8.1 SR 07-20-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DATE The Honorable ___________________ United States House/Senate ___________________ Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear ___________________: Thank you for the vital work that you and your colleagues in Congress have done to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic crisis. As you are aware, cities from across the state of Minnesota are impacted by this virus. We are grateful for your leadership and wish to continue our partnership with you to find meaningful, long-term solutions at every level of government to assist with recovery from this unprecedented event. As mayors of cities from across the state, we are writing to urge you to advocate for inclusion of direct emergency fiscal assistance to local governments in the next COVID response package. As negotiations move forward related to COVID relief efforts, we share in the belief that federal aid for our cities in Minnesota and across the United States must be provided to assist us in: Supporting front-line workers who provide essential services Addressing potentially catastrophic revenue loss Stabilizing local government infrastructure that bolster businesses, workforce and residents While we continue to respond to the pandemic and mitigate its spread, we are working to reopen our economies in the safest manner possible in line with state and federal guidelines. With dire long-term budget forecasts, our inability to continue to provide city-based services could become another state-wide and national emergency. However, through all of this, cities continue to provide essential services to our residents such as: Police, Fire, and Emergency Services Housing Support Refuse Collection Road Repairs & Maintenance Permitting & Inspections We are encouraged that our Minnesota Congressional delegation continues to support direct federal funding to American cities based on a modified Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) formula. It is urgent that local governments receive funding and funding that allows us to continue serving our residents. We urge you to support a bill that 1) provides direct funding to local governments, 2) allows for local governments to cover lost revenues due to the impact of COVID-19, and 3) ensures adequate time to use the federal appropriations. We understand that the U.S. House has passed a bill and we ask the U.S. Senate to quickly pass a companion bill.