Submitted by: Patrick Paschall
Submitting Department: Finance
Agenda Section: Action
Item Title:
title
ARPA: Small Business Emergency Relief Program
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Suggested Action:
recommendation
I move that the Mayor and Council reallocate $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Permit Expediting Program to the Small Business Emergency Relief program, and to establish an end date for the Small Business Emergency Relief program of March 31, 2023.
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Summary Background:
In May 2022, the City Council established a $1,000,000 Small Business Emergency Relief fund, which consists of two programs - $900,000 for Small Business Emergency Relief payments, and $100,000 for a Permit Expediting Program. In November 2022, the Council increased the allocation for the Small Business Emergency Relief payments program by $500,000, for a total allocation of $1.5 million.
The Permit Expediting Program was conceived to assist Hyattsville Small Businesses with expediting permit processing by hiring county-approved permit processors who can expedite the permitting process by 50%. This information was gathered by staff on the DPIE website indicating that the program existed.
Upon investigation, staff is unable to confirm that the program exists or that utilizing the services of permit expediters results in faster permit approvals. Staff interactions with DPIE indicated that DPIE staff were generally unaware of the program and could not confirm that it is currently operational.
As a result, staff is unable to develop this program. Staff recommends that the funds be reallocated into the Small Business Emergency Relief fund. This would keep the overall allocation for the program at $1.5 million, rolling the $100,000 for the permit program staff is unable to develop into the existing, successful emergency relief program for small business.
Staff is recommending establishing an end date for all emergency relief programs, of March 31, 2023, for the Small Business and Non-Profit programs, and May 31, 2023, for the Household Emergency Relief Program.
Next Steps:
Reallocate funds and update communications to indicate new allocation totals.
Fiscal Impact:
Neutral - reallocating $100,000 from one program to another will have no net change to budgets or expenses.
City Administrator Comments:
Recommend support.
Community Engagement:
Staff continue to conduct outreach to the community about all available emergency relief programs.
Strategic Goals:
Goal 2 - Ensure the Long-Term Economic Viability of the City
Legal Review Required?
N/A