Northampton County Council's Economic Development Committee met last night concerning a $27.6 million grant it will soon receive under the CARES Act. This money will be spent on small business grants; tourism; municipal and community assistance; mental health and addiction projects; nonprofit assistance; and broadband development. When County Council last met, Executive Lamont McClure said that the "lion's share of the money would be provided to small businesses. Economic and Development Director Tina Smith indicated there will also be an emphasis on minority-owned business.
During a meeting plagued by the unwillingness of Council members to use their mikes, I was able to glean the following:
- $2 million is going right off the bat to the Slate Belt for zero interest loans.
- It appears that the "lion's share" of this $27.6 million is limited to just $4 million for small businesses, with maximum grants of $15,000. Must be an awful small lion.
- The Greater LV Chamber of Commerce will establish the grant process on a first come, first served basis. It is entirely unclear whether the County will delegate decisions on who gets what to a chamber of commerce, but that seems very problematic. Council will hopefully be the body that awards the actual grants. The Chamber did promise to make applications available to nonmembers.
- The small businesses sure seem more like medium-sized businesses to me. The Grant process is available to any business with less than 100 employees.
- The Chamber's rep, Jessica O'Donnell, said she's been getting 20 calls a day from businesses in need. There are chamber nonmembers who might even be more in need.
- There's been no public disclosure of how this money will be funneled to local municipalities.
- NorCo's Human Services Department will use at least some of this money to pay for its drug and alcohol programs.
- The money must be spent by December.
At this point, I have no link to an application for small businesses. The second I get one, it will be posted.
8 comments:
Bernie, can you offer any help with searching the CARES Act? Trying to see if religious Institutes qualify for the small business grants? Our schools employ a lot of people. Our Pastor's Office has a lot of paid aides and grounds crew under its employ.
Part of this money is supposed to be for nonprofits, and that should include churches. I would ordinarily be leery of grants to a church except that it is the government hat forced them ti close their doors.
Full transparency I hope? Unlike the crooked Trump administration led by slimmy Mnuncin.
I see little evidence of transparency in this grants process. The application is not even available, and you cannot hear Council.
Don't doubt that the Human Services would want more money. Layoffs could have helped their budgets somewhat as work was severely curtailed by epidemic anyway. Maybe the epidemic will show that there is a different way for agencies to deliver services without the full time staff complement. Buildings and their onsite needed supports could be shrunk. Computers can easily be set up to monitor both at home work and time in field. Right now, businesses that have workers in field can tell at any time where an employee is and know how long and where vehicle was driven. Governments now pay for mileage on worker-owned cars so no reason why they can't know where car was driven for mileage. All governments will have to really streamline their budgets as taxpayers can't bear any additional taxes and the myth that the "feds" have money is just taxes anyway. Think money should be used for actual private businesses. After all, they generate earned income taxes to governments. The healthier they are the more money to pay for needed services. Some of the non profits often have distant (not always in in same state) well paid executives at corporate headquarters and money would be syphoned off to pay them. I am talking about the large non profits that deliver local services with poorly paid local workers.
The Chamber ran its own COVID-19 relief fund earlier this year, and gave $300,000 in grants (including $100,000 of its own funds) to 320 businesses, Chamber members and nonmembers, across the Lehigh Valley and Carbon/Monroe Counties. So it has some experience running a program like this, but it has to be transparent.
If it's first come/served, that's easy - each app is time stamped, take them in order, done. if they're graded, it gets real gray real quick and the county has to be involved.
Especially if ur pals are waiting at the door. I do not like this at all. how many nonmembers are among those 320 businesses?
Still no posting by McClure to applications on his county webpage. This is an insiders game and it stinks!
Post a Comment