Rockland Reporter

More Reviving and Rebuilding Rockland Grants Announced - Applications Now Open

Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Rockland County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr., and County Legislature Minority Leader Lon Hofstein announce the launch of two new grant programs which will utilize $7 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support small businesses and urban green spaces.

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, making up 99% of all businesses nationwide and employing about 50% of the New York State workforce. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, many small businesses have suffered from periods of closure and revenue loss. A report done last year by the New York State Comptroller found that 4 out of 5 small businesses in New York continue to report negative economic impacts caused by the pandemic.

The Rockland Small Business Rescue Grant Program will utilize $2 million in ARPA funds to reimburse small businesses between $5,000 and $50,000 for eligible expenses incurred during, and related to, the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant is for Rockland County-based, privately-owned, micro-businesses, small businesses, enterprises, or sole proprietorships, that offer fee-based goods or services and have fewer than 500 employees and annual revenues up to $1 million.  Eligible businesses include, but are not limited to, Indoor Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, Pet Grooming, Boarding, and Walking, Restaurants, Eateries, Food Stands and Food Trucks, Bars, Bakeries, Cafes, Breweries/Wineries Catering, Delis, etc., Bookstore/Stationary, Housekeeping, Fitness Centers, Florists, General Retail, Salons/Spas, Bicycle shops, Other Consumer Service Firms (i.e., Architectural, Design, Marketing).

Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Commercial/Retail Rent (up to 3 months)

• Safety Investments (Including PPE, Cleaning Supplies, UV Cleaning Supplies/Services)

• Hardware Fees

• Software Fees

• Marketing Fees (advertising and promotion)

• Credit Card Processing Fees (difference of increase from 2021 to 2022)

• Supplies (operational items)

Ineligible businesses are all Non-Profits, Churches, and other religious institutions, Landlords and property management businesses, Unlicensed or illegal businesses, Franchises, Government Contracted Agencies, businesses engaged in political or lobbying activities, businesses that received more than $300,000 in PPP funds, SBA Grants, NYS Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Funds, or NYS Bar Restaurant Recovery Grant Funds.

The pandemic highlighted the importance of urban green spaces. Across the country when many indoor recreation activities were restricted residents throughout Rockland chose to spend their time in outdoor areas that remained accessible. Residents who utilized urban green spaces reported better health outcomes during the pandemic than those who rarely went outside.

The Rockland Resilient Recreation Grant Program will award municipalities and non-profits between $5,000 up to $200,000 for investments in public urban green spaces, with the total grant program utilizing up to $5 million in ARPA Funds.

Eligible Entities:

• Rockland County Municipalities    

• Rockland County Nonprofits 

Projects include but are not limited to: 

• Active Parks 

• Passive Parks (Gardens, open play areas, picnic areas, sitting areas, etc.) 

• Playgrounds 

• Paths to Connect Existing Green Spaces 

• Community Food Gardens 

• Multi-Use Green Infrastructure (Stormwater basins, rain gardens, etc.) 

• Community beautification projects 

• Mini-Forests

County Executive Ed Day said, “Rockland County’s full recovery from the pandemic is only possible if we support our small businesses, which are the backbone of every economy, but businesses are only as strong as their workforce.  For that reason, we believe it is crucial to also invest in the mental health of our residents by developing more urban green spaces. These two programs will help ensure Rockland’s recovery stays on track.”

County Legislature Chairman Jay Hood Jr. said, “The pandemic took an incredible toll on Rockland communities, and we promise to utilize every single dollar of American Rescue Plan Act funds to help this County fully recover.  We encourage all eligible entities to apply as soon as possible so we can start delivering grants and providing the support our families and businesses need and deserve.”

County Legislature Minority Leader Lon Hofstein said, “Rockland County small businesses, and communities in general, have suffered significant financial hardship due to the pandemic. It is our job as elected officials to help in any way we can and believe these new grants will do just that by strengthening the fiscal and physical health of County residents.”

Applications for these grants program are now available. For more information and to download an application visit:

https://rocklandgov.com/.../reviving-and.../grants/

Original source can be found here.