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

December 11th, 2020

Quotes of the Day

	“I’ve seen we can trust our businesses to make the right the right decisions. Is their one business that wants to be the place for an outbreak? So they are going to do everything the can to prevent that and I have seen it. One of their number one concerns is consumer confidence. They want their consumers to feel confident to come into their shop or restaurant and spend their money there. They want to keep people employed and safe. They are doing everything they can. Business owners are natural problem solvers that’s what they do in normal times. They deal with them they solve them that is why they are successful. I think we can trust them to do the right thing during the pandemic.” - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran
	"We want everyone to be safe and healthy, but also businesses are starting to suffer right now. So another lockdown would be detrimental to a lot of us." - Joseph Abruzzo, W A Meadworks in Lindenhurst.
	"It's a life-and-death situation. Death in terms of the business, death in terms of your health." - Clariona Griffith, President of the Hempstead Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of Safe Child Early Learning Center in Hempstead.
	“We are now nine months in to this pandemic, and with cases surging once again we need to provide residents in need tangible assistance. This new rent relief program coupled with financial aid to struggling small businesses will provide help to some of our most vulnerable residents.” - Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone
	"You have to be at 100 percent [capacity] to make money. The profit margins are so slim, even when we’re in good times." - Melissa Fleischut, president of the New York Restaurant Association
	"People aren’t signing leases if they don’t have to, and landlords aren’t making improvements to buildings, The forecast is bleak unless the federal government provides some relief." - Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association

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In Memoriam

Harriet Crippen Brown Gumbs, Shinnecock Elder, Passes at 99

Vision Long Island was saddened to hear of the passing of Harriet Crippen Brown Gumbs, a tribal matriarch and former Princess Starlight of the Shinnecock Nation on Long Island, who died at the age of 99.

The oldest female Shinnecock Elder, Ms. Gumbs spent her life empowering women in her tribe, giving them a place in their local government and business.  She has previously lectured at Harvard, Yale, and Purdue University and had a direct line to Shinnecock elders from the 1800s.  She was also instrumental in the building of the Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum.

Her life was one that helped to improve her community and Long Island.  She will be sorely missed.

Paul Sapienza, Elmont Chamber of Commerce President, Passes at 68

Vision Long Island was sorry to hear the loss last week of former Elmont Chamber of Commerce President Paul Sapienza.  All the folks who met him or worked with him would attest that he was hard working, humble and community minded.

He was an active member with our friends at the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce.

He left a legacy of service in his community.   We are told that donations in his memory are accepted at Gateway Youth Outreach at 534 Elmont Road, Elmont, NY 11003. 

Shopping Local Helps Long Island Main Streets as Pandemic Drags On

There is no denying the massive pain Coronavirus restrictions have placed on most small businesses since March, and a recent Newsday feature story speaks to the struggles that local businesses are experiencing feeling in our local communities.

Small business owners have been hit particularly hard by the economic shutdown that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic.  Small businesses often run on thin margins, without large cash reserves, and being closed or restricted for months has caused economic hardship.

Members of the LI Main Street Alliance spoke with Vision Long Island on the number of stores that shut down between March and November.  They shared with us information from 33 Main Street/business districts. We found a total of 128 vacant stores for an average of 3.9 vacancies per business district.

We heard from the following business districts, which were reported by Alliance members who are living and working in the communities:

Baldwin, Farmingdale, Franklin Square, Freeport, Glen Cove, Great Neck Plaza, Hempstead, Hicksville, Island Park, Lynbrook, Manhasset, Massapequa, Merrick, Oceanside, Port Washington, Uniondale, Valley Stream, Westbury, Amityville, Babylon, Central Islip, Greenlawn, Greenport, Huntington, Huntington Station, Kings Park, Lindenhurst, Mastic/Shirley, Middle Island, Northport, Patchogue, Riverhead, Wyandanch.

Those numbers appear low, especially considering an earlier survey Vision did at the beginning of the pandemic that projected up 20-30% of Main Street businesses going dark. 

While the regulations continue to restrict businesses, many are still hanging on, especially restaurants that were tossed a lifeline when outdoor dining was expanded and made easier through permits from local municipalities.  Still, without 100% capacity, these businesses will not be able to make enough money to survive. 

"You have to be at 100 percent [capacity] to make money," said Melissa Fleischut, who is president of the New York Restaurant Association. "The profit margins are so slim, even when we’re in good times."

