Assistant Department Head
E Elected
X Miscellaneous
May I ask the date when these negotiations are scheduled to begin? Source of your information?
(Actually, I just asked… so disregard the word “may”… was just trying to be civil/polite)
They are scheduled to begin in the Closed Session. I do not known the degree to which the negotiations will be undertaken.
Thinking it is called “reserves”, meant for emergencies… perhaps you have another proposal? Like unpaid furloughs, drastic compensation decreases, with or without negotiations? [and once done, made permanent?] Co. or City could quickly declare impasse… City has done it before…
How do you propose “replenishing” that fund, after the immediate crisis fades?
Another parcel tax? Homeowners are easy pickens especially if California ever lowers the threshold below 2/3’s.
How do you? Reserves are for emergencies… otherwise, just a ‘piggy bank’… in our household, when we had emergency expenditures, we drew on our reserves, then built them up again, over time… what do you suggest?
Fish or cut bait!
Well, that didn’t last long.
You’re the one who suggested the use of the emergency fund as a solution, without addressing the impacts.
Given the city’s fiscal challenges, how is that fund going to be replenished after the immediate crisis fades?
If you mean the reserve, there is nothing there to tap into
RO, thanks for reposting the bickering. Otherwise I would have missed the . . . fun.
You might have missed the “best” of it, as it was deleted.
The problem with this type of thing is that it starts drifting further-and-further away from the actual points.