What we are experiencing with COVID-19 is unprecedented. As the situation has evolved, the social and economic implications have grown. State and local leaders have had to make very difficult decisions in order to protect the health and safety of residents and work to flatten the curve, which have hit small businesses especially hard. While we may be in uncharted territory, one thing we do know is how to support our friends, family, neighbors, and businesses during unsettling times.

Living in a small town is like having one big family. When something bad happens, the town pulls together. You feel the love from so many people. In this time of social distancing, we must come together in spirit and make an effort to support local businesses. Our businesses give our community personality and a heartbeat, they provide jobs and a living to our family and friends, and they work hard to provide the goods and services that the community needs. It is important now more than ever for us to make purchases, say kind words, and lend a helping hand.

Here are some ways you can support local businesses:

• Look for products locally before buying online or out of town

• Order takeout or delivery from our local restaurants

• Purchase gift cards to use later

• Shop small online - many local businesses have online stores or post products on social media

• Express gratitude - tell business owners and employees how much you appreciate them

• Show some love online - leave a rave review, post a photo of their products or services, and like, comment, and share their posts

• Check in - ask how they are doing and how you can help

• Minimize contact - call in your orders, pay with plastic rather than cash, and absolutely stay home if you are sick

Gretchen Reichter

Marketing & Retail Coordinator, City of Emmetsburg

2020 Seasonal Employment
The City of Emmetsburg and Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities are accepting applications for the following seasonal positions: seasonal public properties workers, seasonal utilities workers, seasonal golf course workers, seasonal community center staff, bartenders, banquet staff, kitchen prep and servers.

Duties, qualifications, hours or work, and application requirements vary for each position. Contact City Hall for more details and/or to obtain an application. Positions open until filled. EOE.

COVID-19 Updates & Closures 
 

This is a rapidly changing situation, and we will continue to monitor the status of COVID-19.  All measures that we take are for the health and safety of our community.

City Offices - All city buildings are closed to the public until further notice but may be reached via telephone. Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities payments may be mailed, put into the drop box located outside of City Hall, or paid over the phone with a credit card during normal business hours by calling 712-852-2550.

The Shores at Five Island - Per the Governor’s orders on April 2, The Shores at Five Island will be closed through April 30.

Library - The Emmetsburg Public Library is closed until further notice. 

Parks, Campgrounds, Golf Course - All parks (including playground equipment, basketball hoops, shelters and restrooms), campgrounds, and golf course are closed until further notice.

Meetings - All city related meetings will be held by teleconference or postponed until a later date.

When the Going Gets Tough...

The tough reinvent! The Chamber is very proud of our community and our members for adjusting to new ways of doing business.

Restaurants offer take out with curbside pickup; more now offer delivery. Relaxed state regulation for liquor license holders allows take-out adult beverages. Some offer specials for children while others offer family-style meals. Debit/credit cards are preferred to handling germ laden cash. Hours and services can be found at emmetsburg.com/chamber/restaurant-info.  

Grocers cater to those who are more susceptible to the virus with special shopping hours. Checkouts are cleaned between customers and acrylic partitions protect both checker and customer. Online grocery orders have more than quadrupled. Although most businesses appear closed, many are reaching out to customers by phone, video, and selling online.

In these difficult times, thank you for being quick to adapt, being tenacious, and for supporting each other. Together we will keep Emmetsburg strong.

Deb Hite

The Iowa Lakes Engineering Technology program is partnering with businesses, individuals, and schools to help combat the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare professionals by creating 3-D printed personal protective equipment and ear savers. Headbands and ear savers are being printed using the Dreamer 3D printers located on the Estherville campus. “We are currently able to output about 18 headbands per day," explained Chad Tischer, Iowa Lakes Engineering Technology Program Coordinator. "We are using a fourth 3D printer to create ear savers... We can print about four ear savers in about 90 minutes so that we can print 32 ear savers in 24 hour period." The Iowa Lakes Engineering Technology program will continue to print headbands and ear savers daily. It will contribute to supplies needed by each of the healthcare facilities located in the Iowa Lakes Community College district.

