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Dear Alachua County,

I urge you to protect the vulnerable businesses in our community who have been most affected by COVID-19.  Locally owned hospitality businesses such as the music venue High Dive in downtown Gainesville have been closed by the government for the last 4 months. Meanwhile large fixed costs like rent, utilities and insurance are mounting. Some businesses have already closed permanently- many more will soon without action. This will be a detriment to Gainesville’s culture and economy.

The County has $47 million to help local businesses, but the rules placed on accessing it are too strict to allow the hardest hit ones like High Dive to receive any funds. I respectfully ask to adjust the following restrictions:

1) Allow businesses which have received PPP and other assistance to qualify and receive FULL FUNDING due to being shuttered.  If closed for 4 months with no revenues, the portion of money received from PPP to pay rent and fixed costs has run out. These businesses will be closed for many more months due to spiking cases.

2) Remove the rule that you must have kept your employees on payroll during the entirety of closure.  No small business can afford to pay furloughed staff for 4 months while forced closed with no revenue.

3) Reduce the amount of employees needed for hardest hit businesses to qualify for the highest tier of funding - $15,000.  With fixed costs so high during closure, it is imperative that the most vulnerable receive the highest level of funding.

Thank you for your consideration.  Please save Gainesville’s local hospitality, arts and culture businesses like High Dive from extinction.

Signed,
Concerned Citizen

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