 Thanks for tuning in to KDRT 95.7 FM in Davis, California. I'm Autumn LaBea Renault and today is Tuesday, January 26, 2021. And this is the COVID-19 community report. We're sharing local news and resources focusing on what's impacting Davis and nearby cities in Yolo County during the COVID-19 pandemic. My guest today is Lucas Frerichs, Vice Mayor for the City of Davis, and we'll get to that interview in just a few minutes. This particular episode finds me in a pensive mood. I'm actually in quarantine now after having been exposed by a sick family member. Everyone in our immediate household is fine and has tested negative, but someone in our pod was exposed and didn't know, and that's frequently how this virus spreads. I find myself very grateful for healthy Davis together and free, painless, saliva-based testing. Honestly, I find myself grateful, period, and there are many locally who perhaps can't say that. Yolo County posted its highest ever one day total of COVID-19 cases this week, as well as a record number of county residents hospitalized to date. According to the county's dashboards, last week, 45 county residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 15 in intensive care in the county's two hospitals. And on Wednesday alone, the county reported 298 new cases of the virus. That was a one day total. Last week's new cases in Yolo County numbered 1,040, also record breaking. For perspective, when I started reporting these numbers back in March, we were looking at an average of five to seven cases per day. The county also recorded seven more deaths, bringing the death toll in Yolo County to 138. Those deaths were in West Sacramento and Woodland, which are the cities in our county that have been most heavily impacted by the pandemic. The county did report some good news and some bad news on the COVID vaccination effort last week as well. And once again, I thank Yolo County's public information officer, Jenny Tan, for her frequent updates and being a go to resource during this time. Last Wednesday, the state advised counties and healthcare systems that they could resume use of a batch of Moderna vaccines that had been suspended, following possible allergic reactions. Yolo County had received 1700 vaccine doses from that Moderna lot in question, none of which had been administered. The county will now move ahead with administering those vaccines. Tan also said the county has received a total of about 7100 vaccine doses, but those were all expected to be used by the end of last week and it was not clear when the county would receive more. So we'll update in future weeks. And finally, here's your testing information. Through the end of this month, January 30th, there's an OptumServe testing center available in a portable next to the juvenile detention center, located at 2780 East Gibson Road in Woodland. The testing is by appointment only and can be made by calling 888-634-1123, or by completing an online application at LHI.care slash COVID testing. The county also continues its free Abilino testing sites through the end of the month. Participants must provide proof of county residency. There are a variety of testing times and locations and you can visit yolocounty.org for more info there. See the testing page located on the website. And finally, Healthy Davis Together offers free saliva test. If you're symptomatic, you can get tested on Mondays. Other days are reserved for testing of asymptomatic individuals. Appointments are recommended. Visit Healthy Davis Together.org to create an account and register. Although actually I was told that after you've had an initial test and are in the system, walk-ins are possible, doable and easy. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. Joining me today is Davis' Vice Mayor, Lucas Frerichs, who was first elected to the Davis City Council in 2012, was re-elected in 2016 and again in 2020. He currently represents District 3. His civic engagement also includes service on boards ranging from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority, the Yolo County Transportation District, Yolo Habitat Conservancy and Valley Clean Energy, many of which he has chaired over the years. As Director of State Policy for his day job with the Nature Conservancy, Lucas is responsible for advocating before the California State Legislature and State Agencies. And he was recently named as one of Sacramento Magazine's Sacramento 100 and Honor Bestowed on those making a difference in our region. Thank you so much for joining me, Lucas. Thanks so much for having me on. I appreciate it. You know, you were actually my first interview on this show, Episode 1, back on March 17, 2020. And today is Episode 49, just FYI. And when we spoke in March, it was at the very beginning of things shutting down due to COVID. I know I had this real sense of urgency. What can I do? How can I help? And within four days, I was on the air with the first show of this program. And you shared with me then the city sense of urgency and getting a safety net under our community, particularly some of our more vulnerable members. I don't think either of us could have imagined 10 months ago what this time period would bring. And we had also yet to experience district elections. You've been through that. So thinking back over those long months, let's talk about some of the steps the city has taken during this time. What would you consider to be some of the best practices and success stories emerging from this pandemic period? Yeah, no question that 2020 or say just the past year up through now, but 2020 was quite an unorthodox year to say the least. Certainly I would say the most challenging year since I started serving on the council about eight and a half years ago. And during that time actually, when I first came on to the city council in 2012, that was sort of coming out of the depths of the Great Recession, which was a really challenging time. So you see these cycles sort of up and down, but the issues around the pandemic and with COVID are unlike anything I think the city has ever seen and most governments for that matter. You know, I think even having said that, I do think that there has been a fair amount of really positive sort of adaptation, you know, has been pivoting and adaptation, right? That's the real key in the past year. You