LAKEPORT — With the help of the City of Lakeport, Leslie Firth will be able to pay off her business”s debt, buy new inventory and open the Kitchen Gallery across the street from the store”s old location.
The Lakeport City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday to submit the requested $50,000 Business Stabilization Loan, which Firth learned was approved by a loan committee Wednesday. Mayor James Irwin dissented and Councilman Roy Parmentier was absent.
Firth said she”s not a religious person, but she feels blessed by the community support.
“It”s a humbling experience to go through what we just went through,” Firth said of her family. “We”ve never had so many well-wishers.”
The Lakeport City Council approved the loan program in September to offer up to $50,000 loans to Lakeport businesses during the economic downturn, Lakeport Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll said. More than a year ago Knoll proposed the idea to the council for the Redevelopment Agency to buy city land for $400,000 and have the city use the money to fund the loan program. The council decided to use half the money for the program.
In order to qualify for the loan, the business has to prove a number of things, including that the business is experiencing financial difficulty because of the economic downturn, Knoll said.
“That”s not too hard to do these days,” Knoll said.
Knoll said the Redevelopment Agency has other programs to support the economy, including the Building Fa?ade Enhancement Program, which helped Campos Casuals redesign and construct its fa?ade.
Lakeport and Lake County assist with the Community Development Block Grant Program funding, which gives money to businesses with a requirement to create jobs.
Both the county and Lakeport have local purchasing policies that encourage departments to spend money inside county or city limits.
Debra Sommerfield of the County Administrative Office said one of the most effective ways the county has helped businesses is the push to buy local along with the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
“The efforts of buying local are really important,” Sommerfield said. “Keeping these dollars here and having the dollars circulate here really make a difference.”
The county also gives money to Mt. Konocti Facilitation, which offers one-on-one business coaching to established or new businesses, Sommerfield said.
Firth said business started to decline with the recession.
“It”s really about the economy,” Firth said. “People became more selective and were not spending as many dollars. Our expenses didn”t change. So I needed to change our expenses.”
The rent for the former location of Caf? Victoria costs much less than her former shop right across the street, Firth said.
Firth said without the city”s loan, Knoll”s assistance and the incredible timing, she wouldn”t be reopening the Kitchen Gallery at the end of March, she said.
“I would have had to close my doors and close my business, period, and attempt to look for a job,” Firth said.
Firth plans to sell spices, have cooking and knife skills classes and eventually offer wine tasting. She thinks with those changes and people being less afraid to spend money, she”ll do well.
“Household sales are starting to go up,” Firth said. “A lot of people are tired of holding on to that all-mighty dollar and just want to go spend a little money.”
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
