Northampton County Council met April 21 to consider the final round of small business grants through the American Rescue Plan.

“COVID-19 wasn’t just the worst health crisis to the country and the world in 100 years, it was also an economic disaster (specifically for small businesses),” Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure said.

He explained the impact the grants had on the hundreds of small businesses in Northampton County. Under the CARES Act, Northampton County was able to fund 765 businesses with a combined $10 million. To date, the ARP has funded 1,118 with $14,659,255.

McClure also highlighted positive feedback from small-business owners. One quote came from Joe’s Tavern in September 2020.

“To say these last few months have been difficult is a vast understatement,” the Joe’s representative said. “The financial support from Northampton County small-business relief fund and your economic leadership in helping small businesses survive has shined a very bright light to what was inevitably the worst year in our 60-year history.”

“I’m literally writing this email in tears. I opened my mail today to find a check for the COVID-19 relief via your office,” another small-business owner wrote in January 2021. “This is nothing less than a godsend. Being a small business open for the last two years, we have struggled to compete with larger regional change. As a franchisee, I have gone weeks without paying myself simply to cover my team-member payroll. I just want to express my sincere appreciation for my grant check. You have no idea how much I needed this money to try to keep my business thriving.”

Council unanimously approved the final round of small-business grants, dividing $715,370 to assist an additional 60 small businesses.

In other business, council accepted two donations: a $20,000 donation from Buzzi Unicem USA for the emergency management department and 20 tickets for the county Department of Children and Youth staff and families from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.