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sustainability. The City Council has implemented numerous cost cutting measures after staffing <br />peaked in 2008-09 to produce recurring budget savings to address its financial challenges. Passage <br />of Measure Z in November 2010, Measure HH in 2014, and Measures OO, PP, and NN in 2016 have <br />improved revenues enough to restore selective services. The City has also implemented strategies to <br />control costs such as soft hiring freeze to mitigate the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. <br />Consistent with the City Councils’ direction to pursue a balanced approach to addressing the <br />City’s deficit that includes both expenditure reductions and revenue increases, the City placed <br />Measure VV on the November 2020 ballot; the measure was approved by San Leandro voters. <br />This measure authorized an increase to the real property transfer tax rate from $6 per thousand <br />dollars in assessed valuation to $11 per thousand dollars in valuation, and which is forecasted to <br />generate approximately $4.0 million in new annual General Fund revenue beginning in the latter <br />half of fiscal year 2020-21. <br />City Council unrestricted reserves total $46.7 million in the General Fund at June 30, 2020. The <br />restricted reserves total $17.8 million. <br />MAJOR INITIATIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS <br />The City is committed to providing innovative and responsive services to the community. In its role <br />of providing policy direction and general oversight, the City Council establishes major goals for City <br />service delivery. The City initiated and completed a list of major programs/projects during 2019-20 <br />that helped achieve the City’s mission of serving the public and enhancing the quality of life in San <br />Leandro. Certain programs were created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped to <br />reduce the combined health, social, and economic impacts of the pandemic. Some of these major <br />initiatives and accomplishments include: <br />COVID-19 Assistance – The Community Development Department played a major role in the <br />City’s immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on residents and <br />businesses due to the closure of businesses and unemployment. Key COVID-19 related <br />initiatives included: <br />•Adoption of an eviction moratorium for residential and commercial renters immediately <br />after the initial issuance of the March 16th Alameda County shelter in place order. <br />•Creation of the Rental Assistance Program (RAP) funded with over $450,000 of <br />emergency federal Community Development Block Grant under the Coronavirus Aid, <br />Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act. RAP provides urgent gap funding for lower <br />income residential renters unable to pay rent due to the pandemic. The City was also <br />awarded over $765,000 from additional CARES Act funding in fiscal year 2020-21 that <br />will be added to RAP to assist more eligible renters in need. <br />•Creation of the City funded $300,000 Small Business Continuity Grant Program, <br />which provided up to $5,000 to small businesses to help them continue operations during <br />the COVID-19 public health emergency. The objective of this program is to offer <br />immediate financial assistance to small businesses and independent restaurants to aid <br />them in maintaining their business operations and workforce. <br />viii97