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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A FORGIVABLE LOAN OR GRANT PROGRAM WITH CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR SMALL NONPROFIT OR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS USING $5 MILLION OF FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE 2020 CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT (CARES ACT) TO ALLEVIATE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS CAUSED BY CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19); PROVIDING FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS AMONG COMMISSION DISTRICTS; AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF THIS RESOLUTION; AND REQUIRING REPORTS

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WHEREAS, in early 2020, the State of Florida and Miami-Dade County began experiencing an outbreak of the infectious disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); and
WHEREAS, in response to COVID-19, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-51, directing the State Health Officer and Surgeon General to declare a public health emergency in the State of Florida and directing the State Health Officer take any action necessary to protect the public health and to follow guidelines established by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to control the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, County Mayor Carlos Gimenez declared a state of emergency in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials and the CDC encouraged �social distancing� to reduce the spread of the virus; and
WHEREAS, to enforce social distancing, Governor DeSantis and Mayor Gimenez have issued executive and emergency orders restricting businesses� and residents� activities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, while these precautions were established to keep people safe, they have had and continue to have a negative financial impact on many County businesses and residents; and
WHEREAS, this Board has recently approved legislation providing financial assistance to small businesses impacted by COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, for example, Resolution No. R-557-20 authorized the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to negotiate and execute a $25 million grant agreement with the Dade County Federal Credit Union using 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds to develop and implement a revolving loan program to provide micro-businesses throughout the County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with low interest rate loans; and
WHEREAS, in Resolution No. R-583-20, this Board also provided $5 million for a small business forgivable loan program using Community Development Block Grant funding specifically allocated through the CARES Act; and
WHEREAS, many small nonprofit organizations are similarly facing a dire threat to their survival and an increasingly large number of their employees have been laid off or furloughed; and
WHEREAS, according to a survey of nonprofits conducted by Florida International University more than half of the 374 nonprofits surveyed reported a drop in revenue and most of the groups also expect severe, long-term declines in donations and revenue that threaten their continued operation; and
WHEREAS, nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations provide a variety of services and programs to our community in a wide range of areas, including food distribution, child care and mentoring, cultural and arts programs, and mental health care; and
WHEREAS, this Board desires to direct the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to use funding made available through the CARES Act to help small nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations who are experiencing financial losses caused by COVID-19 and to equally distribute such funds among the 13 county commission districts to the extent feasible,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to develop a forgivable loan or grant program for nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations with 25 or fewer employees which have been impacted by COVID-19 using $5 million of funding made available through the CARES Act. In developing the program, the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall: (i) require that organizations demonstrate financial loss due to COVID-19, (ii) provide for a uniform maximum loan or grant amount per organization, (iii) require that applicants for forgivable loans or grants demonstrate that they have not received financial assistance from other emergency county, city, state, or federal forgivable loan or grant programs established in response to COVID-19, and (iv) if eligible under the CARES Act, make such funds available for the payment of business expenses, including employee payroll costs. Funding for this program shall be equally distributed among the 13 county commission districts to the extent feasible. Section 2. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to develop and implement the program and appoint staff to administer and monitor the program.
Section 3. Authorizes the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to negotiate and execute any documents necessary to carry out the purposes of this resolution, following approval of such documents by the County Attorney�s office for legal form and sufficiency.
Section 4. Directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to provide a written report to this Board within 15 days of the effective date of this resolution detailing the status of the development and implementation of the program or explaining why it has not been developed or implemented. Upon implementation, the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall provide a written report to this Board every 30 days detailing the status of the program until funding for the program is exhausted. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall place the completed reports on agendas of the Board pursuant to Ordinance No. 14-65.