Fwd: Con Edison and National Grid Service During Coronavirus Outbreak

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Leah Archibald <larchibald@evergreenexchange.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 12:15 PM
Subject: Con Edison and National Grid Service During Coronavirus Outbreak
To: Monty <mbannerman@mgilp.com>

Con Edison and National Grid Service During Coronavirus Outbreak

Con Edison Service During Coronavirus Outbreak  Con Edison is taking precautionary actions to mitigate exposure and reduce the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on its customers and employees, and remain committed to providing safe and reliable service to customers. Your service will not be shut off for non-payment. Waiving new late-payment fees. Suspending no-access fees if we can't read your meter. No fees for making payments with credit cards or debit cards. Suspending fees for refusing smart meter installations Most customers can arrange for payment extensions and agreements online through My Account. Your meter will still be read if it's outside or in an uninhabited building space. If you have an indoor meter, you can report your usage online. Smart meters will be installed only if they are on the outside of buildings or in inside buildings in uninhabited areas such as apartment building basements. No work will be done inside living areas. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Karen Nieves.  National Grid Service During Coronavirus Outbreak    Customers looking for more information on payment assistance programs in general can click here. Additionally:  Non-essential planned electric outages – National Grid knows many individuals are working from home and children are home from school. They are limiting planned service interruptions during this time.     Non-essential electric & gas related services – Planned maintenance and services such as manual meter reads, oil-to-gas conversions, gas service upgrades, and meter changes, may decrease the ability to keep social distance. Therefore, they will be paused. In the case of manual meter reads, this could result in estimated bills for some customers.     Energy efficiency on-premise services – National Grid is temporarily suspending all energy efficiency service activities, provided by our valued partners, that require home or business visits, such as energy audits.     New York City and Long Island walk-in payment offices - National Grid downstate New York payment offices are temporarily closed. Payment options for customers include:   Online: Visit ngrid.com/billpay to pay online via bank account or credit card, or sign up for convenient bill pay options, such as paperless billing, automated payments, the budget plan or assistance programs.   Pay by phone – Have your account number ready, and you can pay over the phone with a credit or debit card or bank account. Fees may apply. In New York City, call 1-718-643-4050; Long Island, call 1-800-930-5003.   Pay by mail – Use the convenient return envelope included with your bill.     Pay by bank website – Contact your bank to see if they offer this service.    Pay at a local Western Union – A location listing is available here. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Karen Nieves.  Business Owner's Roundtable   In these trying times, we all need answers, support and connection. How to handle your employees and their issues? What to do about new regulations and restrictions? Maybe most important, how to prepare for your post-COVID business growth! As a business leader of a Brooklyn/Queens area business, you are invited to a Business Owners' Virtual Roundtable. Date: March 26, 2020 10am – 11am   There you will meet with other area business owners to discuss and strategize the unique challenges and opportunities we now face.  Hosted by Kenneth Frawley of The Alternative Board - Brooklyn/Queens, this event presents a great opportunity to experience a strategic roundtable with other business leaders.  At this meeting you will have the opportunity to present and discuss the unique local business challenges, provide your perspective and advice and brainstorm solutions. All topics discussed will be confidential. This will be an online Zoom meeting. You will get a calendar invite when you sign up. There is no cost to attend. Spaces are limited, so please register for either event date now and be sure to provide the best phone number to reach you at – I look forward to seeing you there! Register here! If you have any questions please contact Natalie Vichnevsky.   Lotus Scoop Seeking a Full-Time Production Specialist   Lotus Scoop ice cream seeks a Production Specialist for its dedicated, batch ice cream factory. They are located on Metropolitan Avenue, near the Morgan stop on the L train in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.   You would be part of a two person team that makes thousands of pints of ice cream each week. The role is for someone who understands how to work carefully in a clean, industrial factory environment. It is very quiet, focused and small.   The Production Specialist role requires very heavy lifting, detail recipe following, daily deep cleaning of tools and the factory to State specifications, deadline-driven production, labeling, taping, inventory and regular text communication with the sales team, packing of pints and a mastery of ice cream batch equipment.   It is a full-time role, four rotating days per week, that pays $600 per week. English is NOT a requirement but it helps.  If you are interested in the role please contact Emil Fraija.  