Last week the state legislature broke a major deadlock by agreeing on a bill that repays the debt the state owes to the federal Unemployment
Insurance Trust Fund and added another $250 million to a fund allocated to pay bonuses to Covid-19 frontline workers.
The unemployment fund was $1 billion in debt due to payments made to those displaced from work by Covid-19 for an extended period of time. Servicing the debt was costing the state $50,000 every day, and businesses were facing an employment tax increase as of April 30th, had the fund not been replenished. Meanwhile, a pool of $250 million was established at the end of the 2021 session to pay the frontline bonuses, and Democrats said with a $9.3 billion budget surplus, the definition of a “frontline worker” should be expanded, and more money needed to be added to the pool.
Representative Todd Lippert said he was happy to have a deal, but, as agreed upon, it is not what he or his party had hoped for. The compromise gave the Republicans the $2.7 billion they wanted for unemployment, but only added a third of what the Democrats wanted for the bonus pool. Lippert said his party was looking to take care of more people in the state.
“We had a more inclusive list. We listened to workers across the state, and heard from meat packers, for example. They were standing next to one another, on the cutting room floor, without any PPE, without access to worker’s comp. They were getting sick one after another, bringing illness back home to their families. Many people died. We felt like workers in these, and other fields should be included as well.”
Lippert also said the amount of money going to unemployment would ensure that the larger companies in the state, like Target, Amazon and Walmart, would receive most of the benefits. He said Democrats were happy to help small businesses, but the party does not believe a company like Amazon, which has thrived throughout the pandemic, needs that sort of help.
The money to replenish the unemployment fund, according to Lippert, will be largely taken from the funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act. He also said the bill will leave a discretionary fund for Governor Walz in case further funding is needed to address Covid-19.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
Age Friendly Northfield has suggestions to improve Northfield’s ‘livability’
Age Friendly Northfield is currently focusing some of its attention on what they call “the walkability of the town,” and transportation options
that are available for not just seniors, but all members of the community. It’s using the resources of one of its famous benefactors to make quite a few suggestions to both the city government and the local residents.
The organization is a part of the World Health Organization and AARP collaborative of Age-Friendly Communities. CC Linstroth, a member of the Age-Friendly Northfield Steering Committee, said AARP recently published a Livability Study for many communities in the United States, looking at more than 50 different data points from the US Census and National Policy Banks. The average community livability rating around the country is 50%. And while Northfield came in at 60%, she said there are plenty of areas where Northfield can improve.
One of the solutions that AARP recommends is the establishment of a Volunteer Transportation Program. While there are some LYFT and Uber services in the area, those resources are limited, especially for people on a fixed income. A Volunteer Transportation Program would create affordable and convenient transportation for people who cannot provide their own.
Another model that AARP has established is a kit for volunteers to perform a walkability audit in the community. The kits offer training for volunteers on what to watch for as they study high volume areas of traffic and concern. The data collected by the volunteers can then be put together to create a walkability plan for the city.
Linstroth said that there are plenty of areas that offer indoor walking tracks, but the one she finds to be the most convenient is a well-kept secret in plain sight.
“The public school district has opened up the high school for years for walking. You can walk from 3:30 until 5pm in the high school. And here’s what’s cool, every other lace in town with a walking track charges. [But the high school] is free.”
For more information on transportation and walkability programs, and to learn more about Age-Friendly Northfield, visit agefriendlynorthfield.com.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with CC Linstroth of Age Friendly Northfield can be heard here
Northwest sections roads under construction today through the summer
While the weather may not exactly herald the beginning of construction season, it is the first week of May, and thus time for the
inconvenience of road closures and one lane highways.
The City of Northfield will begin a construction project today in the northwest area of the city, north of Fifth Street and west of Highway 3, that will run until early September.
The Northwest Area Mill and Overlay Project includes milling and overlaying pavement on streets, installing new sidewalks, trails, and on-street bike lanes, and making other pedestrian improvements. This project also includes reconstructing the pickleball courts in Riverside Park.
In addition to the various street surface improvements, the City of Northfield will also analyze improvements to the adjacent walking, biking and pedestrian infrastructure.
Areas that will be affected by the project include Rolvaag Court, Woodland Trail, Cannon Valley Drive north of North Avenue, and parts of North Avenue, Juniper Avenue, Forrest Avenue and St. Olaf Avenue.
The project is divided into two phases. Phase 1 begins today, and Phase 2 is expected to begin in mid-June. All work on the project is expected to be completed by early September.
The City of Northfield urges motorists to always drive with caution, slow down in work zones, and never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.
For more information and details on the Northwest Area Mill and Overlay Project, visit the Northfield City website and click on “Civic Alerts.”
Rich Larson is the KYMN News rector. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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