Oroville >> While only five businesses showed up to a state workshop Thursday regarding disaster assistance, it didn’t mean the impact of the Oroville Dam spillway emergency on Oroville businesses has been minimal.

Many small business owners, managers and their employees were among those evacuated from Oroville, unable to do business for several days.

The small turnout may have been more about people still assessing their situations.

Requested by the Oroville Chamber of Commerce, the meeting brought together a variety of local, state and federal programs to help small businesses work through problems related to the incident. Most of the assistance discussed was about loans or loan-guarantee programs, but may be hinged on declarations of disasters.

Walter Seidenglanz, who owns a number of businesses in Oroville, said it was good to connect with resources, but right now his issue was the perception that Oroville isn’t safe.

Seidenglanz complained about bad information about Oroville that has influenced customers, both on social media and from metro news outlets.

“People don’t want to come to Oroville. Businesses need for people to come back.”

Seidenglanz, who owns paintball, auction and surplus businesses, said having the evacuation warning still in place is keeping people away.

He noted that tenants in one of his building had suffered losses as well.

“I’m going to share this information with them.”

As to why so few businesses showed up for the meeting, Seidenglanz said he thought people “are still scrambling” and may not have had time to come. There was only a short advance notice.

“Our message is we’re here to help the small business owner,” said Jesse Torres, deputy director and small business advocate in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

Torres said the comments he was hearing on Thursday were more about financial loss from being away from business than flooding-related damage.

“Sandy called us and said we need your help,” said Torres about Oroville Chamber Executive Director Sandy Linville.

Local resources

Three local representatives also spoke: Brenda Richter of U.S. Department of Ag’s Farm Service Agency, which deals with ag businesses, and Tammy Laizure of USDA Rural Development, which deals with non-ag businesses. Both are based in Oroville.

Sophie Konuwa of Small Business Development Center at Butte College in Chico also talked about including disaster planning in business plans, and has knowledge about loan programs and relationships with commercial banks that can help.

“Just call one of us.”

Konuwa said it didn’t matter who received the first call, that the local people know enough about each other’s programs to start the ball rolling. The conversation doesn’t have to be about loans, but other kinds of business help.

Konuwa can be reached at 895-9017; Richter at 534-0112 ext. 102; and Laizure at 533-4401 ext. 131.

Richter invited ag and non-ag businesses to drop by her office at 150 Church Yeager Way, Suite D, by the Oroville airport.

Konuwa noted her office was working on a workshop regarding disaster relief for small businesses but a date had not been set.

Also at the event were representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration and iBank, federal and state government programs respectively that offer loans and loan guarantees for small businesses that encountered disasters, as well as the Small Business Development Center’s state program.

Contact Laura Urseny at 896-7756, email lurseny@chicoer.com or on Twitter @LauraUrseny.