Days before Pierce County officially “rolls back” to Phase 2 under the state’s reopening plan, the Pierce County Council unanimously adopted an emergency ordinance approving the use of $4 million from the county’s general fund to support local businesses.
The ordinance creates a program to offer a one-time, needs-based grant up to $10,000 to eligible businesses and authorized Pierce County’s Economic Development Director to administer the program and directed the department to conduct outreach into unincorporated Pierce County to increase awareness of the program.
Funding is available to the following business types:
- Restaurants, tap rooms, caterers and similar eating and drinking establishments without a drive-through.
- In-store retail.
- Arts and culture establishments like theaters, museums, and entertainment venues.
- Fitness facilities, gyms, and bowling centers.
- Farmers markets.
Pierce County businesses and nonprofits are eligible for the grant if they have 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (eating/drinking establishments have no employee limit), are directly impacted by the Phase 2 rollback and are not a corporate chain or corporate franchise.
Find more information online, including the application once it is available, at https://www.piercecountywa.gov/7239/2021-Rollback-Relief-Grant