Help may be available for businesses in Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties that may have been impacted by the manhunt for Eric Frein last month.

Carl Wilgus, president and CEO of Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau, told the Carbon County Commissioners on Thursday, the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management has been collecting data from businesses in the four-county region to show the economic impact that the seven-week manhunt had on the businesses' revenue streams."The months of September and October were important for small businesses to build up reserves to get them through winter and into spring," he said. "A lot of small businesses make their money through summer and fall. If these people lost money the last couple of months they may not have the financing to make it through the winter so this is important to find the gap financing to get them through."The information, once collected, will be used to request approving a declaration of disaster for the area, which will open up the possibility of small businesses qualifying for low-interest loans to help sustain themselves through the winter months.According to a release by Maryellen Keegan, deputy director of Monroe County Emergency Management, businesses will need to provide a snapshot of their losses based on comparing their 2013 gross income with 2014 gross income and income forecasts during the time of the manhunt."By having this information, we will be able to appeal to state and federal assistance programs that can offer businesses help in getting through this period," she said in the release. "We would like to ask for the municipalities' help in getting this form to the businesses within your community to ensure that all business owners have a chance to report."Wilgus said he knows of at least one business in Carbon County that was greatly affected by the manhunt and urged any other affected businesses to fill out a survey and submit it to Monroe County at

mcoem@monroecountypa.gov or by fax at 570-402-7358.The economic impact survey businesses can fill out is at

www.barrettparadise.com under the article "Economic Impact Survey for Businesses: PSP Manhunt for Eric Frein."Wilgus also said there will be a workshop for businesses from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday at Skytop Lodge in Skytop. The workshop will include 20-25 state and federal agencies to help businesses with options that are available to them as a result of the manhunt.In other matters, Wilgus informed the commissioners about House Bill 2515, which would rewrite the lodging tax requirements and give more control to the counties and better define some types of lodging that should be included. The bill is currently in the House and is expected to be looked at in 2015.Currently, Pennsylvania is losing approximately $30 million to $40 million of the 6 percent sales tax revenue by not being able to collect sales tax fees on short-term rentals. Of that amount, Wilgus estimates the loss is about $750,000 in the Poconos.A short-term rental property is a house or condo that someone rents out for less than 30 days and has not been registered as a lodging unit.The Visitors Bureau is looking to see if it can obtain a list of properties that fall under short-term rentals. The information would be turned over to the county treasurers, who would then send letters with information on the tax that should be collected and forms to fill out."We think some aren't aware that they qualify," Carbon County Treasurer Ron Sheehan said.