City of Watertown Community Development Block Grant Small Business Emergency Relief Program
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City of Watertown
Community Development Block Grant
Small Business Emergency Relief Program
The City Council of the City of Watertown is announcing a financial relief program for small businesses
within the City, funded with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds made available to the
City via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. CDBG funds are provided by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are being used for this program to
avoid or reverse the loss of jobs held by Low-to-Moderate Income individuals. The Watertown Local
Development Corporation (WLDC) will partner with the City to oversee application intake and review.
Program Overview:
The City will administer this program to aid small businesses that have suffered and continue to suffer
revenue losses and hardships due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Any independently owned business
with 25 employees or less and located within the City of Watertown is eligible to apply for assistance
under this program.
The City anticipates that applicants will primarily utilize funding to cover working capital expenses, such
as rent, insurance, utilities, inventory, supplies or other hard and soft costs related to operations and/or
improvements. To maximize flexibility, the project would allow for both forward and backward-looking
expenses. Past payroll would not be an eligible expense. Applicants must submit copies of all bills,
invoices and/or receipts for items that grant funding will subsidize.
As the Federal Government awarded this funding to the City of Watertown through the CARES Act, the
applicant must be able to demonstrate that any hardships or revenue loss that the business continues to
experience is because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, proving that the grant funding will help the business
prevent, prepare for or respond to Coronavirus.
This program will carry a total budget of $450,000 that the City will award to eligible businesses at an
award value of up to $10,000 per business. To be eligible, an applicant must be a for-profit business
located in the City and operating within a commercial facility. Chain retailers and restaurants,
franchisees, and independent contractors will not be eligible for assistance under this program.
Additionally, applicants must have been in operation prior to January 1, 2020 and must show an
appreciable and ongoing financial hardship resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Additionally, Grant funding from this program cannot provide a duplication of funding for the same
expenses if applicants have applied to the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program (SBA PPP), and/or from
other financial relief grants or programs. If an organization applies for assistance through the SBA's PPP
or other programs, the City of Watertown Small Business Emergency Relief Program cannot provide
funding towards those same expenses. Applicants must also provide proof that this funding, if awarded,
will not result in a duplication of benefits with any other state or federal award.Finally, the City intends this to be a primarily reimbursement-based program. However, in situations where a business’s cash flow is so strained that the business lacks the liquidity to pay an overdue bill, the City will consider requests for advance payments. However, any business applying for advance assistance must demonstrate the severity of their situation. Businesses approved for advance funding will also need to submit a W-9 for each entity that they propose to pay using grant funding. Program Requirements: All applicants must describe in detail how the Coronavirus has and continues to impact their business and must submit Profit and Loss Statements for Fiscal Years 2019, 2020 and year-to-date (YTD) 2021 to support the information that they communicate in their written summaries. The City and the WLDC reserve the right to request additional information and all applications are subject to City and WLDC review and approval processes. This includes, but is not limited to, verifying that an applicant is current on all City, County and school taxes. A condition of the CDBG program is that grant funding must primarily benefit Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) persons. In order for the City to verify that the requisite percentage of its CDBG-CV grant funds will assist LMI persons as required by HUD, businesses that receive assistance will have to provide payroll records showing the type of job and the annual wages or salary of the job to demonstrate that the position filled or held/retained was a low- or moderate-income position. The City and HUD will consider the position income-qualified if the annual wages or salary of the job is equal to or less than the CDBG low-to-moderate income limit established by HUD for a one-person family. If your business is awarded funding through the City of Watertown Small Business Emergency Relief Program, you will need to read and sign a Grantee Recipient Commitment Agreement. Among other requirements, recipient businesses must retain at least the same level of employment that they held on the date of application for a period of 12 months after receiving assistance, which recipient businesses must prove by submitting payroll documentation. All applicants must submit their completed applications to the WLDC via email to the following address: applications@watertownldc.com. Application forms will be available beginning June 22, 2021. The application period will open on June 25, 2021 and will remain open until funding is exhausted. Early applications will not be accepted. The WLDC and the City will consider applications on a first come, first- serve basis. The City of Watertown greatly appreciates all that our small businesses contribute to our community!
City of Watertown
Community Development Block Grant
Small Business Emergency Relief Program
Application Form
Section I – Contact Information
Name of Applicant(s): __________________________________________________________________
Business Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Street Address (must be within City of Watertown): __________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________
Phone Number: _______________________________________________________________________
Email address: ________________________________________________________________________
Federal Tax ID #: ______________________________________________________________________
Section II – Business Information
Business Start Date: _________________
Business Ownership – List all owners/officers of the business, their titles:
Name Title
____________________________________ _____________________________________
____________________________________ _____________________________________
____________________________________ _____________________________________
Employment Information:
Current number of full-time employees: ______
Current number of part-time employees: ______
Are these positions at risk of being lost if financial assistance is not received? _________
Current Status of Business:
______ Open, fully operating ______ Open, reduced operation
______ Closed ______ Open, reduced operation due to Coronavirus impactsPlease provide a detailed History of how the Coronavirus has impacted and continues to impact your business (attach additional sheets if necessary): __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________
Please provide a detailed proposal for how you propose to use grant funding. The proposal must include an explanation of how this funding, if awarded, will not duplicate grant or loan funds received via other Coronavirus relief programs. Be sure to describe how the grant funding will address hardships and revenue loss the business continues to experience as a result of the pandemic: (attach additional sheets if necessary). __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________
Section III – Other Sources of Coronavirus Relief
Will you be applying/have you applied for the Paycheck Protection Program, Restaurant Relief Fund, or
other similar programs? _________
If yes, please identify which program(s), how much money you have received though each program, and
describe what you are utilizing/have utilized the funding towards:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Have you received/expended more than $750,000 in Federal awards in your last Fiscal Year? Y / N
If the answer to the above question is yes, additional documentation will be required.
