The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) provides important public funding to small businesses. The following are some of the highlights of the Paycheck Protection Program (the “Program”) which is part of the CARES Act. This Program is an expansion of the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) 7(a) loan program. The available
Construction Material Suppliers in the COVID-19 World
Construction is an essential business under Minnesota’s Stay at Home order. The order itself, has not shuttered construction projects—yet–but there are many other potential impacts of the current COVID-19 crisis on those projects including disruption of supply chains.
Most prime contracts and many subcontracts include force majeure clauses to address the impacts of unforeseen events.
The New Reality – Employees Working From Home
In light of the coronavirus, the majority of employers are allowing, if not mandating, that employees work from home (WFH). What should employers be thinking about when arranging for employees to telecommute?
- Determine which positions lend themselves to WFH. Obviously, some positions require face to face interaction or production with hands-on work, such as manufacturing.
Mediation Can Resolve More Than Monetary Matters
I recently wrote about the merits of using mediation as a tool to resolve business disputes relating to land and business acquisition, land development, public permitting and related conflicts. Mediation is especially helpful, in my opinion, when money is less the object in dispute and it is more so about a difference of opinion. Of
How the Slow City Movement Revived One Small Town in Central Italy
Why would any mayor want to describe his community as a “slow city”? Stefano Cimicchi is the former Mayor of Orvieto, a medieval hill town with a population of 20,000 located in central Italy. Cimicchi was one of the first city leaders to sign on to the “slow city movement” when it began in
How Minnesota Can Capitalize on the Emerging Energy Storage Market
Larkin Hoffman recently hosted a forum on energy storage by Clean Energy Economy MN, a group that provides a strong and unified voice for clean energy businesses in Minnesota. The event helped explain some of the barriers and opportunities to greater adoption of energy storage in Minnesota. In this piece, guest blogger Amelia Cerling
Another City Attempts to Collect Illegal Transportation Fees – Struck Down by the Court Again
The development community has long maintained that the practice of cities exacting transportation fees or charges from developers as a condition of development approval is illegal, but the issue had not been directly and fully addressed by the courts until the Minnesota Supreme Court handed down its decision in Harstad v. City of Woodbury in
Finding the Future: Can the Great Lakes Survive?
When the gales of early winter whip up the waters of the Great Lakes, rock formations and sand beaches take a beating and often give way to the force of these majestic water bodies. We’ve seen recent headlines announcing the fall of the “sea stack” on Minnesota’s north shore as a winter storm reduced
Redevelopment and Vacancies Lead St. Paul to Examine the Grand Avenue Business District
Over the last year and a half, St. Paul civic and business leaders have frequently commented on a growing number of commercial vacancies along the Grand Avenue business district as a number of longtime restaurants and retail establishments have either closed or relocated. The loss of high-profile businesses, particularly near Victoria Crossing, has led many
A Sobering Reminder of Who is in Charge of Your Land
Imagine you are a landowner whose property is dedicated to a use that has run its course—say a golf course for example. The land represents a sizable family investment and naturally your thoughts turn to what other uses are possible to assure the land is put to a productive and, hopefully, profitable use for