May 4, 2020 - League of Wisconsin Municipalities - COVID-19 Update #31
COVID-19 Coronavirus Update
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It's here! Professional Municipal Clerks Week is May 3-9!

Click here to give a shout out to your clerk on Facebook.

Thanks to the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association (WMCA) for all that they do! The WMCA created a sample Proclamation you can download, edit and adopt.
League COVID-19 Virtual Roundtable Conference Calls
This call is for City/Village Officials,
including mgrs./adm. & Staff Only


Tuesday, May 5 - 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Guest - Eric Learn, State Public Assistance Officer, Wisconsin Emergency Management

Join Zoom Meeting

Or Dial 1 312 626 6799

Meeting ID: 943 2945 2289
Password: 990365

Friday, May 8 - 9:00-10 a.m.
Guest - U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

Join Zoom Meeting

Or Dial 1 312 626 6799

Meeting ID: 919 6078 3036
Password: 990365

If you aren't able to connect or have a question after participating, please contact Jerry Deschane at email .

We will schedule additional calls as needed. Notice and call-in information will be provided on the League's website and in these Special Edition newsletters, which will also be sent as needed.
Trainings & Conferences
Join us!
League Webinar on best practices for virtual meetings

The League will be hosting a free webinar discussing best practices for virtual meetings on Wednesday, May 6, starting at 11:00 a.m. This webinar is open to all local government officials and staff. You will learn the basic open meeting requirements as they apply in a virtual meeting, along with etiquette, communication tips and discuss various software platforms.

This event is free and NO pre-registration is required.

Thank you to our panelists!
Sarah Edgerton, CIO, Director of Information Technology, City of Madison,
Nathan Thiel, Village Administrator, Village of Pleasant Prairie, and Jim Healy, Village Administrator, Village of Richfield.

Join the webinar:

Or Dial: 312 626 6799

Webinar ID: 814 4731 2445
Password: 564291
League’s Local Government 101 program now offered as webinars

The League’s 1-day workshop provides a basic framework for governing to both new city and village officials and those who want to brush up on their knowledge of local governance. 
You’ll learn about city and village powers including municipal home rule, hear about how to recognize and avoid conflicts of interest, go home with a quick tutorial on municipal budgeting as well as how to run a meeting and finish with an overview on managing public works projects. In addition, you’ll have that age-old question answered: “what is a walking quorum anyway?”

We're adapting and have converted four of the one-day workshops into webinars - with more dates possible. Participants who opt for the online webinar version have the option to take the course all in one day or mix and match the four different modules during any of our offered webinar dates over a 12 month period following their registration. In addition to the online training, participants will have the option of receiving a hard copy workbook or a USB version. The cost of the program is $70 per person.

League Handbooks

The following Handbooks are now available as a PDF at a reduced price for email delivery.

  • Handbook for Wisconsin Municipal Officials - PDF Available!
  • Handbook for Wisconsin Police and Fire Commissioners - Completely updated in Jan. 2019.  PDF Available!
  • Municipal Licensing and Regulation of Alcohol Beverages - Completely updated in Sept. 2019. PDF Available!

Physical PRINT copies of ALL Handbooks are also still available but on a delayed weekly shipping basis.    You can order Handbooks online here .
Upcoming League Conferences and Workshops
Our priority is your safety and well-being. Decisions on whether to hold, cancel or postpone League events will be made with that priority as our number-one concern. 

League's Local Gov 101 Workshops - three programs were scheduled for May and one for June 5th.  All four Local Gov 101 programs will be provided as webinars. Details here .

League's Clerks, Treasurers and Finance Officers - POSTPONED TO 2021! Please mark your calendar for June 9-11, 2021 (yes, that is next year !) at the Tundra Lodge in Green Bay.  

League's Municipal Attorneys Institute has been POSTPONED! Please stay tuned for details.

Decisions about the other upcoming programs will also be made with health and safety in mind. We will provide notice in our newsletters and on our website regarding those and future workshops. Details on cancellation policies and more... 
Scroll down toward the end of this newsletter for more events. For example, the Local Government Essentials, brought to you by the Local Government Center at UW-Madison Extension are listed there.
Take Action! From the National League of Cities Action Alert :

"We are concerned that the CARES Act, and the Coronavirus Relief Fund authorized under the bill, does not address the necessary increases in spending, or the unavoidable shortfall in revenues, faced by the vast majority of local governments. It is appropriate and necessary for Congress to approve emergency appropriations for direct local budget relief for every city and town, not only for those over 500,000 in population as in the CARES Act, or for entitlement cities over 50,000 as is the case for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) formula grants. 
 
