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

September 18th, 2020

Quote of Week

We know the formula to bring people back safe.  When we were staying at home to flatten the curve, it was essential workers that were maintaining our healthcare system and keeping our city afloat in the worst of times. Now we are the essential workers, the baton is being handed to us. - RXR CEO Scotth Rechler

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National Grid Resumes Normal Business Operations

In response to the hardships that businesses have been feeling during the economic shutdown due the coronavirus pandemic, National Grid has announced that it will restart most types of service work.

This will include some services that require National Grid to enter businesses, Grid has announced that those employees will be tested daily for illness.  Protective gear will also be required and employees will be asked to practice social distancing.

Due to the return to normal operations, National Grid has announced that it will begin to resume collection activities for businesses in the next few weeks.  Interest, nonpayment fees, and late payment charges will all continue to be suspended until further notice.  However, disconnection due to nonpayment is scheduled to resume in October.

National Grid has pledged to work with local business communities to help with recovery from the economic devastation of the pandemic.  To that effect they will be offering a number of payment options for those struggling, including $0 down and 0% interest payment plans for eligible customers.

National Grid to Offer Virtual W/MBE Energy Efficiency Training Series

National Grid is launching a Pilot program to train Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) contracting and associated firms on our Energy Efficiency programs. 

The program will be a seven week seminar starting Wednesday, September 30th with new seminars taking place each Wednesday after that through November 11th.  Each seminar will take place from 8 am to 10 am. 
The training will provide not only information about our programs, but it will also cover different technologies, various local rules and regulations, and provide general business development training to these companies.

The program will be done virtually, with 7 webinars and other tools and resources provided to active participants.  This program is open to companies that are already registered as M/WBE firms or those that could be eligible to become M/WBE firms. 

For more information or to register, please head to the following website: https://my.demio.com/ref/3UHq4Ya9VK0colYK.

MTA Begins Work on Platform for Elmont Station

MTA Construction and Development has begun work on the substructure for the new Elmont LIRR station, which will be the first new full-time station built in more than four decades.

A lay down area has been established and excavation for the platform footings has begun on the north side of the righto-of-way for the station.  Construction of forms for platform supports and the pouring of concrete for them has already been completed.

MTA crews will continue to excavate over the next few weeks, with concrete placement for platform footings on both sides of the track taking place.  Direction boring for utilities will begin soon as well.  In the meantime, the MTA is working with National Grid to install utilities at the station.

The next step after that will be the removal of berms and surplus soil on the south side of the new station.  There will also be the backfilling of pier foundations and the excavation for the back of house facility foundation as well as delivering and installing pre-cast pier caps.  A trench will also be excavated where the installation of conduits and manholes to support the relocation of overhead utilities will take place.

This station will serve the Belmont Park Redevelopment project currently underway.  Riders will be able to attend events at the Belmont track and the New York Islanders’ new arena by riding to this new arena.  The new station will be ADA-compliant and include amenities such as free WiFi, digital screens, elevators, canopies, charging stations, and more.  The south platform will open in Autumn 2021 and the full station should be completed by the end of 2022.

Fight for New York City

The following is a transcription of RXR CEO Scott Rechler’s plea to return to economic prosperity in New York City.  You can watch the full video here.

This spring, New York faced one of its toughest crises.

We lost 25,000 of our friends, family and neighbors.  It’s also one of our proudest moments as a community because we came together, in the toughest of times, and we bent the curve and we got this under control. Today, when people look around our country, New York stands out for doing the best of taking on this virus.

But now we’re faced with an economic crisis.  We need to be coming together as New Yorkers, people who have been blessed to live here and get the benefit of living in this great city.  Take that energy, and help reunite this city so it can grow from this point forward.

If you look, for example, at 9/11 our city was attacked and the natural inclination could have been to hide and stay away from taking airplanes, going into tall buildings, going to public places.  But instead we changed the way we operated and we made it a patriotic duty to respond to this act of terrorism, not by hiding but moving on with our lives.  Moving on in a more responsible way, a more cautious way, but moving forward.

We know the formula to bring people back safe.  When we were staying at home to flatten the curve, it was essential workers that were maintaining our healthcare system and keeping our city afloat in the worst of times.

Now we are the essential workers, the baton is being handed to us.

It’s our responsibility to reopen this city’s economy so that these same essential workers have a livelihood to go back to.  So that the small businesses can survive, so that our transit systems can function, so that the economic and fiscal stability of our city can sustain itself, so its public workers, its school teachers, firefighters, EMTs, have places to continue to have work.

This is the moment that we need to come back to the city and do our job.  To fight to ensure that our city has a bright future.  That it’s fiscally sound, that it offers opportunities to everyone and that we have a future that is built stronger, better, and more equal than it was before.

Now is the time to come fight for our city.

Gold Coast Arts Needs Your Support!

Gold Coast Arts has been an important part of the Great Neck Plaza community for over 25 years.

Their mission remains strong even in these difficult times as they continue to bring the Visual & Performing Arts ONLINE to students and audiences of all ages, backgrounds and abilities throughout Long Island, Queens and beyond.

