City COVID-19 relief grants

Small business relief assistance grants totaling $40,000 have been awarded by the City to 17 local businesses that have been severely impacted by the pandemic.

In the FY 2020-21 budget, the City allocated up to $40,000 for that purpose. On March 10, The City Council approved Resolution 2021-03 authorizing the Grant Relief Program and designated Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce as the administrator.

A grant committee was formed including Councilor Andrea Blum for the City, Judy Trego and Turi Shergold for the Chamber, and Caprielle Foote-Lewis for Sisters Country Economic Development, and program criteria were established.

Eligibility required a net operating loss due to COVID-19 of 25 percent or greater (demonstrated by end-of-year financials for 2019 and 2020). Seventeen of 20 applicants qualified, meeting all four of the criteria. Because there was some money left over after each business was granted $2,000, the extra was divided among five businesses that had a net operating loss of 50 percent or greater. Those five each received $3,200.

Those businesses receiving $2,000 included: Alpaca by Design; Cascade Fitness/Premier Fitness; Clearwater Gallery; Common Threads Sisters, Inc.; Hardtails Bar & Grill DBA Mullets, Inc.; Cottonwood Café; Metamorphosis Hair Salon; MSKL Investment DBA Mackenzie Creek Mercantile; Shanti Management, LLC DBA Sisters Inn & Suites; Spoons of Sisters, LLC; Suttle Tea, LLC; and Team Rambo Events Electrical, LLC.

Businesses receiving $3,200 each included: Belfry Events, LLC; Central Oregon Shows; Gypsy Wind Clothing; Quoin Media & Entertainment, LLC; and Sisters Athletic Club.

City Recorder Kerry Prosser indicated that, following notification of the recipients last Friday morning, she received a number of very heartfelt responses from recipients indicating their gratitude for the extra help.