Of course, you all realize by now that we are unable to hold our April meeting. We are anxiously awaiting news as to whether we will be able to meet in May.
April is Fair Housing month, and our speaker was to have been Stefanie Munsterman-Scriven, newly appointed Executive Director of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission. We congratulate Stefanie on her new position; she has been an investigator with the Commission for several years and will provide great leadership. We will hope to hear from her in the very near future. Even though their office is closed to walk-in traffic, you can still contact the CR Civil Rights Commission with any questions you have. They welcome the chance to answer questions in situations you feel may lead to a Fair Housing complaint.
Visit their website at http://www.cedar-rapids.org/local_government/city_boards_and_commissions/civil_rights_commission.php.
COVID-19 Response News: Attorney Greg Usher, with Lynch Dallas Law Firm, spoke with us about the Iowa lease back in January. He has now prepared some guidance for landlords with respect to COVID-19 legislation and what landlords can and cannot do, as well as best practices moving forward as things get back to normal with the courts.
He is willing to work with any of our Landlords of Linn County members who need guidance on these issues and is working at a reduced rate through the end of April in an effort to keep things as affordable as possible for everyone in the current economic climate where things are tighter across the board, especially for small businesses. If you are interested in or need any guidance on these issues, or if you have any questions from your renters that you don’t know how to answer, give him a call at 319-573-5666.
In addition, a few of the attorneys at his firm are employment law experts. They have spent considerable time learning the ins and outs of the new legislation regarding small business loans, unemployment law changes, and the emergency FMLA provisions in place under the new laws. If anyone needs guidance on employment matters (i.e. if you are considering layoffs, have any staff asking for FMLA leave, or if you are wondering about small business loan options), you can contact Greg and he will get you directly to one of his colleagues who can pass along answers and written guidance to help clarify things without passing along the full cost of drafting the advice because they are using these materials across the board with many of their clients. Thank you, Dallas Lynch!
Stay safe and healthy, everyone!