know, moving all of our meetings to virtual meetings, right, all city meetings, even a neighborhood meeting, you know, sort of that would normally be in person in some community building or in a neighborhood itself. All of that has been moved to Zoom and you know, and there's a lot of there's a learning process of course with all of that but it's in some ways it's interesting because now I mean there are, you know, on several council items before the city council this past year. We had 130 public comments, 160 public comments recently, 160 public comments, you know, from members of the public that absolutely would not all have attended an in-person city council meeting. So, you know, that ability. So there was a lot of questions about well how can, can, will people be able to participate. Right, right. And they do. Yeah, absolutely. So that is something that is just a real change and but I think has been positive. You know, I would say, truly, the partnership in collaboration with UC Davis on the Healthy Davis Together program. That is something that is, you know, there's been an increasing relationship of partnership on a variety of items but that is this is just, I mean, sort of, you know, far and away, much larger than a lot of the items we've worked on with UC Davis and so so thankful for the partnership there. The, you know, the testing obviously for members of our folks who are living in Davis folks who work in Davis. That is such a huge, been a huge asset, but also just the other components that sort of dealing with the downtown, you know, sort of the, the Healthy Davis Together ambassadors that sort of are roving around downtown, you know, farmers market different places like that on campus, of course. You know, but also the pivoting to having, you know, setting up the, closing off some of the streets, setting up some of the outdoor dining in the parklets and things like that. I think that those are, you know, a real, it's a real shows that sort of the initiative and sort of how the city was able to really work together with say like downtown Davis or other business owners and things and then just really sort of pivot and start to sort of make the best of not so great situation. You know, Healthy Davis Together is interesting. I want to comment on that for a minute because I've, I've had cause to go get tested a few times myself lately after I was unfortunately and unintentionally exposed. And I'm fine and but I'm so grateful for the whole process how easy it is totally painless how little time it takes and how quickly, you know, we get results I have my results and about 28 hours after I got tested, which was awesome. And I do think during a time of crisis as we've seen elsewhere in the country, people and entities they either go towards divisiveness or they find ways to work together and I do think the pandemic has brought some encouragement in this relationship between the university and the city and I hope that's something to really build on as as we move forward. Let's talk about the downtown for a minute because as you know better than most are poor businesses are just really struggling and there's been a lot of efforts over the course of the pandemic from gift card stimulus to to the adaptations we see downtown with for outdoor dining and and pedestrian access. And yet as soon as that happened, we kind of had to go into a period of shutdown again so what are you hearing from, from business owners how are they faring, what are their, their hopes and fears what comes next for them maybe. Yeah, I mean I think no question, regardless of who you are, you know, whether it's, you know, a parent with kids doing distance learning kids themselves, you know, a business owner, you know, I mean, you know, or, you know, involved in nonprofits I mean, across the board, you know, there is a real, you know, this has been a very stressful year, no question and so that, you know, the issues around surrounding mental health and, and the challenges of isolation and such are really and and frankly the cycle of, you know, open clothes open clothes and, you know, are very very challenging so I think that, you know, there's lots of fatigue, frankly from, you know, folks all across the board but in our community but especially the business owners. You know, I think we have, you know, some of that is out of our control as a city of course I mean it's you know it's both you know the public health officials are making recommendations and sort of issuing directives from either the county level of course or also in the then of course the state level. And so, you know, and some of those occasionally have been in conflict, frankly, and so it's been trying, you know, trying to have to sort through those and figure out, you know, what sort of, you know, what is the most up to date or accurate information and regulation and you know that's sort of consistently also I think it's been a challenge. You know there's, I do think there's some optimism out there certainly I mean it's you know sort of cautious optimism right that, you know, there's some businesses have been shuttered for most of the pandemic and are continuing to be shuttered right so think of movie theaters for and so and so of course Davis has three movie theaters to separate owners but three three movie theaters in the downtown, all of which have been shuttered for basically almost the entire part of almost the entire past year. And then, you know, but then obviously some businesses you know grocery stores of course is good example are busier than ever. And you know we saw these like early on in the early days we saw these issues around you know hoarding and selling you know bank shortages of, you know, basic supplies and cleaning supplies and sanitizer and toilet paper and all those types of things. But I think that you know we are. So it's not hitting everyone uniformly, I think it's a real issue so you know a lot of the businesses now that they are now that the county has moved back into the purple tier and is. You know outdoor dining has been able to be resumed. You know there's a lot of folks out there safely I think you know I see people safely dining outside and and and Davis I think also is a very fortunate that people are adhering to the the directives and guidance around, especially mask