Gotham Greens Hiring Temporary Staff    Local food producer and urban farming vanguard, Gotham Greens, is looking for temporary staff. Check out the job descriptions here:  Production Assistant and Delivery Driver. Looking for 5-10 Production Assistants to be on call starting Monday, 3/23 at Greenpoint (810 Humboldt St. Brooklyn, NY 11222), NYC3 (184-60 Jamaica Ave. Hollis, Queens 11423), and NYC2 (214 3rd St. Brooklyn, NY 11215). Production hours: 7:30 am-4:00 pm, Monday-Friday  $15.30/hour Looking for 2-5 Delivery Drivers to be on call starting Monday, 3/23 at NYC3 (184-60 Jamaica Ave. Hollis, Queens 11423) Must have a valid state-issued driver's license Delivery Driver hours: open availability between 4:00 am-4:00 pm, Monday-Saturday $18/hour Please reach out to Emil Fraija if you are interested in either position. NYC Employee Retention Grant - Businesses With 1-4 Employees Eligible UPDATE   To help small businesses deal with the impact of COVID-19, the City has launched the Employee Retention Grant Program to help retain employees as businesses face decreased revenue. This program is available to New York City businesses with one to four employees that can demonstrate at least a 25% decrease in revenue as a result of COVID-19. Eligible businesses will receive a grant covering up to 40% of their payroll for two months. Businesses can access up to $27,000. Who Can Apply? Businesses, including non-profits, must: Be located within the five boroughs of New York City  Demonstrate that the COVID-19 outbreak caused at least a 25% decrease in revenue  Employ 1-4 employees in total across all locations  Have been in operation for at least 6 months  Have no outstanding tax liens or legal judgements  Revenue Loss To calculate the revenue impact of COVID-19, we will compare average revenue for two months in 2020 (after the COVID-19 impact) to both: average revenue for the same two month period in 2019, and  average monthly revenue based on total 2019 revenue.  We will check to see if either calculation shows at least a 25% decrease in revenue Supporting Documents To verify the loss of revenue, you will need to upload: Financial documents for two months in 2020 demonstrating revenue decrease due to COVID-19  Financial documents showing your revenue for the same two months in 2019 (unless you were not in business at that time)  Financial documents showing your revenue for the full 2019 calendar year  Financial documents can include: point-of-sales reports, bank statements, quarterly sales tax filings, 2019 tax returns, CPA-certified profit & loss statements, excepting P&Ls without a CPA verification, point-of-sale screenshots, and transaction-level data from banks NYC Employee Retention Grant Program – Document Checklist To determine your grant amount, you will need to upload: Your most recent two months of payroll records  The g­­­rant amount will be based on 8 weekly paychecks, 4 bi-weekly paychecks or 4 bi-monthly paychecks for each employee.    To process your grant, you will need to upload:  A signed Participation Affidavit verifying that you are eligible for the program and that you are applying in order to retain your employees    Your bank account information Grant Update: Many businesses have asked questions about proving March revenue since it was not initially an option on the drop down list within the application. NYC SBS has modified the application and criteria and are allowing businesses to input their March revenue to date, as well as upload partial revenue statements for March. Note: Businesses do not need to reapply for the grant and should follow the steps outlined below: If you are still working on your application:  1) Update details in section 'Revenue Loss and Payroll' to include March revenue  2) Upload March 2019 and March 2020 documents on the Supporting Documents page  If you already submitted your application:  1) Go the Supporting Documents section   2) Click on the "Revenue statements for two consecutive months in 2020"   3) Click on the "Add Document" button at the bottom of the page  4) Specify your March 2020 revenue in the "Notes" section   5) Repeat steps 2-4 above for your March 2019 documents, as applicable  * Note: you are not required to update the 'Revenue Loss and Payroll' section of your application CLICK HERE TO APPLY   If you have any questions please contact Natalie Vichnevsky.   COVID-19 Emergency Supply Sourcing & Manufacturing   NYCEDC is seeking businesses with the ability to source and/or make products to support the City's COVID-19 response work. Support can include:  Sourcing or production of medical supplies and equipment (e.g., masks, gowns, face shields, ventilators, and other products as needed) Production or distribution of food Sharing connections to people willing and able to work on response efforts Please complete this form for each category of support you can offer and NYCEDC will get back to you with next steps. The more information you can provide, the better. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Leah Archibald. COVID-19 Business Assistance UPDATE   NYC Small Business Continuity Loan   NYC Small Business Services has put together criteria for a fund for businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Please review the criteria below and the FAQ regarding COVID 19 (note: this is constantly being updated). Eligibility Criteria   Businesses must:  Be located within the five boroughs of New York City   Demonstrate that the COVID-19 outbreak caused at least a 25% decrease in revenue  Employ 99 employees or fewer in total across all locations  Demonstrate the ability to repay the loan  Have no outstanding tax liens or legal judgements  In order to qualify, you must verify a minimum 25% loss of revenue. You will need to be prepared to provide documentation such as: Financial documents for two months in 2020 demonstrating revenue decrease due to COVID-19 Financial documents showing revenue for the same two months in 2019 (unless you were not in business at that time) Financial documents showing revenue for the full 2019 calendar year Documentation can take the form of point-of-sales reports, bank statements, quarterly sales tax filings; 2019 tax returns or CPA-certified profit & loss statements.    