presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance

May 28th, 2021

Quote(s) of the Week

	"I have heard from a number of my constituents who now have hundreds of dollars – and in some instances, upwards of $1,000 – of their hard-earned wages sitting idle and inaccessible in their commuter benefit accounts. Some were even laid off from their jobs. For many working New York families trying to weather and recover from this crisis, these unused funds could instead go towards paying their rent or mortgages, food, medical bills, and other essential expenses. If the feds cannot get to a solution, I will pen legislation to force a fix.” - United States Senator Charles Schumer
	"The pandemic has been devastating to New York's small business community, and they need our help right away if they're going to survive these challenging times. We passed an historic $800 million program to get money into the hands of struggling small businesses who desperately need assistance now, and we need to do everything in our power to speed up the process and ensure people are getting the help they need as quickly as possible.” - NYS Senator Anna M. Kaplan
	“We are very very proud of this new parking lot. This is the first new parking lot in the Village of Port Jefferson in over 50 years.” - Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Watch us on YouTube

Join us on LinkedIn

View us on Instagram

Visit our website

Port Jefferson Opens Barnum Ave Parking Lot

On May 11, 2021, the Village of Port Jefferson held a press conference to announce the opening of the Port Jefferson Barnum parking lot.

Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant’s opening statement, “We are very very proud of this new parking lot. This is the first new parking lot in the Village of Port Jefferson in over 50 years,” was greeted by a round of applause.

The Barnum Avenue parking lot, part of the Village’s downtown revitalization program, is located east of the Joe Erland baseball field, where an old, vacant building once stood. According to Mayor Garant, it has been 6 years in the making, noting, “This project took way beyond it takes a village.”

The 32,000-square-foot lot features:
• 46 new spaces, oriented diagonally, including two handicap spots
• Ultra-environment design for underground water flow featuring BIO Swale tech
• State of the art SPACE COUNTER
• 2 EV chargers
• Security cameras
• New access to ball field

Much credit was given to the volunteers of the Port Jefferson Parking Committee, the Port Jefferson Harbor Education and Arts Conservancy, the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District, Village Board Trustees and Suffolk County.

Funding for this shovel ready project came from a 2019 $200,000 Jumpstart Grant from Suffolk County’s Department of Economic Development. The EV charging stations were obtained through a grant from New York State.

The new Barnum parking lot is free, with users only having to register with a bar code scan. Mayor Garant advised, the week prior to this opening, the Village had over 4,800 parking sessions, with a revenue just under $12,000. To rousing applause, the Mayor proclaimed, “That means we are back to a pre-pandemic number, folks.”

The parking lot boasts a digital parking counter by the entrance, which shows drivers how many spots are available in the lot before they even pull in. Overnight parking is prohibited in the new lot. Mayor Garant noted there is new lighting, new striping, new paving, new drainage, and new guardrails.

Kevin Wood, the Village’s Parking and Mobility Administrator, stated, “The magic of this parking lot is really what you don’t see, it’s underneath,” referring to BIO Swales which will mitigate storm water runoff.

“The most important thing is,” the Mayor concluded, “parking supports our business district.”

You can view the press conference here.

TBR News Media Coverage is available here and here.

$800 Million COVID-19 Grant Program for Small Firms Opens June 10

On Tuesday, May 25th, Governor Cuomo announced millions in grant money will soon become available to help small businesses recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Recovery Grant program makes up to $800 million in funding available for small and micro businesses and small for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations.

Applications for the program will be accepted starting June 10th.

Grants will be for a minimum award of $5,000 and a maximum award of $50,000 and will be calculated based on a New York State business' annual gross receipts for 2019. Reimbursable COVID-19 related expenses must have been incurred between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021 and can include:

• Payroll costs
• Commercial rent or mortgage payments for NYS-based property
• Payment of local property or school taxes
• Insurance costs
• Utility costs
• Costs of personal protection equipment (PPE) necessary to protect worker and consumer health and safety
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) costs
• Other machinery or equipment costs
• Supplies and materials necessary for compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols

Over 330,000 small and micro businesses are potentially eligible for this program, including 57 percent of the State's certified Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs).

