Biz ‘Bites:’ Zions Bank touted top SBA 7(A) loans lender, helped create Idaho jobs |

Zions Bank touted top SBA 7(A) loans lender, helped create Idaho jobs

The 8th and Main Building in Boise, known to natives as the Zions Bank Building, home of the bank in Idaho. Photo by Catie Clark

Idaho companies are leading the pack as businesses rebound from challenges induced by the COVID-19 recession, AdvisorSmith noted when ranking Idaho as the number one state for entrepreneurs in 2021. Through Sept. 30, 2021, Zions Bank provided capital to help Idaho businesses grow, approving 36 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loans totaling more than $8.2 million, according to data from the SBA’s Boise District office. One of the 20 indicators looked at for the study was the health of the business environment, including funding availability. 

In 2021, Zions Bank stated it helped Idaho businesses grow so they could create 73 new jobs and retain 151 existing positions, according to SBA data. Loans approved by Zions Bank represent more than 10% of the 330 SBA-backed 7(a) loans approved in the Boise district during the last fiscal year. Zions Bank continues to be a leader in marketing SBA loans to businesses owned by women and people of color, according to the announcement, which accounted for at least 40% of the 7(a) loans approved by Zions Bank in the Boise district during fiscal year 2021. 

City of Boise enacts vaccine requirement for new hires 

Effective Jan. 3, the City of Boise will require all newly hired employees to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19, according to an announcement from the City. This will be a requirement for all employee classifications, including temporary and contract employees. This does not impact current employees, but the city continues to recommend any employee who can get vaccinated or get the booster, to do so.  

Boise City Hall. File photo

New employees will have to have received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both doses of the Pfizer- BioNTech or Moderna vaccines two weeks prior to their start date.

“We need to take action to ensure uninterrupted city services and programming, and to protect the health and safety of our community, especially our most vulnerable, our children,” said Boise Mayor Lauren McLean in a statement. “We will soon hire hundreds of employees for our Spring/Summer activities, like pools and playcamps, and those new employees will be coaching and teaching thousands of children. We need to do this now to keep our kids safe.” 

“We have an obligation to our employees to do what we can to keep them as healthy as possible,” added Mayor McLean. “Vaccines are a big piece of that.” 

NRCS announces application deadline for new EQIP-CIC sign-ups 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a new option for agriculture stakeholders to “complete resource conservation projects and make conservation-related management changes on their farms or ranches.” The new option, EQIP-CIC, is described as being like classic EQIP, and has been created through the 2018 Farm Bill, according to a recent press release. 

“You might say it’s a steppingstone between classic EQIP and the Conservation Stewardship Program,” Amie Miller, acting NRCS state conservationist for Idaho, said in the announcement. “We are particularly excited because EQIP-CIC provides producers with the opportunity to implement practices focusing on climate smart agriculture, even on properties that are not full agricultural operations.” 

Program participation is voluntary and is supposed to help private landowners and operators defray the costs of installing conservation practices. Applications for EQIP-CIC are accepted on a continuous basis, however, only the applications received by April 29 will be considered for funding during this particular cycle, the announcement stated. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed in subsequent cycles. 

More information is at id.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/.