However, they are In need of donations!  Your much needed donation helps us keep our programs and the arts alive.  Please support them today so they can come back stronger together.

Get involved with the Gold Coast Arts & International Film Festival and help keep the arts alive in local communities!

If you have any questions, please call Caroline Sorokoff at 516-829-2570 or email caroline@goldcoastarts.org.

LICH to Host Housing Discrimination Training

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is honored to host Long Island Housing Services in their presentation of this important workshop on Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination.

This FREE online training will take place September 24, 9:30AM to 11:30AM.

Presented by Long Island Housing Services and hosted by the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, this training will provide a history of fair housing and the federal, state and local fair housing laws.  The training will include the different types of housing discrimination that are prevalent in Long Island, including racial discrimination, discrimination against individuals with disability, and source of income discrimination. Participants will learn to identify and report housing discrimination, including how to file a complaint.

Presenters: EJ Torres and Harriet Spiegelman

This event is FREE, but tickets are required to reserve a spot. You can access tickets by using the link below, beginning August 20, 2020 at 5PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/housing-discrimination-training-tickets-117665652133

The 8th Annual Car Free Day Long Island will take place on September 25

With the many challenges facing Long Island communities, it would have been easy to take a year off. However, the shutdown took cars off the road and brought fresh clean air to Long Island, inspiring Car Free Day to elevate the conversation about trading gridlock for cleaner communities.  

Once again, we ask you to help Long Island and join over 3,100 cities, towns and villages in 50 countries around the world in celebrating Car Free Day by encouraging employees and citizens to drive less and instead telecommute, walk, bike, ride a train, bus or other creative ideas. Last year, 5,821 Long Islanders pledged to be car free or car-lite saving 64 tons of CO2 emissions.

Vision Long Island has been a co-sponsor of this event Car Free Day for years and is hoppy to continue working on this important project.

As we get closer more and more events for the day will be revealed.  In the meantime, please visit carfreedayli.com to take the pladge and download a toolkit to help you spread the word!

32nd Annual Keys for the Homeless Conference to take Place Virtually on November 18th

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is holding its 32nd Annual Keys for the Homeless Conference online this year to help bring relief to Long Island’s struggling homeless population.

This year’s event will take place on November 18th from 9 am to 3:30 virtually and will feature 14 workshop topics that address what can be done to help the most vulnerable residents in our region.  The theme for the conference is “Adapting to Changing Times: Where Do We Go From Here?”  Marc Dones, the Executive Director of National Innovation Services will be this year’s Keynote Speaker.

The Coalition is responsible for leading the region’s initiative to serve our most vulnerable and reducing barriers to housing.  With their Continuum of Care partners, they have referred more than 200 homeless households for permanent housing.  Throughout the years they have helped to guide over two hundred million dollars of US Department of Housing and Urban Development CoC funding to Long Island agencies, resulting in the development of over 2,700 units of housing for homeless persons. 

You can register to attend, become a sponsor, or exhibitor for this event here.  A full schedule of the workshops for the event is available here.

Cox Media and T-Mobile Offering Grants to LI Small Businesses

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, small businesses have suffered incredible financial hardship. As Long Island starts to open for business, many local businesses are struggling to get back on their feet.

Cox Media Group Long Island’s 102.3 WBAB and 106.1 BLI are dedicated to supporting locally owned businesses and shining a bright light on them during their time of need.

Thanks to support from T-Mobile, WBAB and BLI are kicking off the “Long Island Small Business Grant Program” and will be awarding $10,000 radio advertising campaigns to FIVE Long Island businesses.

To be considered, business owners will be asked to register at WBAB.com or WBLI.com and provide an essay of 300 words or less telling us why their business is deserving of this opportunity. Winners will be selected based on specific criteria, including their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, community service, business culture and employee loyalty.

Application period runs from August 10, 2020 through September 30, 2020.

Selected businesses will be announced and contacted on Thursdays starting September 3rd.

Requirements for eligibility include:

• Must be locally owned and operated in Nassau or Suffolk County, in the State of New York;
• Annual revenue less than $2 million in fiscal year 2019;
• Incorporated and active as a business for a minimum of two (2) years.
Additional rules and restrictions are posted at WBAB.com and WBLI.com.
Cox Media Group Long Island is excited to offer this program in partnership with T-Mobile to help our
local small businesses, an essential part of the Long Island community, survive and thrive.

Nassau County OCD Now Accepting HOME Program Funding Applications
The Nassau County Office of Community Development is pleased to announce the re-opening of its HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program Funding Application.
NC OCD will be accepting applications through October 30th.
Please see the updated HOME Program website for information on Program requirements, Current Rent and Income Limits, Affirmative Marketing Requirements, and highlighted recently completed projects.
The on-line HOME Program Funding Application can also be accessed via OCD's website under the HOME Investment Partnership's Program tab: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/1524/Community-Development

NYSERDA, Affordable Solar and Storage Predevelopment and Technical Assistance (Predevelopment Program)

The Predevelopment Program provides grants to address barriers to solar installations serving low-to-moderate income (LMI) households living in rental housing, multifamily buildings or other households not served by traditional on-site residential solar. Individual awards will not exceed $200,000. Funding to proposals through this solicitation will offset costs for predevelopment and technical assistance work needed to implement solar installations for multifamily affordable housing and/or shared solar (Community Distributed Generation) installations that benefit LMI households.

