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

December 23rd, 2020

Quotes of the Day

	“Although much needed stimulus is a welcome news along with the vaccines, but much work is needed for the community especially for small minority owned Businesses many of them who are long gone or are on the verge of closing.  $600 per person is far too less and a bit too late but like they say something better than nothing” - Harry Malhotra, South Asian Chamber of Commerce
	“With a new round of PPP Chambers would appreciate any assistance we receive as boots on the ground for our communities.” – Valerie Anderson Campbell, Nassau County Director, LI African American Chambers of Commerce
	“The Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been around for over 30 years, advocating and supporting small businesses on Long Island and throughout the Metropolitan area. This past year it has been a challenge for all small businesses, especially Hispanic and minority owned small businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has left our community with little, and in some cases no options. Many have closed their businesses for good, and others are barely making it to stay open, fearing more lockdowns in the future. However, this pandemic has opened new ways of supporting our small businesses."  - Luis Vasquez, President, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
	“Our businesses are more concerned now about their futures than they were in the beginning of the pandemic.  It has lasted for 9 months now with no end in site.  If they don't get relief we are going to see many businesses close.  They cannot continue to pay rent, taxes, employees, etc when they have little income.  They need help and it needs to be substantial.  It is time for the Federal Government to step up, quit politicizing the process and to do their job!!” - Beth Wahl, President, Chamber of Commerce of the Mastics and Shirley

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US Congress Passes Stimulus Funding

In a move that is long overdue, both houses of Congress have passed a comprehensive stimulus deal to help combat the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Unfortunately, the process has been a long and messy one that comes too late for way too many businesses in our downtowns.  While it is good to see a lifeline for small businesses, venues, families, and many more who are struggling, a more robust recovery package is still needed as the country awaits vaccination and some sort of return to normalcy.

Unfortunately, as is the norm these days, there is now uncertainty as to when exactly this deal will be signed by the president, or if it even will.  Should it get turned back, it was passed by a veto-proof majority in both houses of congress, but time will tell how exactly the process will play out.

In the meantime, US Senator Schumer’s office has released a detailed breakdown of what is in the bill for NYS and local governments, if the bill is passed as it currently stands.

The deal Includes $13+ Billion for New York State governments with $5B for education, $4.2B for critical transit needs that include MTA/LIRR, $1.6B to fight COVID & promote vaccination effort, and $1.3B for rent relief.  There will also be $20B for small business PPP assistance that includes new expanded forgivable loans for restaurants, $1B For Small Business grants, billions For Broadway, live venues, movie theaters and Cultural Institutions, and direct checks along with enhanced unemployment insurance for those in need.

This marks the second biggest relief bill in that nation’s history, but it still seems as though it does not go far enough. 

“Today’s deal marks $50 billion-plus for New York workers, families, renters, healthcare organizations and New York government —the things the federal government must fund to get us through this pandemic,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “This marks the second biggest relief bill in the nation’s history—second to the CARES Act—and it delivers aid that is urgently needed by the unemployed, by renters at risk of losing their homes, by small business owners worried about going out of business, by people seeking vaccination, by schools that spent money to keep kids safe, by families struggling to make ends meet and so much more. Clearly, there is more to be done –this is not a stimulus—this is a SURVIVAL bill, and we will fight for more relief under President Biden, because this crisis is not over.”

Senator Schumer has released a list of details and the impact on New York that the bill will mean.  Here is a breakdown, but please keep in mind that these numbers are tentative.

Direct Aid to New York State Governments

$5.8 Billion – Education Stabilization Fund:

• $4B – Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, provides relief to K-12 public schools across the State of New York.
• $1.4B – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, directs funds to New York’s university system, like SUNY and CUNY.
• $313M – Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, the governor can use these funds at his discretion to support the state’s K-12 education and higher education needs related to COVID-19.  Includes a set aside that will be prioritized to private schools serving low-income students who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

$4.2 Billion – Emergency Transit Relief, especially the MTA ($4B), which is directly supported by the NY state budget. The remainder will support county bus services, and upstate transit agencies.

$426 Million - Critical aid to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to backstop declining revenues and support construction jobs.

$105.5 Million – Relief for airports in New York to continue operating safely during the pandemic. Port Authority Airports will receive: $42.7 m for JFK, $22m for LGA, $2.3 m for Stewart.

