HERCULES CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 22-
APPROVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUSINESS GRANT ASSISTANCE AND THE BUSINESS RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS WHEREAS, the COVID-19 worldwide public health pandemic has resulted in numerous detrimental impacts on a global scale and includes national, regional, and local impacts; and WHEREAS, the City of Hercules, its residents and business community have experienced these impacts which includes significant impacts on Hercules’ business community; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and the City Council seek to assist the City of Hercules’ business community in their recovery from the impacts of the pandemic; and WHEREAS, on June 28, 2022, the City Council adopted the FY 22-23 Annual Budget which included the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) programs' approval including $150,000 for a Business Assistance Grant program and $150,000 for a Business Rental Assistance Grant program; and WHEREAS, on June 29, 2021, the City entered into an Agreement with HdL to provide assistance with developing a strategy for COVID-19 relief and the use of federal stimulus funding coming from ARPA; and WHEREAS, on April 26, 2022, the City entered into the First Amendment to the Agreement with HdL to assist in the overall administrative oversight of Hercules’ ARPA programs targeted at assisting Hercules businesses; and WHEREAS, the business assistance grants of up to $10,000 per business to provide individualized assistance to businesses in a variety of areas including employee training, rehiring of employees, COVID-19 grant application processing and financial training. Criteria includes:
Eligible businesses must be located within incorporated Hercules.
The business must demonstrate a reduction in workforce and/or loss of business revenue from March 16, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and that they received little to no financial assistance in response to the pandemic. (The timeframe for demonstrating workforce or business loss revenue is consistent with the ARPA Final Rule.) Some business types, including corporate-owned chains or non-local franchises are not eligible for the program.
Funding availability is limited, and award of funds is contingent on available of funds.
WHEREAS, the business rental assistance grants of up to $15,000 will be made available to qualified small businesses to be paid directly to their landlords to cover rent that the business owes. Criteria includes:
Eligible businesses must be located within incorporated Hercules.
The program is aimed at brick-and-mortar, for-profit businesses in operation prior to March 16, 2020, with fewer than 25 employees.
The business must lease/rent their commercial property directly from a landlord.
The business must demonstrate a delinquency in rent payments at any time from March 16, 2020, to December 31, 2021. (The timeframe for demonstrating delinquency in rent payments is consistent with the ARPA Final Rule.) The business must demonstrate a reduction in workforce and/or revenue loss from March 16, 2020, to December 31, 2021, and that they received little to no financial assistance in response to the pandemic.
Some business types, including corporate-owned chains or non-local franchises, investment and insurance companies, and commercial and residential landlords, are not eligible for the grant program.
Funding availability is limited, and award of funds is contingent on available funds.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the City Council of the City of Hercules hereby approves the implementation of the Business Grant Assistance and the Business Rental Assistance Programs.
The foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Hercules held on the 13th day of September 2022 by the following vote of the Council:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
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DION BAILEY, Mayor
ATTEST:
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LAUREN BERGES, City Clerk/PIO