Yuma County leaders considering a second round of $5,000 grants to local businesses through the Small Business Relief Program.
The deadline for the first round was October 9. Several took advantage as the county’s four local governments — Yuma County, Yuma, Wray and Eckley — have awarded a total of 65 grants totaling $322,000.
“We’re very glad to get these much-needed funds out into the community,” Yuma County Administrator Andrea Calhoon told the Pioneer in an email. “Between this and the second round, we’re confident that we’ll be able to use a majority of the funding we received to support our local businesses. We saw in the documentation that folks are struggling, and we’re hopeful the shot of funds will at least help in mitigating the impacts.”
The City of Yuma still has nine applications requiring more information before finalizing.
It was reported at last week’s Yuma City Council meeting that if all applications are approved, the city’s share of grants would be $177,400, with $69,000 still available.
There is even more still available countywide.
Therefore, county leaders are planning a second, shorter round for grant applications this next week, though details had not been officially released yet at press time. It will be for businesses that did not apply in the first round, or did but did not receive the grant.
The process and eligibility requirements will remain the same.
The City of Yuma received 28 applications. The first eight or so were approved individually by the council during its October 6 meeting.
However, City Manager Scott Moore told the council at last week’s regular meeting that the remaining ones under consideration do not have to be approved by the council. Instead, the city staff looks over the applications and send them to the county for the county to cut the checks.
The Yuma County Small Business Relief Program is part of CARES Act funding the State of Colorado has appropriated to Yuma County through the Department of Local Affairs.
The funds are distributed to small businesses for reimbursement of business interruption costs, unbudgeted expenses, and other COVID-19 related expenses “reasonably necessary to satisfy the funds eligibility criteria.” The program is for expenses incurred since March 1, 2020.
Businesses must be located within Yuma County, have a maximum of 50 employees or less, as of March 1, 2020, is current on all sales, use, lodging and occupational tax payments to the county, and has experienced a business interruption and costs caused by required closures due to state executive order or public health order in response to COVID-19.
