Originally posted March 18, 2020 | Updated March 25, 2020

Governor Walz has mandated restaurants & bars in Minnesota to temporarily stop offering eat-in dining services as of 5pm Tuesday, March 17, 2020. “The measure allows businesses to continue takeout and delivery services. It does not cover grocery stores, convenience stores or pharmacies,” the governor said.

To help support our local restaurants we have created a list with each restaurant’s hours and phone number for placing orders to go or for delivery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in our economy, but we know small businesses have been particularly hard hit. That’s why Governor Walz requested an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration from the SBA earlier this week.

Now, online applications for these loans are open to Minnesota businesses at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/  

A few more details: 
• This program can provide low-interest loans of up to $2 million to small businesses and private non-profits.
• These loans can go toward working capital to meet needs including payroll, accounts payable, and fixed debt payments that can’t be paid due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The current interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The non-profit rate is 2.75%.
• These loans have long-term repayment options, up to a maximum of 30 years.

For more information visit the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan web page by clicking here.

Additional Resources 
• SBA disaster loan information at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/Index 
•  Information for small businesses affected by coronavirus at www.sba.gov/coronavirus 
• All coronavirus-related federal government resources: www.usa.gov/coronavirus
•  DEED’S COVID-19 information and resources for businesses COVID-19 update page: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/employers/

Below is a list of resources from Main Street America.

The Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses. Learn more.

Thousands of businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 could be helped

Press Release: March 23, 2020
Contact: Rita Beatty
Rita.Beatty@state.mn.us

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is creating an emergency loan program to help Minnesota small business owners who need immediate assistance to meet their families’ basic needs during COVID-19 closures.

The loan program was created under the Small Business Assistance Executive Order 20-15 announced by Governor Tim Walz on March 23. The loan program is intended to help businesses temporarily closed under Executive Order 20-04, later clarified by Executive Order 20-08, which stopped onsite customer dining at restaurants and bars and closed an extensive list of other small businesses whose owners may not have adequate cash flow to withstand temporary closure.

“Over the last week, we’ve heard from many of Minnesota’s small businesses who are facing significant hardships because of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Governor Tim Walz. “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and now more than ever, we’re looking to creative solutions like DEED’s emergency loan program to help them weather these extraordinarily difficult times.”

“We know that this emergency loan program is just one tool businesses will need to leverage to stay afloat,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “ It’s an important one because it will get cash flowing quickly to the small Minnesota businesses that need it most.”

Executive Order 20-15 directs DEED to create a Small Business Emergency Loan Program by making available $30 million from special revenue funds. These dollars will be used by DEED’s lender network to make loans of between $2,500 and $35,000 for qualifying small businesses. The loans will be 50% forgivable, and offered at a 0% interest rate. If other financing becomes available to small businesses that received an emergency loan, such as federal funding, the emergency loan must be repaid. These emergency loans will be made by an existing network of lenders DEED works with across the state. Depending on the size of the loans offered to businesses, DEED estimates this emergency loan program will provide needed resources to between 1,200 and 5,000 businesses. DEED expects loan applications will available later this week through our lender network.

Minnesota small businesses should send questions about this emergency loan program to ELP@state.mn.us.  The DEED approved lender for NW Minnesota is:
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
www.nwmf.org
Phone:  (218) 759-2057
Email:  info@nwmf.org
201 3rd Street NW, Bemidji, MN 56601

The executive order also allows local units of government or lending partners which have a revolving loan fund to use those funds to issue loans to retail and service providers for the next 90 days. DEED estimates that up to $28 million in capital could be accessible through local revolving loan funds and local governments through this action. Local partners will be looking at ways to deploy these resources to support their local businesses.

For the latest information from DEED for employers and businesses and workers, visit the DEED COVID-19 Information page on the DEED website.

DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and its services, visit the DEED website or follow DEED on Twitter.

CLICK HERE for the small business emergency loan program

As you all know, Health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness, called corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In recent days, COVID-19 has been identified in Minnesota, and while no cases have been identified in Roseau County at this time, the City of Roseau is following the recommendations of Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the U.S. CDC officials in guiding us on important decisions for planning and managing this disease in our community if, and when, it arrives. 

