Westmoreland County to cap initial coronavirus grants for small businesses, nonprofits at $25K

Westmoreland County commissioners said the initial round of covid-relief grants for small business and nonprofit agencies will be capped at $25,000.

County officials on Thursday unveiled criteria for the first portion of a program to dole out up to $31.5 million in federal funds to repay local entities for expenses accrued because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The county will dispense $5 million in grants to small business with less than 100 employees and another $5 million to nonprofit agencies and organizations that are headquartered in the county and provide services to local residents.

Commissioner Sean Kertes said the county opted to limit the initial grants to ensure as many entities as possible receive help. By capping the grants, the county can award up to 400 grants in the first phase, officials said.

“We can give more grants out this way,” Kertes said. “We’re looking at dispensing out to a lot of small businesses and nonprofits. Round two could be different. It could be a higher number.”

The county will begin to accept grant applications July 23-30. Grant requests will be reviewed by the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, and commissioners will have final approval of the awards.

County officials said the first batch of grants could be awarded in August.

“We anticipate it being a very competitive grant process with several applicants, so I’d imagine that even with a cap of $25,000, these funds will likely go quickly,” said Meghan McCandless, the county’s director of financial administration.

According to documentation released by the county, businesses and nonprofits can seek the grant funds to repay expenses attributed to the coronavirus for personal protection equipment, rent, payroll and operating costs.

A full list of the grant criteria is to posted on the county website.

The county will have until the end of the year to dispense the federal grants. Commissioners last month said small businesses, nonprofits and local municipalities would each receive $10 million.

On Thursday, commissioners said they may revise the grant program to hold back some money to be used to hire contact tracers to investigate spread of the coronavirus in the community. The state Department of Health now handles contact tracing for the county, but local officials said they want money in reserve should that stop.

“The state has to give us the authority to do this,” said Commissioner Gina Cerilli. “We will be putting a portion of this funding aside in case we have to do this.”

Members of the Voice of Westmoreland, a nonprofit organization that promotes racial, economic and educational equity in the county, pressed leaders to expand the scope of the grant program.

Emailed comments from more than 40 organization members and in-person comments from three others demanded public disclosure of the grant program and that funds be used to expand coronavirus testing in the county, for contact tracing, rental assistance programs, mental health support and to allow for livestreaming or remote participation in public meetings.

The county does not broadcast public meetings online or provide remote access for the public to watch and participate. That’s unlikely to change in the short term, said Commissioner Doug Chew.

“We have no resources for that type of technology, for this (meeting) room to be outfitted to accommodate that technology,” he said. “If we are looking to livestream, we have to do it right.”