COVID Health and Relief

$1.6 Billion – Vaccine, Testing, and Tracing, and Flexible Local Health Funding.  $810M for NYS and $810M for NYC

• $135M for NYC for vaccine distribution
• $135M for NYS for vaccine distribution
• $675M for NYC testing, tracing, isolation support and COVID mitigation
• $675M for NYS testing, tracing, isolation support and COVID mitigation

Rent and Eviction Relief

$1.3 Billion - Emergency Rental Assistance funding.  This is the first ever emergency federal rental and utility assistance program in history.  It will assist multiple New York government entities and by extension help to keep thousands of New Yorkers in their homes.

Entity Allocation ($ millions):

New York state 887M
Erie County 28M
Hempstead town 23M
Monroe County 22M
Nassau County 18M
New York City 251M
Suffolk County 45M
Westchester County 29M

The CDC federal eviction moratorium will also be extended until January 31, 2021, and can be extended further by the next administration.

Emergency Child Care Grants

$465 Million – Child Care Development Block Grants (CCDBG) – These funds ensure that the child care sector will continue to assist essential workers and working families, and to support child care providers in meeting their increased operation costs during the pandemic.

FEMA Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)

$1 Billion--FEMA estimates that in Fiscal Year 2021 New York will receive about $1 billion in FEMA aid for COVID-19 alone. Schumer just negotiated an increase of these funds in this Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) account

Direct Payments and Relief

Over $6.5 Billion for NY in Enhanced Unemployment Compensation – This bill provides billions in additional federal relief for struggling New Yorkers by extending the historic unemployment insurance reforms established in the CARES Act through March 14, 2021. Importantly, it reinstates the critical lifeline of the enhanced unemployment assistance, providing an additional $300 per week on top of all state and federal unemployment benefits. The bill also:

• Extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provides unemployment benefits to the self-employed, freelancers, gig workers, part-time workers and other New Yorkers in non-traditional employment, and increases the number of weeks of PUA benefits an individual can claim from 39 to 50.
• Provides 24 additional weeks of federally-funded unemployment insurance benefits to New Yorkers who have exhausted their regular state benefits.
• Continues the full federal financing of state Shared Work programs, allowing thousands of New York employers to keep their valued employees on payroll during this downturn. 
• Delivers a federally-funded $100 per week additional “mixed-earner” benefit to New Yorkers who have a combination of traditional (W-2) and independent employment (1099) income (1099) and are disqualified from receiving PUA because they are still eligible for regular state benefits.

$9 Billion for New Yorkers – Direct cash payments to New Yorkers, including $600 for individuals making up to $75,000, $1,200 for couples making less than $150,000, and an additional $600 per child. This amounts to $2,400 for a family of (4).  

           
$260 Million – FEMA’s funeral assistance – financial aid to those who have lost a loved one among the over 35,000 deaths in New York caused by COVID – which comes at no cost to the state. This historic use of FEMA’s funeral assistance program ensures those grappling with unspeakable loss are not also saddled with the financial burden of exorbitant funeral costs.

Relief for Small Businesses, families, venues, and other entities

Over $20 Billion for  New York– Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide a second round of forgivable loans to New York small businesses, including restaurants, nonprofits and grant assistance to very small, underserved businesses and live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions, as well as:

• New dedicated set-aside for PPP lending through Community Development Financial Institutions, Minority Depository Institutions, and other community lenders to reach minority-owned and other underserved small businesses and nonprofits.
• New dedicated set-aside for very small businesses to gain greater access to PPP.    
• New larger forgivable loans for the restaurant and hospitality industries and the ability to use funds for PPE, outdoor dining enhancements, and more.
• “SAVE OUR STAGES” ($15B NATIONALLY) --Dedicated relief for Broadway, comedy halls, music venues, other live entertainment, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions—New York is positioned to get a large share of the $15 billion.
• Housing cooperatives, tourism organizations, and local newspaper, TV and radio stations made eligible for PPP.
• $10,000 SBA grants will be available for very small and underserved businesses in low-income communities.
• Provides $3.5 billion to resume debt relief payments of principal and interest (P&I) on small business loans guaranteed by the SBA under the 7(a), 504 and microloan programs.
• Includes $2 billion to enhance SBA’s core programs, including 7(a), Community Advantage, 504, and the Microloan program, by making them more affordable and useful to small businesses.
• SBA Microloan Program is funded at $57 million to provide technical assistance and leverage about $64 million in microloans for minority-owned and other underserved small businesses.

