SALINAS - New plans coming to the city of Salinas as its largest non-agriculture employer, Capital One, gets ready to leave town.
"It's going to really hurt," said Marlene Hill, a business owner in Old Town Salinas. "Really, really hurt."
Hill's afraid once Capital One shuts down, and 850 employees who call Salinas home lose their jobs, her business is going to suffer.
"It's going to affect us very much so, and we don't know if we'll be able to go through it or not without the people to be able to support the business," she said.
On Monday, the city announced three things hoping to change that -- using $1 million from Capital One over the next two years, along with a $147,0000 grant given to the city. And putting $250,000 into a fund. The city is hopeful it will make it after these three things are implemented.
"Hopefully we're looking for this as an opportunity to reach out to our small, medium businesses," said Jeff Weir, director of Community and Economic Development. "You have a place to come to if you're looking for financing."
Hill said until Salinas finds a replacement, it's all talk for the small businesses left to survive.
"It'll help some, but it's not very much compared to all the businesses that's going to be involved in this," she said. "We need more money, but obviously we need more companies that can walk in here and take over the building."
The city will discuss the plans in more detail at Tuesday's city council meeting.
According to Capital One, it has offered 65 percent of workers at the Salinas facility a job opportunity.
The problem is they would need to relocate with the company.
Depending on the department they work in and where the work is being transferred to workers could go to Chicago, Las Vegas, and Portland.
