Aid available for fire-impacted businesses

Financial assistance in the form of loans may be available to Sisters businesses that took a hit from the Pole Creek Fire.

While roads remained open and no homes or businesses were actually damaged, a thick pall of smoke that settled in the area caused days of hazardous air conditions. Visitors stayed away and those locals who could fled the area, disrupting local businesses from lodging establishments to restaurants to retailers.

The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) can provide long-term loans to businesses that can demonstrate losses connected with the fire.

"They need to demonstrate that they had a large loss from last year," explained Sisters Economic Development Manager Patty Cordoni, who, along with City Manager Eileen Stein, discussed the program with the office of Governor John Kitzhaber.

The governor's office can initiate the program once five businesses have been determined to have "suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the disaster and are in need of financial assistance not otherwise available on reasonable terms," according to SBA documents.

Cordoni thinks Sisters businesses will qualify.

"From what they're telling me, there's at least five businesses," she said.

Loans can have up to 30-year terms depending on the business' ability to pay, and rates are four percent or lower, Cordoni said.

"They implemented (this) or a similar program during the B&B Fire and a lot of people applied for it," Cordoni noted.

For more information on the program, contact Cordoni at 541-771-0931.