COVID-19 UPDATES FOR COUNTY OFFICIALS

As issues continue to develop and change at a quick rate with COVID-19, the Coronavirus, we at the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) are working alongside Governor Tony Evers, the Administration, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and our general counsel, Attolles Law, s.c., to provide the latest resources and updates to assist county officials during this unprecedented time.

COVID-19 Daily Update: 6.12.2020

June 12, 2020

COVID-19 DAILY HEALTH UPDATE
(Information from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) current as of 1:00 p.m. Central, Friday, June 12, 2020.)

  • Total negative counts: 377,362 (+11,308)
  • Total positive counts: 22,246 (+320)
  • Total ever hospitalized: 3,003 (+27) or 13%
  • Total deaths: 689 (+7)

WEDC: WE’RE ALL IN SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM OPENS MONDAY, JUNE 15 
The We’re All In Small Business Grant Program program will provide $2,500 grants to 30,000 small businesses. It is designed to help small businesses get back on their feet amid the COVID-19 pandemic while also encouraging them to adopt best practices to keep employees, customers and communities safe.

Funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the grants will help small businesses with the costs of business interruption or for health and safety improvements, wages and salaries, rent, mortgages and inventory. 

  • The We’re All In Small Business Grant application portal opens Monday, June 15th at 8:00am and is scheduled to close on June 23rd until 11:59pm. The application will be live on WEDC’s website on Monday, June 15 via this link. Please find a summary here of the key aspects of the program. A business may apply for the We’re All In Small Business Grant if it:
  • Was in business in February 2020. Businesses that started in 2020 are not eligible;
  • Is Wisconsin-based and for-profit;
  • Employs 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, including the owner; and
  • Has more than $0 but less than $1 million in annual revenues.

Businesses will not be eligible for the grants if they are:

  • Part of a national chain, unless the business is a third-party franchise;
  • Industries covered by other Wisconsin CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund programs are ineligible for this program. These are:
  • Crop production
  • Animal production or aquaculture
  • Lessors of residential buildings and dwellings

To prepare for the online application process, businesses should be ready to upload the following documents to the WEDC application:

  • 2019 federal tax return for business. A 2018 tax return is acceptable, if you have not file your 2019 returns (If you started your business in 2020, you are not eligible for this grant.)
  • Signed W-9 form available at www.irs.gov
  • An email or letter of acknowledgement from a community organization indicating your business was in operation in February 2020.

A template for the letter is attached. Letters or emails can be from any of the following:

  • Chamber of commerce
  • Main Street or Connect Communities organization 
  • Local business improvement district
  • Neighborhood economic development association 
  • Local economic development organization
  • County economic development organization 
  • Municipality, including tribal government
  • County
  • Local bank, credit union or community development financial institution
  • Regional UW Small Business Development Center
  • U.S Export Assistance Center – Wisconsin 
  • Regional economic development organization
  • Regional Planning Commission
  • Trade association

Your business will need to identify the Three-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code that best fits their business: This information may be included in a business’s tax return, or through the NAICS website. You can also find a listing of the codes here.

COUNTY RESPONSES TO COVID-19 SPOTLIGHT: HUMAN SERVICES
Each year, counties invest $58 billion in federal, state and local funding for human services and provide the frontline safety net for some of our most vulnerable residents.

FEMA WEEKLY BRIEFING POINTS FOR COVID-19 PANDEMICBelow please find the Thursday, June 10, 2020 FEMA Weekly Briefing Points for the Whole-of-America response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

COVID-19 By the Numbers

STATE OF WISCONSIN’S BUREAU OF CORRECTIONAL ENTERPRISES INTRODUCES LINE OF SAFE SPACE PRODUCTS
The Bureau of Correctional Enterprises (BCE) Signage Division is proud to announce the release of a new product line called SAFE SPACE PRODUCTS.
As society adapts to the current conditions, cautiously proceeds through the reopening phase, and proactively makes long-term plans, the product line offers a diverse selection of protective shields, necessary social distancing signage, and hand sanitizing stations.