COVID19 UPDATE
MARCH 30, 2020
FEDERAL ACTION
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) Issued an updated version of their Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response Version 2.0 (March 28, 2020)  . Construction Services continues to be an essential service. ACEC is seeking additional guidance from Homeland Security but we all feel that the updated guidance puts a finer point that infrastructure and the industries that orbit it are considered essential. Proceed as formerly indicated.
STATE ACTIONS
Governor Edwards today announced that he will issue another proclamation by the end of the week extending the Shelter in Place directive until April 30.
The Legislature will reconvene tomorrow at 11:00am. They are expected to adjourn with no specific date set. They will probably be in no more than 2 hours. They will file all the rest of the drafted bills for the current session to comply with their constitutional bill filing requirements. I expect these to be fairly broad bills to place hold for now until they reconvene and have to address the consequences of COVID19.

You can view the proceedings when they start at 11:00am. Not sure if the Governor will address both chambers, but that is a possibilty. 

If you have any questions, please let me know. I’ll communicate back after tomorrow on where things stand.

HELPFUL BUSINESS RESOURCES AND WEBINARS FOR
NAVIGATING COVID19
The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship developed the Small Business Owner's Guide to the CARES Act. This is very good resource for you to review. It will walk you through questions that answer which of the pots of money you may find the most beneficial. We still await SBA guidance but in the meantime this is a good resource. As a first step, contact your CPA for guidance and your bank to determine if they are a 7(a) lender. I'm told by that many banks are not 7a lenders. If you have trouble identifying a bank to apply, let me know.
ACEC has organized four complimentary webinars for members this week.

  • Tuesday, March 31st, 2:30-3:30 PM CST 
  • Presenter: Dan Purvine, A/E Clarity Consulting and Training, LLC

  • Wednesday, April 1st, 2:30-3:30 PM CST
  • Presenters: Marc Gerson, Loren Ponds, Jorge Castro, and Layla Asali of the Miller & Chevalier Law Firm
 
  • Thursday, April 2nd, 12:30-1:30 PM CST
  • Presenters: Barbara Irwin, HR Advisors Group, LLC and David Cohen, Matheson Financial Advisors 
 
  • Tuesday, April 7th, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM CST 
  • Presenter: Geordie Aitken, Aitken Leadership Group
CARING AND SHARING
I am presently developing a communication tool for ACECL and our firms that emphasizes the benefits of engineering on every day society including the work you're doing in response to COVID19. It is not my intention to cite any firm or client but to draw attention to why our industry is ESSENTIAL: in peace time and in crisis. I would like to feature examples of how engineering is a critical component in responding in an emergency to keep our citizens safe, our critical infrastructure functioning and our public health resources supported. Email me at dbrasseaux@acecl.org or call me at 225-485-9818.
ACEC BLOG WITH COVID19 UPDATES
This blog site adds several articles and information every day relevant to engineering firms and COVID19.