Tahoe Prosperity Center Presents Tahoe Rising

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A virtual discussion on the region’s Economic Challenges and Opportunities!

Tahoe Rising is a three-part virtual event to catalyze change and take action for the benefit of Lake Tahoe’s regional community and economy. Join the Tahoe Prosperity Center as it presents keynote speakers from around the country and the Lake who will discuss challenges facing Lake Tahoe in this current pandemic; sharing economic, community and environmental perspectives.

The fast-paced program includes panel sessions with those experts combined with local Tahoe leaders that will enhance these conversations. Collaborative and interactive group sessions will follow and provide an opportunity to share solutions that can be implemented locally to improve the region and build a resilient community.

The Tahoe Prosperity Center is an Associate Member of the Western Nevada Development District.

Event Schedule:

September 30th
10:00 am till 12:00 pm
Topic: Tahoe’s Economic Picture

October 14th
10:00 am till 12:00 pm
Topic: Tahoe’s Economic Recovery

October 28th
10:00 am till 12:00 pm
Topic: Tahoe’s Economic Resiliency

Learn More!

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!

Nevada Commuting Patterns

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Michael Dominguez and Thomas R. Harris have just released a technical report containing valuable data on Commuting Patterns in Nevada.

Michael Dominquez is a Research Associate at the University Center for Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Thomas R. Harris is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Director of the University Center for Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The report contains statistical data, by county, on where residents live vs work, number of households, median income, percentage of households with a computer, percentage of households with broadband internet, annual unemployment rates, and education levels.

Download the complete document here: Nevada Commuting Patterns

Job Openings: Economic Recovery Coordinator

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Economic Recovery Coordinator
Two Positions Available!

BACKGROUND:

Western Nevada Development District (WNDD) is recruiting for two Economic Recovery Coordinator positions. Funds for this position are from a two-year (24 MONTH) Economic Development Administration grant under the CARES Act. These funds are intended to provide assistance to communities to respond to the economic shock sustained as a result of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. Coordinators will be deployed in communities within the seven county, five cities and tribal community located within the region.

DESCRIPTION: The Economic Recovery Coordinator will support, carry out and serve as a project/program coordinator for economic development planning and implementation activities related to the development of plans, projects and programs for the WNDD region. Serving as a liaison and coordinator for the businesses, government, tribal, educational and nonprofit communities, support and assistance will be provided as local economies recover from the economic shock sustained as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will include facilitation of the region’s efforts to identify and develop strategies to create and build a more resilient economy; working for the purpose of revitalizing, expanding, and upgrading distressed communities’ environment to attract industry, encourage business retention, expansion and recruitment and generate long-term sustainable private sector jobs and investments, strengthened recovery and resiliency.

DOWNLOAD FULL JOB DESCRIPTION!

PAY and BENEFITS:

Pay: $55,000 to $60,000

Benefits: Dental, vision insurance
Health insurance reimbursement $450 per month
Retirement Plan
Paid Time Off
Holidays

WORK HOURS: Monday to Friday – 8 am to 5 pm

COVID-19 Considerations: Employer strictly observes social distancing requirements and the wearing of a mask in a secure environment. Employee will have a private workspace.

How to Apply: Send cover letter, résumé and three references to Sheryl Gonzales at sgonzales@wndd.org.

Deadline to apply: Friday, July 31, 2020 at 12 noon.

WNDD Receives $400,000 Cares Act Recovery Grant From Economic Development Administration

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Building Post-Pandemic Workforce and Community Resiliency

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the Department of Commerce has awarded $400,000 to the Western Nevada Development District (WNDD) to help respond to the coronavirus pandemic and drive economic development planning going forward.

As part of EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance, this supplemental financial assistance award will help WNDD’s 12 local government, non-profit and educational community members respond to the unusual and compelling urgency of the coronavirus pandemic.

WNDD President Roy Edgington, Mayor of the City of Fernley, announced the receipt of the $400,000 EDA grant, stating: “The Western Nevada Development District is pleased to have received these funds to support our communities in the engagement of strategies that will diversify our regional economy, support workforce training aligned to careers post pandemic and to build economic resiliency for the future.”

