City of Scotts Valley Business Update
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n these COVID-19 times, information is moving swiftly. The City of Scotts Valley knows that businesses are stretched to keep their operations up and running while conforming with the latest rules and staying on top of new topics. The City is keenly attuned to our business community and appreciates the great partnership with the Chamber of Commerce to share some pertinent City updates with you: • Business License Deadline and Renewals Extended. The City extended its business license and renewal deadline through October 1, 2020, a 90-day extension. The City is also moving to an online business license administration platform that will go live this cycle. Renewal notices will be mailed out in mid-August. • Local Sales Tax Rate Change. In March
2020, voters approved an increase to the local City of Scotts Valley Transactions and Use Tax (Measure Z). This change went into effect on July 1, 2020. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration mailed notices to all registered retailers in the spring. • Temporary Outdoor Dining Permitting in Parking Lots, Sidewalks and Common Areas. To expand outdoor seating capacity and flexibility, the City instituted a new emergency permitting program for restaurants. • Fitness Uses in City Parks. The City is finalizing a program to allow our gyms and fitness studios to conduct classes in select City parks. • COVID-19 Local Business Recovery Committee. The City established a specific Council subcommittee to focus on support, advocacy and information for local businesses. This committee is active with rapid information sharing, informational webinars, coordination
and advocacy, and providing needed resources such as hand sanitizer and masks. We want to hear from you about your
ideas and needs. Please connect with us at cityhall@scottsvalley.org. We thank you for your remarkable creativity and resilience during these challenging times
Santa Cruz County Placed on Monitoring List; Modifications & Closures in Certain Sectors
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ased on increased spread of COVID-19 and in order to protect the health and safety of residents, the California Department of Public Health has added Santa Cruz County to the order modifying or closing operations in several sectors. The orders go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. They include modifications for: • Gyms and fitness centers • Personal care services • Places of worship and cultural ceremonies
• Offices for non-critical infrastructure sectors • Indoor shopping malls Retail and existing outdoor restaurant operations are unaffected by the orders and may continue operating under state guidelines for their respective sectors. Additionally, hair salons and personal services (including skin care, cosmetology, nail services, and massage therapy but not electrology, tattooing and piercing services) may continue operations outdoors under state guidelines. • Hair Salon guidance: https://files.
c o v i d 1 9 . c a . g o v / p d f / g u i d a n c e - to close operations but must continue outdoor-hair-salons-en.pdf following state guidance for safe • Personal Services operations. Places of worship guidance: https://files. may continue outdoor operacovid19.ca.gov/pdf/ tions in accordance with state guidance-outdoor-perguidance. sonalcare--en.pdf Indoor dining, bars, winNon-critical infraeries and tasting rooms, movie structure sectors are defined theaters, family entertainment by the Department of Homeland centers, zoos and museums and Security and are available at cardrooms were closed throughout www.cisa.gov/identifying-critical-infra- California on July 13, 2020. structure-during-COVID-19. Any removal from the list would Offices on this list are not required require further state action.
Stay Safe — Wear a Mask!
Call the Chamber Today or Visit www.scottsvalleychamber.com
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Scotts Valley Chamber News
Boulder Creek Golf & Country Club Completes Construction of New Footbridge
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he staff and management of Boulder Creek Golf Course wish to thank our loyal players who stayed with us during the period of our
bridge remodel. We know that it was a major inconvenience to a pleasant round of golf. However, we are happy to say that
our bridge over the pond has been totally refurbished and is ready for heavy use. Come out to play and enjoy your
ride or walk over our once again beautiful bridge, which for many years has been the site of wonderful photo memories.
Music at Skypark Summer 2020 Season Canceled
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iwanis Club of Scotts Valley announced that it has reluctantly cancelled the 2020 summer season of Music at Skypark due to COVID-19 concerns. Kiwanis had organized the series of free outdoor concerts each summer in Scotts Valley’s Skypark since 2008, raising over $175,000 for the music programs at local public schools. “After 11 straight years, we really didn’t want to bow out this summer,” said longtime co-chairperson Jim Melehan. “We held off making this decision as long as we could, but in light of the dangers posed by the coronavirus, it’s the responsible thing to do.” His co-chair of many years, Mike Stewart, added, “Music at Skypark has truly become a community event. Hundreds of folks enjoy the bands, food and drinks, and of course the outdoor festival atmosphere each month.”
