Economic Recovery Update – September 2021

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Record EDA Investments Aim to Build Back Better

The September 2021 Economic Recovery Report from the Western Nevada Development District shows how WNDD’s Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan is progressing toward implementation and how the WNDD Broadband mapping project is a tool to help close Northern Nevada’s digital divide.

The briefing also includes details on the Economic Development Administration’s historic $3 billion economic development plan, authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act. The update, funded through a CARES Act Supplemental Award for the United States, aims to support the revitalization, expansion, and improvement of distressed communities’ infrastructure to ultimately attract industry, encourage business retention, growth, and recruitment, and generate long-term private-sector jobs and investments.

Read the Update!

Five for Friday: Grant Opportunities – August 6, 2021

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Collected by the Western Nevada Development District

Economic development grants and loans can help revitalize and build sustainability in urban, rural, and tribal communities. Strategic investments help support local economies, create jobs, and attract private investments to better residents’ lives. Every first Friday, the Western Nevada Development District will share our Five for Friday; grant programs from a variety of sources that can help the region navigate economic recovery from the pandemic, support volunteer fire departments or bring connectivity to tribal lands.


Investing in America’s Communities

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is investing $3 billion from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan which will enable the EDA to provide larger, more transformational investments across the nation in six grant categories while utilizing its greatest strengths, including flexible funding to support community-led economic development. This is the largest economic development initiative from the Department of Commerce in decades and will help communities across the country impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Upcoming EDA webinars that will take a deep dive on the grant categories:
Economic Adjustment Assistance Webinar
Monday, August 9 @ 2pm EST
Indigenous Communities Webinar
Tuesday, August 10 @ 2pm EST
Good Jobs Challenge Webinar
Thursday, August 12 @ 2pm EST

EDA American Rescue Plan Programs | U.S. Economic Development Administration


Every Nevadan Recovers

The State of Nevada has launched its Nevada Recovers website to solicit ideas and projects for monies the state will receive from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) which will allocate a total of $6.7 billion to the state through a wide number of programs and services, such as K-12 education, vaccine distribution, food security, consumer protection, housing assistance, direct payments to taxpayers, and additional unemployment insurance assistance. The ARP also includes direct aid to State and local governments, which should deliver $2.7 billion to the State of Nevada, with counties and local governments expected to receive an additional $1 billion (collectively). Along with the digital survey found on the website, the State Treasurer’s office has kicked off a 75-day “Nevada Recovers Listening Tour” to connect with communities all over Nevada to get ideas on how the state could spend the money.

Two of the upcoming Town Hall meetings have been announced in the WNDD region:

August 10th, 5:00 pm: Pershing County – Pershing Community Center, Lovelock
August 12th, 1:30 pm: Mineral County – Hawthorne Ordnance Museum

Nevada Recovers 

RecupérateNevada.com


Volunteer Fire Departments

The Leary Firefighters Foundation’s Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program provides funds to paid and volunteer departments in three areas of support: training, with the goal of enhancing the professional development of departments; equipment, with the goal of providing the best equipment to help keep firefighters and the communities they serve safe; and technology, with the goal of ensuring that fire departments update along with technological advances. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $25,000. Deadline: Letters of Intent 8/15/2021; invited applications 10/1/2021. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the guidelines for the Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program.

Leary Firefighters Foundation


Urban and Community Forestry Program

This program provides funding to local governments, educational institutions, Native –American tribal governments and non-profit groups for urban forestry projects. Proposed programs should foster partnerships reflecting the ongoing effort to provide healthy, safe and livable neighborhoods are highly encouraged. This grant program is part of Nevada’s ongoing initiative to provide funding for urban tree inventory and analysis, management planning, urban forestry awareness, education and outreach projects, and new urban tree plantings. Grant applications are open, and are awarded on an open and continuing basis They range from a minimum of $2,000 to a maximum grant request for urban forestry management planning, inventory, or tree assessments of $30,000.

