Member Brief Bytes

The Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau serves our business members,

promotes our local assets and shapes the future of our community.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

LEARN MORE HERE

CHAMBER EVENTS

FUN TO SEE OUR NEW ROYAL AMBASSADORS OUT AND ABOUT AT ALL THE NEIGHBORING EVENTS THIS PAST WEEKEND!

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TO HELP YOU BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE- PERSONALLY OR PROFESSIONALLY?

What type of training or informational topics would you like to have offered as a coffee/noon hour/half day type of educational opportunity? Coming from the Human Resources world, I think it's valuable to keep sharp and learn a new thing or two to keep us in the game.

Is it social media? Fraud? Health and Fitness? Leadership? Team Building? It's my easy way of doing a survey - so please answer - takes a half a minute!

Just reply to this newsletter or email me at sue@buffalochamber.org

GRINDSTONE CONSTRUCTION

NEXT Thursday, July 16th 8:00 a.m.

300 Brighton Avenue South

Can you believe it's July already? Another month - and another opportunity to meet and greet a member new or old! We will head to Grindstone Construction and let Fritz Buddig host us in our next Good Morning Buffalo!

NEW MEMBERS 2026

PETALS & PINE

28 Central Ave

612-247-0600

www.petalsandpinebuffalo.com

I am always delighted when a new small retail business comes to our community! It lends to our uniqueness and our ability to attract shoppers both locally and outside of Buffalo.

Meet Petals & Pine - a new shop on the lower level/by the Porch and the large parking lot downtown. They offer a host of items - really a little bit of everything - that make great gifts or decor items for your home. From garden art to home decor and tasty food packages to candles - even some great previously owned gems. It takes a while to see it all!

Owners Jodi and Kristi look forward to meeting you! They are open now every Friday and Saturday. Stop in and welcome them and do a little shopping too!

MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 2026

A FEW MORE ANNIVERSARIES LAST WEEK IN THE HEAT! THE CANDY DIDN'T MELT AND THE FLOWERS DIDN'T WILT AS WE GOT TO

SURPRISE OUR MEMBERS!

Celebrating 5 years of membership with Mike Wray of Wray Automotive and 10 years with Heather of Buffalo Evangelical Free Church.

The counselors were all in session when we stopped in at Bridging Hope. Hope they enjoy the colorful bloom as we thank them for 15 years of membership!

CHAMBER AMBASSADORS ON THE MOVE

The Ambassadors got to see behind the scenes at the Buffalo Police Department! We want to thank Chief Pat Budke and Assistant Chief, Mark Brown for taking time out of their day to show us around and share their wants and needs for the BPD.

The doors of the police department are open daily from 8:30-4:30. There used to be more staff to handle the emergency calls but now the 911 systems delegates/dispatches automatically. They have the same number of staff now, just less admin and more police officers on the street.

With more officers, the building needs some renovations to accommodate. Current square footage can handle 10 officers and there is double! Each officer has their tactical bag and locker space but it's not enough. It is also difficult to conduct interviews as it is in the same room as the break room, there is no sleeping room, or a large enough area for officers to share and enter reports. There is a small fitness center and mats, but not enough for more than a couple officers at a time. Things could be improved around evidence intake as well. What doesn't need improvement is the quality of the care our officers give and the quality of safety we, as Buffalo residents, should feel. Here are some stats:

Our police department has 20 licensed officers and 12 reserves - at full capacity.
Calls are often weather dependent. Calls pick up in March when winter gets long or if it's too cold. Things escalate again when weather gets hot.
Our department handles about 12,000 calls per year.
The officers spend 75% of their time out in the field.
Officers do four 10.5 hour shifts. Four on four off. Shifts are based on seniority. They choose their own shifts.
Body cameras are becoming a reality. After testing out some different brands, the city council is approving moving forward with the ones the officers recommended.
All licensed staff do a 40 hour mental health training that use actors portraying real life situations. They also do a lot of active shooter scenarios.
Once an officer picks up a call - they own that call through to the end. Average response time is 4 minutes.
They have 10 vehicles. Newest are Ford Explorer hybrids. They have 4 garage stalls and are thankful for the old fire department space to store the others.
Domestic calls are the most frequent. Property crimes are prevalent. Not a lot of theft. Seeing a lot of bank fraud.
They have staff that have worked there since 2000!

