Virus relief fund of $15K awaits use
NEW MILFORD — More than $15,000 has been donated to help those affected by the coronavirus, but residents have shown little interest, and none of the money has been distributed as the Town Council tweaks how the fund will operate.
The Sustainability Fund was established in early May to help residents, first responders and small businesses during the coronavirus outbreak by filling a void state and federal aid didn’t cover.
While the idea is still supported, some residents and council members
question the best way and reasons to distribute the money.
Chris Cosgrove, the councilman overseeing the fund, said the town has received one request so far, and wonders if the open deliberation process during council meetings was preventing more people from seeking help.
But the new format will allow for that confidentiality, he said.
Requests will now come before a three-member bipartisan committee of council members, which is expected to be created at the next Town Council meeting. A representative from the social services department advises to make sure another type of aid doesn’t already meets the applicant’s needs.
Final approval will still come from the entire Town Council, but it will be done as part of the consent agenda without the applicant’s name, with deliberations only happening in the committee.
Councilwoman Mary Jane Lundgren said the money should be given to the town’s social services department to administer to those in need and that Town Council shouldn’t be a part of it.
“To me, it makes more sense,” Lundgren said. “It’s like reinventing the wheel. They already have the mechanisms.”
She said small businesses could already get help and questioned if this fund was appropriate for them.
Councilwoman Katy Fracis, who handles these types of requests through her work with United Way, said social services isn’t equipped to meet the needs this fund is designed to meet.
“Social Services is not really involved, nor trained to deal with requests as this is set up,” she said.
Francis said small businesses still aren’t qualifying for help, and a small business from the town’s perspective is different from the 500 employees that constitutes a small business from the state and federal government definitions. She said this could help a local businesses owner purchase wipes to clean or pay the electric bill.
Cosgrove expects more requests to come before the committee in the fall and winter when needs might grow, such as help with paying utility bills.
Town Council rejected the only application so far, which came from Joe Quaranta in June so a local farmer could purchase $1,000 of seeds to plant 10 acres of corn. The men planned to donate corn to local food banks once it was harvested.
Council members said they would rather purchase corn once it’s grown and said the fund wasn’t established to provide money to other nonprofits, like Quaranta’s Helping Hands for Heroes.
Quaranta challenged the denial in the following Town Council meeting, saying the need aligned with the Sustainability Fund’s mission of helping local farmers and adding to the local food source.
During this week’s public comment of the Town Council meeting, another resident questioned where the money should go.
Pat Erickson said she donated to the fund because she understood it would serve first responders.
“I would like the money to go to first responders and let them decide who in their department needs it,” she said.