Cortez Mayor Mike Lavey wants to make sure that businesses know about the CARES Act funds available to them to reimburse their COVID-related expenses. So he's going door to door to hand out funding applications so that the city doesn't lose the funding.
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Cortez Mayor Mike Lavey wants to make sure
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that a hundred thousand dollars
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in CARES Act funding stays in the area.
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So he decided to hand-deliver
funding applications
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to Cortez area businesses.
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You're watching the Local News Network,
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sponsored by Big O Tires in Cortez.
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
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When the city of Cortez realized it had
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a hundred thousand dollars in
COVID relief funds leftover
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from the CARES Act funding it
received earlier this year,
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it decided to share the
wealth with area businesses
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by offering reimbursement grants
ranging from 500 to $5,000.
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But a week before the deadline,
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the city had received few applications.
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So Mayor Mike decided to go door to door
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to hand out grant
applications to businesses.
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Some of the businesses
didn't get the word.
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Some haven't heard anything about it
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and some heard about it,
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but they didn't pick
up their applications,
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and some businesses didn't
know exactly how to do it.
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So I stop at businesses
and explain the application
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and tell them that the
deadline is November 23rd,
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which is Monday.
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But the second round
of applications is due
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on December 14th, which is
a couple of weeks later.
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Businesses can apply for
the COVID relief funds
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to reimburse COVID-related
losses or expenses,
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including purchase of protective equipment
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or other materials to meet public health
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and social distancing
requirements, expenses related
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to business closures like
rent, utilities or payroll
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or costs incurred for any
events that were canceled.
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Eligible businesses must be located
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within the Cortez city limits,
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must have a current
city sales tax license,
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and must still be in business
and working to reopen.
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Mayor Mike says he hopes
businesses will apply
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for the Cortez COVID relief funds
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so that the city can keep
the revenues in Cortez.
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That's why he's handing
out applications in person.
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I got a stack of a hundred
from the city clerk
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and I gave out at least 60 or 70.
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I went from Main and Maple
all the way down to Walmart
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and I'm still not finished.
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I have a few more businesses to hit
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and the response has been outstanding.
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You know, people are so happy to realize
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that they can get reimbursed
for their losses or expenses,
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and some of the businesses
have already applied.
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But they're glad to know
that the city's concerned
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about their welfare.
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So it's all a good, it's
a win-win situation.
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Applications are available
at Cortez City Hall,
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the Welcome Center and at
the Cortez Public Library.
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Businesses also can
download an application
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from the city's website
at cityofcortez.com.
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In the meantime,
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Mayor Mike encourages
Montezuma County residents
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to shop local during the holiday season
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and to wear their masks while doing so.
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What we can do is support
our local businesses.
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Instead of going out
of town or going online
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to buy your Christmas
presents or do your shopping,
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stop by the local businesses
and give them business,
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'cause we're all in this together.
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We're all hurting and we
can support our businesses
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by giving them business.
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Thanks for watching this edition
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of the Local News Network.
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Be safe this holiday season,
practice social distancing,
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and wear your masks.
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.