wearing and such. I think that you know it's funny people are, you know, when you hear see these folks that say, I don't want to wear a mask or whatever it's like, I don't necessarily where they want to wear a mask either, but I'm wearing a mask. To protect you. I mean, right. It's not I mean I'm yes sure I potentially make risk for you know we all are contracting COVID, but I am I'm as much wearing a mask to protect myself as I'm really out there wearing a mask to help protect other people. And I think that that is something that, unfortunately, you know, is lost in sort of aspects of our greater society and I think that, you know, when I've traveled some to several communities nearby right on occasion right have to go pick up at the store somewhere else. Let's just say Davis is, Davis is a lot more masked up than many, many, many surrounding communities. So I feel very fortunate that folks are really taking that seriously. That's been my experience to and limited trips to other areas, whether that's woodland or a little further a field. People do not mask the way we do here so. Yeah, good. Good on us here in Davis, but you know the numbers countywide are still creeping up and and there is hope for optimism with vaccine but with limited numbers we're just you know what I say to people every week is we're not out of this yet. And it's going to be a while. So, Lucas, let's talk about governance for a minute because you're doing something different this year you've served as an at large elected member of the Davis City Council and now you represent district three. So, how, how is that different for you. Well, you know, it's, it has, I don't know if you can hear me or not all right I'm saying my it's telling me my connection is a little unstable. In some ways it's, you know, I think the jury is still out or the verdict is still out you know on how district elections will sort of impact the community. Yes, I represent a geographic area, you know, of the community, sort of the central part of the city. When you look at the entire map of Davis, but at the same you know sort of sort of central downtown itself but central and then much of East Davis, and then also some of some of the northern part of the city north, north of Covel. But I think for me, you know, I was elected eight years ago to represent the entire city. And that's how I operate that's how I attempt to govern I represent this community of Davis. And I feel like, you know, I use this example during the Council election sort of campaign, you know, if if somebody, you know, one of the one of the boundaries of my district is on the west side is Oak Avenue. Right. And if somebody on one side of Oak Avenue who's in my district has a has a problem, and somebody who's on the other side of the street on Oak Avenue has a problem. I'm not going to just listen to the people who happen to be in my, you know, in my district, so to speak. I'm going to really try to seek out to represent the people in this community. And because I that's what how I've done it for you know since I've been in the office in sort of city council elected office so far. And I think that I do think that that's how most of the folks who are on the city council also approach that situation. And we're supposed to try to govern for the entire community. And so that's how I really approach it and I think that that I assume that will be how you know there's always an opportunity there's always a potential for proclism and sort of, you know, you know, factions and you know geographic sort of representing your own little area but I do think that by and large people will try to represent the entire community. And there are things that are common to the community at large the downtown to go back there for a second for example that we all care about and so you're not as you know that's that may not be in your district but your or portions of it may not be but you're not going to ignore it. I did before we move away from the downtown, talking about the businesses that have been shattered for, you know, for most of the pandemic movie theaters performing arts venues, and many others hotels and and tourism and visitors. That has to put a dent in our sales tax revenue and our transient occupancy tax revenue and everything in a big way so what kind of impacts are will the city be seeing and I know that we just finished one quarter and we'll probably really see the fall out in this next quarter. But what are the hopes and fears there. Yeah, it's interesting some, you know, so some things are so sales tax is actually not fallen as much as we thought people are still consuming, you know, items so and buying things, you know, grocery stores and other stores target as an example right and you know and ace hardware or wherever downtown you know. So there's definitely a fair amount of an avid reader and others where things are taxable so that that's we're seeing a lot of the sales tax really revenue not really decline yet. So the hotel tax or the, you know, transient occupancy tax those that's been a little underperforming certainly, but it's interesting we write we've had, we have one brand new hotel at, you know, the Marriott at second and mace open just essentially as the pandemic was starting. And so, you know that, and then we have another hotel in South Davis that is the Hyatt House hotel that is nearing completion. So you know you've got these two. I mean that's basically another. I mean it's close to I think it's close to 400 rooms total right between the two hotels that are new. And so, interestingly though, some of the Marriott was doing not work very well right for the first couple months, but then they were they started to have they were essential workers. And so, so there have been some sort of bright spots in there that we you know weren't necessarily thinking about, I would say and so but I do think that'll rebound over time right that you know that's, that's going to, and you know there was a real high demand for need for hotel rooms prior to the pandemic, especially due to the all the sort of sort of business, you know with the university and just the conferences and, you know, things that people attend at the university as an example and some of the company and of course also visiting the companies here in town. But there's been a few