Long Island Main Street News April 8th, 2020
Here is LI Main Street News for day 24 of the shutdown featuring new downtown updates and a communities helping communities section along with grant resources and updated guidance from NYS and both Counties.
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presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance April 8th, 2020
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Quotes of Day
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Helping Main Street through the
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Reports from Local DowntownsAt this time of uncertainty, we are beginning to see a number of downtowns being shuttered as bars, restaurants, and any place where multiple people congregate are running up against fears of and caution at spreading the Coronavirus. While this is a socially responsible action that will help to save lives, in the short term these actions are having a number of adverse effects on our local communities. Vision Long Island and Long Island Main Street Alliance members have collected a number of experiences from local restaurants and service businesses, but before we go into that we would like to encourage everyone reading this to find a way to responsibly patronize local establishments. Many stores are offering curbside pickup or online shopping to help them get through this difficult time. And your favorite restaurants are also currently open for business with takeout available. We also urge you to consider gift cards in order to purchase something at a later date for yourself, or perhaps to give as a present. Local shops are in a capable position to provide you with what you need in the short-term. Many will also be willing to accommodate you if you contact them ahead of time with requests that will minimize contact and help to lower the spread of this virus. Vision has connected to nearly 400 small businesses in over 40 downtowns as they weather the economic storm through the Coronavirus. We encourage people to responsibly patronize these and other open establishments who need your help in this time of crisis. Many of these businesses have been there for local organizations and philanthropy – they now need our support. In the meantime, here is the featured downtown for today. For a complete list of downtowns profiles, please check out our website here.You can find our Yes!Communities Helping Communities: Downtown Westbury
“Art and Life are not two different things.” – Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Downtown Westbury, like so many others on Long Island, seems very quiet these days, but a closer look, and listen, reveals messages of hope. Mayor Peter Cavallaro explains, “People are looking for something to be positive about.” The Mayor describes the efforts many are taking to liven up downtown. “Adam Moramarco, owner of Advantage Tennis on Post Avenue, has started to broadcast music, both patriotic and popular, through the public address system,” says Mayor Cavallaro. “I can’t tell you the positive comments I’ve received from people driving through. It just has an uplifting effect on people. It’s a little thing that I think goes a long way to create a different mood.” Adam Moramarco reflects how he came up with the idea, “During Christmas time I play songs to get people in the spirit. On the way to work recently, I noticed just how quiet the street was and I thought about the music. Music makes people happy and residents are loving it.” Uniformly, the comments have been all positive: “Thank you! Definitely helps to lift our spirits, and nice when taking your dog for a quick walk,” “Love it,” “Beautiful Westbury,” “Great idea!” and the list goes on. The Westbury Arts Council has also added to the brightening of downtown. Chalk rainbows can be found on the sidewalks and in store windows. “So, although these are little symbolic gestures, it is an attempt to show that normalcy is going to return and people should hang in there,” Mayor Cavallaro counsels. Admiration and appreciation go out to all the folks in the Village of Westbury, residents, government and businesses that are working hard to keep the Village the special place it is, even in this time of uncertainty. |
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Governor Cuomo Briefs on Progress in fight against Coronavirus
Governor Cuomo opened the briefing by noting that the dramatic action taken seems to be working as the number of cases seems to be leveling off. The number of patients coming into hospitals is dropping rapidly as well with individual hospitals and larger systems reporting that more patients are being released than are coming in. Capacity is increasing at the same time, making it easier to absorb incoming patients. The trend is heading towards stabilization over the next coming of weeks and will minimize a need for overflow. However, even with the good news, it’s all dependent on continuing with the regulations and restrictions in place, which the Governor believes has led directly to the flattening curve. He stressed that now is not a time to become complacent and rush towards a return to normalcy that could upend the results. He cited Italy’s healthcare system, which was overrun. Unfortunately, the death toll continues to rise, reaching a new height of 779 deaths in a single day yesterday. The number is expected to rise as the patients who have been hospitalized for a longer period of time succumb to the virus. Cuomo also noted that the number of deaths aren’t just numbers. They are each a person with family and friends who are feeling the loss. A number of them are also healthcare workers and first responders who are working to keep others safe and healthy during this crisis. He used their sacrifice as a plea to New Yorkers to continue with the social distancing and to take responsibility for not just your own but everyone’s health. He also made an announcement that all flags in New York be flown at half-mast to honor those that were lost to the virus. At the same time he talked about what we’ll be dealing with