Here are resources for Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake fire-affected businesses and employees
The county of Sonoma Economic Development Board on Monday shared links to resources for businesses and their employees impacted by the fires.
Also on Monday, the county of Napa opened a local assistance center for those affected by the Napa fire complex, originally called the Atlas fire. The counties of Mendocino and Lake plan to open their centers on Tuesday.
The following resources include potentially available funding to help rebuild, cover payroll, tax credits and incentives and help filing claims, according to the Sonoma County board.
Insurance
California Department of Insurance: Assistance with filing claims
Property taxes
Sonoma County Assessor: Property tax reassessment due to misfortune or calamity
UPDATE: Sonoma County residents at this point don't have to file calamity-claim forms to start the property-tax adjustment process for significantly damaged properties. But Napa, Mendocino and Lake counties are requiring such forms to get the tax-relief procedure started. (Read the full story.)
Tax credits
Franchise Tax Board: Info on deducting disaster losses
Board of Equalization: Manufacturing and R&D sales and use tax exemptions for equipment
Financing
California IBank: Low-interest and state-guaranteed business loans
CalCap: Small-business and state-guaranteed loans
Working Solutions: Small business microloans
Small Business Administration (SBA) financing
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) registration
English: www.DisasterAssistance.gov (mobile: m.fema.gov)
Spanish: www.DisasterAssistance.gov/es (mobile: m.fema.gov/esp)
SBA financing application (800-659-2955, TTY 800-877-8339)
Northern California fires recovery guide (PDF via Rep. Mike Thompson's office)
Relocation or rebuilding
GoBiz Business Investment Services: Site consultation and business incentives for relocation
Workforce resources
Sonoma County Job Link: Job matching for dislocated workers, workshops, and more.
Sonoma County Job Link's Business Services Team is assembling resources to help employees of businesses affected by the fires who need to:
Apply for unemployment benefits and COBRA coverage.
Looking for new job opportunities with other local employers.
Anyone interested in accessing these critical services should call the Business Services Team at 707-565-8079 or visit sonomawib.org.
For the latest employer resources, visit the Economic Development Board's fire-recovery resources page.
FEMA, county and state officials opened the “one-stop-shop” on Oct. 14. It's located on the first floor of The Press Democrat building at 427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa., and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The county of Napa on Monday opened the center to assist impacted county residents. The center offers federal, state and local disaster assistance resources, including financial assistance.
For Oct. 16–22, the center is located in the Napa County Health and Human Services office in the Building A conference center, 2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa 94559. The phone number is 707-299-2190.
Hours of the center will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 16–20 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 21–22.
The county reiterated that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau is suspending routine immigration-enforcement operations in the Northern California fire areas, including at the Napa assistance center.
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, the county of Mendocino plans to open its local assistance center for those affected by the fire in Redwood and Potter valleys.
Services offered and agencies represented include food assistance, disaster-recovery support, nonprofits, public and environmental health, counseling, vital records, Social Security Administration, agricultural commissioner's office, Department of Motor Vehicles, state Employment Development Department, State Contractor's Licensing Board.
The center will be at Mendocino College in Building 6220, located at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah 95482. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
More Mendocino County fire-recovery information is available at mendocinocounty.org/fireinfo
The county of Lake will open its center on Tuesday, Oct. 17, for those affected by the latest blaze, the 2,200-acre Sulfur fire in Clearlake Oaks, according to the county Office of Emergency Services page on Facebook.
The center is set to be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at least through Oct. 21. It is located at Clearlake Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave., Clearlake.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster center is on its second day Monday at Lake County Fire Protection District Firehouse, 14815 Olympic Drive, Clearlake. It will remain open until 6 p.m., reopening Tuesday at the Lake County local assistance center.
