By : MAURY THOMPSON
Source : http://poststar.com
Category : Small Business Grant
The grant money has been returned, but the need to help fledgling small businesses get started in Warren County remains, said members of the Greater Glens Falls Local Development Corp.
Members, at a board meeting Thursday, resolved to continue exploring whether the city-based economic group could operate a countywide "micro-enterprise" business financing and training program, which would provide assistance to businesses with six or fewer employees, with at least half the funding being used for start-up ventures.
Glens Falls Economic/Community Development Director Edward Bartholomew said supervisors of three towns in northern Warren County have contacted him asking if the city would consider operating a program.
Warren County recently ended its long-term micro-enterprise loan program as part of a reorganization of its planning and economic development functions.
The county returned a $200,000 federal Department of Housing and Urban Development grant the county had received to continue the program.
Judy Calogero, an LDC board member, said there is still a need for the small business program, even though the county discontinued it.
City and county officials, last month, explored whether the county could transfer the grant to the city, but officials concluded the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal, which distributes the federal funding, likely would not allow the grant to be transferred.
The LDC potentially could apply for new grants to provide services in the city and county, Bartholomew said Thursday.
The challenge would be figuring out who would pay the matching funds associated with grants, he said.
Bartholomew said that possibly an agreement could be worked out through the Adirondack Gateway Council, a regional planning coalition.
"All of these programs are matching funds (grants). So we have to have an internal game plan," he said.
Calogero suggested inviting state Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner Darryl Townes to visit Glens Falls to discuss the micro-enterprise program and other topics.
"We would like an opportunity to have a dialogue, not just for Glens Falls but for the Adirondack Gateway Council," said Calogero, a former state Homes and Community Renewal commissioner during Gov. George Pataki's administration.
Glens Falls Councilman-at-Large Dan Hall said it is important the Warren County business owners still be able to participate in micro-enterprise training classes.
The Washington County Local Development Corp. and EDC Warren County are working on an arrangement to continue jointly offering the micro-enterprise classes to new or aspiring business owners from both counties, and any other county, said Tori Riley, the Washington County group's president and executive director, when contacted Friday.
Students from Saratoga County and other counties besides Warren and Washington counties, have enrolled in the class in the past, she said.
Soouce : http://poststar.com/news/local/small-businesses-seek-ways-to-get-startup-help/article_1095a8be-5501-11e1-aa79-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1mFc4PzXS