The bill also extends and expands the refundable Employee Retention Tax Credit. The extension of this tax credit, through July 1, 2021, will help keep thousands of additional New Yorkers on payroll and small and mid-size employers all across New York afloat.

$15 billion to renew the CARES Act Airline Payroll Support Program which will save thousands of New York airline jobs by keeping workers on payroll without furloughs or reducing pay rates and benefits until March 31, 2021 New York will receive sizable share of these funds.

$1 billion in CARES ACT Contractor Payroll Support Program will help thousands of New York’s aviation industry contractor workers keep their paychecks.

Broadband Service Funding for Low Income Families

$7 billion-- Emergency Benefit for Broadband Service to provide free or low-cost broadband service to low-income families or those who have been recently laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New York will receive sizable share of these funds.

Hospitals and Health Centers

$1 billion to New York in support and relief for hospitals, mental health, community health centers and providers

Nutrition Assistance

$13 billion nationally in Nutrition Assistance (NY will get a sizable share), which includes:

- A 15% increase in SNAP benefits from January 2021 through June 30, 2021 to support the nearly 2.8 million New Yorkers who receive benefits
- Increased access to nutrition benefits by waiving college student work requirements
- Provides $5 million to add additional retailers to online SNAP, including for farmers markets and direct to consumer sales
- Additional funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to fund the continued work of New York’s food banks
- Funding for senior nutrition through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and Meals on Wheels program
- Includes critical improvements to the Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) program, which provides additional nutrition benefits for families with children who are eligible for free school lunches to help cover the cost of meals children would have otherwise received at school
- Allocates $4.6 billion nationally to expand P-EBT by extending the program to help cover cost of meals for kids enrolled in childcare programs
- Nutrition assistance grants for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Funds to support the food supply chain through food purchases, donations to food banks, and support for local food systems

All of this comes to a rough total that exceeds $54 billion for New York State.

You can read the full press release from Senator Schumer's office here. 

Local Main Street Leaders React to Prospect of a Federal Stimulus Agreement

As the politics of the ongoing pandemic continue to drag out on a national scale, local businesses continue to be impacted the most by the effects of the crisis.

After a long, unnecessarily drawn out process, congress has finally agreed upon and approved a relief package for the US.  The Long Island Main Street Alliance, a coalition of 45 downtowns, chambers, civics, municipal leaders and supporters of our local business districts, talked with our members and local business owners about what’s actually in the bill.  This comes as we have been meeting throughout the year to provide mutual aid, support, promotion and joint lobbying for federal and state aid during the Coronavirus shutdowns.  
Here are some immediate responses to the prospect of an agreed upon Federal stimulus package for our local communities:

“As the umbrella organization of 42 Chambers of Commerce in Nassau, we would like to see the grants available to us as non-profits.  We have chambers who do pay rent for office space as well as hired staff.  Our member business owners can certainly benefit from a Rental Assistance Program Grant as many are not recovering as quickly and sales are not meeting goals.  Individuals, business owners or not, are having difficulty meeting bills and could only live on savings for so long.  Direct payments to individuals are appropriate.” - Frank Camarano, First Vice President, Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce, Owner Evolve Fitness East Meadow

“With a new round of PPP Chambers would appreciate any assistance we receive as boots on the ground for our communities.” – Valerie Anderson Campbell, Nassau County Director, LI African American Chambers of Commerce

“The number of Americans unemployed due to the Covid-19 crisis is at an astonishing level and the supplemental benefits will allow Americans to buy essential items as the stay afloat during this continued crisis in cities, towns, counties and states across America.” – Phil Andrews, President, LI African American Chamber of Commerce

“Although much needed stimulus is a welcome news along with the vaccines, but much work is needed for the community especially for small minority owned Businesses many of them who are long gone or are on the verge of closing.  $600 per person is far too less and a bit too late but like they say something better than nothing” - Harry Malhotra, South Asian Chamber of Commerce

“The Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been around for over 30 years, advocating and supporting small businesses on Long Island and throughout the Metropolitan area. This past year it has been a challenge for all small businesses, especially Hispanic and minority owned small businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has left our community with little, and in some cases no options. Many have closed their businesses for good, and others are barely making it to stay open, fearing more lockdowns in the future. However, this pandemic has opened new ways of supporting our small businesses.

