Member Update
April 29, 2020
What's Inside:
Walz Expected to Unveil Plans on Thursday
DEED Hosts Hospitality Roundtable
PPP Loan Criteria Expanded for Seasonals
Update on County Property Tax Waivers
Consumers Plan More Time Outdoors
New Tools for Health Screenings
In the News
Walz Expected to Unveil Plans on Thursday
During today’s Daily Briefing, speakers indicated that Governor Walz would unveil plans for what is next for the stay-at-home and business closure orders on Thursday. Look for an update from as those announcements come.
DEED Hosts Hospitality Roundtable
Liz Rammer and Ben Wogsland participated in the first hospitality roundtable with DEED Commissioner Steve Grove this afternoon. The purpose of the gathering was to bring ideas and expertise to the questions facing the state as it navigates reopening the economy. Intended to be a weekly meeting going forward, we will bring business intelligence from across the sectors and advocating for policies and guidelines that will support the swift and safe reopening of your business. 
PPP Loan Criteria Expanded for Seasonals
The National Association of RV Parks and Campground (ARVC) has been advocating to address a disparity affecting seasonal businesses.

From ARVC : “This  latest rule , issued by the U.S. Treasury, is big news for seasonal RV parks and campgrounds which may not have had active payroll during the base period stipulated by the original PPP loan criteria, which required the business to have been in operation by February 15, 2020.

The original base period allowed in the PPP loan program was 8-weeks and it began as soon as the loan was approved and active, and without the ability to use an alternative base period, many summer seasonal businesses would be unable to obtain funding on terms commensurate with those available to winter and spring seasonal businesses.

This new rule addresses that disparity and ensures consistency in program administration by providing a seasonal employer the option of using any consecutive 12-week period between May 1, 2019 and September 15, 2019 for determining its maximum loan amount.”
Update on County Property Tax Waivers
Citing a list maintained by the Association of Minnesota Counties, MPR is reporting that 24 counties have granted waivers to the usual May 15 filing deadline for the year’s first property tax installment. “While the terms vary by county, most give people until July 15 to pay their homeowner or commercial taxes,” MPR asserts.  For the precise waiver for your home or business, contact your county. 

They counties include:  Aitkin, Brown, Crow Wing, Dakota, Fillmore, Hennepin, Houston, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Mahnomen, Morrison, Mower, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Rice, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Washington, Winona and Yellow Medicine.
Consumers Plan More Time Outdoors
Our friends at ARVC shared a  McKinsey study  on consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis. ARVC highlighted the findings that “shows more consumers (18%) getting outdoors than before COVID0-19, with 90% of respondents saying they plan on spending even more time outdoors. The populations getting outside the most—Gen Z and millennials—also the fastest growing segment of campers—all great news for RV parks and campgrounds.
New Tools for Health Screenings
As the framework for getting back to work continues to evolve, two new resources have come online to help businesses conduct optional health screenings.

MN Symptom Screener –  a free digital tool  for gathering and monitoring employee health screening information. Use is optional for both employers and employees and anonymously aggregates data over time to present a snapshot of workplace health.

No-Touch Infared Thermometers Available – Target will allow businesses to order infrared thermometers at wholesale cost through May 16.  Orders can be placed with a Target business account.
In the News
What will Minnesota restaurants look like when they reopen?  (feat. Tim Murray & Liz Rammer) | FOX9 News

 


| Star Tribune




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