Usually divided, the Minnesota Legislature came together this past week to pass a $216 million aid package to help small businesses and workers hurt the most by the pandemic.
Unemployed workers whose benefits were running out or had expired will receive a 13-week extension.
The Governor continued the shutdown of indoor dining for bars and restaurants through January 11. On Wednesday, December 16, the Governor announced that he would allow outdoor dining for bars and restaurants at 50 percent capacity, or a limit of 100 very well winter clothed tough diners. A 10 p.m. curfew was also added for bars and restaurants and only 50 percent of the dining space can be filled. Only four diners per outside table will be allowed, and there can only be 50 percent walk-in traffic.
It’s better news for gyms and fitness centers. They will be allowed to reopen at a quarter of their capacity, with a 100-person limit.
Kids will be able to resume practicing team sports on January 4, but they will not be able to play games yet.
Family gatherings will be restricted to ten people, and families can meet with up to two other families outside.
Outdoor entertainment venues will be open at 25 percent of their capacity with a 100-person maximum.
As far as the relief money goes, Cook County Chamber representatives in St. Paul, Judy Erickson and Joe Birkholz of Conservation Strategies, Inc., said relief grants would be broken up three ways, with direct payments to businesses recently forced to close; grants to movie theaters and convention centers, and relief grants distributed to counties.
The $88 million business and relief program will be administered by the Department of Revenue and will be used to help bars and restaurants and other businesses forced to close. Payments will range from $10,000 to $45,000, depending on how many workers the company employs.
A business will be eligible if it has been closed because of the Executive Order 20-99, and has experienced at least a 30 percent decline in taxable gross receipts between April 11 and September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, and have had a minimum of $10,000 taxable gross receipts from retail sales in 2019.
Minnesota Management and Budget will appropriate $114.8 million to counties that will distribute relief grants to local businesses and nonprofits. Through this formula, Cook County will receive $256,000.
According to Erickson and Birkholtz, “This pot of money is meant to be the most flexible as a way to get some money to businesses that wouldn’t be eligible for the first pot of money. Ideally, this can be used for nonprofits, newer businesses, arts organizations, etc.”
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