Our Chamber has had to work with National, State, and Local authorities to advocate for our member's businesses, and keep our members updated on programs, regulations, and best technology practices to keep small Hispanic and minority businesses informed. We look forward to continuing to educate our community and commend the SBA, local chambers and organizations, Long Island Main Street Alliance, Vision Long Island, and local governments for their great efforts and continued support’.  - Luis Vasquez, President, LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

“Our businesses are more concerned now about their futures than they were in the beginning of the pandemic.  It has lasted for 9 months now with no end in site.  If they don't get relief we are going to see many businesses close.  They cannot continue to pay rent, taxes, employees, etc when they have little income.  They need help and it needs to be substantial.  It is time for the Federal Government to step up, quit politicizing the process and to do their job!!” - Beth Wahl, President, Chamber of Commerce of the Mastics and Shirley

“Emergency rental assistance should be included for tenants & landlords. Homeowners also need help financially and should be given more time to pay their mortgage. People are afraid to answer the phone & open their mail. Small businesses need grants immediately and Chambers of Commerce need help so they can help their small businesses. Distribution funds to the Postal Service is also very important. Business owners and managers need to be trained to make sure that internal controls are in place to protect against fraud schemes.” - Lisa DelliPizzi, President of Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce

“The Feds should include waiving the last round of paying back the EIDL AND PPP revenues distributed.  They need all the help they can get in these businesses” - Keith Wilson, President, Massapequa Chamber of Commerce

"Uniondale Community appreciates the work to provide dollars of tangible relief to households and small, Main Street businesses that will assist urgent quality of life needs directly. Local government and infrastructure help are also urgently needed,  so we look forward to future decisions on aide as this pandemic year comes to a close. We are glad to see improved language  addressing some of the gaps noted in the last round of assistance.” - Jeanine Maynard, Greater Uniondale Community Council

"Finally, Congress is doing its job.  Relief for small businesses and for individuals who have lost their jobs is vital right now.  I will be bitterly disappointed if large corporations take a big share of this limited relief package.  That local and state governments were left out of the bill is very  foolish.  This will result in layoffs and reduced spending by one of the big drivers of the economy.  Baldwin, which is home to many government workers, will be hurt by this omission.  I am not opposed to indemnification of business but only if they follow government guidelines for safety.  What happened in meat packing plants and some warehouse operations cannot be allowed to go without sanction.” - Steve Greenfield, Vice President , Baldwin Civic Association

“Manhasset Residents and small businesses have been doing their best to support local stores and restaurants by way of Facebook groups, giveaway raffles and their patronage but we really need the support of the Federal government for these businesses to make it through to the other side of this.” - Sue Auriemma, Council of Manhasset Civic Associations

"The news of a Federal stimulus agreement is welcome but late sadly due to political divisions.  What small businesses need is the ability to operate through this pandemic so we aren't in need of relief packages.  Retraining, regulatory relief, corporate philanthropy and communities banding together to Shop Local are additional strategies we need to employ to help ourselves through this pandemic." - Mike Cave, Co-Founder, Pink Tie Foundation

“The stimulus package is critical from both humanitarian and economic growth points of view.  While the salaries for those who are employed have bounced back to Pre-COVID level and the applications to open new business are higher this year as compared to the same period of the last year, the economic toll of COVID 19 has been disastrous for people who lost their jobs and lost their businesses. 

Unemployment remains much higher than usual especially for people of color, workers in the service industries, and women many of whom had to make a difficult choice between maintaining their employment and taking care of their children while schools operate remotely.  The number of people who are experiencing food scarcity rose to 12.7% and housing insecurity to 9.1% according to the latest U.S. Census Household Pulse survey, while the rents and the housing prices continue to rise. 

