Communities urge state, feds to do more to help Maine small businesses

Photo / Maureen Milliken The 10 Maine communities that are part of the Maine Downtown Center program have made suggestions to the state and congressional delegation on how to help small businesses that are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

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By Maureen Milliken

The 10 downtown communities that comprise Maine Development Foundation's Main Street Maine Program have offered suggestions for Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine congressional delegation to help small businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suggestions from the towns and cities in the program include financial support, technical assistance and future flexibility for all Maine businesses that have felt the impact of the crisis. The communities in the program — Augusta, Belfast, Brunswick, Bath, Biddeford, Gardiner, Rockland, Saco, Skowhegan and Westbrook — represent more than 2,000 businesses.

“As an owner of a 20-year-old family events company, our downtown business has been devastated with lightning speed by the impact of the coronavirus,” said Stefa Normantas, Saco Main Street president and owner of Green Tree Events, in a news release. “Without immediate significant support, hundreds of fellow Main Street businesses will shutter within days, not weeks, destroying the backbone and fabric of our communities. Every hour doors are closing and action is needed now.”

Financial, technical support

Recommendations are:

State block grants designated for immediate cash flow assistance to small businesses;
Relief for both tenants and landlords from rents and mortgages;
Expanded eligibility and increased maximum weekly payments for unemployment insurance;
Lower interest rates on SBA and similar loans for small businesses;
Development of a support system so that businesses can get “one stop” assistance to quickly use the programs that are being proposed; many of these businesses have never needed to access unemployment benefits for their employees, according to the news release;
Continue to be open to exploring aspects of the regulatory environment that may be prohibitive.

“Our downtown business community is the heart of Maine, and small brick and mortar businesses are at vital crossroads," said Zach Schmesser, executive director of Our Town Belfast. “We must act immediately and aggressively in order to support the long-term sustainability of these important small businesses that make our local communities thrive.”

The communities in the Main Street Maine program work with MDF’s Maine Downtown Center, which supports revitalization of the state's downtowns. Aside from the 10 cities and towns that are part of the program, there are 18 affiliate members, including Ellsworth, which was named an affiliate Monday.

The downtowns use the Four-Point Approach of the National Main Street Center. Communities in the program must have a central historic business district, an organized revitalization effort, and a budget that summarizes and identifies program funding to accomplish goals, and must pledge commitment to the downtown center program.