Be sure to thank the PD next time you see an officer! These guys and gals do so much more for us than we will ever know!

SUPPORT LOCAL DURING CONSTRUCTION

THE SEASON ISN'T OVER YET - WE HAVE SOLD 112 HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOURS?

There is still plenty of time to support the businesses and help your wallet! Stop in at the Chamber or Lillians to get yours!

MEMBER HAPPENINGS

A&A TO THE RESCUE!

Though it's never any fun when something fails in your home, it's sure nice to know that we have an arsenal of experts in our Chamber membership that can come to the rescue! My A/C wasn't working properly on Monday and Artie from A&A was just one call away. He and his niece showed up, fixed the issue, shared some good maintenance recommendations for me and left me a happy customer! Did you know that they offer a routine checkup of your heating and A/C for $50! Not a bad price to assure that nothing bigger happens down the road! Give them a call: 612-220-8978.

A CHILDRENS CLASSIC! MY GRANDDAUGHTERS AND I MIGHT HAVE TO GET OUR PRINCESS DRESSES OUT!

A long time ago in a kingdom far away, a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-centered stepsisters, dreams of a better life. A young man duped into oppressing the peasants by a cruel regent, must be shown the injustice in the kingdom. Can a fairy godmother bring these two kind souls together? Break out your princess dresses and charming prince suits to find out, when BCT presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s broadway edition of Cinderella.

NOW THAT WE ARE OUT OF THE FIFA RUNNING, LET'S LOOK TO OUR OWN SPORTS TEAMS! You can help our BHS football team out by supporting them with sponsorship or playing in their golf tournie. Email bisonfootballboosters@gmail.com

SAVE THE DATE TO ATTEND OR SPONSOR THESE TWO GREAT EVENTS - SEPTEMBER WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT!

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MN Wage and Hour Bulletin

July 2026

Earned sick and safe time (ESST) rules go into effect

The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) recently completed the process to adopt rules that clarify how certain aspects of earned sick and safe time (ESST) apply. The rules were developed through a formal process involving public input and review by an administrative law judge. They took effect July 6, 2026.

The ESST rules address:

accrual year
hours worked
time credited and increments of accrual
accrual and advancing methods
employee use
incentives
reasonable documentation
misuse of ESST; and
more generous sick and safe time policies

For more information, visit our FAQS about ESST rules page.

Keeping workers informed

Employers have an important responsibility to inform employees about their workplace rights. Providing required notices supports transparency and fairness. In Minnesota, required workplace notices include:

an ESST notice;
an employee wage notice;
a Nursing Mothers, Lactating Employees, and Pregnancy Accommodations notice;
a Paid Leave notice; and
notices for specific industries, such as nursing homes, meat-processing and agriculture.

Note: Required employee notices and workplace posters serve different purposes and are separate requirements. Posters must be displayed in a visible, accessible location for all employees. Notices must be provided directly to employees, often at the start of employment.

Learn more about required notices at mn.gov/notices. Learn more about required posters at dli.mn.gov/posters.

Gratuities: Key Minnesota rules

Minnesota law prohibits employers from using tips to meet minimum-wage requirements. Employees must receive the full minimum wage in addition to any tips they earn.

With summer bringing increased activity into hospitality and other tipped industries, employers are reminded that employees must receive the full amount of any tips paid by credit card or electronic payment. These gratuities must be provided to workers in the next pay period, with no deductions for processing or swipe fees.

For more information, visit dli.mn.gov/tips.

Workplace Rights Week 2026

Join us again for Minnesota’s Workplace Rights Week Sept. 13-19, 2026. This statewide initiative helps workers and employers understand their rights and responsibilities, strengthening workplaces and communities. Last year, DLI connected with thousands of Minnesotans through business visits, events and virtual presentations.

We invite you to partner with us in 2026 by hosting or cohosting an event, webinar or outreach activity. If interested, email Diana Salas at diana.salas@state.mn.us.