The stimulus package cannot arrive fast enough to help people whose families are going hungry, are unable to pay rent, and who are unable to find another job during this period of the greatest public health crisis in the recent history.  There are no drawbacks to economic stimulus that comes at the time when it is needed most, while there are huge short-term and long-term consequences to letting the economy fall into another recession.” -  Dr. Nathalia Rogers, Director, LI Youth Summit and member Vision Long Island Board of Directors

“This aid package was needed in August when they were negotiating it, October before election and now more than ever in this moment as Coronavirus regulations have put an economic strain on working families and local businesses.  Thankfully the political division that has delayed an agreement is for the moment resolved.  This bill is a first step to a series of actions on the federal and state level that can help our local communities.” - Eric Alexander, Director, Vision Long Island, Founder, LI Main Street Alliance

The Baldwin Civic Association also sent us a statement on the recently passed legislation:

$900B of citizen tax dollars and investment on those dollars returned is not enough to address the magnitude of the Corona Virus 19 Pandemic in 2020. Our Congressional officials, especially the US Senate since March 2020 decided in December 2020 to stop their stonewall an offer at best a tepid financial relief bill for millions of Americans for nine months caught up in a whirlwind of a pandemic and uncertainty.

Baldwin has witnessed businesses struggle and some close under the financial strain and uncertainty seeking to comply with the best medical advice to prevent spread of the virus; social distancing, limited travel all counter to a retail environment.  To add further insult business owners here and across the US were asked to keep payroll to prevent mass unemployment, and yet the programs did not reach the majority of the businesses that drive the US economy, small businesses employing less local residents.  Many programs set up to deal with the pandemic were well intentioned but the execution did not meet the demand for many main streets. 

The relief is not enough and late, the funds are already spent to pay bills overdue.  This $900B is a down payment or a reimbursement to workers and especially business owners whom sacrificed their businesses with advice from government officials to address a once in a lifetime emergency; the Corona Virus 19 Pandemic.  Those businesses whom instead sacrificed their workers health and caused injury and harm should not receive indemnification backed by the US government in not complying with government Corona Virus 19 mandates, or best medical practice available at the time.

It would be patriotic and fulfillment of their oaths to protect the general welfare for the House and Senate of the US to join together in first quarter of 2021 and write legislation to reward the sacrifices made by the small business owners with less than 20 workers; and by extension providing financial relief benefiting small hamlets, villages, townships, cities and states across the country. 

While the Federal relief bill is very late, there are some loans and grants available in the package that the small business community has been advocating for all year. Some highlights include roughly $90 million in funding between Town of Hempstead, Nassau County and Suffolk County, $4 billion to bail out the MTA which helps LIRR, funding for child care, nutrition assistance, rent relief, performance venues, small businesses and many other areas.

People should check out James Madore's story in Newsday with the summary. 

Pink Tie Delivers Toys for Christmas

The Pink Tie Delivers Toy Caravan is rolling out!

We are teaming up with 15 communities, 2,000 toys, volunteers from local chambers, civics, pantries and LI Main Street Alliance members to bring these to people in need across the region.  But, most importantly, we are proud to provide a little something extra for the kids for the holidays.

Communities we are dropping too include Mastic, Shirley, N. Bellport, Medford, Central Islip, Brentwood, Wyandanch, Westbury, Hempstead, Baldwin, Freeport, Elmont, Long Beach and LI Hispanic Chambers toy drive.

This wouldn’t happen without Pink Tie members Darren Krantz from ReCommerce, Mike Passantino from Trinity Solar and Toys for Tots.  Special thanks too to Keller Williams and Boruso Law.

Stay tuned for more updates in a future newsletter.

Proposed Biking Legislation for Suffolk County Falls Short

So sometimes bodies of government advance misguided legislation that may stem from good intentions.  Last week the Suffolk County Legislature held public hearings on two bicycle related bills.  One bill was to propose a “three foot rule” to require motorists to leave at least three feet when passing a person on a bicycle, which 33 states have already passed.  The other appeared to be an overreaction to a recent trend of some groups of teenagers riding recklessly in traffic.

In the past Suffolk has not always been supportive of cycling in the county.  Roads were designed to favor speed over safety with minimal, if any, consideration given to those outside of a car.  Advocates for walking and biking were regularly ridiculed and mocked for even bringing up the concept of alternate road designs, let alone entertaining them.  In 2014, a legislator made national news as he advised a constituent not to walk or bike in his County because it’s unsafe and there is nothing anyone can do.

