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Pawnee City council forgives $83,778 ReUse loan for Pawnee Inn & Café after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing July 22, 2024, the Pawnee City Council voted unanimously to forgive an $83,778 balance on a ReUse revolving loan for the Pawnee Inn & Café, concluding the business met the program's national objective despite falling short of a 3.57 FTE jobs target.
The Pawnee City Council voted July 22 to forgive the remaining $83,778 balance of a ReUse revolving loan held by the Pawnee Inn & Café, following a public hearing during which the city's ReUse administrator said the business met the program's national objective.
Kelly Gentrup of SENDD, participating by phone, told the council the Inn had been awarded a $125,000 ReUse loan that required creation of 3.57 full‑time equivalent jobs for moderate‑ to low‑income persons. The Inn created three of the 3.57 positions, and the ReUse Committee concluded that, given the loan balance and job creation, the national objective had been met and recommended forgiving the remaining principal.
Mayor Charlie Hatfield and council members noted the business had made above‑scheduled principal payments during the pandemic; Gentrup said the scheduled monthly payment was about $863 but that Pawnee Inn had been paying roughly $1,000 per month for about a year and a half. Pawnee Inn had a remaining principal balance of $83,778 and had paid $41,222 toward principal as of Aug. 1, 2024. Council Member Susan Eisenhauer moved to forgive the balance effective Aug. 1; the motion was seconded by Council Member Donnie Fisher and carried on a unanimous roll call vote.
Why it matters: The council's action clears the remaining loan obligation for a local business, removing a potential debt burden while relying on the ReUse Committee's finding that the program's job‑creation requirement was substantially met. The decision preserves the committee's consistent treatment of similar loans, according to council discussion.
Votes at a glance: The meeting record shows multiple motions were approved by unanimous roll call, including approval of payroll and claims, acceptance of a semi‑annual PCDC audit, approvals of a propane permit and temporary pool arrangements, adoption of the One‑ and Six‑Year Street Plan, and administrative steps such as approving Ordinance #1063 on second reading and suspending its third reading to permit timely publication.
What comes next: Gentrup noted Pawnee Inn will still owe the July 2024 payment; the council directed interested businesses to SENDD for information about other assistance programs.
