The CGMC’s legislative, labor & employment, environmental law and municipal law team (staffed by the attorneys and government relations professionals from Flaherty & Hood, P.A.) is actively assisting Greater Minnesota communities in addressing the concerns and challenges cities are facing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below is a list of resources to help answer some of your questions surrounding issues such as labor & employment laws, meeting requirements, legislative action and environmental ramifications.
If you have additional questions, please contact us at CGMC_Communications@flaherty-hood.com or reach out directly to one of our staff members listed below.
We are closely monitoring news surrounding the pandemic and will update our information on this webpage as the situation evolves. Thank you.
Resources Provided by CGMC
Labor and Employment
- Memo to Employees: OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing (AMENDED 1/4/22)
- Template: COVID-19 Medical Exemption Request Form (1/4/22)
- Template: COVID-19 Sincerely Held Belief Exemption Request Form (1/4/22)
- Template: COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination Policy (AMENDED 1/4/22)
- Template: COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination, Testing, and Face Covering Policy (AMENDED 1/4/22)
- Template: COVID-19 Vaccine Attestation Form (AMENDED 1/4/22)
- Template: COVID-19 Testing Notice and Consent Form (12/30/21)
- Template: Local Government COVID-19 Updated Preparedness Plan (6/15/21)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: Employment Law Update and Q&A (5/25/21)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: Public Wage and Hour Legal and Practical Update (4/20/21)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: Public Employment & Economic Update: COVID-19 and New Federal Control (2/4/21)
- Face coverings required in the workplace (7/24/2020)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: Public Sector Labor Negotiations and Workforce Cost-Cutting in a COVID-19 Economy
- We need your input! CGMC Labor and Employment Wage and Cost-Cutting Survey
- Video – CGMC Webinar: COVID-19 Employment Update and Q&A with Labor and Employment Attorneys (5/6/2020)
- Returning Non-Critical Workers to Work (4/29/2020)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: Keeping Public Workers Legally and Practically Safe from COVID-19 (4/22/2020)
- Survey Findings: CGMC Rapid Survey on COVID-19 Public Employment Impacts (4/17/2020)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: Planning for the Next Chapter of COVID-19 Public Workplace Changes (4/9/2020)
- Sample notice of regarding Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Family and Medical Leave (4/3/2020)
- Public employment impacts of Gov. Walz’s stay-at-home order (3/26/2020)
- Employment actions and tools to address COVID-19 impacts on work (3/25/2020)
- Sample: Temporary notice for leave flexibility
- Sample: Temporary notice for telework
- Sample: Notice to employees related to changing work schedule
- Sample: Notice to employees related to temporary furlough
- Sample: Notice to employees related to layoff (updated 5/1/2020)
- Sample: Summary of layoff information
- Federal government enacts employee leave laws in response to COVID-19 (3/19/2020)
- 5 steps to handling a pandemic in Minnesota government workplaces (3/16/2020)
Legislative
- CGMC COVID-19 Policy Positions (adopted by the CGMC Board of Directors 11/18/2020)
- Video – CGMC Webinar: COVID-19 and the State Budget (6/3/2020)
- A message from the CGMC regarding the legislative session (3/16/2020)
Municipal
- TEMPLATE – Public notice for meeting via electronic means (3/2020)
- SAMPLE – Virtual meeting script for city council (3/2020)
- Resources to help cities respond to COVID-19 pandemic (3/19/2020)
Environmental
Additional Resources
General Resources
- Coronavirus in Minnesota (includes state dashboard)
- USDA: COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide
- COVID-19 Resources
- Minnesota Department of Health: Strategies to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota
- U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Assistance
- Minnesota Small Business Relief Grants
Federal CARES Act
- CARES Act funding for local governments in Minnesota – Governor’s announcement (6/25/2020)
- U.S. Department of Treasury CARES Act information
- Minnesota Department of Revenue – Coronavirus Relief Fund for Local Governments
- League of Minnesota Cities – CARES Act funding for cities FAQs (7/10/2020)
Labor and Employment
- COVID-19 business preparedness plan template & instructions (MN Dept. of Labor & Industry, 4/23/2020)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Coronavirus resources
- Centers for Disease Control: Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission: What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19
- Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry: Updates related to COVID-19
Legislative & Executive
- Governor’s Executive Orders (full list)
- HF 5 – COVID-19 relief grant program for small businesses (signed into law 6/16/2020)
- Workers compensation bill – effective April 8, 2020
- Minnesota House of Representatives: COVID-19
- HF 4531 (Emergency COVID-19 response bill passed by MN Legislature March 26, 2020)
Municipal
- League of Minnesota Cities: Cities Must Adopt COVID-19 Preparedness Plan by June 29
- League of Minnesota Cities: Pandemic Guidance for Cities
- League of Minnesota Cities: Considerations When Closing City Facilities
- League of Minnesota Cities: Guide for communicating during a city crisis
- Centers for Disease Control: What Law Enforcement Personnel Need to Know about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Centers for Disease Control: Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations
- Greater Minnesota Parks & Trails: Parks & Recreation in the time of COVID-19
- Minnesota Management and Budget: Template for infectious disease COOP supplement
- Minnesota Statutes: Declaration of Local Emergency
- Minnesota Statutes: Meetings by Telephone or Other Electronic Means
Environmental
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: COVID-19 and regulatory flexibility
- MPCA: Certifications, trainings and COVID-19
- MN Department of Natural Resources: COVID-19 Outdoor Recreation, Facilities and Public Guidelines
- World Health Organization: Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste management for COVID-19 (3/19/2020)
- Considerations for Water and Wastewater Treatment related to the recent outbreak COVID-19 (Stantec, 2/21/2020)
Our Team
Labor and Employment
Brandon Fitzsimmons
Labor Attorney
bmfitzsimmons@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1910
Legislative
Bradley Peterson
CGMC Executive Director
bmpeterson@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1911
Municipal
Chris Hood
Attorney
cmhood@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1902
Robert Scott
Attorney
rtscott@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1909
Environmental
Elizabeth Wefel
Attorney/Lobbyist
eawefel@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1924
Daniel Marx
Attorney
dmmarx@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1907
Media inquiries
Alex Wildfang
Media & Communications Associate
ahwildfang@flaherty-hood.com
651-259-1917