Businesses have been adapting, changing how they operate in order to better deal with reduced patronage. Heres a list we've been hearing from local owners and local Main Street Alliance members:

- Some restaurants and other businesses reported reduced hours.
- Some businesses tell us they are hanging by a thread and additional shutdowns or restrictions will force closure.
- Some have made radical and costly changes to continue their operation.
- Some are working under tremendous debt.
- Most have laid of at least some of their staff.
- The upcoming eviction deadline will change these numbers as rent bills are the largest ones facing most owners.
- The SBA’s PPP grant and EIDL loans have run out for most businesses and other alternative loan programs haven’t reached enough businesses yet to make an impact.
- The observed vacancies are not for the entire hamlet or zip code but for the smaller identified downtown area.
- These vacancies don’t count businesses that are closed due to Coronavirus regulations that were forced to later shutter completely (Music venues, bars without food, dance theatres etc unless they have publicly stated they were closing permanently).

"We want everyone to be safe and healthy, but also businesses are starting to suffer right now. So another lockdown would be detrimental to a lot of us," said Joseph Abruzzo of W A Meadworks in Lindenhurst.

"It's a life-and-death situation. Death in terms of the business, death in terms of your health," says Clariona Griffith, co-owner of Safe Child Early Learning Center in Hempstead.

The upcoming end of the moratorium on evictions is set to expose the real economic pain as rent bills that have piled up since March come due.  When that comes we may see a wave of foreclosures and evictions as small businesses that have been hanging on by a thread finally see their last lifeline snap.

"People aren’t signing leases if they don’t have to, and landlords aren’t making improvements to buildings," said Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association. "The forecast is bleak unless the federal government provides some relief."

Thanks to our local Chambers, municipalities and community leaders who deeply care about their neighborhoods and shared with us this information.

Special thanks also to members of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers of Commerce, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, LI African American Chamber of Commerce and the South Asian Chamber of Commerce that contributed to this survey as well.

Thank you to Newsday and their reporter Nick Spangler for putting this issue on the cover of their Sunday edition to show that pain from the pandemic has reached beyond the health sector.

Finally, thanks to all of the folks that have answered the call to “shop local”. Without that effort the numbers of small businesses lost would be far higher. With the coronavirus restrictions carrying through the winter, please keep shopping local this holiday season and beyond.

You can read more at Newsday and News 12.

Suffolk County to Provide Emergency Grants for Small Businesses

Suffolk County has announced that it will now provide emergency grants for up to 150 small businesses using Federal CDA resources. 

The new program, which is being called “Backstop,” will offer up to $10,000 in grant money for businesses with up to 50 employees.  The money will be offered out to businesses on a lottery basis, with other resources being provided.  The program will also offer grants of one month for those who rent a house or apartment, up to $2,500.

“We are now nine months in to this pandemic, and with cases surging once again we need to provide residents in need tangible assistance,” said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. “This new rent relief program coupled with financial aid to struggling small businesses will provide help to some of our most vulnerable residents.”

The program comes at an opportune time for some businesses, who are seeing funds from previous emergency programs dry up.  “We were lucky enough to get offered an SBA loan which we took, which has helped out a lot,” said Joseph Abruzzo of W A Meadworks.  “But, as most small businesses know, money runs out quick when your sales numbers are down.”

A related program using Community Development Agency funds is underway in Nassau County with different rules and restrictions. 

Check out the story from Sophia Hall from WCBS Radio 880.

NYS Launches Pro-Bono Legal Program to help with Lease Renegotiations

NYS is launching a program that will look to provide legal help for small businesses and their landlords to help work out new lease agreements.

The New York Forward Small Business Lease Assistance Partnership will be available to all small businesses and landlords in New York State and will be pro bono.  The program is a partnership between Empire State Development, the New York State Bar Association and Start Small Think Big, a New York-based nonprofit. 

Start Small Think Big will offer the legal services themselves thanks to a network of more than 1,000 attorneys.  They will work with commercial tenants and landlords who are trying to iron out lease amendments as the region recovers from the impact of COVID.

The Small Business Lease Assistance Partnership website has more information on the process and benefits of lease renegotiation.  You can read more on this new program at Long Island Business News.

Long Island Downtowns Profiled

In what was a pretty cool move, Thrillist recently put out a profile of a number of different downtowns across Long Island, some that aren't typically promoted in tourist campaigns.

Oftentimes people rush to the forks of Long Island while overlooking some of the more picturesque areas of the region.  From the charming New England vibes of the North Shore to the small-town pride of villages on the Great South Bay, there are a number of municipalities that can proved a good time for almost any tourist.

This article did a great job of covering great places represented by LI Main Street Alliance members for the following North Shore communities: Port Washington, Roslyn, Oyster Bay, Huntington, Northport, and South Shore communities: Freeport, Long Beach, Rockville Centre and Babylon.  

