SBA Official Tells Snowflake Council Of Programs To Aid Area Residents

By Naomi Hatch
   “We’re down about 70 percent from last year,” said Steve Hall of the Small Business Administration, referring to loans by small businesses.
   Hall has an office in the White Mountains and covers from Flagstaff to Graham County through funding from the Phoenix SBA office.
   “What we have is an opportunity for economic development,” said Hall. He noted that he has had an opportunity to meet a lot of people who are excited that his agency is serious about tourism and economic development.
   “There are loan programs,” said Hall, adding that many hear about loan programs being cumbersome and requiring a lot of paperwork. “We have some that are not.”
   Hall has worked with local banks to secure loans for small businesses and explained, “We have the opportunity in procurement and contracting…the federal government doesn’t really do anything, it purchases everything. A lot of businesses like to get involved in our procurement programs.”
   A conference for all communities on the Rim has been tentatively set for Nov. 19 to allow area residents to talk to several contractors and match them up with procurement agents for different agencies, noting, “There’s stimulus money out there, we’re just trying to find good borrowers.”
   Hall’s office is located at 1201 E. Cooley in Show Low.
   In other business Sept. 22, the council:
   * Unanimously approved support for the Four Forest Initiative.
   Town Manager Paul Watson gave credit to David Tenney and a number of other people who have gotten together to develop a plan to allow industry back in the forest. This is an initiative that includes the Forest Service, private businesses and environmental groups. Watson said that it now needs congressional assistance with changes in administrative policies and will be given to Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, who is addressing the issue.
   * Approved Resolution 09-523 supporting the White Mountain Apache Tribe’s application for a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant that will allow the tribe to make repairs to the water line going to the fish hatchery and keep it open to provide fish to the lakes and rivers on the reservation.
   * Approved a payment of $11,280 to Alpha and Omega Engineering and Survey for additional manholes found during the firm’s survey.
   Public Works Director Gary Fenstermaker explained that the council previously approved a payment of $40 per manhole for the manhole survey and made a payment of $10,840. He said they had no idea there were 553 manholes in Snowflake. Many were found that had been covered. They have been dug out and will be raised, that’s why throughout town there are manholes that have an orange cone on them. Fenstermaker jokingly told the council, “I promise that now we have found them, I’ll keep track of them.”