News

Aug 06, 2023

‘Every Bit Helps’ Calexico’s Essential Workers 

In About Six Weeks, Around 1,800 Residents Will Be Eligible for $500 Pandemic Payments, If They Qualify C ALEXICO — Seventeen months after $1 million in pandemic relief funding was first dedicated to

In About Six Weeks, Around 1,800 Residents Will Be Eligible for $500 Pandemic Payments, If They Qualify

CALEXICO — Seventeen months after $1 million in pandemic relief funding was first dedicated to Calexico’s essential workers, a basic framework on how the money will be distributed has at last been approved — and some who stand to benefit couldn’t be happier.

Nataly Vega, Jesus Miramontes and Julia Garcia each work in a different sector of retail that stayed open to serve the residents of Calexico during the peak of the pandemic, defined for essential worker program purposes as March 17, 2020 to Nov. 8, 2021, when the U.S. lifted nonessential border travel restrictions.

“I worked all day throughout the duration of the pandemic being a cashier for the restaurant,” said the 25-year-old Vega, who has been employed at 2Go Salad on East Cole Boulevard for about five years.

Like many local governments across the nation, the city of Calexico is still buttoning up the procedural parts of how to dole out its American Rescue Plan Act funds, of which this city received a total allocation of $9.5 million.

It’s essential worker program was part of a “Plan B” set of spending priorities put forth by then-City Council member Raul Ureña and approved 4-1 by the City Council on March 16, 2022, a plan that moved away from technology, equipment and infrastructure upgrades and focused spending on downtown revitalization, essential workers and parks and recreation, among other items.

Plan B reflected the suggestions of grassroots organizations that sought to have ARPA funds directed toward those they said were impacted most by the pandemic, Ureña said at the time.

On Monday night, July 31, the council was presented with a trio of options on how to administer the program that included vouchers or checks of $500 and checks in amounts exceeding $500. In the end, the council opted to issue $500 checks to its residents with a cap of no more than two payments per household and no payouts to city employees who had already received a one-time $7,000 in ARPA funds more than a year ago. A list of eligible employment sectors was also included in the decision.

The guidelines passed 4-1, with council member Camilo Garcia voting no, the same voting breakdown as the March 2022 “Plan B” vote.

Nataly Vega had heard about the special meeting but didn’t attend. The next morning she said that like most essential workers employed through the pandemic, she experienced many hardships due to her risk of exposure to COVID.

So far removed from the effects of the pandemic, though, Vega is happy to see a token of appreciation coming her way.

“I am very grateful for the City Council’s decision on the essential worker pay being approved, as I could use the money to pay my bills I have been behind on,” she said. “I am very thankful for the $500 being offered and will be doing my application for it as soon as it is available.”

It will take up to six weeks before the process to pay people is in place, according to City Manager Esperanza Colio Warren. As part of the decision, some $75,000 will be used administratively, with the city hiring a worker to help process the paperwork and Internal Revenue Service forms needed to pay out the checks, verify residency and verify employment, both in Calexico and during the pandemic peak dates.

Around 1,800 people should be eligible for a one-time payment after administrative costs.

For Julia Garcia, news that $500 is on the way was welcome. She said seeing something for her sacrifice is appreciated. After all, working during the pandemic was particularly tough in her chosen field.

“The risk was coming into work thinking you might get exposed and get your family sick, and thankfully we were very careful not to visit any family vulnerable to the virus, but it took a toll to not see my family for a long time,” said the 49-year-old Garcia, who has worked as a pharmacy technician for 15 years. She chose not to reveal where she works or have her photo taken for this story.

“I did get sick on three occasions and have suffered a bit when it comes to the physical effects of the virus such as being fatigued more often. I feel as though my quality of living has changed since being exposed,” Garcia added.

She was under the impression that the essential worker program in Calexico hadn’t been approved, so learning that the money was still coming was somewhat of a surprise.

