OKEECHOBEE — A grant program to help businesses that were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been expanded to help qualifying home-based businesses, waiters, waitresses and bartenders.

At their Aug. 20 meeting, the Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners approved the plan to offer grants to those who lost income due to the governor’s executive orders that caused some businesses to close.

The grant program also offers help to qualifying local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

The application process requires IRS documentation, copies of city and county business licenses, a driver’s license or other identification and information on “why you need this grant and how you will use it.”

Commission Chairman Terry Burroughs said the money from the CARES grants cannot be used to pay property taxes.

“Governments can’t use it for government shortfalls,” said Burroughs. “That is mandated to us.”

Waiters, waitresses and bartenders who were unable to work due to restaurant and bar closings under one of the governor’s executive orders may be eligible for $2,500.

Home-based businesses may qualify for grants of $5,000.

“I am a business owner in Okeechobee,” said Sandra Pearce McAuley, owner of Sandra Pearce Photography. “I have been buying business occupational licenses since 1995,” she continued.

“There are many other photographers in town that had to give up their business,” she said. “No weddings — they were canceled.”

She said the pandemic meant “all the things that they photographed have been canceled.” While photographers were not part of the governor’s executive orders, the events they photograph were canceled and they were left with no income.

“I’m an instructor and I teach painting with the computer. All of the places that I go teach during the year … they were all canceled.

“Everyone at this time is hurting,” she said.

She asked why storefronts qualified for $7,500 while the home-based businesses only qualify for $5,000.

“I don’t understand why it’s not an equal amount,” she said.

“We have a lot of home businesses because we are rural,” she continued. “We need rules for them to qualify.

“There are a lot of businesses that have worked really hard to be where they are,” she said.

“I feel that I am equal and I should be treated equal to a storefront,” said McAuley.

“I feel we are just as important as a storefront businesses,” she said.

In July, Okeechobee County began accepting applications from residents seeking financial assistance through the CARES Act funding.

The original program offers a one-time grant of $7,500 to qualifying small businesses and $5,000 to independent contractors/sole proprietors to cover expenses such as employee wages, bills and rent. The emergency relief is targeted specifically to help local businesses cover immediate financial needs. Grants are strictly limited to businesses physically located within Okeechobee County. Funds can only be used to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closures provided those costs are not paid by insurance.

Okeechobee County and Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation have teamed up to work together.

The guidelines and application can be found on the Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporations (OCEDC) website (www.ocedcorp.com).

For more information, contact Megan H. Smith at 863-357-2334
or email info@OCEDCorp.com.