In recent years there have been attempts to make Suffolk County a little safer.   A Complete Streets law was passed that mandates a review of roadways for the safety of all road users, not just those inside an automobile.  Multiple traffic calming projects and some bike lane projects have moved towards completion.

Sidewalks, crosswalks and even a modified road diet were even constructed.   Master plans for biking have been drafted and even a bike share program has been tested.

Are there bicyclists that drive crazy and inappropriately? Of course. These sorts of behaviors can be handled with local law enforcement on a case by case basis.  Are there drivers that do the same or worse but instead of a bicycle they are moving a massive vehicle through neighborhoods causing harm to real people.   Are we focused on regulating reckless driving, drag races, etc.?  While this legislation was written in response to a particular behavior of a certain sub-group of those on bikes, it would impact all riders in the county.

In addition, over-regulating bicyclists and bicycles should be pretty far down the priority list in the middle of a pandemic.   Encouraging more people to cycle for exercise and making the roads safer for them to do so is a more logical response to our current condition.

The Legislature recently held a hearing for this legislation. 

Here is a portion of the testimony at the hearing from Elissa Kyle our Placemaking Director:  

“Vision Long Island finds the reckless cycling bill to be a misguided effort to make drivers more comfortable at the expense of those on bikes.  While we do not support the reckless use of any vehicle, this bill focuses on a rather small issue, that to my knowledge no one has been killed by, and ignores the much larger issue that people on bikes and on foot are killed on our roads almost weekly by a combination of reckless or distracted driving and roadways that prioritize speed over safety. 

The county has recently completed a Hike-Bike Master Plan that not only maps out a future network of bike and walking facilities, but also highlights how far we have to go. 

The infrastructure we currently have on our local, state, and yes, even county roads provides minimal accommodation for those outside of motor vehicles, then blames those trying to navigate this system that doesn’t accommodate them for being in the way. 

If the county was truly concerned for the safety of road users, whether they are people in cars, taking transit, on bikes, on foot or any other method, it would focus more effort on redesigning its roads to calm traffic, reduce speeding and reckless driving and provide safe and convenient for people to get around outside of cars.”

Hopefully the legislators will listen to the testimony of the bike riders and community members who want safe streets without regulating modes of transit that aren’t harming individuals, families or neighborhoods.

Here is a copy of the proposed legislation if you want to read for yourself and contact your Legislator as the public comment period is still open.

Winter Storm Trips Up LI Businesses Trying to Recover from Pandemic

In what is normally one of the busiest times of year for local businesses, Long Island Main Streets have been trying to recover economically in a pandemic-fueled environment that has put them at a disadvantage. 

That recovery took another hit last week as a major snowstorm forced a number of them to close for safety reasons.  The storm is being considered just one more problem on a heap of issues that Main Streets are facing this holiday season.

“We’re down already,” said Gina Coizza, manager of Madison’s Niche in Huntington Village. “This is adding onto that if we have to close for the snowstorm. This is the busy season, this is what we wait for all year - these next couple of weeks.”

According to information the Long Island Main Street Alliance has gathered, 128 businesses in 33 business districts have closed since the beginning of the pandemic.  While these numbers are not catastrophic, they are indicative of the difficulty of doing business in the current environment.  It also has created a sense of instability among businesses that are hanging on, especially during the holiday season.

You can read more on this at FOX 5 New York.

Belmont Arena Project Pushes Ahead in Spite of Local Opposition

In what is fast becoming as good an example as any as to what can happen when local municipalities lose zoning control, the proposed Belmont Arena project is now seeing significant changes that are being negotiated and shepherded by Empire State Development as opposed to local communities.

While it is true that Belmont Park was in need of some form of development, the form and shape of what is currently being planned is not being decided by the neighboring communities of Elmont and Floral Park with minimal community benefits.  As a result, the communities are seeing a number of changes that they opposed being suggested as the plan progresses. 

The public hearings that were already held had 110 speakers against to 9 in favor, and the public comment cards and letters were like 5000 negative to 30 positive.  There were also issues with the SEQRA document, which was incomplete and traffic mitigation was minimal.  The project in the form the developers wanted got approved anyway with final hearings in NYC.