- Eligibility: Applications must be submitted by or include the documented participation of any of the following: owners, providers or managers of regulated multifamily affordable housing, community land trusts, land banks or portfolios of single-family affordable housing; local government agencies; Community Development Corporations (CDC), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) or other community organizations providing services to LMI households and/or demonstrating an LMI constituency; and prior recipients of Predevelopment Program grants seeking to replicate and expand upon the success from a prior completed Predevelopment

Program project.

- Funding: Up to $10.65 million is available with individual awards not to exceed $200,000.
- Deadline: Continuous through December 31, 2024, or until depleted
- Contact:
Email: affordablesolar@nyserda.ny.gov
Website: www.nyserda.ny.gov/funding

Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program (NLG-L)

This program supports projects that enhance the quality of library and archive services by advancing theory and practice. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices or collaborative approaches that can be widely used, adapted, scaled or replicated. All applications must designate one of the following project categories: Lifelong Learning, Community Catalysts or National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives.

- Eligibility: Either a unit of state or local government or a private, nonprofit organization that has nonprofit status and be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia or U.S. territories. Additional criteria is listed in the website.

- Funding: 40 awards for up to three years will be made with amounts varying by category: Planning Grants up to $100,000; National Forum Grants up to $150,000; Project Grants up to $1,000,000 and Research in Service to Practice Grants up to $750,000.

- Deadline: October 2, 2020

- Contacts: Jill Connors-Joyner
Email: jconnors-joyner@imls.gov;
Sarah Fuller
Email: sfuller@imls.gov;
James Neal
Email: jneal@imls.gov;
Ashley Sands, PhD
Email: asands@imls.gov
General email: imls-librarygrants@imls.gov
Website: https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/national-leadership-grants-libraries

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs and reliable transportation—affects how long and how well we live.

Through the RWJF Culture of Health Prize application process, a community comes together to tell its inspiring stories of collaboration, action and results. Communities should understand they are applying for a prize and not a grant. The Prize recognizes work that has already been accomplished, so there is no required workplan or budget.

- Eligibility: A community must be a geographically defined jurisdiction in the U.S. that falls into one of the following categories:

- County, parish, borough, city, town, village or other municipality with a publicly elected governing body;

- Federally recognized tribe or a state-designated Indian reservation;

- Native Hawaiian organization serving and representing the interests of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii; or

- Region defined as geographically contiguous municipalities, counties and/or reservations.

- Awards: Up to 10 winning communities receive $25,000 and a prize package of communications materials about their community, communications guidance and help in promoting their successes.

- Deadline: Oct. 15, 2020, 3pm ET

- Contact:
Phone: (608) 890-2045
Email: info@cohprize.wisc.edu
Website: www.rwjf.org/content/rwjf/en/library/funding-opportunities/2020/2021-culture-ofhealth-prize.html

NYS Launches Rent Relief Program

The COVID Rent Relief Program will provide eligible households with a one-time rental subsidy that will be sent directly to the household’s landlord. Applicants will not need to repay this assistance.

The Covid Rent Relief Program is not first come, first served. Applications will be accepted throughout the two-week application period. HCR will prioritize eligible households with “greatest economic and social need” accounting for income, rent burden, percent of income lost and risk of homelessness.

The rental assistance payment will cover the difference between the household’s rent burden on March 1, 2020 and the increase in rent burden for the months the households is applying for assistance. Households can apply for up to four months in rental assistance.

Eligible households must meet the following criteria:

• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income must have been below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for household size. You can find your county’s area median income, based on your household size: www.hcr.ny.gov/eligible-income-limits-80-ami-county
• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been paying more than 30% of gross monthly income towards rent.  Gross income includes wages as well as any cash grants, child support, social security, unemployment benefits, etc.)
• Applicants must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.

HCR has created a dedicated call center to provide residents with help Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call the COVID Rent Relief Program Call Center at 1-833-499-0318 or email at covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov

You can apply for assistance and check FAQ’s here.

New York State Accepting Applications for 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 that did not receive a loan from either the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for COVID-19 in 2020. 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.

This Week's Sponsor

H2M Architects + Engineers

Since their early roots, H2M’s focus has remained steadfast: to provide quality service with sound judgment and to serve as an honest professional resource to their clients. With a dedicated, responsive staff and multiple service offerings under one roof, they blend “can-do” with “can-be,” developing real, workable solutions with a dose of innovation. Their diverse in-house expertise reduces the need for sub-consultants and ensures that their architects and engineers develop a comprehensive understanding of every project. 

Providing solutions to a wide variety of markets, H2M brings the combined expertise of architectural design and building systems engineering to make your project a reality. With in-house MEP and structural teams, they’re able to take a holistic approach to project design that combines a practical approach with creative results.