The City of Roanoke has just released its recovery plan for the COVID19 virus. It is called Roanoke Star City Strong: Response-Recovery-Resiliency and represents “a framework for the city’s plans to move from responding to COVID-19 to supporting the community’s economic recovery and ensuring its resiliency against similar threats in the future.”
The plan will run concurrently with Governor Northam’s executive orders and will occur in phases that will include opening municipal facilities and the popular greenways throughout the city.
Four working groups will comprise the Community Task Force on Recovery and there will be a Recovery fund of at least $1 million.
Mayor Sherman Lea and City Council members will each take part in virtual conversations with community members how Roanoke can help address specific challenges.
“Since March, the residents of Roanoke have endured unprecedented hardships and inconveniences, many have become ill and, sadly, some have perished due to the coronavirus,” says Lea. “Through these challenging times residents, business owners, health care workers, and public employees have demonstrated a grit and commitment to persevere. It is this determination that will carry us through this.”
City Manager Bob Cowell says, “This organization has been through times like none we’ve ever seen, and I couldn’t be prouder of how each and every employee has risen to the challenge. The support that the 1,700 city employees and I have received from the mayor, council, and the community has been greatly appreciated. Even though we must remain vigilant in our response to the virus that very much remains in our community, we look forward to supporting recovery efforts in the City and taking the actions necessary to make us even stronger as we go forward.”
***
In addition to the recovery plan Roanoke has announced its plan to help city-based small businesses facing challenges as the result of the pandemic. Through a partnership with the Roanoke Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Total Action for Progress (TAP), Business Seed Capital, Inc. (BSCI) loans up to $3,000 each will be available to offset costs associated with employees, rent, leases, and utilities. Terms of the loans will be 0% interest with a 12-month maturity and a 90-day deferred payment.
Eligibility requires the primary business be in the city of Roanoke. The business must be at least two years, have fewer than 25 employees, hold a city business license and be current on fees, permits and taxes. The applicant must own at least 50% of the business and guarantee repayment. He must also submit eight weeks of payroll expenses, two years of financial statements and tax returns and two years of personal tax returns.
To learn more about the COVID 19 Relief Loan Fund and to apply, contact Curtis Thompson, TAP at 540-589-6483 or by email at CurtisThompson@tapintohope.org, or Sean Adkins in the City’s Department of Economic Development at 540-853-5405 or by email at sean.adkins@roanokeva.gov.
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). His blog, fromtheeditr.com, is widely read and he has authored seven books, including the novel CLOG! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).
