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Harmony EDA recommends using CARES Act funds to buy PPE and supplies rather than small grants
Summary
Faced with limited CARES Act funding, the Harmony EDA agreed Sept. 3 to prioritize purchasing PPE and cleaning supplies for community facilities and distributing them through the Chamber instead of making small direct business grants.
The Harmony Economic Development Authority discussed options for the city’s $77,000 in CARES Act funding at its Sept. 3 meeting and concluded that purchasing cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment and similar items would provide broader benefit than awarding small direct grants to businesses.
Devin Swanberg and Chris Giesen presented options and noted the city could allocate some funds to a business grant program; Swanberg estimated perhaps $20,000 might be available for grants. Board members raised concerns that small grants would have limited impact and could be difficult to distribute fairly.
After extensive discussion board members agreed it would be more effective to buy supplies for community facilities — including the visitor center, community center and library — and distribute PPE and items to businesses through the Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce. Swanberg recommended, when possible, buying supplies from local vendors to support the local economy.
The board left the exact procurement steps to staff and the chamber, and agreed this approach would avoid levying city general funds for these purchases.
The discussion followed no formal motion to adopt a grant program; the board reached consensus on the supply-purchase approach and requested staff to proceed with procurement planning.