Section IV – Attachments
The following documentation must accompany all applications at the time of submission. Applications
shall not be considered complete unless they include all of the following:
_____ 2020 Federal Business Income Tax Returns for the past year
_____ Profit and Loss Statements for 2019, 2020 and year-to-date 2021
_____ Payroll listing that includes hourly wages paid for every employee
_____ Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form
Successful applicants shall submit the following prior to the distribution of any funds:
_____ Completed IRS W-9 (“Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification”) tax forms
for your business and (if applicable) for each entity that you will pay using grant funding.
_____ Current workers compensation insurance. If New York State does not require your business to
have workers compensation (such as may be the case for sole proprietorships), then provide a
CE 200 (Certificate of Attestation of Exemption) form documenting your exception.Please Note: Requests for assistance are first come, first serve. In order for the Watertown Local
Development Corporation (WLDC) and the City of Watertown (“City”) to process your request in a timely
manner, it is important for the applicant to provide all necessary information required in the application,
including all attachments. The WLDC and the City will not consider incomplete applications and shall
only consider an application to be complete upon receipt of all required documents. An application’s
place in the order of “first come, first serve” is set based on when the WLDC receives a complete
application. An incomplete application shall not serve as a placeholder in the order of receipt.
In addition, the WLDC and the City reserve the right to request further documentation and/or
clarification as part of the application review process. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide
answers and additional documentation as requested by the WLDC/City during the review process.
Failure to provide the information requested in a timely basis will delay a decision regarding approval.
Section V – Application Certification
I certify and affirm by my signature below that the information contained in this application, or
otherwise supplied as part of this application, is complete and current to the best of my knowledge.
I further understand that any intentional misrepresentation of facts, submission of knowingly false or
misleading information in or accompanying this application may lead to the immediate termination of
any financial assistance, and/or a repayment of grant funds.
By signing this form, I am confirming that the statements made in this application are accurate and
correct and that I agree to provide the required information to complete the necessary review and
approval processes.
______________________________ _____________________________ ___________________
Applicant Signature Print Name and Title Date
I also understand and agree to the following (please initial):
_____ All taxes on properties owned must be current and up to date or on a tax agreement with the
City of Watertown
_____ Business and property owners must be in good standing with the Bureau of Code Enforcement
and must not have any outstanding violations
_____ All successful applicants must sign a Grantee Commitment Agreement prior to and as a
condition of assistance that affirms, among other obligations, that the recipient business will
retain at least the same level of employment that they held on the date of application for a
period of 12 months after receiving assistance.CITY OF WATERTOWN
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM
CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM
The City of Watertown is funding the Small Business Emergency Relief Program using Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies. HUD regulations at 24 CFR 570.611, 24 CFR 85.36 and 24 CFR
84.42 prohibit an employee, officer, or agent of the grantee/subgrantee or recipient/subrecipient from
participating in the selection, or in the award or administration of a contract supported by Federal funds
if a conflict of interest, real or apparent, would be involved. Any real or apparent conflicts of interest
must be publicly disclosed and reported to the City of Watertown, as the grant recipient and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development as the funder. This CDBG Conflict of Interest Statement
is meant to address this regulatory requirement.
The objective of this form is to provide applicants with the opportunity to disclose in advance any
relationship that might carry a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Please
describe below any relationships, transactions, positions you hold (volunteer or otherwise), or
circumstances that you believe could contribute to a conflict of interest.
Potential conflicts of interest for this program may include but are not limited to any personal or
professional relationships with City of Watertown Staff and/or Elected Officials as well as any personal
or professional relationships with Watertown Local Development Corporation (WLDC) Board Members.
If you have no conflict of interest to report, please write “none” in the space provided.
I wish to disclose the following conflict(s) of interest and/or the appearance(s) of a conflict of interest:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________I have read and understand the Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Form. I have disclosed all information required by this disclosure, if any, in an attached statement. I agree to comply with any conditions or restrictions imposed by the federal regulations under the Community Development Block Grant program to reduce or eliminate actual and/or potential conflicts of interest. I will update this disclosure form promptly if relevant circumstances change. I understand that this Disclosure is not a confidential document. Name of Applicant _____________________________________________________ Name _____________________________________________________ Name of Business Applying for Assistance _____________________________________________________ __________________________ Signature Date
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