Senator Anna M. Kaplan, Chair of the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business said during a recent press conference with members of the LI Main Street Alliance, "The pandemic has been devastating to New York's small business community, and they need our help right away if they're going to survive these challenging times. We passed an historic $800 million program to get money into the hands of struggling small businesses who desperately need assistance now, and we need to do everything in our power to speed up the process and ensure people are getting the help they need as quickly as possible.”

Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance commented, “Local businesses are working to build back from the impact of Coronavirus regulations. These grants available from NYS can begin to level the playing field as we work towards a recovery that helps our local communities.”

More information can be found at NYSBusinessRecovery.ny.gov.

You can read the full article from Newsday's James Madore here.

Suffolk County Reimagine Transit Initiative Working to Improve Network

Suffolk County’s Reimagine Transit Initiative began in September 2020 and is expected to conclude in Fall 2021. Its goal is to rethink the entire network of Suffolk County Transit routes and ensure the County is making best use of its resources and aligning its transit investments with community goals and priorities.

This initiative builds on the Connect LI regional transportation and development plan and Suffolk County Mobility Study that recommended redesign of the fixed-route bus network and identification of opportunities for the use of new tools, like on demand transit services.

Like many transit systems across the country, Suffolk County is facing declining ridership and budget constraints, which has been exacerbated by the recent public health crisis. The Reimagine Transit initiative is intended to help the County offer more efficient service to more people.

Key steps have included:

Existing Conditions Review & Conceptual Planning
• Review of existing network and County demographics
• Development of network redesign concepts

Identification of Community Transit Priorities & Choices
• Community survey
• Community meetings

Draft Bus Network & Implementation Plan
• Community survey
• Community meetings
• Final bus network and implementation plan

The Suffolk County Reimagine Transit Bus Network Redesign Survey has been extended to June 14th and the County is asking interested residents to participate.

Members of Vision Long Island are part of the Suffolk Couinty Reimagine Transit Initiative and we encourage yuou to participate in this survey.

You can participate in the Transit Bus Network Redesign Survey here.

More information on this initiative can be found here.

Rent Relief Funds Falling Short of Target on Long Island

The federal government has provided more than $90 million in rent relief for Long Island renters and landlords, but only about 1% has reached its targets, Newsday reports. “With a total of $94.3 million set aside for the Island — most from federal stimulus packages passed to provide timely help to those reeling from the economic impact of the pandemic — state, county and town governments have distributed $1 million,” government officials said.

Officials have told Newsday that distribution has been delayed because of complex and evolving rules. There is limited data on how many Long Islanders are behind on rent. Government officials and housing advocates also believe many tenants have not applied because they are still protected by a state eviction moratorium which will be in effect until at least the end of August.

Relief money has been presented through various funding streams, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act stimulus package, the CARES Act and the most recently, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, whose application process has yet to open in New York.

Understandably, Long Island tenants and landlords are growing impatient, telling Newsday the application process for most programs is too cumbersome, requiring notarized forms and in some cases taking months to complete. Even when applicants finally make it through all the paperwork, often filling out the same forms over and over again, the check received falls way short of the rent due.

This abject failure is not limited to Long Island. “Getting money into the hands of renters has been exceedingly complicated,” Vox reports. “The National Low Income Housing Coalition has found over 340 different programs attempting to administer the federal aid. Some programs require onerous documentation; others don’t make it easy for landlords to apply and most put the onus on tenants to provide extensive proof of need.” Moreover, “Estimates about the amount of back rent owed across the country range from $8.4 billion to $52.6 billion.”

Vox reports:

• Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs has distributed more than $4 million in rental assistance funding to landlords and tenants; the state has received over $552 million for that purpose.
• Delaware’s State Housing Authority has distributed $40,000 in rental assistance — 0.02 percent of its allocated funds.
• The Idaho Housing and Finance Association has distributed $6.1 million of the $175 million it received from the December congressional rent relief allocation.
• Colorado’s dashboard shows $2.8 million has been approved from the $247 million it has received.
• Arizona’s dashboard shows $4.38 million has been disbursed out of the $289 million it has received.
• California has only paid out $1 million of the $355 million requested by tenants and landlords.
• Texas, which has received over $1 billion, had only paid 250 households after 45 days.

