Member Update
April 9, 2020
What's Inside:
Sales Tax Collection Delayed Again 
Property Taxes 
National Advocacy Efforts Continue 
Campgrounds Resources from ARVC  
Peer Conference Calls  
Violence Free Minnesota Seeking Hotel Partners 
Sales Tax Collection Delayed Again
During the Daily Briefing today, Governor Walz announced that  sales tax remittance  will now be delayed to May 20, as Hospitality Minnesota has been advocating.
Property Taxes
The Governor also indicated that he is open to considering a delay in property tax collection. We will continue to advocate on behalf of this relief.
National Advocacy Efforts Continue
Through our partnerships with the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, we are pushing for modifications to provisions in the FFCRA and CARES Act to provide stronger relief for the industry. 
 
Campground Resources from ARVC
The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds has posted two toolkits, following their  webinar  today. Links to a  Campground Evaluation Toolkit: What Does Being Open Look Like  and how to use it can be found on the  ARVC Coronavirus  page. Scroll down to the “Links from webinars” section.
Peer Conference Calls
We know that for many of you, the most important resource you have for your business is each other. Join other owner operators from your sector for an online conversation. After a brief update, we’ll pose a few questions for discussion – for these, we’ll focus on current conditions and how people are navigating through it. In addition to connecting with others facing similar challenges, we’ll learn more about what resources are needed now, so we can continue to advocate for your interests. 
 
  • Resorts and Campgrounds: Friday, April 10, 11 am – 12 pm Register 
  • Lodging: Monday, April 13, 11 am – 12 pm Register 
  • Restaurants: Tuesday, April 14, 11 am – 12 pm Register 
  • Allieds: Wednesday, April 15, 11 am – 12 pm Register 
 
Note: As the use of Zoom becomes more widespread, so does the likelihood of tricksters logging into any Zoom meeting they can find in order to cause a disturbance. Because of that, our Zoom calls require registration in advance, and a password when logging in. The password will be included in the confirmation email you receive when registering. Contact Emily emily@hospitalitymn.com  if you need assistance logging into your call.
Violence Free Minnesota Seeking Hotel Partners
Violence Free Minnesota  (VFM) is working with domestic violence emergency shelters in the  metro area  to address the need for additional shelter space for victim survivors and, in some cases, including their family members. They are looking for a couple of partner hotels to be part of a 3- 6 month short term sheltering project . Additional bed space is needed for:  

  • Victims who are medically vulnerable;  
  • Victims who need to be isolated due to covid-19 exposure or illness;  
  • Victims who need shelter where no other shelter space is available.  
 
The ideal property would be one that can dedicate a wing or floor to this shelter work in order to provide additional security/safety for these families. The sheltering project would provide an advocate at the hotel from 7am - 9pm to assist these individuals and families. Space for the advocate to meet with people. Other details can be negotiated.  
  
Violence Free Minnesota aims to begin this short-term sheltering project within the coming weeks. Contact Liz Richards at  lrichards@vfmn.org  for further details.
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 .