County Commissioners: Jack Rabbit Pub Closer To Getting Federal Grant
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Jack Rabbit Pub Is One Step Closer to Receiving Funds from Federal Grant Award. Nancy Marks Jack Rabbit Pub, LLC located in the Bridger Brewing building at the Three Forks Interchange is one step closer to receiving up to a $400,000 loan from Community Block Development Grant(CDBG), according to Eric Seidensticker, Montana Business Assistance Connection (MBAC) representative. He spoke before the county commissioners at their regular meeting on Wednesday last week.
Jack Rabbit Pub applied for the loan in June of 2022 and was awarded the loan on July 26, 2022. Start-up regulations have slowed the process of allocating funds.
The revolving loan fund is available to qualifying businesses that can prove they can create jobs for lower to moderate-income workers such as waitresses, agricultural workers or manufacturing employees in the three counties served by the fund. Businesses such as bars, restaurants and agricultural programs may apply. “For the most part it (the revolving loan fund) works best for businesses that cannot qualify for regular commercial lending,” Seidensticker explained.
One of the agricultural loans granted four years ago was for a Lewis and Clark County newly opened beef processing plant that provided new jobs processing Montana beef as a value-added product.
The CBDG loan program has been around for several years. Housing and Urban Development, a federal department, created the Community Development Block Grant program in the 1990s.
MBAC will administer the seven-year loan with the 2% interest accrued during the loan period. When the loan is paid in full, the monies go back into the revolving fund to be used again. Since Broadwater County acts as the go-between entity, there is no cost to the county’s taxpayers, Seidensticker emphasized. The revolving loan fund is reserved for use for Broadwater County business loans.
The commissioners voted to approve the contract for the CBDG loan to Jack Rabbit Pub. The commissioners also voted to approve an agreement with MBAC and the Montana Chamber of Commerce to carry the grant for the loan.
Broadwater County Attorney Cory Swanson presented the Missouri River Task Force memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the county for 2024 and 2025. Swanson explained the task force works with many surrounding counties to intercept drug sellers coming into the area. The commissioners approved the 2- year MOU.
Swanson requested a special deputy county attorney to oversee the design and building of the proposed county public safety facility to be located across from the Wheatland Subdivision approach in the south end of Broadwater County. He has suggested Joseph Silverman, a transactional attorney who specializes in construction law.
Swanson pointed out Silverman represents Bridger Brewing, the business which donated the land for the county building. The commission will discuss at next week’s meeting whether having Silverman as the county’s special attorney will be a conflict of interest because he also represents Bridger Brewing.
Swanson will present the resolution for the commissioners to approve at next week’s meeting.
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks.
Image 1 Caption: Jack Rabbitt Pub at the Bridger Brewing brewery.
