Council to consider $1M in relief for hospitality industry

Williamsburg City Council members will consider a resolution this week to adopt a program that would provide about $1 million in total funding to qualifying Williamsburg restaurants and lodging businesses in response to the severe impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Historic Triangle’s tourism-dependent economy.

“The City of Williamsburg Tourism Industry COVID-19 Relief Grant Program” would provide grant funding to restaurants that are physically located within the city, as well as hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfasts, Williamsburg Economic Development Director Michele Mixner DeWitt said. Timeshares would not qualify for the program.

City Council members will consider the resolution during their Thursday afternoon meeting. The resolution authorizes up to $1,012,500 in total grant funding to qualifying Williamsburg businesses, which will be administered by the Economic Development Authority. DeWitt said this program would be funded through the about $2.6 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds allocated to the city earlier this year.

Vice Mayor W.P. “Pat” Dent said he’s excited for this opportunity to keep providing assistance to hotels and restaurants in the city of Williamsburg.

“Obviously the pandemic has lasted longer than most folks anticipated in the beginning, so the impact on hotels and restaurants has continued for quite a period of time,” Dent said in a phone interview Tuesday. “I’m just excited that we’re able to provide some more assistance if (the program) gets approved, not only for their businesses, but (also) their employees. This keeps people working and that’s really important to us.”

Williamsburg City Councilman Ted Maslin supports the proposal “because our hotels and restaurants are still trying to recover from the severe decline in business since the pandemic hit,” Maslin said in an email Tuesday. Councilwoman Barbara Ramsey also expressed her support for the program in a phone call on Tuesday, as did Councilman Caleb Rogers.

“We certainly want to assist businesses in the area however we can,” Williamsburg City Councilman Caleb Rogers said in a phone interview Tuesday about the COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

The COVID-19 Relief Grant Program would provide $5,000 grants to qualifying Williamsburg restaurants and different monetary amounts for qualifying lodging businesses. These amounts would be based on the number of lodging rooms at each business. The increments for lodging grants start at $7,500 for businesses with up to 50 rooms, $10,000 for those with 51 to 75 rooms, $12,500 for 76 to 100 rooms, and $15,000 for 101 rooms or more.

Williamsburg EDA has scheduled a special virtual meeting Oct. 13 to consider this COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, pending City Council approval this week. The program would begin to accept applications next week after receiving final EDA approval, DeWitt said.

“Tourism businesses have been affected by COVID-19 mitigation measures and travel declines, and we’ve seen an unprecedented decrease in overnight visitation,” DeWitt said in a phone interview Monday. “... Fewer people are dining out generally. That’s why we’re proposing to the city that they provide relief for those tourism industries.”

Applications must be filed by Nov. 16 and all awards would be processed by the end of the year, should the program be approved.