Urban and Community Forestry Program


Broadband Service on Tribal Land

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has grants available for broadband service on Tribal Lands that promote the use of broadband to access remote learning, telework or telehealth resources during the Covid -19 pandemic. NTIA expects to make awards under this program within the following funding ranges: Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Projects: Between $1 million and $50 million. Broadband Adoption and Use Projects: $50,000 to $2.5 million. Deadline is September 1, 2021.

Broadband Service on Tribal Land

WNDD Economic Recovery Update – August 2021

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CEDS Priority Projects Identified

The Summer 2021 edition of the Western Nevada Development District (WNDD)’s Economic Recovery Update shares how WNDD’s Economic Recovery & Resiliency Plan is moving into the action phase. Plus, it details how the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update has identified the region’s top infrastructure projects and workforce programs that promote economic recovery, community resiliency and job growth in top-paying industries. The update also shares information on the Economic Development Administration’s unprecedented $3 billion economic development initiative under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Part of a CARES Act Supplemental Award for the U.S., the Update aims to support the revitalization, expansion, and improvement of distressed communities’ infrastructure with a comprehensive goal to attract industry, encourage business retention, growth and recruitment, and generate sustainable private-sector jobs and investments.

This monthly newsletter is part of WNDD’s effort to identify and develop strategies to create and build a more resilient economy in our region, plus the latest in available grant opportunities.

Read the Update!

EDA Announces American Rescue Plan Programs

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$3 Billion in Funding Immediately Available to Communities Across the Country

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced six programs, collectively called Investing in America’s Communities, that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will execute to equitably invest the $3 billion it received from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

This is the largest economic development initiative from the Department of Commerce in decades and will help communities across the country impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

In this morning’s White House press conference, Secretary Raimondo said all grant awards will be evaluated “through an equity lens.” The return on the EDA investments will be measured through job creation, she added.

WNDD staff will keep membership posted as more information on Rescue Plan grant distribution becomes available through the EDA and how CEDS-supported projects can be aligned with these investment categories.

Investing in America’s Communities includes:

1.  Build Back Better Regional Challenge ($1 billion) will capitalize on American ingenuity and American workers by providing a transformational investment to regions across the country to revitalize their economies.

2.  Good Jobs Challenge ($500 million) is designed to help get Americans back in good-paying jobs. The program will develop and strengthen regional workforce training systems and sector-based partnerships with a focus on programs targeted at women, people of color and historically underserved communities.

3.  Economic Adjustment Assistance ($500 million) grants will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through projects tailored to meet local needs.

4.  Indigenous Communities ($100 million) program will work hand-in-hand with Tribal Governments and Indigenous communities to develop and execute economic development projects they need to recover from the pandemic and build economies for the future.

5.  Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation ($750 million) program will focus on revitalizing the hard-hit travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries and accelerate the recovery of communities that rely on these sectors.

6.  Statewide Planning, Research and Networks ($90 million) grants include funding for state planning efforts as well as grants to build Communities of Practice to extend technical assistance to support EDA’s work with grantees.

Additionally,  EDA is making a Coal Communities Commitment, allocating $300 million to ensure support for these communities as they recover from the pandemic and create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector.

The EDA and the American Rescue Plan Funding Opportunities are providing informational webinars which will be held on July 27, 2021 and July 29, 2021.

EDA American Rescue Plan Programs

Meet the Speakers: Profiles in Resiliency

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A Western Nevada Development District Webinar

Friday, March 19, 2021
9 am till 11 am

Presented by the WNDD Economic Recovery & Resiliency Council

To better understand the ability and notion of resilience in a world of community and individual crises, the Western Nevada Development District is pleased to present these experts who will share their experiences dealing with the floods of Hurricane Harvey, the devastating Tubbs Fire and the everyday reality of cyberattacks on our connected communities.

