NORWICH For businesses in the Rose City, an opportunity to get some help is coming soon.
Beginning the first week of February, businesses in Norwich will be able to apply for part of the Community Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Office Small Business Assistance funds. The City of Norwich’s Development Office will be distributing the money to businesses in the city as a part of the second round of CDBG-CV funding.
There is a total of $219,569 available in funding for COVID-19 relief, and a business approved for the grant could receive up to $10,000. The money is expected to have a 30-day turnaround.
PLAINFIELD Jason Vincent, the former Norwich Community Development Corp. president who died recently, has been lauded by Norwich business owners, community advocates and city officials for his work in the city, but the 46-year-old got his start in Plainfield, a town he grew up in and later helped improve during his stint as town planner.
Former First Selectman Paul Sweet said Vincent came into his office in 1996, one of several candidates applying for an open town planner job.
“I had seven interviews that day and none of them had risen to what I was looking for,” Sweet said. “So I told them to ‘send in the kid,’ my last interview of the day. He sat with me for an hour and his enthusiasm alone was enough to get my attention. He just had a vision.”
Norwich The City Council will vote Tuesday to rescind authority given to the Norwich Community Development Corp. to administer a $219,569 COVID-19 business relief grant as the agency undergoes a leadership transition following the sudden death of former President Jason Vincent.
Vincent, 46, died in an apparent suicide, his vehicle found late on Dec. 30 at the center of the giant New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia and his body discovered at a dam five miles downstream Jan. 4.
City and NCDC officials cited NCDC’s shorthandedness during the transition for rescinding authority given to the city s economic development agency to oversee the grant. Mayor Peter Nystrom added that removing control of the grant from NCDC also would avoid potential conflicts of interest if businesses that lease space in NCDC s Foundry 66 shared workspace or that have other ties to NCDC wanted to apply for the grants.
Citing NCDC s leadership transition and a desire to allow businesses with ties to NCDC apply for COVID-19 relief grants, the city will oversee the grants.