Public Hearing on an assistance grant program
By Paul Hall on Thursday, August 26th, 2021 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – The City of La Grande is completing an Emergency Small Business & Micro-Enterprise Assistance Grant Program funded with Community Development Block Grant funds from the Oregon Business Development Department. The location of the project is throughout Union County. It is estimated that the project has benefited at least 21 persons of whom 100% were low or moderate income.
A public hearing will be held by the La Grande City Council during their regular Council meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, via Zoom. The meeting will be available for viewing via the City’s scheduled Charter Communications channel 180 that will begin at 6:00 p.m. on September 1, 2021.
The purpose of the hearing is for the City Council to obtain citizen views about the project and to take comments about the local government’s performance. Any person may submit written comments or questions, which must be received by 5:00 p.m. on August 31, 2021 at PO Box 670, La Grande, OR 97850, or by email to rstrope@cityoflagrande.org. All written comments will be read into the record and reviewed by the City Council.
The City of La Grande was awarded a $150,000 grant in August, 2020, and Northeast Oregon Economic Development District began promoting the grant opportunity to businesses with low-moderate income employees and/or owners with low-moderate income levels the same month. Since that time, NEOEDD has made nine grant awards totaling $104,000. Two of the grants were awarded to employers and five were awarded to income- qualifying micro entrepreneurs. The grant awards range from $9,000 to $25,000. Seven of the grants were made to businesses in La Grande, one to a business in Union and one to a business in North Powder.
NEOEDD and the City of La Grande have requested an extension of time to disburse the remaining funds over the next seven months.
The notice for this Public Hearing was published on August 24, 2021, and encouraged individuals to submit written comments or questions before 5:00 p.m. August 31, 2021.
Should the meeting be changed to an in-person meeting in the council chambers the location of the hearing will also be accessible to the disabled. Please contact the City Recorder Sandra Patterson at 541- 962-1309 to get up-to-date information about the meeting including location and/or let her know if you need any special accommodations to attend or participate in the hearing.
More information about the Oregon Community Development Block Grant program and the project is available for public review at the City Manager office at La Grande City Hall 1000 Adams Ave. La Grande, Oregon 97850 during regular office hours Monday thru Friday 8 am to 5 pm or you can email City Manager, Robert Strope at rstrope@cityoflagrande.org.
