More than $400,000 available and only 8 Plumas County businesses have applied; deadline July 31
Plumas County’s small businesses can apply to receive up to $50,000 in grant funds, but the window to do so is closing — July 31 is the deadline to apply. The county has $409,000 in funding available, with only eight applications received thus far.
“Should someone feel that they aren’t qualified, we will review your information,” said Planning Director Tracey Ferguson, who is managing the program for the county. She said her office will also help individuals with the application process.
The Microenterprise Business Assistance and Recovery Grant Program is made possible with CARES Act funding — the federal COVID relief program. To promote economic stability and to assist with eligible business expenses, the program offers grants up to $50,000 per microenterprise business. For this purpose, microenterprise business is defined as a commercial enterprise that has five or fewer employees, one or more of whom owns the business.
Eligible uses of grant funds include reimbursement of costs for the following business activities incurred during the period that begins on March 13, 2020, and ends on May 11, 2023 (duration of the national disaster declaration COVID-19 Public Health Emergency):
- Reimbursement for up to 3 months of commercial lease or mortgage payments
- Reimbursement for up to one year of payroll (not including owner[s] salary) for LMI-eligible jobs (i.e., wage rates not to exceed $26.82/hour)
- Reimbursement for up to 3 months of utility payments
- Reimbursement for expenses related to supporting operational needs to address COVID-19 requirements for opening and operating (e.g., personal protective equipment and supplies, items related to public health and safety, and temporary distancing measures, or movable equipment)
The Program Guidelines and Application can be found on the County’s website:
The problem with this grant is that it requires business owners to be low income. Not a lot of businesses are run by low income folks. The rules stipulate that you can apply if an employee is low income. I, for one, am not going to be inquiring into my employees financial situations in order to receive a grant. Very poor rule creation on this one, imho.
You also must employ 5 people or less and the owner counts as an employee!
Ceiling is not low income, but low-middle income. Cutoff is roughly 47k Adjusted Gross Income. Add 26k standard deduction for Married Filing Jointly and gross income is 73k at a minimum. Two additional dependents (26k more) and the gross income for household of four is roughly 100k.
Are applicants allowed to apply if they have received other assistance for the same purposes? Because these funds are monies coming from the American tax payers, the applicant’s names should be published.
Lori Lomas has very good points about rules relating to this grant. Owners may avoid being low income by working multiple jobs while trying to have their business get successful–especially during the pandemic. Owner income from other jobs should not be considered when giving a small business grant. These grants could mean the difference between that business surviving or the owners giving up on it which will not be good for Plumas County. Nurture the small businesses in order for the county to prosper.
I appreciate all the money that has gone into promoting small businesses over the past few years (highlighted in a past article discussing a BOS meeting), and now this opportunity. However, at the same time I’m reminded that for some of us that had to drastically shift our careers because of the pandemic resulting in a reduction of our own income have no such opportunity. Not even have $10,000 in student loan payments forgiven. So many businesses will never have to pay back $50,000 or more, and as one commenter noted, they are not “low income.” What is good for the goose isn’t good for the gander I guess.
I would like to find out more information? Can I make a appointment for a consultation?