City, chamber open business rental assistance grant
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 6, 2022
The City of Sequim has again opened applications to help local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to $100,000 is available to help owners of small brick and mortar stores within city limits who are behind in rent payments by at least two months.
City leaders will partner with the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce to consider applications for the COVID-19 Small Business Rent Relief Grant program until the funds are exhausted.
Each business may only apply once, according to city staff.
Applications opened on March 30 through the chamber’s website at sequimchamber.com.
Sequim city councilors voted Monday, Feb. 28, to use up to $100,000 from Rainy Day funds to help businesses with rent after previously allocating late last year up to $250,000 to generally support businesses hurt economically during the pandemic.
In the last two years, the council has allocated $500,000 through its Small Business Rapid Relief program.
In February, Sequim mayor Tom Ferrell suggested the $100,000 rental support option while councilor Rachel Anderson recommended saving the remaining $150,000 from the original motion to see how businesses do after the mask mandate was lifted and COVID-19 rates go down. Councilor William Armacost advocated for faster action on disbursing the funds in recent months.
What it entails
The application asks specifics of each small business, such as:
• a brief description with mission and goals
• amount in arrears with landlord
• evidence of increased costs due to the pandemic
• whether or not the business received other grant funding.
Other requirements for the grant include that the business must: be less than 50 employees; have operated in city limits for at least six months; is current with city and state licensing and regulatory requirements, and must be in arrears in rent payments for at least two months.
Any business owned or partially owned by an individual or immediate family member, manager, or director of the Chamber Executive Committee or a Sequim City Councilor or employee are not eligible for this grant.
Contact Beth Pratt, the chamber’s executive director, at director@sequimchamber.com for more information.
