A Response From La Grange EDC Members
To the Editor:
As the City of La Grange’s Office of Community Development is always up for a good message of constructive criticism, we are deeply concerned about the timing of Mr. Schielack’s letter. But since he chose to send it during a worldwide pandemic when staff is thoughtfully reviewing federal, state, and local grant and loan opportunities to bring lifelines to La Grange’s local small businesses, we must tell you that his timing couldn’t have been worse. But since criticism waits for no man or pandemic, here we are.
In reading Mr. Schielack’s letter to the editor, one reads that at first, he requested a grant from the Economic Development Corporation to fund his entrepreneurial initiatives. But what one doesn’t read because it may have been intentionally left out, is how much Mr. Schielack requested. To better put the scale of the request in perspective, the amount that he requested was more than both the amount that funded La Grange’s Economic Development Corporation’s entire forgivable microloan program directly related to helping 40 local independently owned small businesses impacted by COVID-19 along with a utility grant program that was specifically geared towards helping nearly 20 of our independently owned small business restaurants.
Since March, staff has mainly focused on COVID-19 related programming. This has ranged from implementing a utility grant for local small businesses impacted by the Governor’s orders, sending out regular updates on state and federal resources for businesses related to COVID-19, implementing a program of forgivable microloans for those impacted by the pandemic, along with a utility challenge that gave a small discount to residential utility bills when one brought in a receipt showing that they made a purchase at a local La Grange business. In addition to these many various programs, staff has worked diligently to raise funds for local nonprofits including Fayette County 4-H, Fayette County Habitat for Humanity, Fayette County Animal Shelter, La Grange High School Band along with the Texas Restaurant Association Relief Fund that would benefit our local community specifically. As this may be considered out of our normal operations, these are not normal times and staff has worked to recognize that organizations need creative partnerships now more than ever. These fundraisers did not generate revenue for the City of La Grange as their proceeds went directly to the appropriate organizations. All of the above is the purpose of community development in La Grange as we work to take care of our own. Is this our new normal? We don’t know and we won’t know for a while, but city staff and the entire EDC Board is committed to doing whatever we can to help our community get through these difficult times.
LG Economic Development
LG Economic Development Corporation Board Members
Daniel Cernoch
Janet Moerbe
John Eilert
Bonnie Bush
Janette Morris
Brenda Rainosek
Arnold Romberg