Orland working to retain businesses

Orland is preparing a grant application for $35,000 to help attract and retain businesses in town.

It is not a done deal, but the city is trying to get all the paperwork and steps done for a community development block grant to be used for economic development - before the money runs out.

The Orland Economic Development Commission voted 4-1 in favor of completing the application this week, and it recommends the city council approve it at its April 5 meeting, city manager Paul Poczobut Jr. said Tuesday.

Poczobut said the city applied for a similar grant last year, but it had not completed all of the public hearings and other steps in time to receive funding.

So this year, it wants to be ready and have everything finished before a notice of funding availability comes out from the federal government, he said.

"Last time the allocations were already made," Poczobut said. "We are trying to get ahead of the curve and have everything ready."

He said the council should host a public hearing on the grant application in April, and if it approves it, staff will be ready to send it when the funding notice comes in June or July.

This grant would be used to do an assessment of business attraction efforts currently being undertaken in the city and determine its strengths, weaknesses and opportunities along with threats to success, a report said.

It also would work with economic development stakeholders to identify and update goals and objectives in the city's business attraction and retention plan.

Identifying potential funding sources for economic development and preparing a final report on the program also are included under the scope of work done with the grant.