DEED Call for Business 1/14/2021

APPLE VALLEY CHAMBER NOTE:  This begins with PPP links and presentations for the new PPP round 2 on the SBA link. It is the 1st video link with the first 9 min., 47 seconds all intros. Forward to that time to see the SBA new PPP presentation slides.  Next week, our Apple Valley Chamber and four other partner Chambers will be hosting the 5 state representative to US Chamber on our weekly Webinar to give you the best update at 8 a.m. Thursday Jan. 21st.

Much of today’s DEED call is each department testifying at the legislature.  Please note the Dept. of Labor concerning Paid Sick Leave business credits, Business Relief Payments sent out by Dept. of Revenue ($57.2 million mailed out yesterday), NEW VACCINATION ALLOCATION GROUPS HAVE CHANGED TO INCLUDE GROCERY, FOOD, UTILITY, TEACHERS, 65+ or PREXISTING CONDITIONS. It closes with the $14 million in DEED GRANTS closing application on Jan. 29th.

• Legislative Session
• Presented to committees yesterday.
• Agency overviews now.
• Bills are being introduced.
• New EO implementation has begun (referring to opening of restaurants…?)
• DEED programs
• Convention Ctr/Movie Theater grant programs open. Apps on website.
• Accepting apps till 1/29. reviewing them as they come in.
• Plan is, immediately next week move into grant agreements.
• Ww counties who received $114M for distribution to businesses. Most of that $ is out to the counties at this point.
• Many apps are open from a variety of counties.
• March 15 is end date for apps, need to be wrapped up by then.
• SBA updates provide info on trainings:
• PPP process
• Save Our Stages re entertainment portion of SBA support

• Commissioner is engaged on legislative issues
• Have begun testifying in committees.
• We are under Commissioner Arnold. Position has been posted today.
• Slight uptick in questions re bills for tests coming from state testing facilities. Some confusion between parties and insurance companies. As a reminder: those tests should not be charged to the individuals getting tested.
• Financial institutions: we continue to have a relatively low and stable # of problem institutions. This is fantastic.
• Since start of pandemic, 1/2 banks/credit unions reviewed. As of year end, things seem to be going pretty well.

• Doing agency overview at legislature.
• Yesterday testified before Senate Labor and Industry Committee (new this year).
• Testified in House Labor Committee yesterday as well.
• Work Comp Advisory Council met yesterday
• A number of reports due to Legislature on Friday.
• 2 are annual work comp reports, 3d is COVID specific, work comp claims analysis.
• Response to question last week: while FFCRA Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Expanded FMLA mandates expired on 12/31, still is opportunity for businesses that fall within coverage of that law to provide the paid leave and still take advantage of the tax credits available. Tax credit aspects of that law extended through 3/31.

• Testifying at new Session, various committees. 4 times in last 2 days. Focused on Senate side so far, next week on the House side.
• Tax filing: have not yet heard from IRS on official start date of filing season. Will post to website when we get confirmation.
• Business Relief Payments
• 1st bucket of package administered by Revenue. Direct business payments.
• Proud that we were able to get out our first couple batches of checks to eligible businesses, Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
• We sent out 3891 individual checks, $67.3M.
• Since by mail, businesses should begin receiving them today/tmoro. Weren’t able to do electronic/direct deposit for those funds.
• For businesses who feel they should get $ or who has questions, contact Revenue and submit inquiry online. Process will open up on Tues, 1/19, closing on 2/5.
• Funds need to be sent out by 3/15.

• Brief we just published re why restrictions/dial backs/guidance for different settings.
• Https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situationalrisk.pdf
• Have begun to drop off in cases. Dial back and behavior of Minnesotans have brought case #s down.
• At peak, over 1800 in hospitals for COVID. Now down to 700 people.
• Had dropped to 1000 cases/day, now hovering around 1500 cases/day. Still a worrisome #, still higher than plateau we maintained in summer, around 600-700/day… so cautious.
• In next month, what happens depends on how Minnesotans behave. When cases go up, people panic and then change behavior. And we do additional dial-backs. Levels go down. Want to be sure people don’t relax too much.
• What about SD/ND/IA? Peaked and came down as well, with fewer restrictions. True, but our peak was not as high or as long as ND/SD. If we had same death rate as Dakotas, we would have seen over 4000 more Minnesotans die in 2020.
• Right now, as schools and business and hospitality and schools and youths “reopen,” they can be drivers/fuel for continued spread. Must suppress, counter those drivers with mitigation. Additional emphasis on masking, as in youth sports, to control spread.
• Vaccinations
• Continue to work the plan.
• Group 1A is being vaccinated first. Highest risk and/or most essential.
• New COVID vaccine tracking: https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/index.jsp
• 2 days ago, Fed guidance/vaccine allocation changed: focus on all people within Group 1. So that means including 1B, grocery store/food/utility/teachers, and 1C, 65+ or preexisting health conditions.
• That reps 2.3M Minnesotans.
• Feds have promised us 500K doses. All need 2 doses. Math doesn’t add up because we need 4.6M doses to target Group 1.
• Haven’t heard more yet where additional allocation is coming from or how administered.
• We are committed to getting that vaccine out as fast as possible.