Nye County launches COVID Relief Program

On Wednesday, March 17, Nye County officially opened its new COVID Relief Program and area residents and businesses still feeling the pinch from the pandemic can now apply to receive a portion of the available funding.

A total of $1.9 million has been made available for four separate segments of the COVID Relief Program. These include the Small Business Grant Program, the Public Rent, Mortgage and Utility Assistance Program, the Public Assistance Administered by Nonprofits, Not-for-Profits and Charities Program and the Direct Utility Assistance Program.

During the Nye County Commission’s Tuesday, March 16 meeting, commissioners made some adjustments to the COVID Relief Program as originally established, authorizing the creation of an entirely new segment of the program specific to sub-entities such as towns and the various districts associated with the county.

This came as a result of an application that had been made by the Northern Nye County Hospital District last year under the county’s previous program, the CARES Act Funding program.

That application, requesting more than $800,000 to assist with modifications of medical facilities, had not yet been approved under the CARES Act Funding program. However, money to fund the request had been set aside and therefore, county officials had brought the request back to the board this month to see how commissioners would like to handle the request going forward.

The ultimate decision was to include sub-entities in the county’s new program and allow the hospital district to resubmit its application under that segment of the COVID Relief Program.

Because of that move, the total amount available for the COVID Relief Program was increased by a correlating $800,000 which brings the total to just over $2.7 million.

While applications for the four original segments of the program are now open, those for the sub-entity portion of the program will not be accepted until March 24, allowing county staff the time necessary to organize the program and prepare the appropriate application documents.

Commissioners also decided to require all sub-entity applications to go before the board for approval, unlike those for the business and public side of the program, which are to be reviewed and approved by county staff.

In addition, commissioners also decided upon maximum amounts for each of the segments of the COVID Relief Program. The caps placed on each segment are as follows:

■ $1 million for small business grants

■ $250,000 for public rent, mortgage and uUtilities

■ $100,000 for nonprofits, not-for-profits and charities providing assistance to the community

■ $500,000 for direct utility assistance

■ $800,000 for sub-entities

This leaves the county with approximately $81,000 in contingency funds to work with.

Funding received under the Nye County COVID Relief Program must be used for costs incurred starting March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.

Details regarding eligibility as well as documentation required to submit an application can be found in the Nye County COVID Relief Program Policy. This policy and applications for the program can be accessed online at www.nyecounty.net/1090

For help with the Public Rental, Mortgage and Utility Assistance Program application contact Nye County Health and Human Services at 775-751-7095 in Pahrump or 775-482-8125 in Tonopah.

For help with any other COVID Relief Program application contact Nye County Grants Administrator Samantha Kramer at sakramer@co.nye.nv.us or call 775-751-7091.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com