Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clifton council approves $42,000 CARES Act grant program to help forward‑facing small businesses
Summary
The council authorized a $42,000 COVID‑19 small‑business grant program to be distributed equally among eligible 'forward‑facing' businesses, with the Town’s IDA to administer payments; the council authorized Vice Mayor Steve Effros to disseminate and collect applications before the July 7 meeting.
At a June 23 work session the Clifton Town Council approved a framework for a Town‑run small‑business grant program using CARES Act funds, setting a total allocation of $42,000 and a recommended equal split among eligible applicants.
Vice Mayor Steve Effros told the council that, because local governments cannot disburse CARES Act funds directly to for‑profit businesses, the Town’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA) would write checks to recipients and that the IDA members and director terms would be renewed at the July council meeting, at which a memorandum of understanding between the IDA and the Town would be ratified. Effros recommended categorizing eligible businesses as "forward‑facing" (for example, retail, restaurant and fitness), limiting eligibility to businesses in operation at least one year, and reserving $9,000 of the funds for the Town’s eligible expenses.
Effros said the Town could expect roughly 14 applications and proposed a seven‑day application window to expedite awards, with applications distributed electronically and by mail and without a notarization requirement. He volunteered to design the application form and clarified Fairfax County would provide the names of any Clifton businesses that advanced in the County process (which would make them ineligible for the Town grants).
Vice Mayor Effros moved to approve the grant approach discussed, with $42,000 to be divided equally among eligible applicants and with Effros authorized to disseminate and collect applications prior to the July 7 council meeting; Councilmember Melissa Milne seconded the motion, and the council passed it by roll call (Hollaway, Effros, Milne, McDonald, Hinderstein, Poe — Aye).
The minutes record that the council intends for final issuance of funds to occur through the IDA after procedural steps at the July meeting. The minutes do not include the final application form or a detailed award‑by‑amount schedule beyond the equal‑split recommendation.
