City extends relief on business fees, certain tickets

Long Beach businesses and residents who still are suffering financially from the coronavirus-induced recession are getting a little more relief from the city.

The City Council voted at its Tuesday meeting to extend through June 30 programs that allow businesses to defer payment of license taxes and fees and that waive the cost of street-sweeping tickets for residents facing financial hardship.

The program for business owners does not forgive the fees and only pushes back their due date, but Long Beach does offer a grant to cover those costs.

The street-sweeping program, on the other hand, does forgive the cost, but Long Beach likely will limit the number of times it will waive a ticket for the same vehicle, according to a staff report, though the memo did not say what that limit would be.

Another aspect of Long Beach’s street-sweeping program, which offered free permits to people in parking-impacted areas to allow them to park in city lots, also was extended.

For business owners and residents who face high fees from business licenses or parking tickets, the City Council also approved the creation of a COVID-19 Relief Payment Plan Program that will allow folks to make interest-free and penaltyfree payments over time with no late fees or penalties.

Though the City Council’s vote only prolongs the programs through June 30, Long Beach may bring them back for another extension at that point if “there remain substantial ongoing pandemic impacts,” a staff report said.

Fore more information on the business programs, go to longbeach.gov/economicdevelopment or call 562-570-4249. For more information on the parking programs, go to longbeach.gov/parking or call 562570-3717.