On Nov. 1, Inyo County will begin distributing the nearly $1 million dollars from the CARES Act to help local business to overcome the financial catastrophic caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Inyo County Board of Supervisors celebrated the resolution that was approved back on Aug. 18 and made available $800,000 to help those businesses in need of financial relief.
“On behalf of the Inyo County Board of Supervisors, we are excited to be able to provide some much-needed relief to local businesses who are and have been struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Board Chairperson Matt Kingsley. “Small, independently owned businesses are the backbone of our communities, and we felt it was imperative to help find a way to get some relief to these entrepreneurs, protecting their future and the overall health of the Inyo County economy.”
A total of 102 applications were received but only 78 applicants were eligible to get the grants from the REVIVE program. Out of those 78, only eight businesses close to Pahrump Valley benefited from the grants, including the Panama Springs Resort being with the highest funds granted of $21,000 following Delight Hot Springs Resort with $20,000.
Other southeast Inyo businesses such as Tecopa Hot Springs Conservancy LLC and Cynthia’s Safaris received the smallest amount of $5,000 under the REVIVE program.
Depending on the financial level that business owner needs, Inyo County will consider grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 only. The county will also give priority to those who haven’t received any other financial COVID-19 assistance from any other local,
state, or federal institutions. However, businesses that have received funding through other sources can still apply but they will be screened and reviewed by the REVIVE Grant Award Committee before submitting a final decision to the applicant.
The program is not meant to benefit all small businesses in the county. A business owner should consider the following criteria in order to benefit from the program:
• You must have been in business prior to March 1st, 2020.
• Your business must be independently owned and operated by you.
• You shall have no more than 100 employees between March 1st, 2019 through
March 1st, 2020.
• Your business must pose a valid license and registrations up-to-date.
• Your business must remain open at least 30 days after receiving the funds, but in
the case you close due to Governor Sisolak directives, you must commit to the
county that you will reopen as soon as those orders are lifted.
• If you have criminal records on your back including bankruptcy you will be
denied.
Nevertheless, whomever is benefiting from the REVIVE grant need not pay it back, but only if those funds are solely used for the main purpose of the program. Those include:
• Maintain payroll
• Paying for the operation of your business
• Equipment costs
• Inventory revision
• Spending used to fill PPE better known as Personal Protective Equipment
• And preparedness expenses (to follow CDC guides related to COVID-19)
The framers of the REVIVE program are convinced that the initiative will not only put people back to work but help businesses restore the local economy to its state prior to the pandemic.