The National League of Cities sent a letter to House and Senate leadership to advance a fourth emergency appropriations package to address the immediate need for local budget relief by making direct emergency funding available to every city and town in need, regardless of population.  The letter can be accessed here .   

We call on Congress to include:  
 
  • Direct supports for local governments 
  • Infrastructure measures to quicken economic stabilization and recovery efforts 
  • Measures to expand opportunities for job security, economic mobility, and the health and well-being of our residents 

 
Please take action by sending a tweet to your members of Congress or reaching out to them directly via phone or email with  NLC’s letter .
Support for Businesses
NEW - BCPL Funds can be used to create a small business support program.

BCPL can provide loans to municipalities for the purpose of providing grants or pass-through loans to businesses. It falls under the broad umbrella of economic development. 

If the municipal borrower decides to make a pass-through loan, the municipality is able to make the loan to the local business on terms that are different than the terms of the trust fund loan from BCPL to the municipality. The municipality can charge a premium or discounted interest rate. The municipality can set a different maturity date and amortization schedule or require collateral or personal guarantees. The municipality could also design a pass-through loan that was forgivable if certain targets were met (jobs saved or created, improvements added to the tax rolls, etc.). This would turn part or all of the pass-through loan into a grant. As we’ve discussed before, the flexibility of the program allows the municipality to use its creativity to meet the specialized needs of the community.

The loans can be prepaid without penalty (most of the year) and if needed, BCPL has the ability to refinance the loan out over a longer period of time if the economic development project does not yield the expected increase in revenues for the municipality.

Contact BCPL here. (Note that they are short staffed. There may be a delayed reply.)
REMINDER - COVID-19 Business Resources
By the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)

“This page is designed to provide the latest, best information to our clients and the citizens of Wisconsin on resources aimed at maintaining the vitality of the companies upon which our economy depends. As the volume of inquiries through our phone lines and website prevents us from responding individually to people as we would like, we invite you to visit this page regularly. We plan to update this directory as new information and resources become available.”

You can click here to share this information from the League's Facebook page to your own. Or go directly to their website here .
Additional Resources -
Thanks to the Wisconsin Downtown Development Group of the WEDC

Reopen Main Street Downtown Professionals Network, Franklin, Tennessee
Main Street 101 Webinar
May 7, Noon
If you've ever wondered what it take to become a Main Street community, or what benefits your community could receive from joining the program, this webinar has the answers. We will provide a program overview, and also hear from representatives from communities that have made the transition from Connect Community to Main Street in the past. Provided by the WEDC. Details here . Register here
Additional Resources on the League's Covid-19 Downtown and Small Businesses page.
POLICY ISSUES
Frequently Asked Questions f rom the League's past COVID-19 Newsletters have been updated and c an be accessed here .
White House/CDC Coronavrius Task Force Guidelines for Opening Up America Again can be found here .
Financing
USDA Rural Development Opportunities

USDA Rural Development has taken a number of immediate actions to help rural residents, businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Rural Development will keep our customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated as more actions are taken to better serve rural America. Click  Opportunities for Relief  for more details.
AARP Wisconsin's “Small Dollar, Big Impact” grants , which will be awarded to projects designed to improve a community and make it a better place for everyone to live, work, and play as they age. Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded once a month from June through November of 2020. The grant amount could be a portion of or the total cost for the project. All projects must be completed within 60 days from winner announcement. First Application deadline is May 18 COB. Details here .
Reminder - Tracking Expenses - Helpful Guidance and Templates

Grants Portal Account and Request for Public Assistance FEMA



Note: FEMA assistance will be provided at a 75% Federal cost share.


Spreadsheet Templates are available on our website here .

Thanks to Sharon Eveland, Clintonville and Kevin Lahner, Waukesha for providing these resources!
Elections
How to Request an Absentee Ballot by the Village of Marathon City
Want to encourage voting by Absentee Ballot?

The Village of Marathon City created two videos to help their residents understand the process. You can watch their videos on their YouTube Channel here .

Thanks to Administrator Andy Kurtz for providing the scripts so that you can create your own.