Click here to download a factsheet with tips and good practices during the outbreak. Please fill out this preapplication if you are interested in the program. SBA's Disaster Loan Assistance Program The US Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters. SBA disaster loans can be used to repair or replace the following items damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster: real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, and inventory and business assets. The current COVID-19 outbreak is being considered a disaster and businesses in the New York metropolitan area are eligible. If you are interested in learning more and applying for a loan through SBA please click here. If you have any questions please contact Natalie Vichnevsky or Karen Nieves.  Governor Cuomo Issues "New York State on PAUSE" Executive Order   Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order directing all non-essential businesses reduce their in-person workforce by 100% taking effect on Sunday, March 22, 2020. This excludes essential businesses and workers.  For an updated list of what is considered an essential business please click here. Please continue to check the New York State website as it is continuously updated.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact Leah Archibald. Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family & Medical Leave Act Expansion Due to COVID-19, numerous Federal and State governments have revised their laws relating to Paid Sick Leave and Family and Medical Leave. The below guidance provides information regarding revised Federal laws and State laws relating to where the majority of you operate. Employers must follow the more stringent law between the Federal law and each state(s) in which they operate. For most companies, following the Federal Law will be sufficient.   Families First Coronavirus Response Act (effective April 2, 2020; sunsets on December 31, 2020) Paid Sick Leave – only employees who: (1) are sick from COVID-19 or (2) are healthy and caring for a child whose school is closed and are unable to work or telework (work from home). Employers must pay up to 80 hours of paid sick leave to full-time employees, or, for part-time employees, the average number of hours worked over a 2-week period. Employers must provide paid sick leave, capped at $511 per day ($5,110) in the aggregate to an employee who: Is sick and subject to a Federal/State/local quarantine order related to COVID-19; Has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns relating to COVID-19; or Is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a medical diagnosis. Employers must provide paid sick leave at two-thirds of the employee's regular pay rate, capped at $200 per day ($2,000 in aggregate) to an employee who: Is caring for an individual who is ill and is subject to a Federal/State/local quarantine order or who has been ordered to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 and who cannot work or telework; or Is caring for a child whose school has been closed or whose child-care provider is unavailable due to COVID-19 and who cannot work or telework. Employers will be receive a 100% credit against their withholding tax for monies paid to employees for COVID-19 related paid sick leave under the new law; said credits to be provided on a quarterly basis.   Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act – this Act applies to private employers of all sizes. After the first10 days of unpaid leave, employers must pay up to two weeks of paid FMLA at two-thirds of the employee's regular pay rate (capped at $200 per day and $10,000 in the aggregate) Employers with 25 or less employees are exempt from the obligation to restore an employee to his/her position after taking leave. Employers will be credited against their withholding tax an amount equal to 100 percent of the qualified leave wages paid per calendar quarter.   Employers with 50 or less employees may apply for a hardship waiver where such Paid Sick Leave or Family and Medical Leave requirements would affect the viability of the business as a going concern. Details related to the exemption are not yet available.    New York   Quarantine due to being diagnosed with COVID-19 (effective March 19, 2020) Employers with less than 10 employees and revenues under $1 million annually (based upon previous tax year) offer unpaid leave (of course, this is after the customary 40 hours of paid sick leave required), job protection, and guarantee family leave and disability benefits for the entire quarantine period.  Employers with 11-99 employees and employers with less than 10 employees but who earn more than $1,000,000 in revenue must provide 5 days of paid sick leave, job protection, and family or disability benefits for the entire quarantine period. Employers with 100 or more employees must provide at least 14 days of paid sick leave and job protection for the entire quarantine period. Employees can apply for Paid Family Leave after paid sick leave expires.  NYS imposed caps on the amount of wage replacement an employee can receive.   