The Bend City Council Wednesday night approved COVID-19 Crisis Assistance Program - water and sewer bill relief funds to help businesses struggling financially due to lost income from Governor Brown’s “Stay At Home” order.  The city’s Local State of Emergency declaration authorizes the water and sewer bill assistance program.

“The Crisis Assistance Program provides some certainty and immediate relief for businesses in Bend that have been hardest hit by this economic crisis,” said Bend Business Advocate Ben Hemson. “While this program does not address the host of other challenges our business community is confronting, it should provide a small measure of breathing room for those seeking to stabilize their organization before they can begin planning for an economic recovery.”

The city of Bend will soon begin accepting online applications for commercial water and sewer bill assistance to help ease the financial burden to local businesses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.