Both co-chairs want to remind the public that the original reason for organizing Music at Skypark — funding music programs at local public schools — remains a crucial need even though the concert series is taking the year off. Donors can still contribute funds to this cause by mailing checks payable to Kiwanis Club of Scotts Valley, P.O. Box 66257, Scotts Valley, CA 95067 or visiting www.ScottsValley Kiwanis.org. One hundred percent of these donations will go to fund music programs at local public schools. Kiwanis wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the community-minded volunteers from Kiwanis, Circle K (Kiwanis’ student organization at UCSC), and the public for tirelessly organizing and
12 / August 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
running the Music at Skypark concerts, to the many wonderful bands who either donated their time or discounted their fees, to the many vendors who contributed much of their profits, to the generous sponsors who contributed the bulk of the donated funds, and to the thousands of participants who made the concerts successful over the years. Beth Hollenbeck, Scotts Valley Unified School District Music Educator, expressed her appreciation in a letter to Kiwanis: “Music at Skypark has enabled us to buy new uniforms, pay for instrument maintenance, purchase pianos and other instruments, purchase proper musician chairs and teaching materials, participate in local and national music festivals, build
our music library, and purchase instrument storage locker cabinets. All of this helped Scotts Valley to be chosen by NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) as a “Best Communities for Music Education” (only about 15% of the schools that apply win the award for their communities). On behalf of my students, the administrators and myself, words cannot express our gratitude to Music at Skypark sponsors and Kiwanis for helping us keep music alive in Scotts Valley schools!” When asked about bringing back Music at Skypark next year, both Melehan and Stewart reacted positively. “We’d love to bring it back bigger and better than ever,” Melehan remarked. Stewart added, “The schools will still need support, and Scotts Valley will still love a community event like this. Besides, it’s what we Kiwanians do!”
Scotts Valley Chamber News
Power Up Your Online Public Speaker Presentations
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Complimentary Zoom Event by Janet Janssen
s conducting or attending online meetings Registration to attend: https://form.jotform. a must for you? Do you dread the silence com/201975443342051 during your Q & A sessions? Join us Zoom meeting link forwarded after August 11th, 4:30p, :45+ minutes. Comsign-up. Join us, August 11, Tuesday at plimentary event. 4:30 pm. Q & A session after. Learn the basics of how to represent Janet Janssen is a sales consultant yourself and your content to help WOW and public speaker who works with your online audience. small businesses and teams. She is Gain tools, techniques, and storyScotts Valley Chamber of Commerce telling tips to help improve your member and ambassador and columnist presentations. Become aware of how for Strictly Business in the Press Banner. Janet Janssen body language, voice & lighting holds Member of local 831 Storytellers Toastyour audience’s attention and end the silence master International group that meets Tuesday during Q & A sessions. evening. Questions: janet@janetjanssen.com
Food Trucks A Go Go Take-out Nights: Thursday’s 5-8 p.m. Scotts Valley Square (Kmart shopping Center)
hese continue to be unprecedented times. Like so many of us small business owners, I’ve had to reimagine my two businesses and be innovative. I’m reminded that change is the constant and to (try my best to) embrace the unknown and navigate what comes next. That being said, “Aunt LaLi” we’re all adapting to these new realities, which includes the age-old question: “What’s For Dinner?!” One of the ways that Food Trucks A
Go Go is pivoting is to bring you another take-out dinner option on Thursday nights. Food Trucks TO GO Go provides a variety of rotating food trucks from 5-8pm at Scotts Valley Square (Kmart/Dollar Tree Center). You are able to pre-order from many of the trucks while also ordering on site on Thursday nights. So on the next Thursday when someone asks “What’s For Dinner?” – you might have a choice of Hawaiian, BBQ, Mexican, Pizza, Venezuelan, Dumplings, Arepas, Poke, Sliders, Mole, Pupusas and Desserts … just to name a few options! These Take Out/To Go only dinner nights support our hungry and supportive Scotts Valley Community, the food trucks