The Absentee Ballot Process Behind the Scenes (Word Document) Soon to be in production.
City of Oshkosh "It's As Easy as 1-2-3" Absentee Ballot Campaign
Federal
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security
(CARES) Act
Information on State and Federal Assistance including FEMA and the CARES Act is on the League's COVID-19 website here .
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
Information on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) is on the League's website on the Employees page here.
If you don't find what you need or if you have resources to contribute,
please email Jerry Deschane.
Opportunity
NEW - Now might be the time to access Additional Resources through UniverCity

"The state of local government is up in the air with all the uncertainty of COVID-19. Wouldn't it be nice to have a partner helping you think through how your locality will bounce back? It could mean a revised economic development plan, or an improved mechanism for communicating with citizens or localities, or rethinking how county services will be offered, or how to think differently about tourism in this uncertain time. 
 
UniverCity Year is a flexible three-year partnership where local governments pitch ideas to UW-Madison, and they match you with courses and resources on campus that help you think through your approach to those issues. It could be COVID-19 response, or affordable housing, or water quality/nutrient management, or parks/recreation. We are willing to be flexible to adapt to this new reality, so your projects don't have to be fully formed. If you'd like to talk more about your options or questions, reach out to Gavin Luter, [email protected] , Managing Director of the Program. 

To see deliverables for projects in places like Monona, Brodhead, Durand, Monroe, and Stockholm, see  https://univercity.wisc.edu/ucy/
 
The application is HERE ."
NEW - Wondering what municipalities across the United States are doing?

Mayor's Innovation Project Live City Response Feed

"Our live city response feed provides you with a curated list from around the country, making it quick and easy to access the most relevant ideas for city leaders. Submit your own innovative policies here ." To see the city responses so far: 
 
Communications
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services was live at 1:30 with their daily weekday briefing on Facebook. You can Click here to share the video from our Facebook page to your page at anytime.

DHSWI has updated the kind of data they have available on their website here .
WE CAN GO THE DISTANCE TOGETHER: 10 WAYS YOU CAN DO YOUR PART
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Communication Collaborative for COVID-19 Response has developed 10 essential steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. They reflect the overall need for maintaining a physical distance from each other, washing you hands and staying home: Read the article...
Please consider sharing Facebook posts from the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services Facebook page to your own Facebook page. Scroll down their page to see what they've posted.

Copy and paste this explanation of #SaferAtHome into your posts:

To slow the spread, limit close interaction to the same 5 people TOTAL, NOT different small groups."  #SaferAtHome
Webinars and Training
Webinar: Urban Lumber Business
Urban Wood Network
May 13th, 2020
12 PM Central
Join us as we share proven strategies for scaling up and marketing an urban wood business. Now that we have a new national industry Standard and chain-of-custody certification, we’ll explain how to use them to simplify your business processes, and also walk through some of the bottlenecks that exist in our processes and how to overcome them.

Municipalities, arborists, sawyers, woodworkers, advocates and all others interested in advancing the urban wood movement are invited to participate in this 75-minute webinar.


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Local Government Essentials
Programs brought to you by the Local Government Center at UW-Madison Extension

Alcohol Beverage Regulation and Licensing – Part 1
Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Under state law, Wisconsin municipalities issue and renew alcohol licenses. New municipal clerks and others looking for a refresher on the basics of alcohol licensing will benefit most from this session. Learn about the different types of licenses, license qualifications, notice requirements, and other statutory requirements as your municipality prepares for the upcoming license renewal period.
Presented by Attorney Carol Nawrocki of the Wisconsin Towns Association and Attorney Claire Silverman of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.

Alcohol Beverage Regulation and Licensing – Part 2
Wednesday, June 3, 2020, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Part 2 is intended for both new and continuing officials who want to stay up-to-date with recent changes in the law, current issues, and Wisconsin Department of Revenue resources related to alcohol licensing. In addition to providing these updates, Mr. Quam will be available to answer any questions you submit ahead of time, and if time, those questions posed during the presentation. To submit questions, please email them by Wednesday, May 1, 2020 to  [email protected] .
Presented by Tyler Quam Special Agent-in-Charge at Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement Unit.
General Resources
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
COVID-19 is a virus that has not previously infected humans and information about its rate of spread and its effects is still largely unknown, which makes it incredibly important to be highly cautious in dealing with the current situation. 

LATEST UPDATES
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will continue to provide the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19. You are encouraged to monitor the site for updated guidance as the situation continues to evolve.


Want to share relevant and credible information to your Social Media?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Facebook & on Twitter (Scroll down to see more recent posts.)

The Wisconsin Dept of Health Services (DHS) on Facebook & on Twitter.

And the League's social media: