San Benito County, CA – October 22, 2020: The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved nearly $200,000 of CARES Act funding to support local, small businesses and their financial needs in the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista.
San Benito County will provide $193,333 in one-time funds to support small businesses and address unforeseen financial needs and risks created by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The federal funds were provided through the CARES Act, which was then allocated to the County of San Benito.
Through a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County of San Benito, the City of Hollister will receive $150,000, and the City of San Juan will receive $43,000.00. In the MOU, the cities have the flexibility to create their programs with the caveat to prioritize businesses that have been operating for at least one year prior to March 1, 2020.
Furthermore, the MOU asks that the funds be utilized for facility readiness (such as outdoor seating and heating) to maintain outdoor operations during the fall/winter season. Along with social distancing preparedness and other COVID-19 modifications, the MOU criteria states that the cities must also prioritize: the revitalization of local businesses and organizations with businesses with leases for office or commercial and or storefront operations within the County of San Benito.
“Supervisor Hernandez, Supervisor Botelho and together chair the CARES Act Ad HOC Committee. Supervisor Elect Bea Gonzales-Ramirez served as a non-voting member of the committee. Through their committee research they felt that there was a real need to prioritize local small businesses. They felt that we are responsible for helping our neighbors and supporting our communities and our local businesses. The Board of Supervisors have been working on solving these local problems since the beginning of the pandemic. Our Board of Supervisors unanimously supported this funding.” - CAO Ray Espinoza
The MOU has been sent to Hollister and San Juan Bautista City Councils for execution.
Contact San Benito County PIO David Westrick at [email protected] or call 831-636-4168 for any questions or clarifications.
