NBA offers support to struggling Niwot businesses

The coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns have taken a steep toll on Niwot businesses, and the path to recovery is still uncertain. But Eric Bergeson and the Niwot Business Association are working to get their members started on that path and hopefully back to a thriving downtown commercial district.

"The NBA Executive Committee has been trying to respond to this and provide whatever assistance we can," said Bergeson, who was elected to his first term as NBA president in February. "We're trying to brainstorm ways that we can help businesses that are suffering during this time. We put together a portfolio offering different types of resources to businesses.... And what has been successful, from what I understand, is the information we've put out there about PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] loans and the EIDL [Economic Injury Disaster Loan] and things like that that are out there."

But there aren't any easy answers for businesses struggling to survive. Bergeson said it's hard to quantify the economic impact so far in Niwot, but he said, "Certainly a majority" of restaurants, stores, and offices are closed. Many have continued to operate through online ordering and expanded pick-up and delivery services, but retail locations especially have found it difficult to replace foot traffic and are scrambling to adapt.

"Retail has definitely been the hardest hit," Bergeson said. "The jewelry shops-Kate and Pebble Jewelry and at Niwot Jewelry-they're actually doing delivery service now. So I think people are getting creative."

Unfortunately, that might not be enough for some beloved local establishments, and the NBA is already concerned about permanent closures, including 2nd Ave Hair. Bergeson expects that number to rise if, as seems likely, restrictions continue into summer.

But the news isn't all grim. A few businesses, including Niwot Market and Niwot Tavern, have held steady or seen an increase in sales. That includes Bergeson's bike shop, Niwot Wheel Works (124 2nd Avenue), an exception in the retail sector.

"I'm fortunate, being a bike shop, and being considered essential," he said. "We've always done [pick up and delivery], but it's doubled or tripled from what we were doing before. I think we'll see more of that, now that people realize it's a lot easier and more convenient."

For business owners not so fortunate, the NBA and Niwot Economic Development Director Catherine McHale have prioritized tracking down state and local programs in addition to the federal PPP and EIDL loans. One such resource is the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade's (OEDIT) database of small business relief programs, which is "designed as a resource for Colorado's small businesses to find access to alternative funding sources beyond EIDL, PPP and other federal loans and programs." Ranging from municipal tax deferrals to private grants, the relief targets not just stores and restaurants, but also artists, performers, sole proprietors, and the otherwise self-employed.

The NBA has also urged its members to interact with county-level resources as much as possible, starting with the Small Business Development Center. A division of OEDIT, the Boulder SBDC is providing remote consultations to business owners with COVID-19 issues, and can assist with finding emergency loans or grants.

"Catherine McHale has been a tremendous resource for the NBA executive team and myself during this time," Bergeson said of McHale's prodigious efforts to gather these sources over the past month. "She has been a valuable source of information, perspective, and hands-on work during the transition into my new role as NBA President. She was quite helpful before COVID-19 entered the picture and is even more valuable since."

More locally, the NBA is preparing to launch a local delivery service to assist businesses transitioning to a remote business model. Both Bergeson and Bert Steele of Niwot Market will be lending vehicles to the effort, which is expected to get underway soon. The NBA is also considering redirecting some of its future LID funding requests.

"We're likely going to have to postpone certain parts of Rock & Rails, if not the majority of it," he said "We're hopeful that we're still going to be able to have it and that we can push that out until September. There may be some other things we've planned that won't happen, so we might have some funds available that we might be able to use to benefit some businesses more directly, but we haven't developed a methodology for that yet."

So far, Bergeson has been pleasantly surprised by the county's efforts to help Niwot as a whole, and he thinks it could lead to smoother relations down the road. McHale has put together a survey on behalf of the NBA, asking members how Boulder County can help local business owners, and Bergeson is hopeful their concerns will be heard.

"Summer Laws, a Policy Analyst with the Boulder County Commissioners Office, has reached out to us on multiple occasions...I had a call with her and Denise Grimm, a senior planner, about ideas on how they can help facilitate a rapid and effective recovery for businesses in unincorporated Boulder County."

Potentially on the table are personal property tax and real estate property tax relief, quicker permitting and land use review processes, or a loosening of the restrictions on LID tax funds.

"I'm looking at this as an opportunity for the Niwot business community to reshape our relationship with the county and to look for opportunities to make some adjustments around how we do business with the county," he said. "I'm seeing a very receptive audience around them trying to help us out. We've been through this whole moratorium, and a lot of disruption here in Niwot, and I think there's some healing that can go on. I think coming out of this, there might be an opportunity to regroup."

Bergeson ultimately has a positive outlook for Niwot's future recovery, though he warned it could be prolonged, and the town might not look much like it did before March 2020. Large indoor gatherings might be slow to return, he predicted, and families will likely replace their former routines with remote work and food delivery.

"I am optimistic that the Niwot business community will get through this and we will eventually be stronger than ever," he said. "But that is going to take a lot of energy, creativity, cooperation and a willingness to adapt. It will also take a tremendous amount of support from the wider Niwot community.

"Now is the time that all businesses in Niwot need to come together to support one another," he continued. "It is a fact that each business thrives when its neighboring business thrives. It is likely that we will lose some local businesses during this fight and that is a shame. My heart goes out to anyone who has worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make a business go here in Niwot. However, I firmly believe we must look at this as an opportunity to create a deeper and stronger critical mass of business activity here in Niwot. Frankly, that is our only option, and we should focus all of our energy toward doing that."