Monterey considers stimulus, rent help

Stevenson School donates 1,000 masks

MONTEREY >> Come April 21, staff with the city of Monterey could be presenting plans to elected officials to make up for the revenue losses incurred because of the shelter-in-place order, a local economic stimulus and a rental assistance program for people who work in the city.

In a briefing Tuesday morning, City Manager Hans Uslar declined to offer details of the plans until he made a verbal report to the City Council at 4 p.m. Tuesday. He did say that the meeting would be an opportunity for him and his staff to hear comments that ultimately would improve the packages provided to the council at its next meeting on the 21st.

Meanwhile, Uslar updated the N95 mask donations the city is coordinating to include 400 masks donated by the Big Sur Health Center and another 1,000 from Stevenson School. They have an additional 42,000 masks being delivered, Monterey officials said.

“This surprised even the most optimistic people on our staff,” Uslar said. “We are so grateful for the response we have received.”

Some of the masks will be used by first responders and others will be kept in reserve for Montage’s Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Uslar said. Presently Monterey staff who are in communication with Community Hospital say the hospital has a good supply because of earlier decisions to create a warehouse for such products.

While Uslar said he is “not concerned with CHOMP supplies,” he said the story could change in three or four weeks if the pandemic worsens as health officials believe it will, which is why the city is collecting the masks now. Related to masks, at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Monterey mandated that masks be worn by city employees.

To date there have been no employees who have tested positive for the coronavirus, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, Uslar said.

Mask mandates have also been instituted at Naval Support Activity Monterey, which includes the Naval Postgraduate School.

Lieutenant Commander Michael Larson, the public affairs officer for the NSA during the COVID-19 emergency, said the installation is following the Department of Navy guidance to use face coverings where the distancing of at least 6 feet is difficult to maintain.

As of Tuesday, the postgraduate school has issued stricter guidelines for its university employees, requiring that in addition to the 6-foot distancing requirement, face coverings will be worn when people are coming into or moving around NSA property and NPS buildings. If an individual can maintain 6 feet

of distance from their colleagues in their workplaces, wearing a face covering is not required, Larson said.

“NPS is choosing to issue stricter guidance for its employees as an extra precaution to help prevent the spread and flatten the curve,” he said.

And related to the military, a National Guard unit is dropping off two additional handwashing stations at El Estero Park near the skate park to help the city prevent infections from overwhelming the homeless population.

Every three days the National Guard will also be dropping off a type of field ration called Meals Ready to Eat for the homeless.