 

Jillian Donatto is lead staffer in administering programs in support of members of the Houston- Galveston Area Council and the Gulf Coast Economic Development District; leading design and execution of a 2-Year Action Plan for COVID-19-related economic recovery; support other programs across the Sustainable Development Portfolio ranging from regional conservation to transport.

 

 

 

 

Sean McGlynn was named Santa Rosa City Manager in 2014. He was previously a deputy city manager from El Paso, Texas overseeing a range of departments including aviation, planning and economic development. Last year, Mr. McGlynn was named City Manager of the Year by the California City Management Foundation for going “beyond the call of duty to lead and serve the community.”ation & land use planning.

 

 

 

 

Mark R. Schonberg (U.S. Army Colonel, Ret.) is President of TerraScale, a clean infrastructure design and development firm that is bringing Project Energos; a 3,700 acre mixed-use development near Fernley NV Reno, NV that aims to enable secure, swift storage and transmission of data between government agencies and commercial client. Schonberg has more than three decades of senior leadership in the United States Military in the IT services, Cyber Security and data center construction.

 

REGISTER TODAY!

 

 

 

WNDD Economic Recovery Update – Jan 2021

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It’s time to Rebuild our Region

 

Greetings Fellow Nevadans,

Happy New Year!

We’re proud to share the January 2021 edition of the Western Nevada Development District’s Economic Recovery Update. This newsletter is part of WNDD’s effort to identify and develop strategies to create and build a more resilient economy in our region.

This edition of the Economic Recovery Update highlights the activities and progress of the Economic Recovery and Resiliency Council. The update also shares information and data that can help WNDD members and other regional businesses and organizations plan and implement their recovery and resiliency efforts.

In the update, you’ll find information about …

– Available grants and grants in the works
– Data and information regarding economic recovery
– Relevant news articles
– Member success stories
– And more!

Read the Update!

We look forward to sharing new information with you each month.

Regards,

Roy Edgington
WNDD President
Mayor, City of Fernley

P.S. We want to highlight your success stories or opportunities with other WNDD members. To get in touch with us about what you’re doing to rebuild a vibrant, resilient, sustainable economy, email:

Economic Recovery Coordinator- Don Vetter
DVetter@wndd.org

Update: COVID-19 Relief & Spending Package

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Congress has passed a $2.3 trillion omnibus spending bill…

The bill includes approximately $900 billion in economic stimulus for COVID-19 Relief and several relief provisions, authorizing matters and appropriations to provide aid to small businesses and communities during the pandemic.

From our partners at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), here is a synopsis of what we’ve learned so far from the COVID Relief Package. We will continue to share updates as more developments take place.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) – Small Business Administration

• 501(c)6 organizations are eligible to participate, including economic development organizations that are registered as 501(c)6 organizations

• Program extended until March 31, 2021

• Tax issues resolved:

• Gross income does not include any forgivable amount of the PPP loan
• Deductions are allowed for deductible expenses paid for by any forgiven amount from PPP loan

PPP Forgiveness Simplified

• Loans less than $150,000 require simple certification in the form of a one-page letter from the borrower to the lender stipulating basic criteria and providing simple, high-level details

• Eligible uses formally expanded:
• Covered operations (software, tech, human resources, etc.), covered property damage (associated with ‘disturbances’ happening during 2020), covered supplier costs (supplies, inventory, etc.), covered health and safety expenses (PPE, testing, etc.) were further clarified as eligible uses of PPP loans and eligible for forgiveness
• Benefits such as life insurance, disability insurance, vision and dental were also clarified to be eligible covered expenses
• Borrower may select their covered period end date, between 8 and 24 weeks after origination

The latest round of PPP is $284.45 billion (program total authorization rises to $806.5 billion lifetime) and includes a number of carve-outs:
• $35 billion set aside for first-time borrowers
• $25 billion is set aside for smaller organizations with 10 employees or less or loans less than $250,000 in low-income areas.
For organizations with less than 300 employees:
• Must have used or will use the full amount of first PPP loan
• Must show at least a 25% reduction in revenue in the first, second, or third quarter of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019; applications submitted on or after January 1, 2021, may use a fourth quarter 2020/2019 comparison
• 60/40 cost allocation between payroll and non-payroll costs to receive full forgiveness remains

