City approves SEDCO projects

 By Melissa McCaghren

Slatonite GM

City Commissioners approved three grants from the Slaton Economic Development Corporation Monday evening (June 7) during its monthly meeting at City Hall.

They also approved SEDCO’s creation of 12 COVID-19 grants for $1,500 each, and budget amendments to accommodate. Mayor Lynn Nowlin said SEDCO accepts the information for the grant and goes through hearings, but they must get final approval by the City to give them.

Barbara Hopper, Director of SEDCO, said the board voted May 11 to create 12 grants for the first 12 businesses that meet criteria and are approved. She added they must meet six pages of requirements to achieve this. It will be done through promotions funding.

“We had the lawyer do a Zoom meeting with us and explained to us how we can do it this way,” she said, adding projects would require a hearing and get City approval for them. This can take two months. “There’s not anything written in the EDC that you can or cannot do this,” she added. “It says… on something like this, if the SEDCO board thinks it’s beneficial to the City, then it’s OK.”

Businesses who will qualify must have been open before the outbreak, be local, have a physical location (house businesses are excluded), cannot be a chain or a parent company, can have curbside delivery. Non-profits are also ineligible to receive the grant.

The amount of $1,500 for each grant is based on how much they could squeeze out of the revenue. “All you can do is 10 percent (of revenue),” she said.

For more information, please read the Thursday edition of The Slatonite.