LTC 203-2023 Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program Update #5M IA M I BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC# LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the City Commission
Alina T. Hudak, City Manag~
May 3, 2023 lJf \
SUBJECT: Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program Update #5
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (L TC) is to provide an update regarding the status of the
Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program funded through Community
Development Block Gran t - Coronavirus (CDBG-CV). The CDBG-CV funding was appropriated by
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the City of Miami Beach
through the Office of Housing and Community Services and allocated to the Economic
Development Department through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as a subrecipient for
this purpose.
On May 13, 2020, via Resolution No. 2020-31256, the City Commission allocated $200,000 in
CDBG-CV funds for small business assistance grants. The Economic Development Department
developed a Small Business Assistance program in an effort to assist small businesses with up to
$10,000 for reimbursement of eligible business expenses. Of the allocated funding, $140,000 was
disbursed to fourteen (14) qualified businesses and the remaining $60,000 in unexpended funds
was later reallocated to the Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program.
On October 28, 2020, the City Commission approved Resolution No. 2020-31471, which provided
$600,000 for small businesses grants via CDBG-CV in addition to funding to further assist
businesses through technical assistance. Eligible small businesses/microenterprises were
encouraged to apply for grants of up to $20,000 through the Emergency Small Business
Reimbursement Grant Program ("Program") as reimbursement for normal business expenses
including but not limited to rent, mortgage, utilities, payroll, operating supplies, and COVID-19
related expenses. The principal goal of the Program is to support and promote business longevity
by retaining or creating jobs. Pursuant to the amendment to the MOU providing for an additional
$60,000 in grant funding, at least thirty-three (33) businesses were eligible to receive assistance
totaling $660,000 under the Program, which has been active since January 6, 2021.
The Administration is proud to announce that as of April 25, 2023, the Economic Development
Department has awarded $660,000 in Program funds to thirty-three (33) eligible businesses. Of
the thirty-three (33) awarded businesses, the twenty-four (24) businesses listed below have
successfully completed the twelve (12)-month compliance reporting period. There are nine (9)
remaining businesses still in the process of completing the twelve (12)-month reporting
requirement.
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203-2023
E m e rg e n c y S m a ll B u s in e s s R e im b u rs e m e n t P ro g ra m
(Grantees who completed Compliance Reporting Period)
Business Name Industry/Type Eligibility Category Area
1. Abbott Florist Floral Shop M icroenterprise North Beach
2. Benworth LLC D/B/A Fritz Skate & Shop Bike & Skate Shop Job Creation / Retention South Beach
3. Evan Rubensteen DMD P.A Miami Beach Orthodontist Job Creation / Retention Mid Beach
Orthodontics
4. Mai Equity LLC D/B/A Sobe Nails & Spa Nail Salon Job Creation / Retention South Beach
5. Miami "N Ice Restaurant Job Creation / Retention South Beach
6. Poseidon Ferrv LLC Water Ferry Service Job Creation / Retention South Beach
7. Synergy Yoga South Beach Yoga Studio M icroenterprise South Beach
8. The Pilates Place LLC Yoaa Studio Microenterprise South Beach
9. Tsoula LLC D/B/A Nailed Nail Salon Microenterprise South Beach
10. Veronica Sanmartino DMD P.A. Orthodontist Job Creation / Retention Mid Beach
11. VSS South Beach LLC Retail Shop Job Creation / Retention South Beach
12. Dulce Vida Mexican Restaurant Restaurant M icroenterprise South Beach
13. Shoreside Club LLC Sports Rental M icroenterprise South Beach
Equipment
14. Rice House Kabob Restaurant Job Creation / Retention South Beach
15. Mediterranean Cuisine Restaurant Microenterprise South Beach
16. LR Restaurant Holdings D/B/A Marble & Restaurant Job Creation / Retention South Beach
Rve
17. Mellinger Enterprises Inc D/B/A Sky Nails Nail Salon Job Creation / Retention South Beach
& Spa
18. The Perfect Fit Custom Tailorinq Inc Tailor/ Alterations Microenterprise South Beach
19. Dr. Donald Shapiro Optometrist Microenterprise North Beach
20. Fat Ronnies Sobe LLC Restaurant Job Creation I Retention South Beach
21. OM Sai II Dry Cleaners / M icroenterprise Mid Beach
Alterations
2. Selin LLC D/B/A Groovv's Bar & Pizza Restaurant Job Creation I Retention South Beach
3. Nobe Yoga LLC Yoga Studio M icroenterprise North Beach
4. Self-Care Nails & Spa Nail Salon M icroenterprise Mid Beach
In ad d itio n to d is b u rsin g $6 6 0 ,0 0 0 to q u alified sm all bus ine sse s, the E co no m ic D e ve lo p m ent
D e p a rt m e n t pa rt n e re d w ith P ro sp e ra , a no t-fo r-p rofit orga n iz a tio n sp e cializin g in pro vidin g bilingual
assista n c e to e n tre p re n e u rs an d sm all b u sin esse s, to create the M ia m i Be a ch Busine ss A ca dem y
pro g ra m . T h e M ia m i B e a ch Bu sin e ss A ca d em y pro g ra m pro v id e d in pe rso n and virt ual te chn ica l
assista n c e tra in in g a n d co n s u ltin g fr e e of charge to the C ity's sm all busine ss co m m u n ity in
a cco rda n c e wi th C D B G -C V g uid eline s a n d re q u ire m ents.
O ve r th e co u rse of the pro g ra m te rm , P ro sp e ra , in co o rdin a tion w ith the Eco no m ic D e velo p m ent
D e p a rt m e n t, de sig n e d , org a n iz e d , an d co n d u c ted tw elve (12 ) virt ual tra in ing se ssio n s on ca p a city
bu ild in g th ro u g h va rio u s to p ic s in clu din g g ro w th strateg y an a lysis, be st busine ss practice s,
bu s in e ss co n tin u ity , ho w to acce ss ca p ita l, ho w to im p ro v e dig ita l pre sence , and ho w to eff e ctive ly
m a n a g e pa y ro ll. S ix (6 ) of the virt u a l tra in in g se ssio n s w e re co n d u cte d in E nglish an d six (6) virt ua l
tra in in g se ss io n s w e re co n d u c te d in S p an is h .
E n tre p re n e u rs a n d sm a ll bu s in e ss ow n ers part icip a ted in virt ual tra in ing se ssio ns ba se d on to p ics
of the ir ch o o s in g . T he virt ua l tra in in g se s s io n s saw a tota l of ov e r tw o hu n d red tw e nty-n ine (2 2 9 )
pa rt ici p a n ts. A d d itio n a lly, a tota l of tw e n ty-th re e (2 3 ) un iq u e M ia m i B e a ch busine sse s re ce ived
o n e -o n -o n e , in pe rso n tra in in g s fr e e of ch arg e via E nglish or S p a n ish .
Fo r m o re in fo rm a tio n , ple a se co n ta ct R ickelle W illiam s, A ssistant C ity M an a g e r at
ric kel le wi lliam s @m i am i be a ch fl _g o v.
RW/LW/MR fy w!
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