City of Marshfield Considers Financial Stimulus for Local Small Businesses

Emergency Grant Program Would Provide One-Time Funds for Small Businesses

Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) The Common Council will discuss providing financial assistance to small local businesses through an emergency grant program during the COVID-19 health crisis.

As presented, the plan would provide a one-time grant up to $1,500 to small businesses to assist with costs resulting from the pandemic and keep them operational. The fund will initially be $40,000 for the program.

Grants would be determined by the following criteria, pending the Council’s decision at its remote meeting on Tuesday, April 21:

1 – The applicant must be a local, non-franchise business with 15 FTE or fewer employees as of March 17, 2020.

2 – The applicant must be in good standing at the time of application with the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions and the City of Marshfield.

3 – The applicant’s business must have a physical presence outside the home within a bricks and mortar building and be located within the City limits and must have been operating and open to the general public as of March 17, 2020.

4 – The applicant must be presently in a state of total closure or be unable to operate one or more of the main facets of its business, such as dine-in food and drink sales, as a result of any state-mandated closure order related to COVID-19 on or after March 17, 2020. A business able to continue operations remotely or while in compliance with social distancing guidelines is not eligible.

5 – The maximum grant amount is $1,500.

6 – Grant funds will be available until the funds are exhausted or until the COVID-19 related state orders resulting in the subject business interruptions have been officially lifted, whichever comes first.

7 – The grant review team may deem an application complete or incomplete and have sole discretion over disbursement of the grant. Grants may be partially or fully awarded based on the following criteria:

a) How long the business has been in existence.
b)The number of employees as of March 17, 2020.
c) Other funding received as part of the COVID-19 pandemic.
d) Level of business operation under the Safer At Home Order.

8 – It is the policy and intent of the City of Marshfield that all activities related to this grant program shall not violate any law prohibiting discrimination against any applicant or citizen of the City of Marshfield on account of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation or physical handicap.

Process of applying:

1 – COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Grant Fund applications will be made available on
the City website on Friday, April 24, 2020 by 8:00 am.

2 – The first round of applications may be submitted to [email protected]
by Monday, April 27, 2020 beginning at 9:00 am.

3 – The grant review team will review the application for compliance and availability of
funds. The team shall consist of at least one member from each of the following
organizations: City of Marshfield, Marshfield Area Chamber Foundation Inc., and Main
Street Marshfield, plus two members from the City of Marshfield Common Council.

4 – Once the grant review team deems the application complete and determines a grant
amount, the applicant will be notified of a successful award by Wednesday, April 29th,
with checks sent out shortly after.

5 – Grant funding will be dispersed to applicant to the mailing address listed on the
application.