COVID-19 Economic impact on our cities and towns
Monday's ULCT Town Hall for Local Leaders included important details about the need for federal funding regarding the pandemic including a nationwide lobbying campaign. The town hall also provided the latest CARES Act information, and details about the status of healthcare capabilities in our Utah hospitals along with information about the "Mask Up Utah" campaign.
 Federal Funding Advocacy
Advocacy efforts are well underway to keep the pressure on federal lawmakers to help cities and towns deal with budgetary shortfalls due to the pandemic. (Click on the image above for the Action Alert sent to the NLC network earlier today.) In ULCT's Town Hall, Clarence Anthony, Executive Director and CEO of the National League of Cities and Angelina Panettieri, Legislative Manager, NLC, outlined the national situation along with the "Cities Are Essential" campaign.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is promoting the effort, as explained by Dayton, Ohio Mayor Nan Whaley and Arlington, Texas Mayor Jeff Williams. The two shared information regarding campaigns they're utilizing in their home states to illustrate the crisis and the need for federal funding in our cities and towns.
Following our Town Hall, the Texas League passed along a letter from local leaders sent to the Texas congressional delegation that may be helpful as you consider engaging in federal lobbying efforts for your city or town.
Texas Mayors' letter to Congressional Delegation July 14
ULCT also just sent a letter to Utah's congressional delegation in Washington, which we encourage you to use as you draft a letter or email of your own. You can view the letter by clicking on the tab below.
CARES Act Update for Local Leaders
In Monday's Town Hall, ULCT Policy Director Wayne Bradshaw outlined important updates for Utah's cities and towns regarding the CARES Act. You can view his remarks by clicking on the link to the town hall above, or by viewing the file below:
CARES Act- New Guidance as of June 30
"Mask Up Utah" Campaign
and Healthcare Statistics“
During Monday's Town Hall, Hospital Association CEO Greg Bell spoke about the need to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and about the hospital and ICU capacity around the state. The Utah Hospital Association is championing the #MaskUpUtah campaign. Watch for more details around the campaign in the days to come.You can view his presentation in the town hall video link above or clicking here on his PowerPoint.
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Speed is Key in Impacting Outcome
Controlling the virus is key in keeping Utah's economy thriving. The speed at which Utah residents adapt their behaviors will likely make a crucial difference in impacting the outcome of the spread of the virus in our cities and towns. Utah's Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, Kristen Cox, shares a strategy that she wants to share on behalf of Governor Gary Herbert which you can view here.
She explains, "As government, policymakers, and public health officials ask the public to change behaviors, we want to ensure that the same people are also committed to changing their own internal processes to improve outcomes. Doing so requires that all stakeholders from the Department of Health, to hospitals, to our local health departments work closely together to reach the goal. Right now, our biggest concern is the time it takes to turn around test samples."
Be sure to mark your calendar for the next ULCT Town Hall- COVID Economic Impact set for Monday, July 27, from 3:00-4:00 pm. We'll address economic trends, COVID-19 impact on people of color, federal advocacy, and the new "In Utah" campaign promoting local sites, businesses, services, and goods, and educational opportunities.
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