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Council backs second round of Wadsworth business recovery grants to be administered by Local Works
Summary
Councilor Martel proposed, and council agreed in consensus, to pursue a second round of the Wadsworth business recovery grant program, asking staff to repurpose $45,000 in existing grant funds and to have Local Works administer the awards with a 5% admin fee and criteria that exclude A‑frame signs.
Councilor Martel asked the council to consider establishing a second round of the Wadsworth Business Recovery Grant Program and to delegate administration to Local Works at the March 2 study session.
Martel said the initial round received roughly $97,000 in requests and the city allocated $75,000; some businesses that she believes would benefit were not reached in the first round. She proposed giving the program to Local Works to run the next round and recommended repurposing $45,000 that city staff said was currently set aside for other grant uses but not yet distributed.
Martel summarized the original eligibility and evaluation criteria used in round one: businesses must be located within a 0.25‑mile Wadsworth construction impact zone, demonstrate construction impact, be in good standing with a Wheat Ridge business license, and propose eligible expenses such as strategic consulting, SEO/digital marketing, updated storefront signage, equipment upgrades that increase efficiency, interior layout improvements and other measurable business development activities. Payouts in the first round ranged from about $2,000 to $9,000; the initial program capped awards at $10,000.
Councilors discussed outreach and promotion, and several urged Local Works’ marketing capacity to reach more businesses. Local Works’ typical 5% administration fee was noted; staff confirmed the fee level and that Local Works had experience administering the previous round. Mayor Pro Tem Holting asked to disallow A‑frame/sandwich‑board signs as a funded expense, citing corridor aesthetics and newly installed landscaping; councilors asked Local Works to enforce any council guidance on allowable and disallowed uses.
Council reached informal consensus to move forward with Local Works administering a second round, directing staff to finalize details and return with the program terms and an implementation timeline. Staff said they would coordinate with Local Works on an outreach plan and present final program language to council before disbursing funds.