The evidence that people are either unaware or discouraged due to an onerous application process shows in the application numbers, Vox reports. As of May 12, in Georgia, just 5,000 people had completed applications to the state program and Delaware had received 5,145 applications; by May 23, Arizona had received 2,889 applications. and Colorado had received 8,510.

“I have been lobbying for various types of government funds for over 35 years and have seen a wide range of effectiveness in the access and administration of funding,” explains Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance.  “During Coronavirus, we have seen two problems with the large amount of Federal and State funds: The first being that large swaths of people are not aware of the programs, how to apply and the agencies in charge don’t answer questions or have any real way to communicate with real people. The best-connected people are, however, able to access the programs and benefits; The second is the dollars don’t make it to their intended source, which is the case with the rent relief programs. In our travels we have not met anyone who has been able to receive these grants. Either the program rules are convoluted or it’s simply not a priority for those administering it. After months, with more than $90M available for LI rent relief and only 1% of the funding expended, it begs the question, what is going on?”

You can read Newsday’s complete article here.

You can view Vox’s complete article here.

Bipartisan Call For Increased Federal Funding to Support Long Island Restaurants

On Thursday, May 27th, U.S. Representatives Kathleen Rice, Gregory Meeks, Andrew Garbarino, and others sent a letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) program to be replenished with enough funding for the first tranche of applicants.

The $28.6 billion RRF program was created in the American Rescue Plan Act, which President Biden signed into law on March 11, 2021. The program provides emergency assistance for eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses to compensate for pandemic-related revenue loss. However, since the program began accepting applications on May 3, 2021, more than 303,000 entities requested a total of more than $69 billion, far exceeding the initial amount allocated in the American Rescue Plan Act.

“The pandemic’s devastating impact on the food industry can be seen across Long Island,” explains Representative Rice. “And as the astronomical demand for the RRF program shows, it’s clear that the initial aid we allocated to help our struggling restaurants will be far from enough to support this critical sector of our economy.”

The letter to Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell documents, “Targeted relief for the restaurant and food service industry through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) has quickly proven insufficient to meet the industry’s needs. As we continue towards a full recovery from these challenging times, we urge you to replenish the RRF with enough funding to address the first tranche of applicants… Without Congressional action, the nation’s food service industry and its hundreds of thousands of workers will remain incapable of fully recovering from the pandemic. We urge you to provide at least $40.4 billion in supplemental RRF funding so the first tranche of 303,000 applicants may receive their eligible amount of requested relief.”

Kudos to U.S. Representatives Rice, Garbarino, and others for their leadership in calling for the replenishment of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and their commitment to Long Island restaurants.

Funding Supports Technical Assistance for Municipalities to Implement Green Projects

Governor Cuomo announced on Friday, May 21st, a new initiative designed to accelerate action on climate change by making $3.5 million dollars available for contractors to provide technical assistance to municipalities working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

The initiative calls for selected contractors, called Climate Leadership Coordinators, to support climate action at the local level through outreach, education, planning, capacity-building, and assistance with project implementation.

"This initiative demonstrates New York's commitment to supporting local efforts to meet the significant environmental challenges posed by climate change," said Governor Cuomo. "Local governments are critical partners in meeting the State's ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. New York State continues to support the meaningful steps municipalities are taking to adapt to climate change while improving quality of life for local residents."

The State Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking proposals for Climate Leadership Coordinators who will serve as strategic planning agents to guide local governments in the development of successful local climate action programs. Using the State's Climate Smart Communities Certification program—which recognizes municipalities for taking climate action by offering technical assistance, grants, and rebates for electric vehicles—as a roadmap, the coordinators will provide technical support to communities to help reduce harmful emissions, build resilience to climate change, and thrive in the new resilient green economy.

"Creating a cleaner, greener future starts at the local level," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "That's why as part of our nation-leading climate agenda we are working with local officials to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive down energy costs and build resiliency against the threat of climate change."

Climate Leadership Coordinators will work alongside the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority funded Clean Energy Community Coordinators who help local leaders navigate through the Clean Energy Communities program to implement impact actions to save energy, cut costs, and earn designation.

