After being awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Kansas Department of Commerce for $132,000, commissioners selected Thrive Allen County to be the grant’s administrator.
The selection came during a public hearing wherein commissioners considered bids from Thrive, Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission and others. Thrive offered to administer the grant at a cost not to exceed $10,000.
“I would prefer to pick a local entity,” said Commissioner Jerry Daniels, and the sentiment seemed unanimous among the entire commission.
Thrive had already been heavily involved in the grant application process, by both writing the grant as well as helping to facilitate a public hearing where local business owners and other stakeholders provided input.
During this time, it was said that grant funds would be distributed based on the relative populations of Iola, Humboldt and rural Allen County, though because the amount of funds awarded in the grant decreased (from $300,000 per awardee), the percentages originally outlined (e.g., Iola 45%, Humboldt 35%, Allen 20%) may change as well.
The state of Kansas dispersed a total of $9 million to Kansas communities in the form of CDBG-CV grants in order to ease the pain of economic damage brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on helping businesses to retain workers.
ALLEN County businesses interested in obtaining a portion of the grant funds should be on the lookout for more specific details in the coming weeks, online and elsewhere, but here are a few key items to help get an application started right away:
— Businesses can submit invoices for expenses they’ve incurred since March 1 that have not already been covered by the Payment Protection Program (PPP) or other federal program. (However, having also used HIRE funds from the state of Kansas is acceptable.)
— “Small” businesses (6-50 employees) can apply for up to $7,500 in assistance, and “micro” businesses (1-5 employees) can apply for up to $3,000. “Need” is a consideration, though, and the commission would also like to help as many businesses in the community as possible.
— This is a one-time payment for businesses, and thus they should submit absolutely everything they intend to submit, such as receipts. As these funds are part of a grant and not a loan, they do not have to be repaid.
— Any expenses that a business submits must have already been incurred (since March 1). They cannot, for example, cover future payroll or future inventory costs.
— There will be forms developed by the state of Kansas that businesses and their employees will need to fill out in order to be eligible for grant monies.
Any additional questions can be directed to Thrive Allen County at: 620-365-8128, [email protected], Thrive Allen County on Facebook or at thriveallencounty.org/contact.
IN OTHER news, Mitch Garner said that public works would start focusing on dust control for roads next week, as well as mowing and trimming intersections.
He also said that work near Humboldt Hill was complete, and that the county’s heavy equipment in need of repairs would be operational within the next couple days.