as we go forward. Things will not return to the previous normal but rather the state will enter a new normal that will draw from the lessons of this pandemic. There is much to learn, both positive and negative, from this whole thing. We have learned that the world is smaller than we thought where someone who is sick somewhere across the globe can bring that to our neighborhood. It has also revealed that our public health system will need to be reimagined in the wake of this disaster. This includes increasing testing capacity in case we see similar outbreaks in the future. We’re also beginning to learn whole new ways of using technology to improve existing systems. We are seeing whole new ways of working together in the virtual world as we move forward. He also talked about the need to figure out why the disease seems to be affecting black and minority populations at a higher rate. Cuomo believes that at least some of it is related to the fact that it always seems as though the poorest and least among us pay the highest price during disasters of this nature. He called for a need to figure that out and try to learn so we can reverse that trend in the future. This will require an increase in research and data that will help in the future. Next, he announced that an additional $600 will be payed to all unemployed worker, which will be reimbursed by the Federal government. The state will also extend the period that people can be covered by unemployment an additional 13 weeks to 39 weeks. He also spoke about voting and the upcoming primaries. He praised Wisconson voters for doing their civic duty when they were forced to vote in person this past week but also described it as ludicrous. He then announced that all New Yorkers will be able to vote with absentee ballots in the June 23rd primaries. Governor Cuomo ended his briefing by thanking the direct care workers and essential State workers who have been risking themselves on the frontline through all of this. He talked about why it is important to continue social distancing and why it’s so important to protect the health of our fellow New Yorkers. We still have more work to do, but Governor Cuomo feels that New York is resilient enough to get through this moment in history and come out stronger on the other end. You can watch his full press conference here. Paycheck Protection Program for Small Businesses Goes into Effect
The US Department of Treasury has released guidelines for small businesses seeking relief from payroll costs during the Coronavirus pandemic. This program called the Paycheck Protection Program, will provide small businesses with funds to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. Funds are provided in the form of loans that will be fully forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities (due to likely high subscription, at least 75% of the forgiven amount must have been used for payroll). Loan payments will also be deferred for six months. No collateral or personal guarantees are required. Neither the government nor lenders will charge small businesses any fees. Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. All loans under this program will have an interest rate of 0.5%, maturity of 2 years, be 100% guaranteed by the SBA, and the first payment will be deferred for 6 months. Small businesses with 500 or fewer employees—including nonprofits, veterans organizations, tribal concerns, self-employed individuals, sole proprietorships, and independent contractors— are eligible. Businesses with more than 500 employees are eligible in certain industries. Maximum loan amounts will be up to $10 million. People can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating. All loans will have the same terms regardless of lender or borrower. A list of participating lenders as well as additional information and full terms can be found at www.sba.gov. You can find more information on the loans here. You can read more at Long Island Business News. Small Businesses Urged to Apply for SBA LoansThere are still a lot of questions in regards to the impact of the Federal aid package on small businesses. Here is the latest fact sheets from US Congresswoman Kathleen Rice that outlines the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (here) and the SBA’s Paycheck Program Loan with the updated guidelines (here). Congressman Lee Zeldin recently had an SBA representative encourage folks to apply for loans no matter what. In the meantime, there has been an effort to encourage small businesses to work to apply for loans asap. The LI Main Street Alliance and the Nassau & Suffolk Chambers are working to get information out to the small business community to help as much as possible. Newsday and the LIA are both hosting, and will continue to host, video conferences on a range of business resources as well. This past Friday morning, the Queens Chamber of Commerce hosted a webinar for businesses to learn how to apply for SBA loans. Man-Li Lin, from the New York District office of the U.S. Small Business Administration presented information to explain how to apply for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). This information is subject to change as the situation remains fluid. The local Small Business Development Centers at Farmingdale State College (here) and Stony Brook University (here) will have new information as updates occur. While SBA loans are typically only available for small businesses, during a declared national disaster, they are also available for private not for profit entities as well. Most small businesses and non-profits are eligible except for businesses relating to gambling, religious organizations, investment or lending companies, charitable organizations, speculative activities, or agricultural enterprises. Loans of up to $2 million are available with no payments for 12 months. They can be used to pay expenses such as fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, or other bills affected by the disaster. Interest rates are 3.75% for businesses and 2.75% for private non-profits and long term repayments for