How is Turlock spending CARES Act money? This coronavirus relief application is one way
Turlock businesses facing financial hardship because of COVID-19 can apply for grants this month through one of several city programs designed to provide relief to the community.
In a program with Opportunity Stanislaus the City Council approved Tuesday, Turlock will distribute $800,000 to independently owned businesses, granting a maximum of $25,000 each depending on employee numbers.
Funding for the grants comes from the $2.5 million Turlock received via the federal CARES Act, and the council unanimously approved the allocation along with other spending during its regular meeting Tuesday. Additional usages of the stimulus money include $50,000 for training workers displaced by the pandemic, $25,000 in additional funding for a downtown relief program and $15,000 for shop local marketing.
Business owners with operations based in Turlock have until the Nov. 30 deadline to submit applications for the coronavirus grants either online or by mail. As of Tuesday morning, 30 businesses had applied, City Manager Toby Wells said.
“No scoring, no any of that will happen until it’s closed and those applications are in,” Wells said in the meeting. “There’s plenty of time.”
The grants must be used for business expenditures between March 1 and Dec. 30, according to the application website. The aid can cover payroll, personal protection equipment purchases, lease and rent costs, cash operating expenses and business modifications among other categories.
Turlock launches COVID-19 business grant application
Generally, businesses that employed up to nine workers when the pandemic began are eligible for up to $15,000, the application says. Businesses with 10 to 19 employees can receive up to $20,000, while those with 20 or more may qualify for the maximum $25,000.
Independent contractors and sole proprietors may also qualify for the grants, but ineligible businesses include lending and investment institutions, insurance companies and corporate-owned national chain operations. The program also excludes nonprofits, but according to the website, the city may open a second round to 501(c)(3) organizations if excess funding remains.
Among the required documents to apply are a Turlock business license, proof of liability insurance, payroll documentation, utility bill copies and copies of a mortgage statement or rental lease. Opportunity Stanislaus, which the city is paying $10,000 to administer the program, will review completed applications and send them to a city selection committee.
The committee is scheduled to review the applications after the Nov. 30 deadline, determine grant awards and notify applicants. The application is available at TurlockBusinessRelief.com.
Rent, mortgage assistance among other relief spending
Separate from the $2.5 million in CARES Act money Stanislaus County allocated Turlock, the city received $849,000 in federal coronavirus relief funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The City Council on Tuesday approved spending those funds, setting up a COVID-19 mortgage, rent and utility assistance program for individuals and families. The city’s housing program is set to administer the program and requirements will be discussed at a future council meeting.
Out of the allocation from the county, the council on Tuesday approved spending for three other programs besides the business grants. To give Turlock residents who lost work during the pandemic skills in high demand, the city will spend $50,000 on scholarships for the Valley Occupational Learning and Technology (VOLT) Institute. The City of Modesto similarly funded scholarships for the trade school, and Wells said an agreement on the Turlock scholarships is under development.
Secondly, the council approved spending $25,000 of CARES Act money to support the RAD Card Program, which stands for Relief Across Downtown. The card matches contributions in a prepaid app, allowing people to spend funds at participating businesses. The city funding is in addition to the $125,000 Stanislaus County allocated for Turlock businesses.
Council members designated another $15,000 for a shop local marketing campaign during the holiday season. City staff are still soliciting proposals from marketing businesses, Wells said.
One CARES Act spending proposal the council nixed at the previous meeting was replacing heating, ventilation and air conditioning units at City Hall. Staff recommended allocating $170,000 to improve ventilation and reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus. Council Member Nicole Larson was among those who spoke in favor of directing the money to assistance programs.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
