Dear Neighbor,
The 2022 session is nearing its end and we anticipate working through the weekend to seek agreement on the session’s biggest issues. Much remains unresolved at this point and, as they say, the situation remains fluid.
Look for more as we make our way to the deadline. All bills must be passed by midnight Sunday night before we adjourn on Monday. I will continue advocating for using our state’s historic surplus to deliver permanent, meaningful tax relief – starting with eliminating the state tax on Social Security.
For now, here are a couple of other items I’d like to share:
Cold Spring revitalization grant
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is releasing the second round of Main Street Economic Revitalization grants and Cold Spring is specifically mentioned as one of the focus areas. The Little Falls Initiative Foundation will be dispersing $4.5 million to support economic recovery projects in several downtown/main street corridors, including Cold Spring. St. Cloud/East St. also is listed.
According to DEED, this $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program, distributed through two rounds of funding, awards grants to partner organizations to establish programs within specific communities that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects. The second round of grants awards over $40 million to organizations across Minnesota.
Deed indicates partner organizations receiving grant funds from this program will use the funds to establish a program within their service area to provide assistance to eligible recipient and projects. Once programs are established, partner organizations can offer grants up to $750,000 per project or up to $2,000,000 in guaranteed loans. Leveraged grants can cover up to 30% of the project cost. Guaranteed loans will be guaranteed by the state up to 80% of the value of the loan. Leverage grants and guaranteed loans can be used by eligible recipients for the following:
- Repair, or renovation of real property
- Building construction
- Landscaping and streetscaping
- Demolition and site preparation
- Predesign and design
- Engineering
- Infrastructure
- Related site amenities
Good news for teens seeking summer jobs
DEED indicates Minnesota’s record low unemployment rate – and resulting super tight labor market – mean Minnesota teens have an abundance of job opportunities this summer. And many employers are paying higher wages than they were pre-pandemic. Plus, teens may be able to pick up more hours than they did before the pandemic.
As employers continue to build back to pre-pandemic employment levels, teen workers are likely to continue to have many opportunities because many of the types of jobs most in demand are the ones that young people are most likely to fill, DEED says. This includes jobs in the industries of Accommodations & Food Services (such as restaurants and resorts), Art, Entertainment & Recreation (like amusement parks and movie theatres), and Retail Trade (such as grocery stories and big box retailers).
DEED has a wealth of information on this subject, including a series of tips for teen job seekers, at this link.
Until next time, have a good weekend and let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Lisa