The new program is funded by the State's Environmental Protection Fund. DEC's request for proposals will be released on May 24, 2021. Eligible parties interested in requesting a copy of the RFP upon its release can email their request to the DEC Office of Climate Change at climatesmart@dec.ny.gov.

Call For IRS To Allow Access To Unused Transit Benefits

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has requested the Internal Revenue Service refund unused transit funds to thousands of Long Island Rail Road customers.

The transit benefit, which was introduced in 1992 as part of a federal energy law, seeks to promote mass transit as an alternative to driving, thereby encouraging commuters to use modes of transportation that help minimize congestion and pollution. New Yorkers are able to set aside pre-tax money for their commutes. This money goes into a special account to pay for train tickets. Since COVID, however, money has piled up in individual accounts and, under current law, unused money cannot be returned to commuters.

Discussing the pre-tax transit deduction, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer explains, “It’s a great idea and it works for countless commuters, but amid COVID uncertainty, many people’s cash has piled up in an account the IRS doesn’t directly oversee, but also one the commuter cannot access for other uses.”

Under current federal rules, unused funds cannot be returned to commuters and can only be used to pay for transit costs, although money may be rolled over from year to year, under certain circumstances and with possible fees.

Senator Schumer advises that many Long Islanders who were working from home, commuting by car to avoid crowds, out of a job or just uncertain of the duration of COVID were having their own money deducted pre-tax from their paycheck as part of a federal transit benefit program. Now, for many, those funds have piled up to hundreds of dollars and they’re stuck in a transit account purgatory. The Senator states these unused transit benefit dollars should go back into riders’ pockets ASAP. The money would be taxed once it is released to riders.

Writing to Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Charles Rettig, Senator Schumer notes, “I have heard from a number of my constituents who now have hundreds of dollars – and in some instances, upwards of $1,000 – of their hard-earned wages sitting idle and inaccessible in their commuter benefit accounts. Some were even laid off from their jobs. For many working New York families trying to weather and recover from this crisis, these unused funds could instead go towards paying their rent or mortgages, food, medical bills, and other essential expenses.”

Senator Schumer vows, “If the feds cannot get to a solution, I will pen legislation to force a fix.”

Long Island Main Street News, Under Production, makes Extended Interviews with Local Leaders Available

Vision Long Island has been in the process of interviewing some of our community partners: local civics, small business/chamber friends, municipal officials and local food pantry and religious leaders. 

As part of these efforts, we have reached over half of the communities we work in and are starting now to connect to some of our friends not rooted in any one community from development, design and infrastructure professionals and environmental leaders as well.   These interviews will be pieced together into a future show titled "Long Island Main Street News," but, in the meantime, you can view an extended version of these interviews here.

Special thanks to our guests for sharing their experiences, to our friends at Pink Tie for providing access to their studio, and to Rob Comforto from Videomasters for the filming and production.

A recent edition of LI Main Street News brought in Devin Kulka from the Kulka Group for an interview.

Mr. Kulka shared the latest update of his nearly 50 year old development company and a number of projects they are working on.    He also gave his thoughts on the market post Coronavirus and the importance of working with local communities.   

It was a pleasure to see the positive outlook from a long standing development firm.  

Check it out here.

A recent edition of LI Main Street News brought in our friend Kelly Zhou from TOA - Taste of Asian Fusion restaurants in downtown Farmingdale, Huntington, Sayville and Hicksville. 

Ms. Zhou shared with us the mix of cuisines that make up the offerings at her restaurants and their new tea company, Yaz Tea, that imports special tea from China.    Her personal story as an immigrant into the United States working as a teenager in the restaurant businesses and now the partner in two successful businesses is heartwarming.    We thank Ms. Zhou for sharing with us her story!  

Check it out here.

A recent edition of LI Main Street News featured our friend Joel Harris from the Mineola Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Harris shared gave a profile of his community including the ongoing work of revitalization that includes new housing, transportation infrastructure and hospital expansion.   He also shared the work of the chamber which includes connections to local businesses, events and a number of charitable organizations.

