Breaking Barriers to Business grants may go citywide
Among the business incentives presented to the Cape Coral City Council Wednesday was Breaking Barriers to Business, which is proposed to become a citywide program.
Economic Development Manager Sharon Woodberry presented revisions to the city’s economic development and business incentive program during Wednesday’s workshop. She said the challenges have been that some things have not been thought out when applications come through, so the revisions are to enhance and streamline that process.
Among the clarifications is for eligibility and disqualification of receiving the grant. Woodberry said the business must be in good standing and have a business tax receipt and be up to date on utilities and have no active code cases.
“We wanted to codify the application – it must be submitted and deemed complete prior to certification of occupancy or completion,” she said. “We are making it known rewards (will be) revoked if permits expire. If it expires, no longer eligible on funding.”
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said if a business is coming to the city to help with expansion, or relocate their business, the business needs to be in good standing.
“We are adding criteria up front for additional checks and balances of eligibility,” he said.
The presentation went through a few programs – Cape Collaborates, Breaking Barriers to Business (B2B) and BIG Grant program enhancements.
Cape Collaborates is restructured to match the B2B program citywide, instead of just in the South Cape Community Redevelopment district with the ability to reimburse rather than fund up front. Woodberry said there is a desire to exclude certain business types – retail, gas stations, car washes, and storage facilities.
“We want the new revised program to try to provide funding and support for construction and capital growth,” she said.
The Business Infrastructure Grant (BIG) would increase the award potential of 10% of the total project cost. Woodberry said staff found that they cannot be very significant in the scheme of the investment, so they wanted to provide funding that really moves the needle and supports development.
“The way the code reads now, is it focused on job creation and providing funding to a project to an end user that is identified,” she said, which is creating barriers to make the projects eligible.
Ilczyszyn said the BIG Grant will really move the needle, especially north of Pine Island Road, as there are no utilities up there. He said the BIG grant only allows for 5%, which is not enough of a partnership to get extensive line extensions in the north.
“There are restrictions in the document now – any business that engages in retail automatically disqualified,” Ilczyszyn said, adding that they are trying to recognize that retail serves a purpose.
Mayor John Gunter said the needs of Cape Coral Parkway and the needs of the areas in the north part of the city are very different.
“What we really need to do is hone down on that a little bit,” he said.
With only $3 million a year provided in grants, Gunter said he wants to make sure the city is getting the types of businesses they want and locations they need.
Ilczyszyn said the programs which already exist underwent six months of work.
“There are holes in the program. We are trying to close those up,” he said. “There may be an industry that we know is a community benefit, but is not in that code today. I would definitely bring it before you all. What we are saying, if we know there is an industry not listed today that makes sense, we need the ability to bring it in and process it for your approval.”
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