ROCHESTER, N.Y. — During his first state of the county address Monday night, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced emergency loans issued to small businesses during the pandemic will no longer need to be paid back because they were being turned into grants instead.

One of the recipients of the loan spoke with Spectrum News 1 about how this news will continue to help. 

As the owner of a small construction company, Frank Miccoli says he wasn't sure Alta Bella Casa was going to survive the pandemic. 

"There was a point in time where it was a daily conversation between accountant and attorney if we were really gonna make it,” said Miccoli.

A year later, there are still challenges, but Miccoli says business is good.

"We are maintaining a significant backlog, and that's fantastic," Miccoli said. "But what we find is we can’t complete the backlog because there’s either a material issue, there is a material shortage.”

Wednesday, they were at a home in Pittsford installing a special kind of basement window, which Miccoli says may not have been the case if it weren't for the Emergency Small Business Assistance loan program. It provided him $10,000 from Monroe County. 

"It gave us hope," he said. "It was a hand up, and that’s all we really needed was a hand up.”

And when Miccoli heard he and other small business owners wouldn't have to pay those loans back.

“Did you want me to do cartwheels?" Miccoli asked. "Because I will. That’s fantastic!”

He says his no-interest payments would've been about $400 a month for the next two years. That's no small cost for a business his size. 

"$400 bucks is… it’s half an equipment payment, or it offsets the lumber prices that are just ridiculous,” said Miccoli.

He appreciates everyone who supported his business during this difficult time. He says he'll be on call to give back. 

"Monroe County, the state, if they need something, we’re going to roll up our sleeves and volunteer, because someone handing you $10,000 dollars is unheard of. It's fantastic,” said Miccoli.