Mr. Harris has a business as a photographer and his ability to connect and tell folks stories makes him an awesome advocate for his business district and community.

Check it out here.

One of our recent editions of the LI Main Street News Interviews reconnected us with our good friend Jaci Clement from the Fair Media Council.

Ms.  Clement spoke of the decades long work of her organization and the changing media market.   She also gave very clear advice on how to become a better consumer of news and online information.

Ms.  Clement has been a powerful public voice for substantive and balanced journalism for decades and appreciated her visit and insight.  

Check it out here.

Keep an eye on Vision Long Island's Facebook page here, where we'll be premiering a new Main Street News Interview daily! Simply follow us if you have not already and you should get alerts before a new video debuts.

Upcoming PPP & EIDL Workshops

The SBA will be offering several PPP & EIDL Workshops in the upcoming weeks 

Lead by SBA’s Economic Development Specialist Elaine Powell-Belnavis, these workshops will cover the following:

• Latest updates of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and PPP Forgiveness.
• Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EDIL) and EDIL Advance, Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG), and SBA Debt Relief.
• Application process of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF).
• Eligibility, Calculation Funding Amount, Eligible Uses, Time-frame, Documentation.

You can register for each of the workshops at the below links:

Thurs. June 3, 2021 at 2pm (SBA and Manhattan Chamber of Commerce)
Marketing Strategies for Your Business
Register here.

Thurs. June 10, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and York College SBDC)
How SBA can Help Your Business Succeed
Register here.

Thurs. June 17, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and LaGuardia Community College SBDC)
Doing Business with the Government
Register here.

Tue. June 22, 2021 at 7:00pm (SBA and Finkelstein Memorial Library)
Business Planning in a Pandemic
Register here.

Wed. June 23, 2021 at 11am (SBA and Queens Chamber of Commerce)
Starting a Business at 50+
Registration link will be announced when it is available.

Thurs. July 1, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and Tech Incubator at Queens College)
Building a Blog for Your Business Step by Step
Register here.

Thurs. July 15, 2021 at 9:30am (SBA and York College SBDC)
Business Plan Writing
Register here.

Tue. July 20, 2021 at 7:00pm (SBA and Finkelstein Memorial Library)
Starting a Business at 50+
Register here.

15th Annual Latina Hat Luncheon - Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Founded in 1988, the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was established to serve the needs of the Long Island minority owned small business community. Through an array of networking events, members have an opportunity to make contacts necessary to help their businesses thrive. One such event, the Latina Hat Luncheon, is one of its best attended events, where attendees can be honored based on their work for the community and professional achievements.

Last year, the LIHCC, along with other non-profit organizations, were forced to cancel all in-person events due to COVID-19. This caused many individuals, business, and nonprofit organizations, including the LIHCC, to suffer deep financial losses.

The LIHCC has continued to fulfill its mission to service the minority business community by offering informational webinars related to COVID-19 updates, such as PPP loan information and where to get personal protective equipment (PPE). The Chamber is also continuing its yearly toy drive to benefit the victims of the 2020 Hurricanes in Honduras.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and restrictions being eased, the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is moving ahead with planning the Latina Hat Luncheon. The Chamber is optimistic that by June 2021, it will be able to host this luncheon with limited in person capacity.

The LIHCC's biggest priority is the safety and well-being of its members, sponsors, and staff. The event will follow the guidelines provided by the CDC, federal, and local authorities.

The 15th Annual Latina Hat Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, June 9th, 2021 at 11 am. Contact their office at (516) 333-0105 or email at admin@lihcc.org for tickets and sponsorship packages.

LIBN Corporate Citizenship Awards to be Held Virtually on June 10th

Through its Corporate Citizenship Awards, Long Island Business News celebrates companies and individuals who prove that by being a good corporate citizen, we contribute to the economic and social well-being of employees, businesses and the community.

Past and present honorees consistently prove that true community stewardship evolves through building strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations and others that strive to meet the critical needs of our community.