We anticipate new paid sick leave laws from New Jersey, Ohio and Michigan shortly. Rania V. Sedhom, Managing Member of Sedhom Law Group, PLLC, helps companies monetize their business and mitigate their risks. All of the attorneys in her firm have business backgrounds which allows them to discuss how laws and transactions affect a company's bottom line. To help support business, Rania offers clients alternative billing arrangements so clients may avoid hourly fees. For more information, please visit www.bespokelawfirm.com. If you have any questions please contact Natalie Vichnevsky.  Covid-19 and Your Business: Human Resource Strategies for a Healthy Workplace   Words from Attorney Rania V. Sedhom: Due to COVID-19 and the restrictions mandated by the government, several businesses are already feeling the effects or are anticipating a steep slowdown.  Several companies have reached out to me asking questions related to their legal responsibilities and best practices. While it is impossible to set forth everything, the below represents answers to the questions I've been fielding. Should anyone have additional questions or need help implementing any of the below, please call or email us and we'd be happy to help.   First, be sure to maintain health and safety protocols on-site. That means, provide cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer and enough soap, water and disposable towels and napkins for staff.  Please note that air dryers can still be used, however, you must provide something for everyone to use to hold doorknobs when exiting the restroom after washing hands. Also, although it seems redundant, you should remind your staff to wash their hands thoroughly before and after eating and touching surfaces that may hold germs like computers, etc.  Also, remind employees to wipe down computers, computer mice and telephones each morning prior to use. This is particularly important in settings where outsiders come onsite such as cleaning staff and visitors.  Second, advise employees who are sick to stay home. To the extent you can afford it, you should eliminate sick time accruals and, instead, give everyone their paid sick time effective immediately so that they can use those 40 hours to the extent needed. If someone is diagnosed with the Coronavirus and s/he/they was at the workplace within the last 14 days, ask that they notify HR immediately so that you can ask with those whom they are working closely or near, to self-quarantine. Third, refrain from shaking hands or coming in too close of contact with another person.  If your employees work in an open space with no, or low, partitions consider keeping every other space open and rotate individuals in the office to the extent that they cannot work from home.   Fourth, advise your employees about pay practices. You are under no legal obligation to pay employees during quarantine. However, some companies are able to afford to do so.  Depending on your budget, you should design a policy that makes sense for you and communicate it to your employees sooner rather than later. However, to the extent that you can allow employees to utilize paid vacation you should do so. For those employers who cannot afford to stop vacation accruals and, instead, allow all to be used now and who cannot allow individuals to work from home, a furlough may be your only choice. NYS has loosened the unemployment rules by eliminating the 7-day waiting period and by no longer mandating that someone applying for unemployment benefits be willing and able to work, if they were terminated because of a job slowdown due to the coronavirus. Fifth, if possible, hold periodic video meetings in order to keep socialization active.  Isolation can have negative results. Although gatherings of 50 or more are restricted, there is no need to make people feel alone. There are several free video conferencing tools that can be utilized to keep people connected. If video is too difficult, keep telephone lines open amongst employees and management to maintain relationships.  The restrictions are ever evolving and flexibility is necessary until COVID-19 poses less of a threat. To that end, our attorneys are available to you. Please reach out to us with your questions and concerns, as we are happy to support you. Rania V. Sedhom, Managing Member of Sedhom Law Group, PLLC, helps companies monetize their business and mitigate their risks. All of the attorneys in her firm have business backgrounds which allows them to discuss how laws and transactions affect a company's bottom line. To help support business, Rania offers clients alternative billing arrangements so clients may avoid hourly fees. For more information, please visit www.bespokelawfirm.com. If you have any questions please contact Natalie Vichnevsky.  List of Resources from Assemblyman Joseph Lentol    The office of Assemblyman Joseph Lentol has put together a list of resources for the community during the current crises caused by the COVID-19. Please see the vast pool of resources here. You can reach the Assemblyman's office here or through Twitter and Facebook @assemblymanjoe.  Please reach out to Leah Archibald if you have any questions.  Food Safety Grade Coolers Available for Temporary Use Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, Lucky's Real Tomatoes is not utilizing its entire space at 29 Meserole Avenue. If any community organization is interested in using food safety grade coolers please reach out to Leah Archibald.  Copyright © Evergreen Inc.: Your North Brooklyn Business Exchange Our mailing address is: 2 Kingsland Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list