By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

Small-businesses and nonprofits with brick-and-mortar locations in the City of Apache Junction are eligible for up to $10,000 for reimbursement of personal protection equipment required because of COVID-19 or for rent and utilities.

The City Council recently voted unanimously to approve the small-business and nonprofit assistance grant programs.

The funding was made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 27. The city’s allotment of $4.8 million of CARES Act funds is a reimbursement based on the salary and benefit costs of public-safety personnel.

A total of 25% of the $4,887,430 --- or $1,221,857.50 --- is to be used for the grants, with $200,000 for nonprofits and the rest for small-businesses. Any money not used will go to public-safety funding, the council decided,

The City of Apache Junction has an estimated 860 storefront businesses and 90 nonprofits, reports Janine Hanna-Solley, the city’s economic development director.

“The program we’re proposing is based on expenses, reimbursement for costs that have already been incurred by the business and it would allow up to $10,000 per business,” she said. “They could use that for rent, utilities or cost of personal protective equipment --- often referred to as PPE --- that they had been required to purchase or meet to satisfy safety measures that were implemented such as special signage for distancing, plexiglass partitions that may have needed to be placed, etc.,” Ms. Hanna-Solley said.

To be eligible, a business would need to be for-profit, be in a commercially zoned property, not be a company-owned franchise and the business needs to be able to document that sales and income had decreased at least 25% due to COVID-19, she said.

As approved by the council, the maximum reimbursement is $10,000, which can be used for:

• Up to four months rent.
• Up to four months utilities --- water, electric, Internet, gas, sewer.
• Personal protective equipment or required modification expenses, for up to $750.

Applications are to be accepted for the five weeks of July 31-Aug. 25 or until the funding is exhausted.

“As drafted, the program is on a first-come, first-served basis right now, so we would encourage applicants to apply early,” Ms. Hanna-Solley said.

Applications will be received at ajcity.net and at City Hall, 300 E. Superstition Blvd., and will be reviewed by a city-manager-appointed staff committee.

Councilmember Christa Rizzi asked if businesses that have received other assistance would qualify for the Apache Junction program.

“Or will they be kind of pushed back to the end of the line so that businesses that haven’t received anything can come first? she asked.

As the city is doing first-come, first-served it would be difficult to delay an application but the city could, Ms. Hanna-Solley said.

Another member of council asked what would happen if few businesses seek the funds.

“What if we hardly get any requests at all? Which leaves us with a large surplus of this at the end,” Mayor Jeff Serdy said. “Since this is intended for public safety, could that then go toward public safety?”

Assistant City Manager Matt Busby said staff could bring that back for future discussion.

City Manager Bryant Powell recommended putting it in the motion.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia, Inc.. USA, since 1987. Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. He also is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows