T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Harrison County Auditor Allison Anderson speaks about COVID-19 relief funding available for small businesses in the county during Wednesday’s commissioners’ meeting.

CADIZ — Local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible to receive state funding through the Ohio Department of Development.

Earlier this month, the department opened a grant opportunity for each county in the state to provide financial aid to small businesses. Harrison County Auditor Allison Anderson spoke about the funding during Wednesday’s Harrison County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Anderson said the $150,000 has been allocated for small businesses in the county that incurred losses due to the pandemic. There are four grants available through the program:

∫ New Small Business Grant — Anyone that opened a business between June 1 and Dec. 21, 2020, and has at least two and no more than 25 employees;

∫ Entertainment Venue Grant — Theaters, indoor/outdoor music venues, comedy clubs, concert halls, spectator sports venues, museums, art centers/ galleries, historical sites, zoos and botanical gardens, amusement and theme parks, family fun centers, trampoline and adventure parks, arcades, golf courses, sports centers, skiing facilities, marinas, recreational sports centers, and bowling centers that experienced at least a 10 percent reduction in sales/revenue in 2020; and

∫ Food and Beverage Establishment Grant — Food service contractors, caterers, mobile food services, drinking places, breweries, wineries, distilleries with on-site drinking and/or dining, full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, coffee shops, cafeterias, buffets, snack and non-alcoholic beverage bars that experienced at least a 10 percent reduction in sales or revenue in 2020.

∫ Lodging Grant — Hotels, motels or bed and breakfasts that experienced a minimum of a 10 percent reduction in occupancy in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus;

Anderson said if the money is not distributed soon, the funding could be allocated elsewhere.

Business owners interested in obtaining one of the grants, which offer between $10,000 and $30,000 per business, can have either a federal tax identification number or their Social Security number to apply. Previously, businesses had to have a federal tax identification number to be eligible and obtain the funding, which was an issue for many local businesses last year.

“A lot of the problem last year with the grants that the state offered was that you had to have a federal tax I.D. number and a lot of people around here just used their Social Security number. So that should help a lot of small businesses here in Harrison County that just use their Social Security number for it,” she said.

An expiration date for the funding has not yet been announced, though its stipulations do state that it is “first come, first serve,” she said.

Anderson said she knows that many local businesses underwent financial difficulties last year due to the pandemic, so she wants to ensure people know there is assistance available.

Those interested in applying for the grants can do so by visiting BusinessHelp.Ohio.Gov.

In other matters, E.L. Robinson Engineering Infrastructure Business Manager Bob Allen, an engineer hired by the county to assist with the Harrisville wastewater treatment plant project, made his bid recommendation for the upgrades.

The county received three bids last week for the project — Border Patrol LLC for $320,000, Stanley Miller Construction Co. for $402,682 and S.E.T. Inc. for $439,000. The estimated $335,500 project includes the replacement of the UV disinfection unit and installation of an automatic bar screen to remove debris and prevent trash from entering the system. The project is fully funded through the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association.

Allen recommended commissioners accept the low bid from Border Patrol of Hopedale to complete the project upgrades.

“All of their bidding documents were complete and in order. We have worked with this company before and find them to be a good contractor. In addition, we called several references supplied by them and all responses were positive,” he stated in his written recommendation.

Commissioners Don Bethel and Dale Norris voted to award the bid to Border Patrol. Commissioner Paul Coffland was absent from the meeting.

Allen said there is a wait time of about 20 weeks for some of the necessary project materials. He said they plan to meet with Border Patrol representatives at 1 p.m. Aug. 25 to discuss the treatment plant upgrades.