With travel restrictions and a limited desire to return to Manhattan for this time period, it is a great time to support a broad range of our local communities and they need your help right now. 

Check out the full list and what these towns and villages have to offer at the Thrillist.

Governor Cuomo States that Gyms and Salons are Not Major Spreaders of Coronavirus

In a recent press briefing in New York City, Governor Cuomo reversed himself somewhat by stating that gyms and salons were not major spreaders of COVID-19, so long as they follow protocols.

This past Monday, Governor Cuomo noted that the state is using new metrics determine whether new closures or restrictions would be necessary.  During that briefing he stated that “gyms and salons on the numbers, we have so many protocols on the gyms and salons they’re not major spreaders on the numbers.”

This comes after his administration noted that they had the potential to be a hotspot of spreading and would often impose strict regulations on the businesses due to that belief.  The reversal comes as a welcome bit of news to gym and salon owners, who often had to wait longer and impose stricter protocols than other businesses.

There is still some confusion on whether or not gyms and salons in so-called “orange zones” would be allowed to reopen due to this change in thinking.  There has not been new guidance issued for these businesses as of yet, but owners are hopeful.

You can read more at WHEC Rochester.

Village by the Bay Opens in Village of Amityville

Vision Board and staff were out in downtown Amityville recently for the opening of Village by the Bay, a new transit oriented development project.

The new apartments sit on what was formerly the site of warehouses in the heart of Amityville Village.  There are 115 total units, which are a mix of one- and two-bedroom units and studios.  There are also a number of amenities that include rooftop lounges, spacious courtyard, outdoor fire pits, a dog run, a community and business center room, fitness center and a billiards area.

The feedback on the rental units has been incredibly positive.  The courtyard is great outdoor space and the project is very close walking distance to the train and downtown shops.

Kudos to Village of Amityville Mayor Dennis Siry and the Village Board for approving the project.  Great project built by developer Mike Ryan of Landtek, contractors Andrew Zucaro of Zucaro Construction and managed by Rob Gitto of the Gitto Group.  Vision was happy to see them out along with Anthony Bartone from Bartone and Terwilliger and Joan Donnisen from the Bay Village Civic. 

This project had previously received Vision’s support and was a Smart Growth Award honoree in 2019.
Check out the coverage in Greater Babylon News and the Amityville Record.

Pink Tie Delivers to Village of Hempstead

Pink Tie was out recently to deliver PPE to downtown businesses in the Village of Hempstead along with the Town of Hempstead and Hempstead Chamber of Commerce.

It was great to see Hempstead Chamber President Clariona Griffith, Town of Hempstead Senior Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Town Clerk Kate Murray, members of the Chamber and local business owners.

Pink Tie Team members that made it out included Co-Founders Rich Cave, Mike Cave, Ray Thomas from 1st Equity Title, Pink Tie, and Black Business Zone, Mike Passantino from Trinity Solar, Paxton Provitora and Eric Alexander from Vision LI and the LI Main Street Alliance.

For more info on how you can take part in the doorstep donation program or join the Delivers Team, check out pinktie.org or please email us at contact@pinktie.org.

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.

We were happy to have Nassau County Executive Laura Curran sit for an interview with us at Long Island Main Street News.

The interview was part of Vision’s virtual Smart Growth Summit and represented a great chance to hear from local government about what’s being done to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Ms. Curran has been at the forefront of the response to COVID in her county.

Her presentation included support for the County's small businesses and advocacy to get a Federal aid package to our local communities.  

Check out the full interview here.

We had a great interview with John Cameron, Chairman of the LI Regional Planning Council and Principal of Cameron Engineering.

The wide ranging discussion tackled infrastructure needs for the region, creative zoning codes for local communities and the prospect of transformation of dying retail properties.

Check out this informative session here.

Vision Long Island was happy to interview Kim Skillen from Neighbors  Supporting Neighbors based in Babylon as her and her team have done a tremendous job providing food through the pandemic.

Kim covers her organizations work from when Sandy hit to their transformation into a full service food distribution operation feeding literally hundreds of people a day in coordination with the North Babylon Schools with many partners.  Her creativity and innovation was critical amidst this crisis and is a common theme among the many local leaders we have connected with. 

Neighbors Supporting Neighbors Babylon has been a regular stop for the Pink Tie Delivers team.  You can assist Neighbors Supporting Neighbors by volunteering, financial donations or spreading the word so check them out here.

You can view the full video of the interview here.

It was also pretty awesome to have time with Pastor Keith Hayward of Bethel AME church as part of our LI Main Street News series.