The award’s scope of work requires the recipient to undertake one or more of the following pre-approved activities:

1. the development of an economic recovery and resilience plan, tied to the applicant’s approved Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, to address the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic,

2. the deployment of disaster recovery coordinators to orchestrate the region’s response to the pandemic,

3. the provision of technical assistance, as necessary, to local governments, businesses, and other stakeholder organizations, and

4. the funding of appropriate technology and staff support for these pandemic-response activities.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on March 27, 2020, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

“Nevada has been one of the hardest-hit states in the nation in terms of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our citizens and small business owners,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m glad to see these CARES Act funds get to Nevada’s only Economic Development District through the EDA to help pursue strategic investments to bolster our economy and foster good paying jobs in Northern Nevada.”

For more information, contact Sheryl Gonzales at 775.473.6753 or SGonzales@WNDD.org

What the CARES Act Means to Your Community!

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$1.5 Billion in CARES Act Funds
Available to Aid Communities Impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has begun taking applications for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) supplemental Funds (EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance). Grant funds are available to eligible communities and intended to assist in the prevention, preparations for, and response to the novel coronavirus.

The EDA has allocated $1,467,000,000 of the $1.5 Billion to be disbursed among its offices:

Atlanta Regional Office – $248,000,000
Austin Regional Office – $236,000,000
Chicago Regional Office – $225,000,000
Denver Regional Office – $193,000,000
Philadelphia Regional Office – $259,000,000
Seattle Regional Office – $266,000,000
(Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Hawaii and Nevada)
Headquarters – $40,000,000

The remaining funds will be transferred to cover salaries and expenses, and oversight activities.

EDA’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance is designed to provide a wide-range of financial assistance for both non-construction and construction activities, including a Revolving Loan Fund, in regions across the country experiencing severe economic dislocations brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

An update Addendum to the FY 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (FY20 PWEAA NOFO) for the CARES Act Recovery Assistance has been published and addresses:

Filing Date

This funding opportunity (PWEAA2020) has no submission deadlines, and EDA intends to review applications within 60 days of receipt. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis; however, they are subject to change with the publication of a new PWEAA NOFO, cancellation of the current PWEAA NOFO, or all available funds have been expended.

Project Types

• Economic recovery planning
• Economic dislocations caused by the coronavirus pandemic
• Preparing or updating resiliency plans to respond to future pandemics
• Implementing entrepreneurial support programs to diversify economies, and constructing public works and facilities that will support economic recovery, including the deployment of broadband for purposes including supporting telehealth and remote learning for job skills.

A comprehensive description of project types can be found in Section E of the FY20 PWEAA NOFO.

Eligible Applicants

• District Organization of an EDA designated Economic Development District
• Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes • State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions
• Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education
• Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Requirements

Except for a “Strategy Grant” to develop, update, or refine a CEDS, each project must be consistent with the region’s current CEDS or equivalent EDA-accepted regional economic development strategy that meets EDA’s CEDS or strategy requirements. In certain circumstances, EDA may accept a non-EDA-funded CEDS that does not contain all the elements EDA requires of a CEDS.

See Section A.3. of the FY20 PWEAA NOFO.

Cost Sharing/Matching

Generally, the EDA expects to fund at least 80%, and up to 100%, of eligible project costs. Additionally, EDA may establish a maximum investment rate of up to 100% for projects of Indian Tribes. Any portion of the costs for the EDA scope of work funded below 100% must be borne by the recipient or provided to the recipient by a third party as a contribution for the purposes of and subject to the terms of the award. The applicant is responsible for demonstrating that a grant rate above 80% is justified.

See Section C.2 of the FY20 PWEAA NOFO for a complete description.

FY20 PWEAA NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

CARES Act Info Flyer

The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act

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Congress Passes Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

As small businesses in the United States continue to be impacted by COVID-19, Congress successfully passed the CARES Act which is intended to assist business owners through various provisions. When implemented, there will be many new resources available for small businesses, as well as certain non-profits and other employers.

