SEEC IN THE NEWS

SHIFT IN FOCUS

Times Journal Op-Ed, June 10, 2020

 

The Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corporation formed last year to spur economic development. It’s been slow going; economic development is not a snap your-fingers task.

 

Then the coronavirus hit, and SEEC shifted its focus.

 

SEEC announced last week that it set up a loan and grant program to help businesses endure the economic downturn. The Resiliency Fund, as it’s called, has $75,000––all in private donations––to work with, and a business can apply for a $2,500 grant or a zero-interest $5,000 grant loan with generous repayment terms. Now, $5,000 or $2,500 may not seem like much, but to a small business, that money can meet the needs of businesses as they reopen. For businesses needing more than $5,000, SEEC is working with the Community Loan Fund of the Greater Capital Region to come up with other programs.

 

Although Washington should step in to help businesses––see the above piece––SEEC’s Resiliency Fund offers a ladder to recovery. It’s one step or a couple of steps to get businesses back on their feet. And looking back a year, this recovery stuff wasn’t in SEEC’s job description, yet SEEC quite quickly shifted from economic development to economic recovery. Their board of directors correctly saw that we need recovery now before we move on to development. That’s foresight squared.

 

The T-J’s been a cheerleader for SEEC all along and still is. This is a corporation that puts Schoharie County first.