Clinton County Economic Partnership Surveys Business Community, Offers Resources

From staff reports

LOCK HAVEN – While the tentacles of the Coronavirus have yet to reach Clinton County, there isn’t a home or family in our community that hasn’t been impacted. With few exceptions, businesses and organizations are operating at reduced schedules or have closed temporarily and employees are facing reduced work schedules and layoffs; schools and universities are closed and students are learning via online resources; government offices are impacted; and our community trails, parks and recreation areas are affected.

The Clinton County Economic Partnership – the private nonprofit that represents the interests of the business, development and tourism community – is working to make sure local businesses have the resources they need to successfully weather this unfortunate and unprecedented situation.

“We are in regular communication with our members, providing them with a variety of information, whether it’s details on Pennsylvania’s Shared Work Program, which allows employers to temporarily reduce employee work hours rather than enact a full-scale layoff, or offering information on loan resources from the U.S. Small Business Administration,” says Partnership president Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan says the Partnership works regularly with municipal and county officials, regional organizations and state and federal legislative leaders. He says those relationships are particularly important during times like these. “We’re able to take information from our elected leaders, the state health department, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for example, and put that into something manageable, specific and helpful to our businesses.”

The Partnership is also trying to capture the impact of the Coronavirus on the local business community. In collaboration with the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, businesses and organizations are being asked to complete a survey that focuses on how they are being impacted. Gathering such data will allow the two organizations to communicate that impact to county, state and federal legislators as plans are established to support recovery efforts.

Businesses wanting to participate in the online survey should contact the Partnership at 570-748-5782 or ccep@clintoncountyinfo.com and a survey will be emailed to them.

The Partnership is also working with the SEDA-Council of Governments to support efforts for Clinton County to be part of the disaster declaration effort currently underway by the state. “On short notice earlier this week, the Partnership was able to contact a local business that is and will be impacted by the current climate,” says Flanagan. “The state was looking for specific data from each county. The information supplied by the business will help the state as it prepares an economic injury declaration request for all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.”
Flanagan says this could free-up loans through the federal Small Business Administration (SBA).

The U.S. SBA is working with each state on a disaster declaration. Once such a declaration is made for Pennsylvania, eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations will be able to apply for what’s called an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the SBA to help with working capital.

“The Partnership will continue to serve as a resource for the local business community through this ever fluid situation,” emphasized Flanagan. “Working together in the days and weeks ahead, we can hopefully start the process of recovery.”

The Partnership office at 212 North Jay Street, Lock Haven, remains open, with regular business hours being weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Businesses can also contact the Clinton County Economic Partnership at 570-748-5782 or ccep@clintoncountyinfo.com.