The LIBN Corporate Citizenship Awards will be held virtually on Thursday, June 10th, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Congratulations to the 2021 Honorees:

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
Peter Klein
ALINE Wealth, Hightower Advisors

HELPING HANDS AWARD
Eric Alexander, Richard Cave and Michael Cave

CORPORATE TEAM OF THE YEAR
Ørsted and Eversource

NONPROFITS OF THE YEAR
Spectrum Designs Foundation
The Nicholas Center

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
OF THE YEAR
Long Island Board of REALTORS

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE – FOR PROFIT
Michael Farrell
LDI Color Toolbox
Elizabeth Kase
Abrams Fensterman
Hossam Maksoud
Community Care RX
Anne Shybunko
GSE Dynamics
Ronald Stair
Creative Plan Designs, Ltd.

LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE– NONPROFIT
Yolanda Robano-Gross
Options for Community Living, Inc.

CORPORATE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR – LARGE BUSINESS
Bank of America
Brookhaven National Laboratory
JPMorgan Chase
PSEG Long Island

CORPORATE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR – MID-SIZED BUSINESS
American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc.
Custom Computer Specialists
The Landtek Group
Riverhead Building Supply

CORPORATE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR – SMALL BUSINESS
Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Alure Home Improvements
Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, LLP

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Terrence Flood
HUB International Northeast

You can register for this event here.

Nassau County Reopens Restaurant Recovery Grant Program

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is pleased to reopen the portal below to accept more applications for the Restaurant Recovery Grant Program (RRGP).

The program is intended to support full-service restaurants – the industry hit hardest by the pandemic – during the winter months when outdoor dining is limited and as restaurants adjust to New York State’s COVID-19 safety restrictions and new mandates. Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) are encouraged to apply.

Nassau County is using funding made available through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to provide grants to restaurants. Grant funds are valued at either $5,000 or $10,000 depending on the number of employees.

If you have not already begun the application process and would like to APPLY, click here: https://zoomgrants.tools/zgf/nassaurestaurantrecovery

Eligible businesses that have been APPROVED to receive Restaurant Recovery Grant Program (RRGP) funding are shown in the list at this link. These businesses will receive a direct email from the Restaurant Recovery team this week, requesting confirmation of bank details so that the grant can be disbursed. Please watch for the email from nassaurestaurants@ndconline.org.

Restaurants that have applied to the RRGP but do NOT see their business on the list at the above link must get in touch with the Restaurant Recovery team immediately to complete their applications at nassaurestaurants@ndconline.org and 1-646-825-9617.

For any questions, please contact the Restaurant Recovery team at nassaurestaurants@ndconline.org and 1-646-825-9617.

Questions?

Please email any RRGP questions to the Restaurant Recovery team at mailto:nassaurestaurants@ndconline.org.

Check back to this webpage for any RRGP updates!

Program Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Businesses

• Full-Service Restaurants (NAICS code 722511) engaged in providing food services and meals prepared on-premises to patrons who traditionally order and are served while seated (i.e., waiter/waitress service)
• Restaurant Establishment must have a current and valid Nassau County Department of Health Food Service Permit

General Eligibility

• Located in Nassau County
• In operation on or before March 1, 2019
• Must have 50 or fewer Full-Time equivalent (FTE) employees
              o Maximum $5,000 grant – 0 (sole proprietor)-10 employees
              o Maximum $10,000 grant – 11-50 employees
• Must agree to create or retain at least one low/moderate-income job at full-time status
• Must certify and demonstrate that they have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19

Eligible Expenses

• Grant funds to cover working capital and operating expenses including:
            o payroll, rent, utilities, purchase of PPE and sanitation supplies; lease or purchase of equipment like kitchen equipment or delivery vehicles; or COVID-19 related business improvements like patio heaters or contactless technology.

Ineligible Businesses

• Non-profit organizations
• Businesses with greater than 50 employees
• Businesses in violation of New York State Executive orders relating to the COVID-19 pandemic or other State, County or local ordinances
               o e.g., EO 202.74 effective Friday, November 13 at 10 PM
                               ▪ SLA FAQ: https://sla.ny.gov/Guidance-COVID-Related-Closing-Times

Keep an eye on the restaurant recovery page on Nassau County’s website for more information and to apply once the grant program becomes available.