Other Tidbits

Unemployment Insurance

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is extended until March 14, 2021, and the maximum number of weeks of eligibility is extended from 39 weeks to 50 weeks
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PUEC) is extended until March 14, 2021 and the number of weeks of eligibility is extended from 13 weeks to 24 weeks
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation is reinstated at $300 per week from the week after December 26, 2020 and runs through March 14, 2021

“Stimulus” Payments

• $600 to individuals earning $75,000 or less per year and plus an additional $600 for every dependent child; decreasing amounts for those earning $75,001 or more at a rate of -$5 for every $100 over the earning limit

Education

• $22.7 billion for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, including $1.7 billion for HBCU’s, tribal colleges and universities, and Hispanic serving institutions

Housing

• $25 billion for rental assistance
• Eviction moratorium extended to January 31, 2021

Transportation

• $2 billion for aid to airports, include airport retail
• $10 billion for highways for states to replace lost revenues that would support maintenance, operations, personnel, etc.
• $14 billion for mass transit operations

What isn’t in the bill?

• The $900 billion legislation is a drastically different bill than what has been proposed throughout the spring and summer
• Assistance for state and local governments was completely left out
• The bill is silent on the Economic Development Administration as it relates to COVID-19 — though for full-year appropriations the agency did see an increase from $333 million in funding to $346 million for fiscal 2021

We encourage you to connect with your members of Congress and their staff to acknowledge their hard work in getting this latest bill done, but reminding them that there remains much unmet need for communities, businesses and Economic Development Organizations which are working on recovery and community economic resilience.

WNDD Economic Recovery & Resiliency Council members welcomed by President -Fernley Mayor Roy Edgington and Vice President – City Council Woman Naomi Duerr

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Council to Identify Steps and Strategies for Immediate and Long-term Economic Recovery

The Western Nevada Development District’s (WNDD) Economic Recovery & Resiliency Council kicked off their important work on Dec. 9, 2020 with an orientation meeting featuring presentations from some of the state’s top economic analysts and advisors on what it will take to not only bounce back, but to bounce forward from the Covid-19 economic downturn.

The 14-member council will champion the steps and strategies for not just immediate economic recovery in Western Nevada Development District (WNDD) region, but also how the community can build economic resilience to weather the next pandemic, the next earthquake, the next flood, or the next great recession.

Roy Edgington, President of the WNDD Board of Directors and Mayor of the City of Fernley, welcomed the Council and stressed their unique position in this unique set of circumstances.

“Your skills, knowledge and devotion to our community will be instrumental in helping to shape a coordinated and actionable plan to rebuild and strengthen economic activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Edgington said.

The Council heard from three economist; Dr. Thomas Harris and Buddy Borden of the University of Nevada Center for Economic Development and Eugenia Larmore, CEO of E-KAY Consultants. Their information tracked the trajectory of the economic impacts thus far and factors that will contribute to recovery, or the continuation of the pandemic-induced recession. They stressed the northern Nevada’s diverse economic landscape has helped the community weather this storm better than other parts of the state and country.

Bob Potts, Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development presented the State Plan for Economic Recovery and how the Council will align with those strategies and be part of future actions and policies to try and have the economy come out of the pandemic stronger than when the pandemic took hold.

Marlene Rebori, from UNR Cooperative Extension, shared the tools at the Council members’ disposal to stimulate dialogue and glean the information and perspectives from each of the business, industry, government groups or economic sectors…the Council Teams.

WNDD is uniquely positioned in this task as an experienced, regional planning leader and portal to grant assistance that can support these recovery and resilience projects, Edgington said, who was joined by WNDD Vice President, Naomi Duerr of the Reno City Council in welcoming the Council members.

