Michigan Festivals & Events Associaton March 29, 2020: A Letter For our MFEA Members about the C.A.R.E.S. Act 2020 and what it means for our members.
Good morning Michigan Festivals & Events members,
We are in the midst of something that has never happened before and there are some steps that we all need to take as soon as possible (Monday, March 30th first thing). The Senate voted 96-0 to pass the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bill text is available here, and a section-by-section is here. The bill passed the House of Representatives on a voice vote.
The President signed the C.A.R.E.S Act on Friday afternoon.
What does that mean to Michigan Festivals & Events Members?
There is Small Business Relief Program Grants and Low interest loans available to entities affected by this virus. Under Michigan Executive Order 2020-20 section 3 (a. b & c.)
- For purposes of this order:
a. “Non-essential personal care services” includes but is not limited to hair, nail, tanning, massage, traditional spa, tattoo, body art, and piercing services, and similar personal care services that require individuals to be within six feet of each other. This does not include services necessary for medical treatment as determined by a licensed medical provider.
b. “Place of public accommodation” means a business, or an educational, refreshment, entertainment, or recreation facility, or an institution of any kind, whether licensed or not, whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations are extended, offered, sold, or otherwise made available to the public. Place of public accommodation also includes the facilities of private clubs, including country clubs, golf clubs, boating or yachting clubs, sports or athletic clubs, and dining clubs.
c. “Place of public amusement” means a place of public accommodation that offers indoor services or facilities, or outdoor services or facilities involving close contact of persons, for amusement or other recreational or entertainment purposes. A place of public amusement includes an amusement park, arcade, bingo hall, bowling alley, indoor climbing facility, skating rink, trampoline park, and other similar recreational or entertainment facilities.
Therefore this covers all of your events. It’s important that you contact the bank that you do business with first thing Monday morning to get onto the list for assistance. You will need to provide last 12 months of payroll records and financials. Remember, the applications are not even out yet…but it is vitally important that you are on the list. Be patient with your banker, they are under a lot of stress also.
This was just signed into law on Friday.
Be Safe
Mike Szukhent
President/CEO
