Costa Mesa to explore partnership to aid small businesses

The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic decline have left many small businesses across Orange County reeling.

Area business leaders and elected officials have tried to ease the fallout from a decimated customer base by helping businesses get access to loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Small businesses are pleading for shoppers to buy local.

Costa Mesa will look into making the road easier for local businesses by exploring a partnership with the Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Network. The consulting and training center hosted by Cal State Fullerton has been helping small businesses throughout the region as they navigate the SBA loan process.

The SBDC has worked with cities such as Garden Grove to develop matching loan programs for small businesses, according to a Costa Mesa city staff report. The Costa Mesa council will decide whether to authorize staff to begin partnering with the SBDC.

“We need to be doing everything we possibly can right now to be supporting small businesses in Costa Mesa,” said Councilwoman Andrea Marr, who proposed the agenda item. “I think that’s hard to recognize that we’re going to lose revenue as a city. But we also need to commit more general fund dollars to businesses, because that will have a payback.”

On Friday, banks were scheduled to launch a new federally guaranteed low-interest loan program to help small businesses prevent layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts.

Marr and Mayor Pro Tem John Stephens held a livestreamed town hall event with local businesses to field questions about the program. Local business owners, especially restaurateurs, are begging for help, Marr said.

The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The public cannot attend in person because of coronavirus restrictions but can watch on television on Spectrum Channel 3 or AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, or online at YouTube.com/CostaMesaTV.

Comments about agenda items can be emailed to CityClerk@CostaMesaCA.gov.

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