[OMS_MANAGERS] FW: Update on Additional Business Funding through Business Oregon

Thu Nov 19 18:52:51 PST 2020

Hello All,

If I may, I'd like to add another perspective on the challenges of these
grant programs. I've served as a project manager for 3 rounds of Business
Oregon Grants in Central Oregon now, and one thing that I haven't heard
mentioned yet is the incredible amount of time and staff capacity it takes
to review applications. In our region, roughly 40% of all applications were
submitted incomplete. This necessitates dozens of hours of follow-up and
technical assistance to help walk applicants through the process to
completion. After this stage, Business Oregon requires a second round of
follow up paperwork to certify the application and collect required tax
documents. This also requires a lot of follow-up with business owners, and
extra paperwork for them!

I think this may be one major motivator behind the first-come, first-serve
model: a desire to save business owners from doing a lot of extra paperwork
and staff from spending 3-4x the hours to follow up with applicants and
review applications. Clearly, there are inequities baked into this model
that could be solved with some upfront time and effort. In Central Oregon,
we took the time to translate everything and hire Spanish-speaking staff to
help with technical assistance, but this also resulted in less overall
money for our region, because it took us longer to launch our program.
However, leaving the application open for weeks or longer could result in
hundreds of additional applications which will all need to be reviewed
while only a small subset will receive funding. As I'm sure almost everyone
here is aware, Business Oregon disallowed *any* administrative costs for
the first 3 rounds of the grant program, so administrators were literally
doing all of this as volunteers, or dipping into other resources, programs,
or reserves to provide these grants. We all did it anyway because we care
deeply about our businesses!

Just some food for thought, that I hope might contribute to this discussion
in a positive way.

Thanks,

Janel

On Thu, Nov 19, 2020 at 4:49 PM Dan Fleishman <dfleishman at ci.stayton.or.us>
wrote:

> Following up on the post from Sheri regarding the funding going to the
> counties to distribute, here an email I just fired off to Marion Co’s
> economic development director.  (I’ve stripped out the addresses of the
> recipients) You may wish to send a similar one to your counties’ folks…
>
>
>
> Dan Fleishman
>
> Planning and Development Director
>
> City of Stayton
>
> 362 N Third Avenue
>
> Stayton, OR 97383
>
>
>
> Ph 503-769-2998
>
>
>
> www.staytonoregon.gov
>
>
>
> As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am working from home for the
> foreseeable future.  You may reach me by phone at 541-207-2558.
>
>
>
> *From:* Dan Fleishman
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 19, 2020 4:45 PM
> *To:*
> *Cc:*
> *Subject:* FW: [OMS_MANAGERS] Update on Additional Business Funding
> through Business Oregon
>
>
>
> Jason,
>
>
>
> To follow up on your email Tuesday, that was not a draft but I had copied
> you on the email I sent bcc to all of the businesses in Stayton for whom I
> have an email address.
>
>
>
> Also on Tuesday, the state announced an additional $20 million in business
> assistance funds that is going to be distributed directly by Business
> Oregon.  The application period for those funds opened at 3:00 pm this
> afternoon, was available on a first come, first granted basis and was
> snapped up in 22 minutes.
>
>
>
> I know that Marion Co has not yet determined how the funds you will be
> receiving will be distributed.  I’m estimating that Marion County will
> receive a bit under $4 million of the $55 million allocated by the state.
> My purpose in writing is to urge you to *not *use a first come, first
> serve basis.  As you can see from the emails below (on the statewide Main
> Street list serve) doing so means only those who can log on and fill out
> their form in the first couple of minutes will be able to take advantage of
> the opportunity, leaving those who are actively working, don’t check their
> email on their phone, or are otherwise in need but two minutes late out of
> luck.
>
>
>
> As you figure out the method of distributing the funds to Marion Co
> businesses, please provide an application window of at least 24 hours.
> Rather than cutting off the applications when the allocation has been
> asked, as the state did, allow additional applications during the
> application period and provide a selection methodology (even a random
> selection is more fair than first come first serve).
>
>
>
> I rarely (don’t think I ever have) include the Commissioners in this type
> of correspondence.  I have done so this afternoon, feeling the importance
> of this issue.  Hope you don’t mind my “going over your head.”
>
>
>
> Best -
>
>
>
> Dan Fleishman
>
> Planning and Development Director
>
> City of Stayton
>
> 362 N Third Avenue
>
> Stayton, OR 97383
>
>
>
> Ph 503-769-2998
>
>
>
> www.staytonoregon.gov
>
>
>
> As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am working from home for the
> foreseeable future.  You may reach me by phone at 541-207-2558.
>
>
>
> *From:* OMS_MANAGERS [mailto:oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov
> <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov>] *On Behalf Of *Kevin Teater
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 19, 2020 3:44 PM
> *To:* Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Subject:* Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Update on Additional Business Funding
> through Business Oregon
>
>
>
> The link was not posted before 3pm, at least not that I noticed. The page
> has definitely updated since I saw it around 2:30pm.
>
>
>
> It's so frustrating to me because we have so many businesses who struggle
> with technology or who speak English as their non-primary language.
>
>
>
> I don't know how a grant like this can be released and have it be a
> first-come, first-serve basis without. That automatically excludes a huge
> portion of our community from even being eligible. The inequity is
> infuriating. It feels like a lack of foresight.
>
>
>
> Kevin Teater (he/him)
>
> Executive Director
>
> Beaverton Downtown Association
>
> www.downtownbeaverton.org
>
> PO Box 311
>
> Beaverton, OR 97005
>
> (503) 332-5419
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> on behalf of
> Todd Carpenter <toddecarpenter at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 19, 2020 3:29 PM
> *To:* Oregon Main Street program managers <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Subject:* Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Update on Additional Business Funding
> through Business Oregon
>
>
>
> yeah that was totally frustrating.  we didn't get in.  going to have to
> close if it gets extended longer than the two weeks
>
>
>
> On Thu, Nov 19, 2020 at 3:28 PM Emily Bradley <Emily at scdcinc.org> wrote:
>
> From Business Oregon South Coast RDO:
>
>
>
> *“The portal is already been closed. $25M in asks in 22 minutes.”*
>
>
>
> *--*
>
> *Emily Bradley*
>
> Economic Development Specialist | South Coast Development Council, Inc.
> <https://www.scdcinc.org/>
>
>
>
> 2110 Newmark Ave.
>
> Coos Bay, OR 97420
>
> 541-888-7003 | emily at scdcinc.org
>
> https://www.scdcinc.org/
>
>
>
> [image: cid:175e2d7154f9374b62]
>
>
>
> *From:* OMS_MANAGERS <oms_managers-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> *On Behalf Of
> *Todd Carpenter
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 19, 2020 3:26 PM
> *To:* STUART Sheri * OPRD <Sheri.Stuart at oregon.gov>; Oregon Main Street
> program managers <oms_managers at omls.oregon.gov>
> *Subject:* Re: [OMS_MANAGERS] Update on Additional Business Funding
> through Business Oregon
>
>
>
> wow...  it says it's closed already :(  22 minutes?  or did it even open?
>
>
>
>

-- 
*Janel Ruehl*
*she/her/hers*

*Program Administrator*
Community & Economic Development
Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC)
 Office: (541) 548-9527
Cell: (503) 740.8625
jruehl at coic.org
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