With the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare facilities are accepting donations of homemade masks and gowns. Donations of masks, gowns, or any other PPE may be delivered to the Main Entrance of the Hospital in Emmetsburg. The Iowa Department of Public Health website has patterns and guidance to construct homemade cloth PPE that can be worn by healthcare providers during patient care and safely washed and reused.

Thanks to donations from local businesses and individuals, DejaBrew was able to show appreciation to area healthcare workers and law enforcement by offering them free drinks on March 26 and 27 and again on April 2. DejaBrew collected about $850 in donations and helped the funds go even further by discounting each drink by 50¢. Over the three days, about 175 free drinks were given out!

Palo Alto County Economic Development

Palo Alto County Economic Development is working to obtain resources for our local businesses in terms of economic and physical safety issues related to COVID-19. Our office is currently closed to the public, however we are available to take phone calls at 515-295-7979 and emails at kcedc@kossuthia.com.

We are posting links that connect business owners with valuable resources on our websites at www.paloaltoiowa.com and www.kossuth-edc.com. Follow the Covid-19 link on the homepage for available assistance, questions on unemployment and where to file, resources for Covid-19, and grant programs that are available. These links are also updated as soon as any new information becomes available, so please check this page often.

"During this difficult time, we encourage all business owners and their employees to heed the safety guidance provided by Gov. Kim Reynolds. This is a rapidly evolving situation and things are changing daily. We are committed to helping our businesses during this difficult situation,” stated Maureen Elbert, Executive Director.

The City of Emmetsburg has created a web page at www.emmetsburg.com/covid19 with COVID-19 information and resources including city notices and closures, financial programs and assistance, unemployment information, and more.

The Paycheck Protection Program, available through June 30, 2020, is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. (At least 75% of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll.) You can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating.

The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with low-interest, long-term working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance will provide up to $10,000 ($1,000 per employee) of economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. Advance funds can be used for paid sick leave; payroll; increased costs; rent or mortgage payments; or repaying obligations that cannot be met due to revenue losses attributed to COVID-19. However, these funds will be subtracted from the final loan amount. Funds will be made available following a successful application. This loan advance will not have to be repaid.

If a small business has an urgent need for cash while waiting for decision and disbursement on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, they may qualify for an SBA Express Disaster Bridge Loan. The Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program allows small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.

As part of SBA's debt relief efforts, the SBA will automatically pay the principal, interest, and fees of current 7(a), 504, and microloans for a period of six months. The SBA will also automatically pay the principal, interest, and fees of new 7(a), 504, and microloans issued prior to September 27, 2020.

An alliance of Iowa organizations have created a new Iowa Small Business Relief Fund through the Iowa Financial Empowerment Center, offering grants between $500-$3,500 for eligible small businesses. The application period is now open and more information is available here. (This is not an IEDA sponsored program and not affiliated with the Iowa Small Business Relief Grant.)

The application for deferral of the eligible taxes and waiver of penalty and interest remains open through April 30. To be eligible, businesses must be experiencing business disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All sales tax and/or withholding tax permit holders can apply by filling out the Small Business Relief Tax Deferral application online. Sales tax, including any consumer’s use tax reported by a taxpayer on a sales tax return, and withholding tax are included. Retailer’s use tax and consumer’s use tax are not eligible. 

Ogden Newspapers will provide up to $1,000,000 of matching advertising dollars. Grant funds can be used toward print or digital advertising in your local Ogden Newspapers publication, including the Emmetsburg Report/Emmetsburg Democrat. Grants are available for a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $5,000 of matching funds each month. Grants will be awarded in April, May and June. The matching grant must be used within the month. Fill out the simple form at online to apply.

RWCF’s Board of Directors has approved directing funds raised in the follow ways: 50% for direct crisis relief to individual restaurant workers, 25% for nonprofit organizations serving restaurant workers in crisis, and 25% for zero-interest loans for restaurants to get back up and running.

Individuals seeking RWCF’s direct assistance should go to the Southern Smoke Application Form to submit their information and needs. RWCF has comfiled a list of additional relief funds for bars and restaurants on their website.

News Updates from Governor Kim Reynolds

Iowa Department of Public Health - COVID-19 Case Data

Small Business Development Center - Business Assistance

Iowa Workforce Development - Unemployment Information

Iowa Economic Development Authority - Business Programs and Resources