and the Scotts Valley Square businesses. There are great stores, restaurants and businesses at Scotts Valley Square and we encourage you to support them! The health and safety of our patrons & food truck staff is our top priority so masks are required and 6’ social distancing will be enforced in the open air space. If you have any questions, please let me know: info@foodtrucksagogo.com. You can see the list of food trucks each week on our website or on social media: @ foodtrucksagogo. Remember, the comeback is always stronger than the setback. — LaLi Kates, Food Trucks A Go Go
Cheryl D Rebottaro, AAMS®, CRPC® Financial Advisor EDS-1879F-A
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By Lauren Kates (aka ‘Aunt Lali’)
221 Mount Hermon Rd
edwardjones.com Member SIPC
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Scotts Valley Chamber News
Scotts Valley Exchange Club
Buying and Selling Real Estate During Covid-19
Selects Victor Alejandro as New Club President
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he Scotts Valley Exchange Club is proud to announce that they have selected Victor Alejandro as their new club president. In addition to his new role, Victor also serves as an Ambassador and Board Member for the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce and his contributions include successive years of support for the Art, Wine & Beer Festival, the Annual Awards Gala, the Business Walk, Economic Victor Alejandro Development Committee and multiple ribbon-cutting events. Victor grew up in the Midwest, lived on the East Coast and received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. He has spent 30 years in High Tech, working at Apple and Cisco Systems, Inc. in the Silicon Valley. Victor is a happily married husband to Angela and father of 3 children.
The Scotts Valley Exchange Club supports local programs for Americanism, youth programs and community service. Recent Leadership changes will allow ongoing traditions to continue, with adjustments for Covid-19, to include support for the annual Blue and Gold event honoring our Police and Fire departments, the Fourth of July celebration and parade, the A.C.E. award, a scholarship for a graduating Scotts Valley High School Senior, and other contributions throughout the year for the Senior Center as well as an Adopt-a-Family effort during Christmas. Landmarks throughout the City provided by the Exchange Club include the barbecue at McDorsa Park, the flagpole at the Library and the kiosk at the Skypark Parks and Recreation building. Leadership consists of Past President Chris Perri, incoming President Victor Alejandro, Vice President Stephen Hoversten, Secretary Paul Burrowes and Treasurer Jack Dilles. We look forward to being an integral part of the Scotts Valley Community as we support each other through these evolving times.
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By Tobin Shaeffer and Laura Waltz
ecord low interest rates and low inventory in Santa Cruz County have led to a surging real estate market, despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, but many people are wondering is it safe to buy or sell a home right now. The answer, thanks to industry protocols instituted to ensure the safety of sellers, buyers, and real estate agents, is yes. Open houses have been disallowed, making the weekend open house crawl a thing of the past. Home viewing is now done by appointment only to both limit the number of people in a home at any time and to ensure that sellers are opening their homes to only serious buyers. The use of virtual open houses allows sellers to showcase their properties and reach buyers from a distance.
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Advertise in the Scotts Valley Chamber Newsletter
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CALL FOR SPECIAL RATES 831.688.7549
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For buyers this means that the process of buying a home has become more focused, homing in on only those homes that fit their buying criteria. Pre-approval is more important than ever with many homes being shown only to buyers who can show they’re pre-approved. Safety when viewing homes is paramount. With help from the California Association of Realtors, the real estate process is safe and flourishing in our area. Even in unprecedented times, people need to sell, buy, and move, and that process has been safeguarded so families can feel safe about their decisions to sell or buy a home. Tobin Shaeffer and Laura Waltz are Realtors with Intero Real Estate Services. tshaeffer@interorealestate.com / Office: 408-357-5700 / Cell# 831-359-7900
OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT? Get the fee waived by signing up for the District’s digital services, including e-billing, auto payments and WaterSmart.
Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce 360 King’s Village Road Scotts Valley, CA 95066