Category: Business

Here’s how to apply for second round of CARES Act funding in Kansas

A second round of CARES Act funding in Kansas will soon accept applications.

Businesses and organizations will be able to apply for Kansas SPARK economic development and broadband grants starting at noon Wednesday, Aug. 19, at kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief, according to a news release from Gov. Laura Kelly.

More than $130 million in grants will be available to help those who were affected by the pandemic and for companies to expand broadband across the state, according to the news release. These federal funds were given to the state to address needs from COVID-19.

Information on SPARK economic development and connectivity grant programs can now be found online at kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief. Grant applications will be accepted beginning at noon Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020.

“These funds will both provide necessary immediate relief to businesses and contribute to a more strategic, competitive Kansas economy in the future,” Gov. Kelly said. “I want to thank the SPARK Taskforce for recommending these strategic investments and the State Finance Council for approving the use of these funds.”

In addition to providing financial relief, grants will be available to businesses whose products and services will be needed in greater volume to help combat the virus and its effects. Funding is also being made available to expand broadband access both through infrastructure improvements and by partnerships with internet service providers to serve low-income households. These grants are funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund of the federal CARES Act.

This pandemic has affected each sector differently, with industries having very different needs from one another. With this in mind, applications for grants are being made available in these categories:

• Small Business Working Capital Grants
Kansas businesses with fewer than 500 employees are eligible to apply for Small Business Working Capital grants. Funds can be used to pay working capital expenses such as payroll, rent, mortgage insurance, utilities, inventory, and more. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis until funds are depleted.

• Securing Local Food Systems Grants
The Securing Local Food Systems grant program was created to support Kansas meat processing facilities, food processors, grocers, and food banks to address food for human consumption supply chain disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

• PPE Procurement Grants
The PPE Procurement grant program will award businesses funds for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE), implementation of workplace redesigns, additional signage, new technology solutions for distance working, and other items to comply with COVID-19 public health guidelines on safely returning employees to work.

• PPE Manufacturing Grants
PPE Manufacturing grants will provide funding to manufacturers to reimburse certain costs to manufacture critically needed PPE. The grant funding will assist entities with creating new businesses while contributing to the fight against the current COVID-19 public health emergency.

• COVID-19 Bioscience Product Development Acceleration Grants
Kansas has a strong pipeline of bioscience-related companies developing SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic, therapeutic, and medical countermeasures. This grant program will accelerate commercialization and go-to-market strategies, allowing these Kansas companies to quickly deploy novel technology by optimizing value and reducing risk through informed decision making.

• Connectivity Emergency Response Grants
The Connectivity Emergency Response Grant (CERG) was created to address the increased need for connectivity in Kansas in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposed projects should improve connectivity to unserved and underserved areas of Kansas to address the needs of telework, telehealth, distance learning, and other remote business services.

• Broadband Partnership Adoption Grants
The Broadband Partnership Adoption Grant will provide support for low-income households by partnering with ISPs to leverage their existing adoption infrastructure and assure connectivity to as many Kansans as possible.

• IT, Cybersecurity and IT Project Management Certification Training Grants
To mitigate the job losses in Kansas as a result of COVID-19, the Kansas Department of Commerce is seeking a rapid response training program that will provide training, certificate testing, and job placement assistance in the areas of IT, cybersecurity, and IT project management.

• Kansas Tech College Advanced Manufacturing Grants
This program will support the needs of the advanced manufacturing industry in Kansas. The program will focus on reskilling and upskilling individuals affected by COVID-19 to meet economic sector needs in high-demand, high-wage occupations.

Details on each category, including award amounts, proposal requirements, eligibility and more can be found at kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief.

• Information from governor’s office

Kansans stuck waiting while state works through 25,000 unemployment claims

A massive backlog of unemployment claims, and the state’s struggle to verify them, has left people already without jobs lacking the benefit checks that they might have gotten in normal times.

by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service

Topeka, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Labor has struggled to handle an explosion of unemployment filings.

That’s left 25,000 claims waiting for approval — and thousands of Kansans standing by for the checks that could help them stay afloat through a jobless stretch in an economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s the latest challenge for a department that has attempted to respond to emails and phone calls from thousands of Kansans as the coronavirus caused unemployment in the state to jump from around 3 percent to almost 12 percent earlier this year. It’s since settled to 7.5 percent.

The huge backlog is in a holding pattern. The cases are waiting on adjudication and appeals that require more information, like why someone lost a job.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Ryan Wright acting labor secretary after the former secretary left amid criticism over the slow response to unemployment claims.

“I know it’s been extremely frustrating,” Wright told lawmakers this week. “All I can do is take responsibility for what’s happened and be as honest and transparent as possible moving forward.”

Lawmakers told state Labor Department staff about constituents waiting for months and failing to get answers on the delay in their unemployment payments.

“Hearing some of the stories of people losing their homes and their cars is heartbreaking,” Republican Sen. Richard Hilderbrand said.

Wright wouldn’t commit to a timeline for clearing people hung up in the backlog.

“What they don’t want to hear is us giving a timeframe that we’re not able to meet,” Wright said in an interview.

The backlog for regular unemployment applications is much smaller right now, about 2,300, which is caused by the normal time it takes to process the requests. Unemployed Kansans must file weekly claims and they’re often paid just a few days after claims are accepted.

