FARMINGTON - County commissioner unanimously supported the creation of a COVID-19 Relief Fund to support small businesses at Tuesday's meeting.
The proposal, brought forward by Executive Director Charlie Woodworth of Greater Franklin Development Council, would match funds raised by GFDC from larger businesses with Tax Increment Financing district funds associated with the Kibby wind power project. The grants, which Woodworth previously proposed limiting to $5,000 per business, could be used to meet payroll, cover inventory expenses or pay for new additions, such as marketing plans.
Speaking with the county's TIF attorney, Shana Cook Mueller of the firm Bernstein Shur, commissioners confirmed that the economic development TIF funds could only be used for companies either located in the Unorganized Territory or undertaking work relating to economic development in the U.T. Funds provided by other sources for the relief fund, such as raised from larger businesses, could be issued without restriction.
The attorney also confirmed that TIF funds could not be used for supporting non-profits, other than for economic development-related entities.
If the program is funded and established, businesses seeking grants would apply through the commissioners and meet whatever criteria was specified. Matching whatever amount of funding Woodworth raised would not be an issue for the TIF, which had plenty of funding available, County Clerk Julie Magoon said Tuesday.
Commissioner Charlie Webster of Farmington said that the county should look to help people when possible and that the relief fund offered that opportunity. The commissioners unanimously voted to create the relief funds.
Commissioners also brought up another GFDC effort, this one aiming to bring high-speed internet to the area. The Northern Border Regional Commission announced last week that GFDC had received $1 million to bring high-speed internet to six communities in Franklin County, including Carthage, Perkins, Temple, Washington Township, Weld and Wilton. According to Woodworth, a provider had proposed funding 70 percent of the installation costs in those towns, with the federal money providing another 10 percent of the cost. Woodworth hoped to secure another 10 percent match in state funding for the installation of high-speed fiber optic, leaving the communities with 10 percent of the installation cost.
Webster took issue with GFDC not giving enough credit to county taxpayers for providing funds to assist in the Franklin County Broadband Initiative's initial planning. Commissioners voted to provide the initiative with $58,000; other entities providing planning support included Franklin County towns, ConnectMaine and the Maine Community Foundation.
Woodworth said at Tuesday's meeting that GFDC's press release on the announcement had included county commissioners in the list of entities that provided planning support.
Commissioners also briefly addressed a settlement between Franklin County and the Maine County Commissioners Association's Self-Funded Risk Management Pool, stemming from the county withdrawing from the pool as of Jan. 1, 2018. At that point, commissioners expressed concern at the risk of increased costs to Franklin County residents relating to one or more incidents occurring elsewhere throughout the system. The county's insurance package was put out to bid in late 2017, with Kyes Insurance's initial bid coming in at roughly $45,000 and MCCA risk pool offering a bid of $74,000.
The settlement agreement discharges Franklin County from any liability or responsibility towards the risk pool - highlighted by Webster as a key component of the settlement from the county's perspective - as well as vice versa for the risk pool toward the county. The agreement also includes a payment by Franklin County to the MCCA risk pool for $28,750.
Commissioners also approved a bid on snow removal in Madrid. The lowest of two bidders, Chase Logging, bid the job at $6,304 per mile for the 12.5-plus miles of county-maintained roads in the Madrid area.
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September 02, 2020 at 03:15AM
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Commissioners discuss creation of COVID-19 Relief Fund for small businesses - Daily Bulldog
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