“I had heard other counties and cities had received financial help during the pandemic and I expected the city (Calexico) to do so as well, I was a bit disappointed when it didn’t pass. … Every little bit helps us.

“I find this useful for the community and am thankful for the approval as an essential worker who was at risk of the virus while others took care of their families in their home. I can catch up with my light bill for the month with the money provided,” she added.

For 50-year-old Jesus Miramontes, providing animal and pet supplies during the pandemic was just as essential as pharmaceuticals or food. The 20-year fixture at Twin City Seed and Feed acknowledged that Calexico was among the sickest communities (more than 16,000 COVID cases and 300 COVID-related deaths).

“I’m glad that the council is helping the community as there was a lot of sickness and loss throughout our community during the pandemic, and we really appreciate the assistance given to us,” he said.

Miramontes already has plans for his money, putting much-needed work into both his and his wife’s cars, as well as paying some bills.

In a night fraught with contentious issues, debate over the essential worker guidelines was no exception. Although the money had been allocated in March 2022, the public comments on July 31 traveled a path of criticism around whether the essential worker program should even exist.

To introduce the item, in the absence of using the allotted ARPA funds for other city needs, City Manager Colio Warren recommended the council adopt the first option of offering $500 vouchers that could only be used at Calexico businesses with limits, such as no tobacco or alcohol. A couple of ideas behind a voucher system was to keep the money recirculating in Calexico and to eliminate the need for IRS W-9s, which are needed for checks and cash.

It was mentioned by one member of the council that those types of limitations were not placed on city employees when they received their money and neither should such limits be put on the essential workers. Further, at least two speakers also voiced their support for option No. 2, which was the $500 checks. That was ultimately chosen.

Among the first Calexico residents to speak against the program was Pinky Perrone Tylenda, who did start off thanking Colio Warren for “coming to life to save Calexico” by pointing out the ARPA funds should be used for city needs and for recommending an option that would circulate sales tax within the community.

That is where the positive ended, as Perrone talked of “morale, buildings, streets falling apart” yet the council was still talking about a pandemic that’s “gone, no one is suffering.”

“Use that money for employee morale, clean up downtown, (have) an effect in a tangible way on the community,” Perrone Tylenda said.

Angel De Dios called the program guidelines before the council a “beautiful acknowledgement” of what the community faced during the pandemic, recounting the story of his blue-collar parents, including a mother who spent time in an intensive-care unit struggling to breathe with the effects of COVID-19. He thanked the council for its efforts.

Local business owner Diana Nuricumbo questioned the agenda item on the program guidelines, stating that what was included for the public were not guidelines but a plan. “Guidelines are written,” she said, adding that she used to submit items to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors agenda as part of her former job.

Further, this item was nothing more than “buying popularity because of a recall,” Nuricumbo said, referring to an ongoing recall signature collection campaign against Mayor Ureña and City Council member Gilberto Manzanarez.

Ismael Arvizu, speaking in support, said so many Calexico residents live paycheck to paycheck and are only a “car crash away from being homelessness,” so it stands that those essential workers who braved illness to stay on the job deserve something.

“This shows that ARPA is flexible,” Arvizu said on July 31, to be adapted to help communities harmed in many forms by the pandemic.

On Aug. 1, as Twin City Seed and Feed owner Javier Galindo introduced a reporter to his longtime employee Miramontes, Galindo said Twin City has been helping people care for their animals for around 50 years.

It’s a job that couldn’t stop during the pandemic, the 67-year-old Galindo said. There were risks and hardships that came along with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but he said the job was to forge on.

“The store remained open the entire pandemic, so we were at risk of exposure, but we were cautious with our health, using face masks and providing hand sanitizer to our employees and customers,” he said. “Thankfully, no one got sick.”

Galindo heard of the decision following Monday night’s special meeting and was ecstatic with the decision of the council. “I’m all for it!” he said. “This payout can assist me in paying some bills, and I’m thankful the council was able to assist the essential workers of the city as well as my employees here at the store.”