Now, Vision Long Island is also hearing from the community that jobs are not going to local residents and that change orders are in place to put up 10 foot walls and a parking garage that were not in the plans that were previously approved.  There will be no environmental impact on these new changes though they are significant.  On top of that, a public hearing on these changes was scheduled for just three days before Christmas.

Vision tuned in to that public hearing where NYS Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and local Elmont residents weighed in on the status of the promised upgrades to Elmont Road Park.  Some common needs expressed by residents at the meeting were a connection to local restaurants and minority owned small business, relocation of the proposed parking garage not near residential homes, creating buffers from community on the proposed walls, and having security for local neighborhoods on game days.

Hiring local residents and using local contractors was also a priority.   Some Islander fans spoke out in favor of the proposed changes as well.

Beyond that meeting, 60+ elected officials have stepped up in writing to tell us they do NOT want local zoning control in the hands of anyone other than Towns and Villages.  We’re glad that they are letting their voices be heard and hope that the state will actually listen.

Development can be great when shaped by folks who are impacted, but this project has bowled ahead without any concern on the effect it is having with the local community.

You can read more at Long Island Business News.

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.

The first interview featured our friend and Board member Kathy Wisnewski from National Grid

Kathy weighed in on their activity during the Coronavirus, their support of local communities and different options for small businesses and residents to access their programs on energy efficiency, economic development and pay back bills.

Check out the full interview here.

We also featured Anthony Bartone the Managing Partner of Terwilliger & Bartone Properties.

Anthony shared his projections on the demand and financing prospects for multifamily and transit oriented development housing, the importance of community outreach and of course some of his projects.

It was great chatting with Anthony to see another candid down to earth dialogue with a prominent developer who works successfully with local municipalities. 

Check out this informative session here.

The next edition of the LI Main Street News interviews featured Michael Bonacasa, Partner at H2M Architects and Engineers.

Michael was able to share updates on the state of the construction market, challenges to the process of redevelopment and the wide range of projects H2M is involved with. He also shared how young design professionals can get involved in the industry both with his firm and beyond.

During a time where everyone is focused on economic recovery it was great to connect with Mr. Bonacasa and hear his front line take on the market.

Check it out here.

LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to Host Online Toy Drive on January 6th

The Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an online event on January 6th, 2021, for all to enjoy great parranda music, *BIG PRIZE* raffle opportunities, and more.  

Please donate an unwrapped SEALED toy for an underserved child, which can be delivered to The Cuban at 987 Stewart Ave in Garden City.  This year, toys will be donated to IGLESIA PENTECOSTAL MOUNTE SINAI, who will then distribute the toys to children effected from the ravaging Hurricanes in Honduras.  Please make sure the toy is sealed as we follow a strict Pandemic protocol when it comes to disadvantaged youth.

This year, fundraising efforts were put on pause due to the unanticipated COVID-19 Pandemic. Many businesses have experienced significant loss and have suffered financial hardships.  The Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, like everyone else, has been impacted by these unprecedented times and they need your help to continue their mission of serving the needs of the Long Island minority-owned small business community and entrepreneurs.  The LIHCC is a conduit to provide information and now, more than ever, minority small business community needs to have the latest information regarding the ever-changing climate of operating a business during COVID-19.

Please consider purchasing a raffle or donating what you can towards this event.  As always, thank you for your support throughout the year. Have a Happy Holiday, and New Year!

RAFFLE PRIZES:
13' MacBook Pro
65' Flat Screen TV
$500 CASH

To enter the raffle drawing, please send an email to admin@lihcc.org stating which prize(s) you would like to enter for.  You will then receive a link in which you have 24 hours to choose a number(s) AND pay via Venmo or CashApp to secure your spot in the drawing of your choice.  The winning number will be chosen LIVE on Zoom the night of the event.

Upcoming Webinars on Wellness

Making the Shift from Overeating to Mindful Eating

Monday, December 28 @ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

It can be challenging to figure out how to stop something that you are doing automatically every day. Learn how to break the autopilot-eating cycle and stop mindless eating. Shifting from mindless to mindful eating can lead to tremendous changes with overeating, weight-loss and your overall health.

