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City adopts small-business grant program after business-retention survey; staff to manage applications
Summary
The Fort Scott City Commission approved a new small-business grant incentive program after city staff presented a business retention-and-expansion survey showing workforce and housing constraints for local employers.
The commission unanimously approved a small-business grant incentive program after hearing results of a business retention and expansion (BRE) survey presented by Mary Wyatt and partners.
Mary Wyatt and Jody Love presented survey findings: the city's BRE effort received 34 responses that collectively represented roughly 450 employees and found persistent workforce constraints (child care, housing and difficulty recruiting unskilled and semi-skilled workers). Wyatt said 32% of respondents indicated they would offer new services if they had access to adequate skilled labor and financing. The survey ranked business priorities and asked respondents what local government could do; top items were improved marketing and communication, incentive programs and workforce development.
Commissioners used that survey as context for a proposed small-business grant incentive program. City staff described a fund to be drawn from economic development dollars with quarterly allocations and a maximum per-application award. Key points discussed at the meeting included:
- Funding model: the program packet described a quarterly allocation (the packet referenced $15,000 per quarter) and a maximum request per application (the packet allowed up to $10,000) with an intent to allow rollovers and reapplications if funding in a quarter is exhausted. - Matching requirement: commissioners discussed a private match. The staff and commission conversation referenced a 25% match as a likely policy baseline while retaining flexibility for case-by-case exceptions. - Application and review: the program uses a reimbursement model in general, requires applicants to provide a business plan, and sets a points-based evaluation system (scored by percentage of the requested amount so awards can be proportional rather than absolute dollar bands). - Confidentiality: staff noted applicants may need to submit financial documents; commissioners agreed those documents should be kept out of the public commission packet and available for in-camera review by commissioners only.
The commission voted to proceed with the program as presented, with staff charged to administer intake, vet applications, and present recommended awards to the commission. Commissioners discussed that applicants should be available to answer questions in person when their applications are presented.
Vote: The motion to move forward with the small business grant program passed unanimously (recorded votes in the meeting record show the five commissioners voted yes).
