MOUNT VERNON — Following on the heels of a Knox County revolving loan fund announced in late May, which has provided about a dozen COVID-19 impacted businesses with loans of up to $10,000, county commissioners are now offering another $10,000 to local businesses.
This time, the funds are not local; they are federal government-paid monies offered through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act received by the county. And what’s more, the CARES money, providing up to $10,000 to COVID-19 impacted Knox County businesses, are grants that do not have to be paid back. Like the Emergency Business Loans (EBL) fund, the new Emergency Business Grants (EBG) program is also administered through the Area Development Foundation.
Those interested in grants may contact ADF President Jeff Gottke for an application at jeff@knoxadf.com. To be eligible, those who apply must be able to demonstrate:
•Stable business operations before the COVID-19 pandemic;
•Existence of a current working capital “gap” demonstrated through cost-saving measures and participation in state and/or federal programs;
•Demonstrated attempts to reduce working capital expenses.
In a July 22 letter, Gottke outlined three options for businesses already receiving EBLs through ADF and the revolving loan fund, which now wish to apply for the Emergency Business Grants. If its grant application is successful, a business can:
•Take the $10,000 grant to pay off the $10,000 loan already received;
•Take the grant and continue with the loan, which is at no interest, paid off over three years, and goes toward working capital such as payroll, rent, utilities and inventory needs;
•Not take the grant and continue with the $10,000 loan under its original terms.
Businesses that did not receive a loan have the simple choice of applying for a $10,000 grant, or not.
There are five local governments that recently applied for and received federal CARES Act funds. In addition to Knox Public Health and the hundreds of thousands of dollars it has received to offset COVID-19 related health services — such as nurses’ time for running free drive-through testing clinics and a call center — the amount each has received goes by a local government formula, Knox County Auditor Jonette Curry said. Those local governments and their CARES Act funds are: Knox County government, $691,941; city of Mount Vernon, $259,599; Village of Gambier, $27,176; Clay Township, $16,765; and College Township, $11,683.
Bemiller and Collier said commissioners plan on using $250,000 of their nearly $692,000 for the new EBG. Booth said the county to date has used CARES Act funds for COVID-19 related safety measures at the Knox County Jail; for the installment of plexiglass barriers at different counters throughout the Knox County Service Center and other county sites; funding off-site work setups for county employees, such as those who can work from home; and in providing entities with reimbursements for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
Local governments that have not applied for CARES funds have until Oct. 15 to do so, Curry said. They need to pass resolutions that are reviewed and approved by the state budget office and her office. Any CARES money not used by a local government must be accounted for and returned by Dec. 28. The funds are restricted to funding COVID-19 related expenses, and expense records are required.
In other action taken Thursday, commissioners:
•Approved a bid award of $66,166 to Core & Main for about 110 customer water meters that are part of the Martinsburg Water Project, all of which are block grant funded. The project has been delayed due to COVID-19 issues, Booth said, but the water meter installation will begin soon. The other part of the project, including a new well, well house, and water tank repairs, has yet to be awarded. The engineer’s estimate for water meters was $97,000.
•Signed a contract in the amount of $1,119,728 with Kokosing Construction, for Phase II of the resurfacing project in Apple Valley. Included in the project of six center-lane miles is part of Apple Valley Drive, and resurfacing of North Ridge Heights Drive and Valley Ridge Drive. Booth said one-third of the project is funded by an Ohio Public Works Commission grant, one-third comes from an OPEC loan over 10 years with no interest, and one-third will come from the Knox County Engineer’s budget for 2020.