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has declared and State of Emergency in Minnesota regarding the COVID- 19 pandemic and the MDH has issued recommendations to contain and mitigate the spread of COVID- 19. Individuals can obtain more information on these recommendations at www.health.state.mn.us, and these guidelines from the State fall in line with the recommendations from the CDC, www.cdc.gov. 

In order to do our part in the containment and mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 within the City of Roseau, the Roseau City Council has also declared a State of Emergency. In addition, as this is literally a “day-to-day” situation, we strongly advise our residents regularly monitor, and adhere to, the recommendations of the MDH and CDC until further notice. 

Rest assured, the City of Roseau will do everything in our power to keep essential services, (water, sewer, electric, garbage, police & fire protection), operating as normal throughout this outbreak. However, the City is restricting access to a number of our recreational and community facilities to mitigate the possible spread of the virus. At this time,

• the Roseau Municipal Liquor Store will operate its normal hours and services; however, the City asks that patrons avoid congregating anywhere within the store.
• The Roseau City Clerk’s Office and Roseau Utility Building will remain operational, but residents are asked to use telephone (City Clerk 463-1542 & Utilities 463-2351) and e-mail correspondence (City Clerk rosoclrk@mncable.net & Utilities cityshop@mncable.net) rather than in-person visits.
• Additionally, all city bill payments should be done via online payment (available on City Website) or drop box rather than in-person.
• The City Center will close at 5:00 pm, Wednesday, March 18th for cleaning and reopen on Monday, March 23rd at 5:00 pm for a City Council meeting to determine future community facility access.
• All operations at the Roseau Public Library, Roseau County Museum and State Driver’s Training have been suspended and facilities are closed.
• The Roseau Memorial Arena and North Rink will close at the end of the day Tuesday, March 17th and ice will be removed for the season. 

The City is also concerned about local residents and businesses who’s income may be severely impacted by the mitigation efforts being imposed to fight this pandemic. The City is researching possible options to allow for the deferral of city utility payments to help those having difficulty paying bills in the next weeks and months. 

The City will continue to work closely with our State, Federal, and Local Agencies, School District, business community, and health care providers. As a community, we must remember that we are in this together and only through everyone’s cooperation can we be successful. We must also be mindful of those in our community that are vulnerable and do our part to help protect and provide for them by adhering to the MDH and CDC guidelines despite the inconveniences they might cause. MOST OF ALL, STAY SAFE & DON’T PANIC!

WHEREAS, the virus named “SARS-CoV-2,” is a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans and can easily spread from person to person and named “coronavirus disease 2019,” commonly known as “COVID-19,” which is a respiratory disease that can result in serious injury or death; and 

WHEREAS, on January 21, 2020 the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the United States; on March 6, 2020 the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the State of Minnesota; and as of March 16, 2020, there are thirty-five known cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota; and 

WHEREAS, as of March 16, 2020, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the City or County of Roseau, however, the City of Roseau is preparing for the inevitable spread of COVID-19 to our region; and 

WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for COVID-19, beginning on January 27, 2020; and 

WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared that the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States constitutes a National Emergency; and 

WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, Governor Tim Walz declared a Peacetime State of Emergency to authorize and all necessary resources to be used in support of the COVID-19 response; and 

WHEREAS, as of March 15, 2020 the World Health Organization Situation Report confirmed a total of 153,517 cases of COVID-19 in over 135 countries, including 5,735 deaths, and as of March 15, 2020 a total of 35 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Minnesota, and 

WHEREAS, COVID-19 has been identified by the World Health Organization as a pandemic, and the Untied States Centers for Disease Control has provided guidance for individuals, healthcare professionals, and businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19, which include canceling or postponing in-person events that involve more than fifty people for eight weeks, and 

WHEREAS, the City of Roseau personnel has been preparing for weeks, working diligently with local, state, and federal partners to maintain situational awareness and respond to COVID-19; and 

WHEREAS, local cases will trigger a more aggressive public health response and are predicted to impact residents of Roseau and those who work in or travel through the City, including City employees; and the need for social distancing, school closings, and quarantine methods to stop the spread of COVID-19 is expected to cause significant challenges, and 

WHEREAS, implementation of basic precautions of infection control and prevention, including staying home when ill and practicing respiratory and hand hygiene are necessary to slow or prevent the spread of COVID-19 and 