COVID crisis will be 30 years. Loans cannot be used for lost revenue, just for expenses. Typically, businesses are not eligible if they are able to secure credit elsewhere. However, they are currently allowing applications without denial letters from other lenders. There is no cost to apply and no obligation to take the loan if it is offered. The amount of the loan application should reflect six months of operating expenses. Documentation of a typical months expenses is required. Businesses are eligible even if they already have a previous SBA loan, disaster loan or other types of SBA loans. Loans over $25000 require collateral, but won’t be denied simply for lack of collateral, they will require a pledge of what is available. Criteria for approval will include eligibility, credit history and the ability to repay. US Small Business Administration Processing and Disbursement Center You can also contact the SBA disaster customer service center at 1-800-659-2955, disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or TTY:1-800-877-8339. They recommend email as the best way to get in touch with someone. If applicants are receiving a 404 error, they recommend clearing your cache and trying again. |
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Upcoming Webinars for Small Businesses Seeking Relief Loans
While this process is still evolving, businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and provide all required documentationfor relief loans from the Small Business Administration. Representatives from the SBA will follow up with questions. Webinars will be held to help guide businesses through the application process, the times are as follows: April 14th, 12 pm to 1 pm. Zoom link here. Phone number: 1-929-436-2866 April 15th, 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Zoom link here. Phone number: 1-929-436-2866 April 16th, 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Zoom link here. Phone number: 1-929-436-2866 |
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CDC Guidelines on Coronavirus Prevention
As concern about the ever-expanding impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) grows, we can minimize or prevent the spread of coronavirus by taking these steps:
These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses. CDC does have specific guidance for travelers. For more information see the CDC website or call the NY State Coronavirus hotline to speak with a representative 888-364-3065
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Smart TalkContributors: We strive to provide continued quality publications like this every week. If you have any news or events that you would like to add to our newsletter, submit them to info@visionlongisland.org for consideration. If you are interested in becoming a newsletter or news blast sponsor, please call the office at 631-261-0242 for rates and opportunities. Vision Long Island Home | Contact Us | Donate | About Us |
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“As the COVID pandemic has reached alarming new levels, our health care system is strained to the max, our economy is strained to the max. Doctors and nurses, medical personnel of all types are putting their lives on the line every single day to fight this disease and save others. And so are people not in the medical profession but in essential services: grocery store workers, truck drivers, drug store workers, and pharmacists. For these Americans, working from home is not an option. Social distancing is not an option. We’re calling it a ‘Heroes Fund’ because that’s who it’s for, our heroes.” – Hon. Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator
“You know, the unsung heroes are THE heroes. They are facing the same stress as everyone else, the uncertainty that comes with COVID-19 and how this could affect their family is real. At the same time these folks are here every day so people can get in. You know, the folks who have been cleaning stations and cleaning the trains at a frequency that has never been seen before, it is a testament to all of them because what we want is for people that are so stressed out right now to know that if they’re taking the railroad, it’s safe that we’re cleaning it, we’re sanitizing it and that we are running enough service to allow them to socially distance when they’re commuting. And that’s all going a long way because I think this is a 24/7 mental strain in terms of, you know, everyone wanting to get to the finish line, and none of us knowing when it’s there.” – Phil Eng, LIRR President
“People are looking for something to be positive about. Adam Moramarco, owner of Advantage Tennis on Post Avenue, has started to broadcast music, both patriotic and popular, through the public address system. I can’t tell you the positive comments I’ve received from people driving through. It just has an uplifting effect on people. It’s a little thing that I think goes a long way to create a different mood.” – Hon. Peter Cavallaro, Mayor, Village of Westbury
“Order your meal from one of our many restaurants offering take out of delivery, work on some gardening after visiting our local nursery for seeds for the vegetable garden or order your groceries online from our local supermarket.” – Jenny Jorge, Freeport Chamber of Commerce.
“With many people stuck at home and using the internet and social media more frequently, scammers are cashing in by trying to steal money, personal information, or to sell bogus medications. We urge anyone who believes they have been a victim of a scam to contact our hotline for assistance.” – Hon. Madeline Singas, Nassau County DA
“In times like these, every challenge our households face is magnified. The heightened anxiety we’re feeling is perfect for scammers, whose preferred tactic is to make people panic at the thought of getting their power shut off. That’s why it’s important for people to know that, during this crisis, PSEG Long Island is not shutting off power due to nonpayment due to financial burdens.” – Rick Walden, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Customer Services
