Broadway Mary's temporarily closes while awaiting ARPA ruling

LORAIN — A local business has temporarily closed its doors, while still waiting on approval of American Rescue Plan Act funds from the city. Broadway Mary's shuttered Tuesday after its water was shut off for nonpayment, owner Mary Szefcyk said. She must pay $2,600 to have it turned back on, she said, still playing catch-up after there was a leak, and from running water through her faucets to avoid a burst pipe during the cold snap last month. She said she was on a payment plan through the utilities department but had trouble keeping up with it this past month. Szefcyk has been waiting since mid-December for council to fully approve or deny her request for $30,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The measure has failed to gain enough support to suspend the three-reading rule. Its third and final reading is slated for the Feb. 6 regular council meeting. In the meantime, Szefcyk has exhausted funds to pay her water bill to reopen. All other bills are current or on a payment plan — and her closure wouldn't have happened if council had "rubber stamped" her application like it did other businesses, she said. "From what I've heard with council's comments, my business isn't viable or whatever — we work hard anyways, but every day I do what I can to make this place better," she said. "We've been doing that from the get-go but I'm on high-power mode (now)." The closure is disheartening, she said, noting the ARPA money would be a fresh start. "Everything is up in the air. … I can only control so much," she said. "I can't get a magic wand and make the ARPA money appear." Szefcyk's business has been under scrutiny since applying for ARPA funds. Earlier this month, she was inspected by the city's building department following a complaint forwarded by Councilman Tony Dimacchia, D-at Large, from a neighboring business. In emails shared with The Chronicle-Telegram from Jan. 18, Dimaccia said he'd received complaints from the barbershop next door, and its customers, about a makeshift fence Szefcyk had set up on the driveway she shares with the other property. Building, Housing and Planning Director Matt Kusznir said Tuesday the city inspected the property and found no code violations. Kusznir also said none of the other businesses to receive ARPA funds have faced such scrutiny, and he said ultimately the complaints, as well as Broadway Mary's temporary closure, does not impact whether or not her business should receive funding or not. "They were a small business impacted by COVID," Kusznir said. "If that's the bar, why wouldn't they still be eligible?" In another email shared with The Chronicle to council from program manager Hannah Kiraly — who in part oversees ARPA fund applications — she said until a business is dissolved at the state and federal level, they're still eligible to apply for help. "The ARPA funds, more specifically the Relief and Recovery Program purpose is to assist businesses that have or continue to have challenges posed by the pandemic," Kiraly wrote to council. "The lingering economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are vague and continue to challenge even the most experienced businesses and organizations. I would encourage council to think diligently on this matter. Ultimately, we need to ask ourselves, do we want to deny a business funding resulting in the permanent closure of the business … or if we can assist the existing business and prevent any additional blight to our central business district." Dimacchia said Tuesday that the $30,000 Szefcyk requested has nothing to do with the current state of her business. "I don't want to sound callous but she put a microscope on her business and there are other people now reconsidering their positions all because she wants to put this stuff out on social media and blame the city for her failed business," Dimacchia said. Fellow Councilman Joshua Thornsberry, D-8th Ward, said more information came to light between the ordinance's first and second readings, hence his "no" vote to suspend the rules on Jan. 17. "I voted 'no' to suspend the rule as I wanted to see if more red flags were raised," Thornsberry said. He declined to elaborate on what the information was that came to light, only that it "gives pause if this project is deserving of funding." Dimacchia also noted his email to BHP regarding complaints from the neighboring barbershop is a separate issue. He said the complaint originally came to him months ago, and then again last week, and he reached out to BHP on the owner's behalf. "(They're) painting this picture that we're holding this business down but that's not the case," Dimacchia said. "She's holding herself down. She didn't have to put her business under a microscope." A patron of Szefcyk's set up a GoFundMe to help cover her outstanding water bill. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.