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Economic Prosperity <br />Located at the center of jobs -rich Orange County, Santa Ana businesses and workforce <br />play an important role in the local and broader regional economy. The City's General Plan <br />aims to expand, maintain, and enhance job opportunities for residents; attract and retain <br />a balance of business types; and contribute to the overall quality of life experienced by <br />the city's residents through increased economic prosperity. <br />R1 Post COVID-19 <br />The year 2022 was marked by efforts to support businesses affected by ongoing <br />infrastructure projects in Downtown and the effects on lifestyles, shopping habits, and <br />business practices of the COVID-19 pandemic. <br />In 2022, $4.2 million in grants of Santa Ana Business Interruption Fund and Orange <br />County Business Interruption Fund monies, respectively, were distributed to 510 <br />downtown businesses. Additionally, over $148,000 in Community Development Block <br />Grant funds were disbursed through microbusiness grants to 34 microenterprises to <br />assist with post -pandemic business stabilization. The City also issued approximately <br />$848,000 in vehicle rebates to nearly 1,700 residents. <br />2 Outdoor Dining <br />In response to Executive Order N-33-20 issued by Governor Newsom, the City issued the <br />"Take It Outside" guidelines August of 2020 to ensure businesses had the ability to <br />operate safely and successfully during the COVID recovery using available private <br />property and public right-of-way. To assist restaurants with their recovery, the City <br />partnered with restaurant and property owners along First Street and Seventeenth Street <br />to design and install 20 outdoor dining spaces. The program and spaces proved so <br />successful, the City subsequently drafted and passed a permanent outdoor dining <br />ordinance allowing the temporary spaces established by the program to remain as <br />permanent fixtures and also allowed other businesses to construct similar outdoor dining <br />facilities. This is one example of the long-term changes that came from the pandemic, but <br />highlights how the City in partnership with the business community adapted and created <br />economic opportunities in 2022. <br />L <br />A `"�. "I <br />Mai <br />t,. _t Santa Ana: <br />.811tde for outdoor <br />Business operations <br />"Take It Outside" <br />19 <br />»Left: (Left to Right) Cover of <br />"Take It Outside" guidelines; <br />Outdoor dining facility <br />constructed along 17t" Street <br />as part of program. <br />City Council 8 — 26 3/21/2023 <br />