The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working with state and local officials to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and has transitioned employees to work remotely. DNR offices are closed to the public during this time and only available by appointment.

In another effort to further reduce the spread of COVID-19, the DNR is encouraging the use of the online services for submitting applications, payments and other daily tasks and interaction with DNR staff.

Full list of DNR’s online services:
https://www.iowadnr.gov/about-dnr/about-dnr/online-services-databases

Up-to-date information on DNR services, facilities and events impacted by COVID-19: 
https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Covid-19

Technical information for regulated businesses in regards to COVID-19:
https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Social-Media-Press-Room/Disaster-Assistance#3057321-covid---19-outbreak

We thank you for your patience and flexibility during this time. If you need to contact DNR staff you can reach them by email or phone or by calling 515-725-8200.

It was obviously a disappointment that we had to cancel the IAMU Broadband Conference this month. We are working with the hotel to reschedule the conference, hopefully late this fall. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, we have decided to present two of the planned conference sessions as webinars, and we'd love to have you participate! These webinars are free of charge and do not require pre-registration. We will also be recording them for people who could not join us live.

"Regulatory Compliance Review"
Thursday, April 2, 2020
2:00pm
https://zoom.us/j/644074462

Jim Baller of Baller Stokes Lide PC will review the annual regulatory requirements that all telecommunications companies should be aware of, including the new "Truth-In-Billing" requirements that are set to go into effect this summer. Curtis Dean of IAMU/SmartSource Consulting will moderate the discussion. In addition to Jim's presentation you will also be able to text in your questions to (515) 236-5075 or use the chat function in the Zoom webinar platform.

"Retransmission Consent 2020"
Thursday, April 16, 2020
10:00am
https://zoom.us/j/442902618

The next round of retransmission consent negotiations at the end of 2020 could be the most painful yet. TV stations are expected to ask for big increases in the fees they charge cable operators while continuing to crowd their broadcast frequency with digital subchannels of questionable value.

During this webinar, Curtis Dean will discuss the upcoming round of negotiations with Jean Edhlund, Video Products Partner with Cooperative Network Services in Minnesota. Jean is a familar name for many of us, having served as the primary contact for Fox Sports Networks for many years.  

The webinar is open to up to 100 participants on a first-come, first served basis. You will be able to log in the webinar waiting room up to 15 minutes before the start time to ensure a spot.

Feel free to share this email with anyone in your organization that we may have missed. 

Please contact Curtis Dean with any questions, (515) 650-0251 or curtis@smartsourceconsulting.com.

Over the past couple of days I have had several members asking about the feasibility of wearing half-mask respirators for protection against CoVid while picking up garbage, working at the wastewater plants and near lagoons and reading meters. Most do not have filtering face pieces, or commonly known as dust masks, available. Filtering face pieces, when worn properly, provide good respiratory protection against certain sizes of particulates. While OSHA’s respiratory protection standard (1910.134) does allow half masks to be worn on a voluntary basis, it requires the employee to be medically cleared before they are used. The filtering face piece type does not require that clearance because it does not tax the pulmonary system like a half mask. The questionnaire for the medical evaluation is Appendix C of 1910.134; this questionnaire is to be completed by the employee and a licensed health care provider will use this document to evaluate the employee’s capability to use the respirator. The employer must also provide the employee with Appendix D of 1910.134 when allowing the employee to wear respiratory protection on a voluntary basis. If you have any questions regarding respiratory protection, please call or email Margret Meade at mmeade@iamu.org or call 515.210.6617.

IAMU's endorsed employee benefits broker Mark J. Becker and Associates (MJBA) has opened this important webinar on complying with the Families First Cornoavirus Response Act to all IAMU members, not just those that participate in our benefits program through MJBA.  Please join us in participating in this important education event to help understand your obligations under the Families First Act.

Register below for our March 26th webinar covering the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that was recently passed into law.
 
We will cover which employers are subject to the new requirements and provide step-by-step guidance on how to comply. The new law includes two separate mandates regarding Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) and mandated sick leave. Small employers are NOT exempt from these mandates, therefore we encourage attendance of all of our clients and subscribers. Benefit eligibility, should an employer enact a lay-off or furlough, will also be covered in this webinar.
 
We look forward to visiting with you on Thursday, March 26th from 2:00 – 3:30 pm.
 
REGISTER HERE

In response to the COVID-19 Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States, the U.S. Senate passed the "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" on March 18, 2020, which has now been signed into law. The expanded leave provisions are to become effective within 15 days of the enactment, or by April 2, 2020. The law is set to expire on December 31, 2020.

Click here for more information.