Plumas County will hand out checks in April to 20 microbusiness owners who applied for relief from the effects of the COVID pandemic.
A total of $409,000 is going out to local businesses countywide through the Microenterprise Business Assistance and Recovery Grant Program, part of a $5 billion federal COVID relief program designed to promote economic stability and to assist with eligible business expenses.
The grant awards to Plumas County businesses range in size from less than $10,000 to $50,000, the maximum allowed under the federal program, said Tracey Ferguson, Plumas County planning director, who managed the microbusiness program for Plumas County. Among the recipients are tourism-based businesses, automotive businesses, retail businesses and media businesses. All have five or fewer employees, including the owner.
The grants are designed to make these owners whole from the three-year pandemic — “keeping the lights on and businesses running. They still had expenses to pay even if they had no customers,” said Ferguson.
The grant funds can be used for reimbursement of costs for commercial lease or mortgage payments, up to one year of payroll, utility payments and some operational needs. All expenses had to occur during the pandemic, starting March 13, 2020, and ending May 11, 2023.
The $409,000 infusing local businesses are part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which made $377 billion available to very small businesses nationwide. Grants up to $50,000 were limited to microenterprise businesses, defined as commercial enterprises with five or fewer employees. Strict eligibility standards eliminated many potential applicants, leaving unassigned money in the pot, Ferguson said.
In January, the Plumas County Board of Supervisors amended the program to increase the number of months for reimbursement from three months to 12 months, and expanded eligible expenses. In March, the supervisors agreed to allow microbusinesses that received awards to reapply for additional funds from the pool remaining after the initial grants were awarded.
American Rescue Plan Act grants of up to $10,000
The CARES Act was the first of three major pieces of COVID-19 relief legislation to lessen the impacts of the pandemic. Plumas County also received funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided $350 billion in emergency funding for eligible state, local, territorial and tribal governments to respond to the COVID emergency.
Part of this money was earmarked as an ARPA Community Grant Program, open to both for-profit and nonprofit groups. Plumas County received $540,000 for small businesses and non-profit organizations with 25 or fewer employees, said Zachary Gately, the county’s grants manager.
Of the 105 applicants, 55 were awarded grants of up to $10,000. They represent all areas of the county, with the Quincy area hosting 26, Indian Valley 11, eastern Plumas County six, Chester seven and the Graeagle area five.
The awardees belong to sectors ranging from agriculture to entertainment, insurance to healthcare. The for-profit operations include lemonade stands and woodstoves, biochar and baked goods. Among the nonprofits are Plumas Strong, White Sulphur Springs Ranch and Sierra Hospice.
“The whole point was to help bring stability during the COVID pandemic,” Gately said.
The $540,000 for community grants was part of a total $3.65 million award to compensate county departments impacted by the pandemic. The largest share went to the human resources department—$1.2 million for sick-time reimbursement and essential worker stipends. Other grant-funded departments include the sheriff’s office ($707,521), engineering ($286,000), information technology ($300,000) and the county administrative office ($50,000). These funds must be fully spent by Dec. 31, 2024, Gately said.