Please call (516) 931-3907 to register.

New Year's Reset

Thursday, January 4 @ 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

2021 can be an incredible year of profound transformation! But nothing can change by simply changing the calendar. Learn how to reduce cravings, slim down and feel comfortable in your favorite clothing again. 
Register in advance for the Zoom link:

Please call (516) 931-3907 to register.

New York Reopens Rent Relief Program

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas has announced the COVID Rent Relief Program will be reopened for application with expanded eligibility criteria in an effort to serve New Yorkers who may have not had the opportunity to initially apply and those who may have been previously ineligible. HCR will accept applications from households through Monday, February 1, 2021.

The Program’s eligibility has been changed to no longer require households to have been considered “rent burdened” prior to the pandemic in order to qualify. Rent burden is defined as paying more than 30 percent of monthly gross income towards rent.  Residents that previously applied for COVID Rent Relief will not have to reapply to be reconsidered. HCR will re-evaluate all applications that were denied according to the new criteria and issue revised determination letters to applicants.

To qualify for this one-time subsidy, low-income renters impacted by the pandemic must meet all of the following criteria:

•  Must be a renter and have a primary residence in New York State;
•  Applicants must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020;
•  Before March 7, 2020, household income must have been at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income, adjusted for household size; and
•  Households must be “rent burdened” during the months they are applying for assistance between April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.

For the purposes of assessing applicant income, cash benefits and unemployment benefits are both included in the calculation.

The subsidy for eligible applicants will be calculated as: the difference between the household’s rent burden on March 1, 2020 and the household’s rent burden during the months of April, May, June and July of 2020. For applicants who were not considered rent burdened on March 1, 2020, the subsidy will be calculated to bring them to the 30 percent rent burden threshold.

Applications are available on the COVID Rent Relief Program portal on HCR’s website here.

National Grid Holding Contest for Commercial Kitchen Equipment Upgrade Funds

National Grid has announced a contest for commercial kitchens to win an upgrade for their equipment.

Commercial kitchens can win $5,000 for energy-efficient, gas-powered commercial kitchen equipment.  Entries must be received by December 31st, 2020 in order to be eligible for the prize.

You can enter by filling out the online form here.

Application Period for Suffolk County Emergency Grant Program, "Backstop," Now Open for Homes and Small Business

Suffolk County has released information on its emergency rental assistance program available through the Suffolk County CDA Consortium.  The program can cover one month’s rent (up to $2500).

There are several restrictions though, including:

- Limited to Suffolk Consortium (Brookhaven, Islip and Babylon are NOT covered)
- Must be a legal apartment
- Must show proof that arrears are due to COVID

This is a Pre-Application and is currently open until January 15, 2021 at 3:00 PM ET.

Once the Pre-Application closes, a lottery will select applicants to be placed on a waitlist. Waitlist lottery results are final and are not subject to appeal. Selected applicants will be required to complete a funding application, and both Tenant and Landlord will be required to submit documentation for final eligibility review.

Selection in the lottery is not a guarantee of funding. You can read more, including further guidelines and information, here.

As part of the program, Suffolk County is also offering an emergency grant for small businesses that can range from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on size.

You can view information on eligibility for that program here, and pre-apply for it here.

The pre-applcation period for small businesses is open until January 16th.

Once the pre-application period has closed, the Application portal will then open for those whose preapplications have been approved. Opening date for the Application portal is TBD, but is anticipated to be within a week of the close of the pre-application period. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ensure your application is complete on submission – incomplete applications will not be reviewed, and will be moved to the end of the line of submissions.

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.

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.

Today's Sponsor

Zyscovich Architects

For nearly forty years, Zyscovich Architects has strived to create projects with purpose, bringing new life and vibrancy to cityscapes through integrated urban planning, architecture and interior design. To this day, Zyscovich Architects has remained true to the original concept: design projects that have purpose and meaning. Since the firm’s inception in 1977, the goal has always been to establish a company that can provide high-value services for design-specific issues while placing “social betterment” at the core of everything they do. 

Zyscovich Architects has designed the full spectrum of projects, from transportation facilities and airports to K-12 schools and universities, mixed-use commercial and public-private partnership developments to multi-family residential high rises and master plans for cities.