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Draft 2/23/2017 <br />2. Economic Development Partnerships & Financial Incentives <br />Action Step: Help small businesses grow. <br />Deliverables: Washington County can support existing small businesses and encourage new <br />entrepreneurism by joining the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers' (MCCD) <br />Open to Business program. <br />The purpose of the Open to Business program is twofold: <br />1) to provide small businesses within Washington County direct access to subordinated <br />financing (business loans), and <br />2) to provide one-on-one professional business consulting services to small businesses <br />within the county at no cost to the business. <br />The professional business consulting services include business plan development and financial <br />proforma development including cash flow management analysis for entrepreneurs. The direct <br />business loans offered through the Open to Business program are intended to spur commercial <br />and industrial business development opportunities in Washington County. Business loans are <br />available to both start-up and existing businesses and are available for a variety of uses <br />including; building improvements, acquisition of property, equipment, inventory and working <br />capital. <br />The Washington County CDA will coordinate the Open to Business program on behalf of the <br />communities and will seek the necessary funding required to join. This program will begin as <br />soon as possible in 2017 and will be ongoing. <br />Action Sty: Utilize Community Development Block Grant funds for business loans. <br />Deliverables: The Washington County CDA will use federal Community Development Block <br />Grant monies for up to 3 small business loans for a total amount not to exceed $25,000 in CDBG <br />funds over a three-year period. This activity will begin in the third quarter of 2017 and be <br />ongoing. <br />Action Step: Capitalize a county -wide commercial building revolving loan program. <br />Deliverables: The Washington County CDA will explore options to fund commercial building <br />and improvements. The county -wide commercial building revolving loan program will begin in <br />2018 or sooner if funding becomes available. <br />3. Community Assistance <br />Action Step: Provide predevelopment matching grants to cities, townships and local government <br />economic development authorities located in Washington County. <br />Deliverables: The Washington County CDA will explore options to fund a program that will <br />provide up to ten grants for an amount up to $10,000 per grant (total of $100,000) to cities and <br />townships in Washington County for predevelopment costs to spur economic development and <br />