Capitola City Council Votes To Halt Evictions for 90 Days
By Jondi Gumz
The seaside city of Capitola, which has a tourist economy, expects a loss of income for April, May and June due to the coronavirus “shelter in place” order that has closed hotels, restaurants and shops.
Surfers keep their distance as they head out on the nearly empty Capitola beach. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
City Manager Jamie Goldstein, who budgeted $2.4 million in sales tax and hotel room tax revenues for the quarter, said it’s impossible to predict how much money will come in.
“Is it zero?” he asked. “Off 50 percent? 70 percent? 30 percent?”
The city has $4.15 million in reserves — carefully built up over the last decade — that could be tapped. Earlier this year, the city hired pollster Gene Bregman to survey likely voters about a 5 percent utility tax on gas, electricity, water and garbage pickup, generating $1.2 million a year for four years while Capitola Mall is redeveloped.
Thursday night, the City Council heard about coronavirus impacts and approved a 90-day moratorium to halt evictions of tenants unable to pay rent due to loss of income caused by COVID-19.
As of Sunday, Santa Cruz County had 41 cases and its first death due to the virus, a number expected to grow; Domo.com reports 123 people have died in California, more than 2,400 in the United States, and almost 34,000 worldwide.
Goldstein is watching the COVID-19 numbers, looking for a potential peak 14 days after the “stay at home” order designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus; from the governor’s March 19 order, that would be April 2.
He expects challenges enforcing the six-foot social distancing rule as the weather improves and more people seek respite at Capitola Beach.
“We have a small beach,” he said.
Cancelled
The usually popular Capitola Beach is nearly empty late Friday afternoon. • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
Organizers of four beach events have cancelled: Easter egg hunt April 11, Operation Surf April 18, Surfer’s Path Marathon/Half Marathon May 16-17, Veterans Surf May 25 plus Skate-Tola May 9 and AIDS Life Cycle June 1.
It’s unclear if or when the popular Junior Guard swim program might begin; registration ordinarily begins at this time.
Goldstein has frozen all hiring except police.
Social distancing rules allow just one person at a time in the small police department lobby. Services such as parking permits and house watch are accessible from the city’s website, cityofcapitola.org.
“We’re trying to make it as convenient as we can,” Police Chief Terry McManus said, noting the residential parking permit program begins May 1. That affects 891 people parking in neighborhoods and 252 Village residents.
Public works projects, such as the emergency wharf repair and the Park Avenue storm drainage repair, are considered essential. The city’s crew has split into two teams, with focus on sanitizing open facilities, like bathrooms at Esplanade Park.
“At this time we have an adequate supply of toilet paper,” Public Works Director Steve Jesberg said Thursday via email.
Requests for building inspection get scrutiny each morning to see which are essential.
Renter Help
The council vote on the eviction moratorium was unanimous.
The 90-day moratorium will apply not only to residential tenants, who make up 52 percent of households, but also commercial tenants.
That protection was not in the initial language from City Attorney Samantha Zutler but she was ready with amendments to expand the measure, which is what the council wanted.
“This is important for us to do,” said Councilman Sam Storey, noting Scotts Valley, Watsonville and Santa Cruz County chose to protect all renters.
“Landlords don’t want to lose their tenants and tenants don’t want to lose their business,” said Councilman Jacques Bertrand.
The measure allows renters to postpone paying rent if they do not have the means due to the coronavirus, whether they are ill or staying at home because of the state and county “shelter in place” order. Only people with essential jobs can leave their home to work. It’s not clear how many Capitola residents have lost their job or lost income but many employers in the city of 10,000 are small businesses or tourism-related, many of which are not deemed essential.
Julie Lefman, who has rented on 38th Avenue for seven years, emailed the council beforehand to say, “I have never missed a rent payment in my life, but am now suddenly unable to do just that due to COVID-19.”
A massage therapist, she invested $15,000 to start a new business, Mermaid Memories Santa Cruz, with 65 tails for mermaid parties and photographs for toddlers and adults – but it’s not essential.
Asked if she was relieved by the vote, she said, “Absolutely.”
Devastating
I see something devastating happening to our country,” said Councilman Ed Bottorff, contending that promised federal aid will not be enough to help everyone out of work. “A lot of people are suffering.”
He said the measure does not forgive rent, just prevents people “from being thrown out on the street,” worsening the COVID-19 outbreak.
Bottorff questioned whether a 60-day eviction moratorium as initially proposed would be enough protection, given uncertainty over when the coronavirus crisis and the “shelter in place” order will end. He proposed 90 days, which the other council members embraced.
The council meeting was closed to the public due to social distancing guidelines. Mayor Kristen Petersen was the only council member attending the meeting in person; the others participated via Zoom.