NY COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)

New York renters, regardless of immigration status, who suffered a financial hardship due to COVID-19 may be eligible for rental assistance through a new program - New York's Covid-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program of 2021. The program utilizes $2.3 billion federal stimulus funding and an additional $100 million in state funding. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will administer the program.

Renters are eligible if they meet the following requirements:

•             Have qualified for unemployment or have experienced Covid-19 related financial hardship
•             Have a demonstrated risk of experiencing housing instability and homelessness
•             Have a household income at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI)

OTDA will prioritize certain applications they receive for the first 30 days of the portal being open, at which point the remaining applications will be processed on a rolling basis. Applications will be prioritized in the following order:

•             Households below 50% of the AMI where a household member is in a priority group, which includes those currently unemployed and have been for 90 days, tenants of mobile homes with arrears, members of vulnerable populations including but not limited to domestic violence survivors, human trafficking survivors and veterans, households in communities disproportionately affected by Covid-19 as determined by OTDA, and households who reside in buildings with 20 or fewer units owned by a small landlord
•             Households below 50% of the AMI where no household member is in a priority group
•             Households below 80% of the AMI where a household member is in a priority group
•             Households below 80% of the AMI where no household member is in a priority group

Funds are available to cover rent and utility payments. Eligible households can receive utility relief if they have not received a corresponding benefit through the home energy assistance program. For rental assistance, funding can cover 12 months of arrears going back to March of 2020, and/or for 3 months of prospective rent going into the future. However, only households that can demonstrate rent burden (30% of income going towards rent) at the time of application are eligible for prospective rent payments.

You can find more information here.

https://otda.ny.gov/

PSEG LI is Helping the Local Economy Weather COVID

PSEG Long Island is proud to announce funding for the Outdoor Spaces program has been renewed for a limited time. More than $2 million in grants and discounts were provided last year to help more than 1,000 local businesses and organizations meet the ever-evolving challenges of COVID-19 and continue to thrive.

“PSEG Long Island knows that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our communities and our local economy,” said John Keating, manager of Economic and Community Development at PSEG Long Island. “Even before the pandemic transformed all of our lives, we were offering grants and discounts to encourage foot traffic in downtown commercial districts and bring businesses into empty storefronts. We evolved our programs to address the new realities our commercial customers are seeing, and the response has been enormous.”

PSEG continues to offer Main Street Revitalization grants and Vacant Storefront discounts to businesses. In 2020, the company also began offering “Outdoor Spaces” grants to local chambers of commerce to help transform sidewalk areas and plazas with the seating, lighting and heating needed to keep customers dining and shopping locally. Limited funding for this grant program will be renewed for 2021 on a first come, first served basis. The program will offer funding of up to $5,000 to a Chamber of Commerce or Business Improvement District. Applications will be accepted until June 1, 2021.

Here is a breakdown of PSEG Long Island’s 2020 support of local businesses:

Small Business First

•             Supplemented PSEG Long Island’s already significant energy efficiency rebates with $1.8 million in PSEG Long Island Economic Development funding, allowing most projects to be done with no customer cost.
•             More than 1,000 participating small businesses, including auto body shops, seafood stores, delis, restaurants, barbershops, clothing stores, doctor’s offices, florists, beauty salons and more.

Outdoor Spaces

•             PSEG Long Island approved 29 applications, representing a total of more than $125,000.
•             These have been awarded to chambers of commerce and business improvement districts in municipalities all across the service area, including Wantagh, Port Jefferson, Lindenhurst, Kings Park, Huntington, Amityville, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Glen Cove, Port Washington, Sag Harbor, Nesconset, Smithtown, Syosset-Woodbury, Gordon Heights, Westhampton Beach, Massapequa Park and more.

Main Street Revitalization

•             More than $254,000 was provided to businesses and organizations through standard Main Street Revitalization grants in 2020, supporting upgrades and projects at restaurants, arts centers, breweries and more.
•             These projects are estimated to create close to 200 permanent jobs in the community and bring more vitality to business districts.

To learn more about all the programs PSEG Long Island offers to support local businesses, please visit this site.

SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Applications

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has a splash page for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal in anticipation of opening applications for the much-anticipated critical economic relief program on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

“Help is here for venue operators hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA has worked diligently to build the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program from the ground up to assist and address the diverse eligibility requirements of each type of applicant and we will open for applications on April 8th.” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said. “This vital economic aid will provide a much-needed lifeline for live venues, museums, movie theatres and many more.”

Prior to the official SVOG application opening, the SBA will host a national informational webinar to highlight the application process for potential eligible entities from 2:30 to 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

The SVOG program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act, which appropriated $15 billion for it. The American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, appropriated an additional $1.25 billion, bringing the program funding to a total of $16.25 billion, with more than $16 billion allocated for grants.

To ensure eligible venues do not miss a window to receive assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program, the American Rescue Plan Act also amended the SVOG program so entities that apply for a PPP loan after Dec. 27, 2020, can also apply for an SVOG, with the eligible entity’s SVOG to be reduced by the PPP loan amount. The PPP loan applications have been updated to reflect this.

For more information, click here for the dedicated SBA SVOG portal: https://www.svograntportal.sba.gov/s/

EBB Program Available for People Seeking Affordable Internet

U.S Representative Kathleen Rice (NY-04) urges eligible constituents and Long Islanders to enroll in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program to receive a discount on their monthly internet bill.

Representative Rice, describing the EBB program as groundbreaking, details that the new program was established by Congress to help economically vulnerable Americans afford their monthly internet bill during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible households can receive a discount of $50 off the monthly cost of home internet service, and a one-time discount of $100 to purchase a new laptop, tablet, or desktop computer. Representative Rice supported the creation of the $3.2 billion program as part of the final omnibus appropriations bill passed in December 2020, and the program has recently begun accepting applications.

Long Islanders are urged to visit the FCC’s new enrollment office to see if they qualify.

You can read more at the FCC website here.

You can find more information here.

$150 Million to be Distributed to Local Communities through Outdoor Recreation Grant Program

On May 10, 2021, the Department of the Interior announced the National Park Service will distribute $150 million to communities through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) grant program to help states and local communities create close-to-home outdoor recreation experiences.

This program, established in 2014, enables urban?communities to?create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors?in economically underserved communities.

The announcement comes on the heels of the Biden-Harris administration’s newly launched “America the Beautiful” initiative to support locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration efforts that address the nature and climate crises, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy. Providing safe outdoor spaces for communities that are park-deprived is one of six areas of focus identified in the report.

During this grant cycle, open May 10 through September 24, 2021, the National Park Service will be awarding between $300,000 and $5 million to state and local governments. State agencies must be the lead applicant for this grant opportunity, but they may apply for funds on behalf of a local government.

This grant program provides funding to renovate existing parks or create new outdoor recreation space in underserved communities.

You can read the Department of the Interior’s full press release here.

You can view past examples of projects here.

NY Forward Loan Fund

New York State has opened pre-applications for the New York Forward Loan Fund. Loans from this fund are available to small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords in New York State. New York Forward loans must be fully repaid over a 5-year term with fixed annual interest rates of 3 percent for small businesses and landlords.

Small businesses may apply for the lesser of $100,000 or up to 100% of the average monthly revenues in any 3-month period from 2019 or the first quarter of 2020. This loan can be paid back over five years with first year being interest only.  However, if small businesses have received either a PPP loan or an EIDL loan from SBA, they would not be eligible to apply. NYS has set a goal of 18% of total funds under this Program for Long Island

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as industries and regions reopen however, priority for New York Forward Loans will be given to industries and regions that have been reopened. Resources are available to assist in preparing applications for small businesses, landlords and nonprofits in industries and regions that have not yet reopened.

To view more details, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, click here:

If you need technical assistance through this process, please contact an Entrepreneurial Assistance Center near you and inform the counselor that you need help for the NY Forward Loan application.  You can find your closest contact center here.

Our Sponsor

PSEG Long Island

PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company that operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract.

They have pledged to build a Long Island utility with PSEG's same record of service, reliability and customer satisfaction. It will take some time to make all the improvements they’re planning, but in the end, they will create a utility of which Long Islanders can be proud. Keeping the lights on isn’t just a job: It’s their mission.