Rather than create its own pot of money to help local businesses suffering through the pandemic, Santa Clara County will invest in a statewide fund that offers loans to small businesses. The Board of Supervisors on Dec. 8 voted unanimously to invest $6 million into the California Rebuilding Fund with the intent of offering loans...
Embattled San Jose business group names new leader, blames consultant for racist political ad
A little more than a month after The Silicon Valley Organization posted a racist image on its website — leading to the ouster of its CEO Matt Mahood — San Jose’s largest business organization has a new leader. At least for now. The SVO officials on Dec. 9 announced Robert Linscheid will serve as interim...
Santa Clara County rushes to place cap on food-delivery fees
Santa Clara County could see a 15% cap on food-delivery fees as soon as next week. While supervisors were planning to look into the matter and put a cap in place in January, they instead voted unanimously Dec. 8 to draft a stop gap measure they could approve Dec. 15. “Many of our restaurant members...
Santa Clara County eyes small-business loan program
Santa Clara County is considering establishing a $50 million to $100 million small business loan program, despite county executives insisting it’s a bad idea. The Board of Supervisors started entertaining the idea in October, with Supervisor Joe Simitian saying loan amounts should be distributed in increments of $50,000 to $100,000 per business to increase impact....
Cap on food delivery fees being considered in Santa Clara County
With a new shelter-in-place order in place until Jan. 4, Santa Clara County officials are hoping to help struggling restaurant owners by capping fees and commissions charged by food-delivery companies. Supervisors Joe Simitian and Cindy Chavez on Dec. 8 plan to ask county staff to look into drafting a proposal modeled after other Bay Area...
‘We don’t know what to do’: San Jose restaurants prepare to close in-person dining
Surrounded by patio heaters and tables filled with patrons dining on Mexican food, a three-person mariachi band played under the tent canopy outside Mendoza’s Taqueria in San Jose on Sunday – the last day of the year restaurants could seat people under Santa Clara County’s most recent health order. “I’m going to miss watching them...
Free parking and to-go alcohol among ideas to keep business alive in downtown San Jose
A coalition of more than 55 San Jose businesses is pushing local and state policy recommendations to help the once-thriving downtown core survive the pandemic. Lawmakers at the city’s Rules and Open Government Committee voted unanimously Dec. 2 to bring 15 new policy recommendations to the San Jose City Council for discussion and approval. “As...
Big business plans to cut more than 8,800 jobs in South Bay by end of the year
More than 8,800 employees at large Santa Clara County firms are expected to be out of work by the end of the year, according to data filed with the U.S. Labor Department. Some 103 county businesses filed a notice between July 1 and Nov. 18 of impending layoffs under WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification),...
New loan program offers lifeline to small businesses in Santa Clara County
As California’s small businesses face continued COVID-19 restrictions, a new small-business loan program aims to help keep the doors open a while longer. The California Rebuilding Fund supports small businesses in economically disadvantaged and historically under-banked areas. Businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and $2.5 million or less in gross revenues in 2019...
Silicon Valley Organization’s new diversity panel struggles to get recruits
Three prominent community leaders continue to refuse to serve on the Silicon Valley Organization’s new racial equity working group unless the business group agrees to a set of conditions and full transparency, according to a letter obtained by San José Spotlight. The Nov. 9 letter outlined concerns with The SVO’s “hastily-assembled investigation” into a racist...