Solvang provides a COVID-19 response update: emergency loan fund exhausted, graduation banners in the works
SOLVANG, Calif. - The Mayor of Solvang provided another update on the state of the city as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Economic Update
The city said they have received an overwhelming response to their Emergency Loan Assistance Program. After receiving and processing 50 loan applications for $5,000 each, the program's $250,000 budget.
The city said this loan program was created as a lifeline for Solvang businesses while other Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications were in process. As of Monday night’s Council meeting, loan requests continued to roll in to the city, showing there is still great need.
Due to these needs, Solvang City Council authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the National Data Center (NDC) to explore lending opportunities for the benefit of the community of Solvang. The City said NDC will also provide application assistance for Solvang small businesses, many of which reported having difficulties while applying for loans through their banks or other lenders.
NDC will also help the city by designing either a City-run Paycheck Protection Program for business stabilization and/or local Revolving Loan Funds for business recovery, once the point of recovery has been reached. The City said they are still considering other lending options.
At this time, City Manager Xenia Bradford’s initial reports and preliminary analysis done of top city revenues for the general fund show a loss of $2 million in the current fiscal year and a potential loss of another $1 million in the first two months of the 2020-21 fiscal year if the City is not fully opened by summer 2020.
Canceled Graduations
IDK Events, LLC, a company that assists the city with tourism marketing, announced a new project to support the 2020 high school graduates of the Santa Ynez Valley.
As graduations are being canceled across the state due to the pandemic, IDK Events suggested Solvang offer graduating students and families the option to purchase a banner with the students' picture on it. These banners would then be hung throughout the city.
The city said a portion of the proceeds from this project would be used to benefit the Solvang Danish Days Foundation which plans the city’s Danish Days event each year.
Hans Christian Anderson Park
On a non-coronavirus note, the city said that the Hans Christian Anderson Park tennis court reconstruction project will be moving forward.
The courts are aging and well-worn. The city said funding for the reconstruction was provided through a generous donation by the late Harry Stern, an avid tennis player at the courts for many years.
The tennis courts will be made of "high-tech, post-tensioned concrete slabs" which the city said are supposed to last for at least 30 years without developing large cracks on the playing surface over time.
This project is slated to begin in late April and be completed in late June of 2020. The tennis courts will be closed during their reconstruction but are expected to reopen in time the July 4 Independence Day weekend.
For more information and updates from the City of Solvang, you can visit their website at www.cityofsolvang.com.
