Columbus businesses, nonprofits can now apply for COVID-19 aid funds. Here are the details

Columbus businesses and organizations have from now until August 24 to submit applications to receive coronavirus response grant monies through the city’s share of CARES Act funding.

The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress in March and was designed to provide economic relief to Americans due to the impacts of COVID-19.

Columbus is due to receive a total of $10.2 million to be allocated to the consolidated government in the first phase of funding. The city will receive $34 million overall.

To manage Columbus’ CARES Act process, the city has contracted local public relations firm Media Marketing & More.

The firm will be responsible for contacting agencies in the community that will be eligible to apply for the funding and collecting documentation that shows they qualify for reimbursement for COVID-19 related expenditures, Deputy City Manager Pam Hodge said at a July 14 council meeting.

The firm held a press conference August 10 to announce the opening of the application process and provide details about how to apply.

Organizations that can apply for the funds, according to a press release from Media Marketing & More, include:

• Local small businesses with less than 100 employees.
• Community assistance groups.
• Nonprofits.
• Arts agencies.
• Medical and healthcare organizations.

Expenditures that can be reimbursed through the program must have been incurred to respond to the public health emergency created by COVID-19, the release states. Eligible expenses include those that have not been reimbursed by any other source.

Expenses also must be incurred between March 1 and August 24 in order to be eligible to apply for this round of applications.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. August 24, and more details can be found at columbusga.gov/columbuscares. Questions can also be mailed to columbuscares@columbusga.gov.

City’s role

Georgia is the recipient of $4.1 billion of funds provided by Title V of the CARES Act, and 45% of that can be transferred to local governments for qualified expenditures.

The money can be used for payroll expenses for public safety and public health employees, telework capabilities, payments to private hospitals for COVID-19 related expenses, grants to prevent eviction from housing, assistance to small businesses, and other eligible expenses, according to Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin.

The money cannot be used for shortfalls in government revenue or to cover operational costs, employee raises, capital equipment or payroll, she said.

Columbus Council will approve all reimbursement requests before they are sent to the state for review and approval. The city will not pay out any funds until approval is received from the state.

The city has already made purchases that it expects will be reimbursed, including sound equipment needed to hold socially-distanced council meetings at the Civic Center, according to City Manager Isaiah Hugley.

“Everything that we are doing to prep our buildings and do things for COVID, whether it’s putting up face shields...we spend the money, and we can ask for reimbursement,” he said.

This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 7:00 AM.