The Town Council is giving small businesses and nonprofits until July 1 to apply for money available from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA).

In 2022, it was announced that Clinton would receive $3.8 million of federal money from ARPA to help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus on various sectors.

While the town has allocated some of the money in the two years since, there is still money left to be allocated. All money for the projects must be obligated to be spent by the end of 2024. The projects must then be completed by the end of 2026.

At a Town Council workshop held on April 24 to discuss the remaining ARPA money, council members agreed to set a July 1 deadline for any small businesses or nonprofits to apply to use some of the remaining funds. The deadline came after the council members agreed enough wasn’t done to spread the word about the available funds.

Eligible Businesses

For a small business to be eligible for the money, it must meet the following criteria:

• The business must currently be located in Clinton and have been in operation as of Jan. 1, 2019.

• Applicants should be in good standing and current with their tax obligations and permits, as well as have no outstanding liens or judgments. If COVID-19 impacted the business’ ability to pay local taxes, then that should be indicated in the application.

• Documentation should be supplied supporting the number of employees before the pandemic and at the time of application.

• If applicable, the application should include dates of closure due the pandemic as a result of State re-opening rules.

• Residential or real estate projects, including short-term rental operators, are not eligible.

• Franchises are not eligible – unless that franchise is not a subsidiary of a larger corporation and is able to document that is it not a subsidiary.

The money would be able to help with revenue loss mitigation, facilities upgrade that were required to operate in response to the pandemic, or business planning.

Eligible Nonprofits

Nonprofits eligible for the funds must meet the following criteria:

The organizations eligible for the funds are nonprofits that are corporations, associations, agencies, or faith-based organizations with a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) nonprofit status.

Preference is given to organizations that:

• Provide services to Clinton residents or businesses;

• Serve Clinton’s most vulnerable populations, low-income, seniors, handicapped, unemployed, or other underserved residents;

• Have actively provided needed services to Clinton residents for a long period of time or

• Have partnered with or assisted other nonprofits to provide needed services.

Applicants are available on the town website with further instructions and parameters outlined.

Once the July 1 deadline passes, Town Council Chairperson Carrie Allen said the council will hold another workshop to allocate the remaining money.

“We want to make sure we use every penny. We have until Dec. 31 to obligate the money, and we will make sure we do,” Allen said after the workshop.

Originally, the council debated having a deadline for the applications in the fall, but after receiving input, that would be a tight timeline for department heads to go through any request for proposal processes.