bright spots as well as interesting you know in terms of some of the revenue that comes in for the city. This is was kind of an surprising one but the cannabis revenue has been, we'll just say, quite strong. Taxes from the dispensaries, both the bricks and mortar dispensaries the delivery services has been very exceeded expectations during the during the course of the pandemic so you know there are, and which was something we were not anticipating so there's no, you know, I think the other potential issue out there is that in this with this change in federal administrations, we're going to see, I think a commitment to, we're hearing from DC and from the White House that there is a commitment to help send some relief to a lot of individuals have had the relief sent in businesses through the paycheck protection program and such, but that local governments and state governments are going to also be in line for seeing some sort of relief money for from the pandemic and so, you know, we'll see if that happens. But I can also say to you that all, there's not a local government out there will say probably anywhere in the country but certainly not in California. There are some sort of adverse effects from from the situation so Davis is, you know, we're not alone in that. Sure, but it is glad to hear that there's a little hope on the horizon and this is why I asked those questions because I don't have the inside knowledge that you have. We have about four or five minutes left and before we run out of time we've talked about some of the success stories and some of the better than hope for outcomes, maybe that we're looking at through this. What are you hearing from what what's weighing heavy on the on the hearts and minds of Davis voters you know when I when I read the local news I I read about may say I read about crime and I read about police accountability and so you know what what are you hearing from voters and what do we need to know that to be looking at for the next couple of months ahead. Sure. Yeah, I think a couple things I think firstly, you know there are still a few sort of next steps that are unresolved and some of these items so, you know, so mace Boulevard is a good example you know we've been in South Davis specifically, you know we there's still some at the last City Council, you know, I mean, sort of last year, basically, you know the earlier part of 2020 basically said you know there are still some, you know, tweaks and changes that need to occur there, no question so the real issue is this working with the county, and you know and then getting the sort of changes put in place over the course of this next year. And we've got I'm on a subcommittee with Josh Chapman, who is the new council member from elected from South Davis and we've got a meeting coming up with Supervisor Provenza. And so you know just getting ready to make sure that that sort of the next steps occur there. You know, I think that that you know they're, you know, I don't think that you know there's some folks who want it to go back to the way it was, you know, you know, for 40 years and there's others, many others who also say we actually enjoy having the ability to have send our kids safely to go to go to school when schools sat in our open of course but you know if we've we see the usage there so I mean there's some there's a happy medium to be struck I think. And then, you know, interestingly, a few other quick things yeah we've heard obviously we're hearing some concerns about crime, you know increases in crime around town. I would say if you know, Davis, the crimes in Davis, historically, and basically now are crimes of opportunity that is what that is really how I'm not making excuses for the crimes occur. But you know it's a lot of it is like the catalytic converter thefts we're hearing right or you know or bike thefts things like that. You know, package the packages being taken these porch pirate sort of situations. You know that that has long been a situation where you know there's there's a real need for folks to take a sort of common sense approach to, you know, if you see something and you know that's you know out of the ordinary definitely think of about it you know but also I think that there's, you know, these issues around like the package thefts, you know, we people, I mean, people and there are more people at home these days to that's the other thing. There are more eyes and ears out in the neighborhoods right as opposed to when they're gone, but we know it's, it's these crimes and convenience that is really what is people, there are a lot of folks will come from out of town. They come off the freeway, you know, drive through a neighborhood, sort of cherry picking going, you know, in the catalytic converter thefts issues, it's primarily, you know, Priests is older model Priests is that are targeted some trucks and things like that too. But we're, you know, and we just are going to be announcing we just found out that there was literally just a catalytic converter thief out there that was caught this morning at about 5am. So, you know, and so I think it's, you know, that's an example of where there are, there are concerns, I mean, no question, but I also think that, you know, we have been working on hiring of new officers and sort of new, especially folks who are unarmed and who are out there to help mental health workers and such to help with our unhoused population. So, you know, those are some things that are on the horizon. And we know that they're definitely they mean, you know, our, there are people are really having concerns about some of these items so we're working to address them. Thank you for that. And I know I know constituents contact you but I want to remind everyone if you go to city of Davis or there is a link on the front page for city council, and you can easily email council members right from there. There's also agendas and archive meetings and all of that good stuff. So, this has been the COVID-19 community report for January 26 2021 and I've been speaking with Davis's vice mayor Lucas Farris Lucas thank you so much for joining me. And this has been pre recorded on zoom during quarantine and I hope to be back in the KDRT studio very soon. Thank you so much I'm really appreciate it. All right, take care and I'll see you next week folks.