Keeping Essential Services/Businesses Operating

While state and local shelter-in-place orders are helping stop the spread of COVID-19, they are also creating confusion among some businesses about what activities may or may not be allowed. Many construction companies are unclear whether they can continue working and even some technology companies whose services are critical to keeping people connected online are wondering the same thing.

The Bay Area Council has been working with a number of member companies and local government leaders to clarify shelter-in-place orders and ensure that critical operations continue. This week Council CEO Jim Wunderman sent a letter to mayors and other top elected and government leaders around the region urging them to adjust their local shelter-in-place orders to be consistent with the statewide shelter-in-place order issued by Gov. Newsom. Inconsistency among the different orders has caused a number of major construction and development companies to halt work on big projects over concern they would violate local orders that differ from the Governor’s order.

We would like to thank all our public officials and staff across all our cities and counties who are keeping many of our critical public services open at this time. For their responsiveness and action in helping to clarify the new shelter in place orders, the Council extends its particular thanks to Jason Elliott in Gov. Newsom’s office, Judson True, Director of Housing Delivery for San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Santa Clara Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and her staff, Fremont Mayor Lily Mei, Kyle Larson in the Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Center, and Permit Sonoma Director Tennis Wick and the entire Sonoma County planning and permitting staff.