La Jolla Village Merchants Association president Brett Murphy started out the business improvement district’s first remote meeting on April 8 with a message to members.
“These past four weeks have been pretty terrible for a lot of people, and we don’t have a date when we will be getting back to work,” said Murphy. “We’ve been strategizing with our fellow merchants. We want – and we need – to do everything to help businesses recover during this uncertain time. On the bright side, I can be helpful to a lot of you.”
Murphy, co-owner of La Jolla Sports Club, pointed out he was forced to close March 16. “I’m living the same life you are,” he said. “I had to close my club down and layoff 60 employees, and since then we’ve been busy establishing a food bank for them.”
The fitness facility operator said he’s applied for all possible small-business loans being offered at local, state and federal levels, and urged other LJVMA members to follow suit.
“Go through your existing lender,” Murphy urged. “Fraud is really rampant right now. We (LJVMA) will help you navigate through all that.”
Concluded Murphy, “Know that COVID-19 will change our Village forever. We, together, can determine what that looks – and feels – like.”
Mayoral candidate, District 1 Councilmember and Council president pro tem Barbara Bry joined the April 8 merchants’ meeting.
“I’d like to thank you (LJVMA) for being proactive and not letting the health emergency stand in the way of your meeting, figuring out how to use technology and social media to engage the community and support small businesses,” said Bry. Addressing homelessness in La Jolla. Bry said she visits the Village every other day to do personal business and has noticed homeless, particularly on Girard, have a higher profile now on the less-busy streets. “I’ve asked for Porta-potties to be set up at the rec center and in the library parking lot,” Bry said, adding she has also appealed to San Diego Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team for help.
“I’m going to be asking the HOT Team to be proactive in La Jolla,” she said. “If you need to send the HOT team to deal with someone let Steve Hadley (aide) know.”
Bry said residents can also address homeless problems and issues through the City’s Get It Done app at sandiego.gov.
LJVMA board member Julie Wright noted, “We’ve lost business in our Village, but on a global scale this is a lot like Katrina (hurricane) happening to the world. We’re all going through this together.”
Concluding the meeting, Murphy said, “Be safe out there. Hope to see you soon, in person.”
Bry aide Steve Hadley can be reached at [email protected].