$700k in COVID relief to be granted to businesses this month
By Tom Peterson
Local businesses hurting from the pandemic may see some financial relief in the form of grants in weeks to come.
That may be good news for businesses such as restaurants or gyms that have seen a vast drop in revenue or even forced to temporarily close such as in the case of athletic clubs.
Wasco County is set to receive more than $734,000 in state funds through Gov. Kate Brown’s $55-million relief fund created to offset hardships for businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 freeze.
The money must be distributed by the end of December. Administrators are hustling to get the job done.
This morning, Dec. 2, Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege said it was imperative to get the money out as soon as possible.
The Board unanimously authorized County Administrator Tyler Stone to create an intergovernmental agreement with The Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) to speed the process.
MCEDD has handled similar money distribution packages since the start of the pandemic.
Some businesses have had difficulty with the paperwork in past programs, which utilized PDF forms.
MCEDD’s Carrie Pipinich said they are working as fast as they can to create an online process that will be available to locals as early as next week.
She also stated they have lowered the bar for the grants so that businesses will no longer be required to show a 25 percent downturn in sales, however that ability will increase chances of getting a grant. MCEDD hopes the change will speed up funding.
“We’re making it easier because of the timeframe,” Pipnich said. They will also be translating the information into Spanish. The application period is expected to last about 10 days.
Watch the MCEDD website for further details.
The following details are the skeleton of the program and could be changed or eliminated before final standards are put in place.
Award amounts are as follows:
0-3 employees………. $5,000
4-10 employees…….$10,000
11-15 employees……$15,000
15-20 employees……$20,000
20-25 employees…....$25,000
Priority will be given to:
Businesses that were prevented from operating or had to significantly modify their business based on the Governor’s executive orders concerning COVID-19. Businesses that have not received any similar funding so far will also have priority. And businesses that can show a 25 percent loss in sales due to the pandemic.
The following businesses are ineligible to apply for or receive funding under the program:
Passive real estate holding companies and entities holding passive investments.
Nonprofit entities that do not have a federal 501(c) (3) status.
Businesses that are delinquent on federal, state, or local taxes that were due on or before the date of application.
Businesses that do not comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Businesses that have closed and do not intend to reopen.