Pastor Hayward covered a range of work that his congregation covers from their food pantry, Coronavirus testing, job placement, affordable housing, senior assistance and multiple forms of personal and of course spiritual development.  Connecting with the Pastor was eye opening and instructive on so many levels. 

Bethel AME in Copaigue has been a regular stop for the Pink Tie Delivers team as well.  You can assist Bethel AME by volunteering, financial donations or spreading the word so check them out here.

You can view the full video of the interview here.

The Nassau County Restaurant Recovery Grant Program Now Available

In another effort to support small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the County’s new Restaurant Recovery Grant Program (RRGP) on November 18, 2020. 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 approximately 300 grants to restaurants. Grant funds are valued at either $5,000 or $10,000 depending on the number of employees.

Restaurants started applying to the RRGP beginning Tuesday, December 1st. The link for the online application will be posted to this webpage and will remain open for at least two weeks. The online grant portal will close temporarily should the number of applications exceed funding availability. If grant funding remains available due to the exclusion of ineligible applications, the online grant portal will be re-opened following an announcement by the County. Any program announcements and/or updates will be posted to this webpage.

Grants will be awarded to eligible restaurants beginning in January 2021. If a restaurant establishment uses the grant funds to retain at least one (1) low/moderate-income job at full-time status, the funds do not need to be repaid.

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.

COVID-19 Tenant Legal Assistance Project Aids Suffolk Tenants in Financial Distress

Thanks to a grant from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the ability of Nassau Suffolk Law Services to assist tenants facing housing insecurity as a result of the pandemic has expanded. Many people who previously had stable incomes became unable to pay their rent during the pandemic and may now be facing eviction as a result. A new COVID-19 Tenant Legal Assistance Project may be able to help.

Eviction proceedings are taking place now.  Tenants who have fallen behind on their rent or whose landlords have simply opted not to continue renting face a real and immediate risk of eviction.  While New York has enacted important protections for people struggling to pay their rent as a result of the pandemic, these protections are not automatic.  It may be difficult for many people to understand their rights or establish pandemic-related defenses without assistance from an attorney. Read on for information about training sessions for the public and advocates on landlord-tenant law during the pandemic. 

The COVID-19 Tenant Legal Assistance Project, which will harness the generosity of volunteer attorneys, seeks to assist eligible Suffolk County tenants facing financial hardship.  Volunteer attorneys will provide advice and counsel over the phone or through virtual counseling sessions. Those who are interested may also represent tenants in court on a limited scope representation basis with no commitment to ongoing representation. Michele Fischetti, an NSLS staff attorney with years of experience representing tenants, will coordinate the program and provide training and support to volunteers.  

Nassau Suffolk Law Services' Civil Units in both counties, and the Volunteer Attorney of the Day program in Nassau County also continue to serve low-income clients, with the goal of being available at all Landlord-Tenant court days island-wide.    

Tenants facing eviction should call their offices at 631-232-2400 in Suffolk or 516-292-8100 in Nassau. Attorneys interested in volunteering in Suffolk County to help people struggling to recover from the economic consequences of the pandemic may contact Michele Fischetti at mfischetti@nsls.legal. Attorneys interested in the Volunteer Attorney of the Day program in Nassau County may contact Roberta Scoll at rscoll@nsls.legal.

LIDC Offers EDA CARES Act Revolving Loan Fund

The Long Island Development Corporation (LIDC) was selected to exclusively offer a novel low-cost loan program to aid Nassau and Suffolk County based businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Investment.

Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to alleviate sudden and severe economic dislocation caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, to provide permanent resources to support economic resiliency, and to further the long-term economic adjustment objectives of the Long Island region.

•             $50,000 - $500,000 business loans for Long Island’s businesses that were affected by COVID-19.
•             Simple rate at 1% first year, 2% second year, 3% third year, then after 5% for the remaining life of loan, 5 - 10 years term.
•             Working capital funding that also can be utilized for COVID- 19 preparedness, workplace safety, PPP, and economic recovery – hiring back furloughed or laid-off workers and/or new hires.
•             Manufactures, agricultural, aquaculture, wineries, breweries, commercial fisheries, wholesale or business to business, distributors, legal practice, accounting practice medical practice, construction, transportation, computer software, computer hardware, bio-tech, bio-medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, advanced optics, entrepreneurial incubators, environmental or energy related technology, project resulting in industrial modernization or innovation in life sciences.
•             A sliding scale application fee and 1% amount of loan commitment fee are both due at commitment.

You can contact the LIDC to apply for this program 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. 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.

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Trinity Solar

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