Guide to Local Recovery Update: June 11

​Gov. Gavin Newsom took executive action on June 11 to terminate the state’s stay-at-home order and tiered Blueprint for Safer Economy.

Measures that were included in the blueprint to protect public health, such as physical distancing, capacity limits, and the county tier system, terminate on June 15.

The Governor also issued an executive order to begin the “winding down” of the 58 executive orders that have been implemented since the beginning of the pandemic. The provisions will sunset in phases, beginning later this month through September.

The California Department of Public Health also released a new public health order that goes into effect on June 15 and replaces the previous public health orders, as well as new face coverings guidance to match the CDC’s guidance, lifting California’s mask requirements for vaccinated individuals starting on June 15.

The League of California Cities is still reviewing the announcement, but of immediate note to cities:

• As Cal Cities reported on June 2, today’s executive action confirms that the Governor will not repeal the executive order allowing local governments to host public meetings virtually on June 15. Instead, that executive order will “remain in place and shall have full force and effect through September 30, 2021, upon which it will expire subject to individual conditions” outlined further in today’s executive action.
• Restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters, and most everyday places will be open as normal with no capacity limits or social distancing required. The county tier system will be eliminated entirely.
• Mask requirements for vaccinated Californians are lifted starting June 15, with the exception of uniquely vulnerable settings, such as: hospitals, long-term care facilities, homeless shelters, and public transit.
• For indoor events of 5,000 people or more, attendees must confirm proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 status in order to attend. For outdoor events of 10,000 people or more, it is recommended that attendees confirm proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 status to attend, due to increased risk caused by travel and crowds.

The California Department of Finance (DOF) American Rescue Plan Request for Funds Portal for non-entitlement cities is now live. Cities categorized as non-entitlement cities (NEU) must access this portal to receive their first tranche of funds. All applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on June 23, 2021.  
 
DOF discussed the funding portal with city officials during a League of California Cities webinar earlier this week. The webinar included a robust Q & A and is available for review, along with the presentation slides.  
 
Each eligible city will receive a unique NEU Recipient Number and password that will allow them to access the required web form and request funds. DOF is sending individual e-mails to each city’s contact for the state-directed Coronavirus Relief Funds. Generally, this email will be sent to the city managers, finance directors, and staff that accessed the DOF’s Coronavirus Relief Funds portal, as those emails are readily available. The email can be forwarded to the appropriate staff within your agency.  

The NEU Recipient Number must be retained by the city or town. It will be used for reporting to the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the lifecycle of the program, which ends in 2026.
 
Visit the Cal Cities Guide to Local Recovery webpage to find the most recent news for cities to help guide local leaders as they work toward recovery in their communities.
 
For questions, please do not hesitate to email us at covid-19@calcities.org.