Kearney Board of Aldermen to Vote on Small Business Grant Program

The Kearney, Missouri Board of Aldermen will vote this coming Monday, July 6th, to establish the CARES Kearney Small Business Grant Program to be administered by the Clay County Economic Development Council.

Shawna Searcy appeared on “Kearney Live” to explain the CARES program for small businesses

If approved, the CARES program will issue up to $100,000 in total grant funds to small businesses in Kearney. Small businesses can apply for a grant up to $5,000 to reimburse expenses related to COVID-19.

“The City of Kearney has chosen to allocate $100,000 of their CARES funds to provide these $5,000 small business grants to eligible businesses in Kearney,” said Shawna Searcy of the Kearney Area Development Council.

“If this is approved as is, this program goes live on July 10th and businesses have two weeks to apply. Clay County EDC are the folks you will submit your application to. They are the ones doing the work,” added Searcy. “T.J. Berry and Julie Lewis, at the Clay County Economic Development Council have made this so streamline, so easy. And the city of Kearney is writing the checks.”

Kearney City Administrator, Jim Eldridge says the city modeled their grant program after two other local cities. “The first program this was modeled after was the city of North Kansas City, and they appropriated $150,000. Following that, Smithville appropriated $100,000. So, we’re kind of following Smithville. We’re similar in size and we received proportionally, the same amount of money. This is a recommendation to the Board of Aldermen. They have not come together as a board to discuss this. That will happen on Monday night July 6, at City Hall at 6:30.”

KPGZ News - Mike Davis contributed to this report