Moscow awards more ARPA dollars

The Moscow City Council on Monday awarded 18 local businesses and nonprofits American Rescue Plan Act money, but did not offer all of them the full amount they requested.

In December, Moscow decided to allocate $750,000 in ARPA funding to small businesses and nonprofits in the form of grants. Businesses were allowed to request as much as $15,000, but had to show a net income loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonprofits could apply for money if they added new services or expanded existing services in response to the pandemic. In April, the City Council decided not to impose a limit on how much ARPA money nonprofits could apply for.

On Monday, some of the nonprofit grant requests were as high as $200,000.

All of the nonprofits that applied for $25,000 or less were awarded their full request. Those nonprofits included Festival Dance & Performing Arts, Palouse Prairie Charter School, Moscow Friendly Neighbors Senior Citizens, Latah Alliance on Mental Illness and the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute.

The eight other nonprofits that applied requested more than $25,000. Councilors expressed concern that the large grant requests would leave too little funding for any nonprofits and businesses that have yet to apply. They also had concerns that some of the applicants did not meet all of the grant requirements.

Out of the remaining nonprofits, seven were granted $25,000. That includes the Latah Recovery Center and Family Promise of the Palouse, which requested $200,000 each. Palouse Care Network was granted $8,000 with a 3-2 vote.

The city council voted to set a grant application deadline for June 24 and then decide how to allocate the remaining ARPA money to businesses and nonprofits at a later date. The nonprofits who did not receive their full grant requests Monday may still receive more money at that later date.

As for the small businesses, only Moscow Brewing Company received its full request of $15,000 in ARPA dollars.

The other three businesses also requested $15,000. However, following a motion made by Councilor Julia Parker, Hair By Jeri received $9,752, Julie Rinard Quilting received $10,158 and Love’s Kombucha received $10,364.

These numbers were based on Parker’s analysis of how much grant money each business showed they qualified for. The motion passed 3-2, with Gina Taruscio and Maureen Laflin voting no.

During the meeting, Taruscio stated she was not comfortable with the council voting on these requests when Councilor Sandra Kelly could not vote. Kelly was filling in as acting mayor in Mayor Art Bettge’s absence and so could not vote.

Laflin stated she felt these businesses were not evaluated the same way as the previous businesses that received ARPA grants from the city in April.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.