Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
DISCUSS THE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA OF THE ARPA-FUNDED BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM
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I. SUMMARY
As part of its allocation of ARPA funding, in March 2022 the City Council directed Staff to develop a Small Business Grant Program to assist businesses still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This item is on the agenda for Staff to receive feedback from the Mayor and City Council on the eligibility criteria and other factors related to a proposed Small Business Grant Program. The staff report contains some discussion of different types of grant programs, how the City has conducted other grant and loan programs in the past, and other parameters staff needs to prepare the application and other supporting material for distribution to the business community. Staff wishes to receive direction on the goals and objectives of the City in launching the program, the program's competitiveness, the minimum and maximum grant sizes, the specific eligibility criteria for the program, and requirements of the program the City may impose on businesses.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
PROVIDE direction to Staff on the parameters of the Small Business Grant Program.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
In April 2020, the City Council authorized a Small Business Lending Program to assist Carson businesses during the worst of the early lockdowns when many businesses were unable to operate because of State or County stay-at-home orders. While COVID-19 remains fundamentally a health crisis that the State and County's public health and healthcare infrastructure is engaged in combatting, the economic crisis due to business closures and stay-at-home orders followed closely behind during that early period.
Businesses across all industries struggled as their customers practiced social distancing and self-isolation. Many businesses are shu...
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