Wright said there typically isn’t a significant backlog for applications in the adjudication system.

The applications accumulated as staff were shifted to other areas to deal with the influx of unemployment claims.

“We needed more people to answer the phones to take those claims in,” Wright said.

In addition, questions on the application required by the federal government caused confusion for some people and caused much of the adjudication backlog.

Kansans were frequently confused by questions on the application asking if they were able and available to work. People whose jobs were closed by the coronavirus shutdown could think they should answer no, but that flags the application for further review.

Wright said the agency is studying the legality of simply clearing thousands of people in the adjudication process who were hung up by those two questions.

Anyone caught in the backlog will be eligible for payments they missed out on because of the delay.

“If you are owed that money, you will get paid that money,” Wright said. “We will figure this out.”

The state hired a private consultant, Accenture, after the long delays and chronic problems in its unemployment benefits system became a crisis during the pandemic. That brought in 50 more people to work with the Labor Department, and freed more state workers to chip away at the adjudication backlog.

The agency has struggled with outdated technology. Information Technology Director Bill Periman told legislators that updates planned to come online could make it easier to sift through the huge pile of applications.

“We hope to have a solution,” Periman said, “if we can identify some processes where we can address the greatest pain points.”

Republican Sen. Kevin Braun urged the department to commit to a timeframe for clearing the backlog, and Periman said some improvements could be in place in 90 days.

“Our constituents are still in a very tough place,” Braun said. “We need a forecast on when we are going to stabilize.”

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda or email skoranda (at) ku (dot) edu.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

See more at https://www.kcur.org/2020-08-14/kansans-stuck-waiting-while-the-state-works-through-25-000-unemployment-claims

UG eases rules for food trucks, farmers markets and mobile markets

As part of the county’s ongoing COVID-19 Recovery Plan, the Unified Government Commissioners approved an emergency resolution and ordinance on July 30 that allows food trucks, farmer’s markets, and mobile markets countywide with certain standards.

Specifically, the ordinance allows mobile vending (such as food trucks, pushcarts, and mobile markets) and farmer’s markets in all zone districts with additional and specific standards.

In response to comments from businesses, the commissioners also updated the first emergency ordinance to allow semi-permanent use of front and side yard setback with an administrative review, as well as semi-permanent use of surplus (not required) off-street parking.

The resolution temporarily suspends enforcement of certain sections of the existing UG code of ordinances in order to provide Wyandotte County businesses trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic more locations in which to operate in accordance with guidelines asking them to provide adequate room for proper social distancing between staff and customers. This means maintaining a distance of at least six (6) feet between workers, customers and others while in public.

“Recognizing Wyandotte County businesses would need assistance and flexibility as they worked to get their operations back up and running, I previously directed UG staff to identify opportunities and areas in which we might be able to help and support in that recovery process,” Mayor David Alvey stated in a news release. “This new ordinance allows businesses to temporarily create added outdoor space for retail customer sales, utilizing sidewalks, parking lot spaces, and other areas to sell their products and serve their customers, while still maintaining proper social distancing guidelines. It’s a win-win situation for residents and business owners, and a common-sense approach to governing in these unique and unprecedented times.”

Farmer’s markets are allowed countywide so long as they are wholly within a parking lot with an administrative review by the Department of Planning and Urban Design. Mobile markets have expanded hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. All other mobile vendors can operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in residential and agricultural zones but must be located either within the parking lot of a church, senior center, community center or school, or adjacent to a public park. Mobile vendors can also attend a certified block party up to 10 p.m. as well. In commercial and industrial zones, mobile vendors need only to feed the parking meter if there is one and not park in front of an existing food establishment.

Farmer’s markets, mobile vendors, and mobile markets need only to obtain a business license and follow the above standards to operate throughout the county; none need to obtain an annual agreement with the UG while the emergency ordinance is in effect.

The ordinance is in effect until Dec. 31, 2020. It allows businesses within Wyandotte County to temporarily use the public right-of-way for the sale of goods as long appropriate access to services can be provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that social distancing is maintained.

Businesses providing alcohol sales are required to go through the normal Kansas Alcohol Beverage Control approvals process.  Failing to do so will trigger an automatic review.  

Unified Government health officials caution that it’s important to continue to take precautions against the spread of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 remains a threat in our community,” said Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer with the Unified Government Health Department. “While it’s exciting to see our businesses reopening, everyone needs to continue to practice safe social distancing, wear a mask when in public, stay home and seek testing if you are sick, and continue with excellent hygiene such as washing your hands frequently with soap and water, covering your cough and not touching your face with your hands. It’s the combination of these actions that has been most effective at slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community.” 

Residents or business owners with questions about this change should contact 3-1-1.

To view the documents, visit wycokck.org/Clerk/Agendas and select the “Planning & Zoning and Full Commission 7/30/20” under the “Agendas and Minutes” section.  To view a video of the July 30 special meeting, visit the Unified Government’s (UG) YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiFi_7TPsVk.

To learn more about Planning and Urban Design, visit wycokck.org/Planning.  To learn more about the county’s COVID-19 response, access important resources, and view additional information, visit wycokck.org/COVID-19.

  • Information from UG