The Council members will be building their teams and begin taking input from their groups on issues and challenges experienced in the sector, or issues that became unveiled within the sector, because of the pandemic. A full virtual gathering of the Council team is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2021.

Council Recovery Teams and Council Representatives

Economic Development
Andrew Haskin, Deputy Director, Northern Nevada Development Authority

Government
Bob Hastings, Western Nevada Development District & Lyon County Commission (2012-2020)

Business
Ann Silver, CEO, Reno/Sparks Chamber of Commerce

Health & Wellness
Kitty McKay, Director of Mission Integration, Carson-Tahoe Hospital

Utilities/Infrastructure/Transportation
Lucia Maloney, Transportation Manager, Carson City

Education & Workforce
Dana Ryan, Special Assistant to the President, Truckee Meadows Community College

Financial
Jeremy Gilpin, President-Commercial Lending, Greater Nevada Credit Union

Tourism/Hospitality/Arts & Culture
Carol Chaplin, CEO, Lake Tahoe Visitor’s Authority

State & Federal Lands/Natural Resources
Don Vetter, Western Nevada Development District

Housing
Ron Bath, Founder, Salmon Point Development

Information Technology
Vas Karmyshanov, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Balanced Agency

Manufacturing
Mark Anderson, Director, Nevada Industry Excellence

Mining
Joe Riney, Director of Workforce Engagement, Nevada Mining Association

Building & Trades
Aaron West, CEO, Nevada Builders Alliance

WNDD Economic Recovery Report – Nov 2020

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Building the Bridge to Resiliency and Recovery

 

Greetings Fellow Nevadans,

On behalf of the Western Nevada Development District (WNDD) Board of Directors, I am proud to announce the first edition of the WNDD’s Economic Recovery Report. This monthly newsletter is part of WNDD’s effort to identify and develop strategies to support economic recovery and build a more resilient economy in the WNDD region.

The monthly Economic Recovery Report will announce the activities and progress of the newly established WNDD Economic Recovery and Resiliency Council, a multi-disciplinary team of subject matter experts who will develop a coordinated effort and plan to resume economic activity to the fullest and safest extent possible. The process includes discussions surrounding policy considerations in the overall plan-making and all activities will interface with the Nevada State Plan: Road to Recovery.

The report will also share information and data that can help WNDD members and other regional businesses and organizations plan and implement their recovery and resiliency efforts.

In the report, you’ll find information about …

– Available grants and grants in the works
– Data and information regarding economic recovery
– Relevant news articles
– Member success stories
– And more!

Read the Complete Report

We look forward to sharing new information with you each month.

Regards,

Roy Edgington
WNDD President Mayor, City of Fernley

P.S. We want to highlight your success stories or opportunities with other WNDD members. To get in touch with us about what you’re doing to rebuild a vibrant, resilient, sustainable economy, email
Economic Recovery Coordinator- Don Vetter at: DVetter@wndd.org.

County Small Business Grant Program!

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Supporting Small Businesses Financially Impacted by COVID-19

A partnership between NACO and the counties of: Douglas, Elko, Lincoln, Lyon, Nye, Storey, Washoe and White Pine

Eight counties across Nevada have partnered with the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO) to develop a grant program to support small businesses financially impacted by COVID-19. This grant program is being supported by federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds. Eligible businesses must be located in Douglas, Elko, Lincoln, Lyon, Nye, Storey, unincorporated Washoe or White Pine counties.

Eligible Grant Uses include:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Protective Retrofits
• Working capital – including utilities, payroll not covered by PPP, inventory etc.

Grant awards range from $1,500 to $20,000.

Applications are open September 8 thru October 6, 2020.

The Nevada Small Business Development Center is partnering with NACO to provide help to businesses that may need it.

Request free and confidential assistance by calling 800-240-7094 to make an appointment with a counselor through one of their 13 statewide locations.

Apply Now!