What's Inside:
Tell Your Story Now!
Alcohol-to-Go Passes!
Governor Modifies Outdoor Restrictions
Our Current Understanding
New Mental Health Support Page
Update on Federal Loans
Hotel-Specific Language Added
Strategies for the Other Side
In Other News
Benefit Concerts
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As of Friday, Minnesota has 2071 confirmed cases, with 111 deaths, in 72 counties.
We close out the week with more clarity and opportunity on the one hand, and continued confusion on the other. The executive order on “Safe Outdoor Recreation” and the passage of alcohol-to-go legislation were welcome news for some businesses, while the State’s conflicting statements on when and how RV Parks and Campgrounds can open has led to unfortunate confusion.
Our aim is to get answers and advance our positions. Clarity is in everyone’s best interest. We continue to field questions and concerns about liability and public relations if someone (guest or staff) were to exhibit COVID at a business in greater MN. An operator who does not take the state’s position and their obligations under the law and executive orders into account—whether its selling alcohol before the law passes or opening a business beyond providing essential services—risks putting their business in further jeopardy. It also has potential downside consequences for our industry overall.
Our advocacy efforts and communications with the governor’s office, state officials and policymakers are aimed at both seeking relief for your businesses and providing comprehensive information that will inform decisions going forward—both at the industry and individual sector levels. While we expect some restrictions and closures to go on longer than we’d like, we are also seeing modifications to the orders, based in part on our input, that is opening things up.
We are grateful for the feedback we are receiving about your experiences and your guidance on how to proceed. This week, that came from individual business owners, our Advocacy Work Group and Campground leaders during a conference call. Our positions and actions are shaped by your input.
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As deliberations proceed around any possible extension of Stay-at-Home and the business closure orders, your story will make the impact real for decisionmakers.
We need you to take this action TODAY!
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Hooray! On a vote of 129-1, the House passed “Alcohol-to-Go” legislation on Friday, and
Governor Walz has signed it
. Alcohol sales with take-out orders were allowed as of 12:01 am on Saturday, April 18.
What you need to do:
- Hold a qualifying license, meaning you have an on-sale intoxicating liquor or an on-sale wine license issued under the relevant Minnesota Statutes.
- Notify your insurance provider that you intend to sell take-out alcohol as part of your take-out operations.
- Be aware that your municipality may elect to prohibit off-sale of alcoholic beverages authorized by this bill.
- Confirm that the person picking up the food and beverage order is 21 years of age or older.
What is allowed:
- Off-sales of up to 72 ounces of malt liquor, hard seltzer and cider and 750 ml of wine in its original packaging.
- Sales only “in conjunction with and is incidental to the sale of prepared food for take-out.”
- Sales only until the closure order, or any subsequent order, expires or is terminated or rescinded.
What is not allowed:
- Sales of hard liquor (although we advocated for their inclusion).
- Delivery of alcoholic beverages, even with food.
We’ve been advocating for this issue since the closure to secure a much-needed revenue infusion for cash-strapped businesses. Working in collaboration with the Craft Brewer’s Guild, we advocated for a much broader bill to include craft beer and distilled spirits to provide a larger revenue opportunity. While the bill does not go that far, where things landed is a step in the right direction and offer increased sales for our restaurant operations.
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Governor Modifies Outdoor Restrictions
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Our Current Understanding
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Following a call with campground leaders, we submitted the following to the State:
We write to share our interpretation of the provisions relating to campground and RV operations during the stay-at-home order. It is our understanding that Wisconsin has declared campground and RV operations as essential and is allowing them to open under certain protocols that promote social distancing and enhance cleaning and sanitation practices that mitigate COVID-19. As May 1 approaches, there is a great deal of confusion and conflicting information in Minnesota. We think the market needs to get clear guidance as quickly as possible as preparations are underway for campground properties.
In our conversations with the governor’s office (copied here), we have been told that campgrounds may not currently allow short-term guests (overnight/weekend guests) with recreational intent, but that they may allow longer-term guests for whom they provide housing/lodging services. Based on our conversations with the governor’s office, we understand this to include “seasonal” guests who oftentimes arrive at a campground on or around May 1 and rent a space for longer terms (including oftentimes the entire summer season). In many cases their RV remains at the campground year-round. These units are typically self-sustained, with their own restroom facilities. These individuals can come and use the site their RV is on with minimal (or no) interaction with others and maximum social distancing. Understandably, all community recreational areas, including swimming pools will remain closed until the order is lifted or relaxed (as is the case in Wisconsin).
Our current understanding is that seasonal residents of campgrounds and RV parks may access their self-contained sites. We are confident that the owners and operators of these businesses are adhering to the cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and social distancing practices that will continue to ensure public health and safety.
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New Mental Health Support Page
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Today, the Governor announced a
mental health page
to provide more resources for folks who may need help. Mental health providers are open. They are taking visits through telehealth.
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News came this week that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) reached its cap. 46,383 loans totaling $9,014,060,04
have been approved
for Minnesota businesses as of April 16. On April 17, the SBA put out an
updated FAQ
.
There are efforts at the national level to extend the program and add more money. We are working with our national partners to fix the problems that prevented many hospitality businesses from taking advantage of the program.
You can help.
- Increase the total funding of the program and increase the maximum loan amount from 250% monthly payroll to at least 400% monthly payroll;
- Extend the covered period significantly beyond June 30. Hospitality businesses are challenged to use the current program when they can’t bring back staff quickly under the current conditions.
- Allow hospitality businesses more flexibility to use the funds for other business obligations, rather than tying their hands to direct 75% to payroll only.
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Hotel-Specific Language Added
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The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released
version 3.0 of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers guidance
. This guidance helps state and local jurisdictions and the private sector identify and manage essential workers. “Version 3.0” now includes hotel specific language: “Management and staff at hotels and other temporary lodging facilities that provide for COVID-19 mitigation, containment, and treatment measures or provide accommodations for essential workers.” This provides needed clarity to ensure hotels can continue to support communities in need and critical infrastructure workers during this crisis.
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Strategies for the Other Side
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With the release of the federal
Guidelines on Reopening
the economy, many publications and organizations are beginning to post articles and webinars offering perspectives what business might be like on the other side of COVID-19. Here is a selection from across the industry; since many of the strategies are focused on customer experience and developing new operational protocols, their usefulness in most cases extends beyond the sector it comes from:
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Enjoy Minnesota music and provide relief for those most impacted by COVID-19 through these streamed concert events.
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Our Member Updates are generally sent to members only. In the interest of public health and the health of our industry, we encourage you to share this update widely. Additional resources can be found on our
website
and through our social media posts on
Facebook
,
LinkedIn
and
Twitter
.
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