A guide has been complied to help provide information about the major programs and initiatives that will soon be available from the Small Business Administration (SBA), as well as some additional tax provisions that are outside the scope of SBA.

Guide Topics

• Paycheck Protection Program Loans
• Small Business Debt Relief Program
• Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Emergency Economic Injury Grants
• Small Business Counseling
• Small Business Contracting
• Small Business Tax Provisions

See the Small Business Guide to CARES Act.

For more information visit: SBA

The Results Are In!

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SAVEYOUR.Town has released the results of its 2019 Survey of Rural Challenges.

The survey asks rural communities to identify their most significant local challenges they would like assistance correcting, and what steps they are currently taking to address the issues.
Typically, the results from this survey are different than common themes in media coverage and policy conversation around rural communities. And as many rural residence know, the larger public perception of the happenings in rural communities is inaccurate.

In fact the top 5 Rural Community Challenges don’t include topics like opioid addiction or poverty. They are:

  • Losing young people
  • Downtown is dead
  • Not enough good housing
  • Need new residents
  • No one shops in town

Learn more about the survey!

Follow Up: Pershing County/Lovelock Brownfields Initiative

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The first meeting of the Pershing County/Lovelock Brownfields Initiative drew nearly 40 participants on Jan. 27 at the Pershing County Community Center.

At this public meeting, discussion involved defining the initiative and fielding questions on directing EPA grant funds to Brownfield sites in and around Lovelock including community gateways, the industrial park and, the downtown corridor.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants money to assess and clear properties, known as “Brownfields,” that are planned for reuse or redevelopment.  Brownfields sites can include properties that are vacant, or are abandoned or underutilized sites that may suffer from real or perceived contamination.

The meeting included an overview of the EPA Brownfields Program and the Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant awarded to the coalition group that includes Western Nevada Development District, City of Lovelock and Pershing County.  The presentation also included the benefits of the Brownfields program, activities/tasks associated with assessment grant, and similar successful Brownfields projects, plus a Q & A session.

Presentations were made by Lisa Hanusiak, Brownfields Project Manager for EPA District 9, Philip Childers and Tom Mix of Converse Consulting who are conducting the assessments and Heidi Lusby-Angvick, Executive Director of the Pershing county Economic Development Authority.

The Initiative is a key element of the Pershing County Economic Development Strategic and Revitalization Plan, adopted by the Pershing County Economic Development Authority.

The $600,000 EPA Brownfields Grant, the only grant given in the State of Nevada in 2019, was awarded through the Western Nevada Development District which applied for the monies and is managing the project in cooperation with local officials.

For more information on the Community Meeting and the Pershing County/Lovelock Brownfields Initiative, visit: Lovelovelock.com.

For more information contact Sheryl Gonzales, Executive Director of the Western Nevada Development District at (775) 473-6753 or via email at sgonzales@wndd.org, or Heidi E. Lusby-Angvick, Executive Director of the Pershing County Economic Development Authority at (775) 273-4909 or by e-mail at pceda.hlusby@gmail.com

Download the presentation pdf.

 

Federal Year 2020 Appropriations Recap!!

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In efforts to fund the federal government for the remainder of 2020, a two-part spending package comprised of HR 1158 and HR 1865 was signed into law in December 2019. Notable increases in appropriations are significant as they positively impact communities across the nation.

Projects can include:
Workforce Development
Infrastructure
Broadband
Economic Redevelopment

Some of the 2020 spending package items are:

·$333 million for the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA), $29 million above FY 2019 levels.
·$3.2 billion for USDA Rural Development, $228 million above FY 2019 levels.
·$9.9 billion for the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA), $67.5 million above FY 2019 levels.
· $3.4 billion for HUD Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $60 million above FY 2019 levels.
·$89 million for EPA Brownfields, $2 million above FY 2019 levels.
·$1 billion for Department of Transportation BUILD (formerly TIGER), $100 million above FY 2019 levels.