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a communicable disease with significant morbidity and mortality, and presents a severe danger to public health: and 

WHEREAS, the City of Roseau advises all its residents to follow Minnesota Department of Health guidance. City residents should regularly check MDH’s COVID-19 webpage: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/ and 

WHEREAS, the City Council called for and held an emergency council meeting on March 16, 2020 at the Roseau City Council Chambers to discuss the response to COVID-19; and 

WHEREAS, the Roseau City Council and personnel find that this situation threatens the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the community and will cause a significant impact on the ability of public safety personnel to address any immediate dangers to the public as a result of COVID-19; and 

WHEREAS, the City Council finds that traditional sources of financial aid, assistance and relief will not be able to compensate for the potential impact of COVID-19, and have determined that the necessary resources to respond to and recover from this pandemic will exceed those resources available within the City of Roseau, and additional resources will be needed from Roseau County and state and federal sources.

NOW, THEREFORE, MAYOR JEFF PELOWSKI OF THE CITY OF ROSEAU PROCLAIMS, DECLARES, REQUESTS, AND DIRECTS AS FOLLOWS: 

1. Under the authority given by Minnesota Statutes, Section 12.29, declares that a local emergency exists within the City of Roseau, effective March 16, 2020, with all the powers and responsibilities attending thereto as provided by Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 12, and further proclaims that such emergency constitutes a declared emergency as provided by law.

2. Directs City Staff to review ordinance and regulatory requirements, operations, civil and legal proceedings, events, and resources to determine whether the foregoing should be adjusted or suspended, and to make recommendations regarding additional emergency regulations to support the employees and residents of the City of Roseau.

3. Directs all City departments and offices to operate and support the response to this incident,under the direction and coordination of appropriate city personnel, including implementing new employee protocols, strategies, and processes to ensure that public services are maintained.

4. Directs the appropriate City staff to request and coordinate appropriate aid and resources from surrounding jurisdictions, Roseau County, the State of Minnesota, and the Federal government, as needed.

5. Declares, under Minnesota Statues, Section 13D.021, that in-person meetings of the City Council, Planning Commission, and other advisory commissions of the City of Roseau are not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 health pandemic and the peacetime emergency declared by Governor Walz pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 12, and hereby directs that meetings of the City Council, Planning Commission, and other advisory commissions of the City shall be conducted by telephone or other electronic means, and hereby directs City Staff to take such action as may be necessary to enable such meetings to occur via telephone tronic means pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 13D.021, until such time as it is no longer impractical or imprudent for the City Council, Planning Commission, and other advisory commission to resume in-person meetings.
6.  This emergency declaration shall continue for a period of three (3) days from its effective date of March 16, 2020, unless further extended by or with the consent of the City Council pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 12.29, subd. 1.

7. Orders that this declaration be given prompt and general publicity. 

THAT FOLLOWING THE PROCLAMATION BY MAYOR PELOWSKI, THE ROSEAU CITY COUNCIL RESOLVED TO EXTEND THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION AS FOLLOWS: 

8. That pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 12.29, subd 1. the City Council for the City of Roseau hereby consents that the three (3) day period for the emergency declaration shall be extended until such time that a declaration or resolution is given by the City of Roseau terminating said emergency declaration.

9. That this resolution extending the emergency declaration shall be given prompt and general publicity and that it be filed promptly by the City Clerk-Treasurer.

Dated this 16th day of March, 2020 

Mayor 

This Motion for Resolution to extend the emergency declaration made by Councilperson Pat Novacek was seconded by Councilperson Jane Evans, and upon a vote being taken, the following voted in favor: Mayor Jeff Pelowski, Councilpersons Pat Novacek, Jane Evans, Amy Bassingthwaite, Brady Johnson. 

The following voted against the same: NONE.
The following abstained: NONE.
The following were absent: NONE. 

were Adopted by the Council this 16th day of March, 2020. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 16, 2020. 

Mayor 

ATTEST: 

Ehalt Carbow 

City Clerk-Treasurer 

I hereby certify that the foregoing emergency declaration and resolution is a true and correct copy of the original emergency declaration declared by Mayor Pelowski and resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Roseau on March 16, 2020. 

sakit lalson Elizabeth Carlson, City Clerk-Treasurer, City of Roseau, Minnesota

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS