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Community
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new health condition associated with COVID-19.
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SEEK CARE IF YOUR CHILD HAS PERSISTENT FEVER PLUS ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS:
Irritability or decreased activity Abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting Conjunctivitis, or red or pink eyes Red, cracked lips or bumpy tongue Swollen hands or feet Lack of appetite Rash
IF YOUR CHILD IS SEVERELY ILL, GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM OR CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.
For more information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus.
Bill de Blasio Mayor Oxiris Barbot, MD Commissioner
New NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner - Jonnel Doris
Jonnel Doris was appointed by May or de Blasio as the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS). He is responsible for running a dynamic City agency focused on equity of opportunity, that leads to econom ic self-sufficiency and mobility for New York City’s diverse commu nities. SBS actively connects New Yorkers to good jobs, creates stronger businesses, and builds a thriving econ omy in neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
Formerly, Doris served as the City’s first Senior Advisor and Di rector of the Mayor’s Office for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE). Under Doris’ leadership, the City has more than doubled its certifications to 9,620 firms, tripled its utilization, and awarded more than $14.6 billion to M/WBEs. Doris also led the City’s efforts to secure a $41 million in vestment from four city depository banks: Amal gamated, Bank of America, TD Bank, and Union Bank for low interest re volving loan funds. His engagement in business communities, city agen cies, and both state and city legislatures has also influenced City efforts to pass critical state legisla tion that expands opportunities for M/WBEs.
Doris previous ly served as the first Chief Diversity Officer for the Governor’s Of fice of Storm Recovery (GOSR), which over sees New York State’s $4.4 billion recovery allocation for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. At GOSR, Doris devel oped and implemented strategic initiatives re sulting in increased utilization of state and federal M/WBEs and Section 3 businesses. He created the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights, and de veloped GOSR’s award winning Local Work force Opportunities Program and Web Portal. These two resources continue to increase em ployment and business opportunities, while en abling thousands of M/ WBEs, small business es, and residents to participate in New York’s rebuilding efforts.
His professional ca reer includes extensive experience in the energy, utility, government, and business sectors work ing at Public Service Enterprise Group-Long Island, Long Island Power Authority, KeySpan and in both State and City Government. He is also a former small business owner who understands firsthand the challenges M/WBEs face.
Doris has received numerous awards and recognition over his pro fessional career. Some include, the Women Builders Council Diver sity Champion Award; NYSAMC Public Sec tor Partner Award; City and State 40 Under 40 Award; National Mi nority Business Council Award; and the His panic Chamber MWBE Advocate Award. Doris has guest lectured at Co lumbia University, New York University, Medgar Evers College, City Col lege, and frequently at Adelphi University, and Oral Roberts University School of Theology and Missions. He also serves on the Bishop’s Racial Justice and Reconcilia tion Commission for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.
Doris holds several degrees and certificates including, a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Analysis, a Bach elor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Stony Brook Uni versity, a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University, and a Turner School of Construction Management Certificate. He currently resides in Queens with his wife Aisha Doris and two children.
New York Forward Loan Fund N ew York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF) is a new economic recovery loan program aimed at supporting New York State small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords as they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak and NYS on PAUSE.
NYFLF targets the state’s small businesses with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees (90% of all businesses), nonprofits and small landlords that have seen a loss of rental income.
NYFLF is providing working capital loans so that small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords have access to credit as they reopen. These loans are available to small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords that did not receive a loan from either the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for COVID-19 in 2020. The loans are not forgivable in part or whole. The loans will need to be paid back over a 5-year term with interest.
The working capital loans are timed to support businesses and organizations as they proceed to reopen and have upfront expenses to comply with guidelines (e.g., inventory, marketing, refitting for new social distancing guidelines) under the New York Forward Plan.
The geographic proportionality goals for the New York Forward Loan Fund for small businesses are: • Capital Region 4% • Central NY Region 4% • Finger Lakes Region 4% • Hudson Valley Region 12% • Long Island Region 18% • Mohawk Valley Region 4% • NYC Region 30% • North Country Region 4% • Southern Tier Region 4% • Western NY Region 8%
Access to loans for small landlords will be targeted to owners with residential buildings of 50 units or less, and will prioritize loans for landlords whose properties are in low and moderate income census tracts or who serve low to moderate income tenants.
The New York Forward Loan Fund is supported by Apple Bank, BNB Bank, BlackRock Charitable Fund, Citi Foundation, Evans Bank, Ford Foundation, M&T Bank, Morgan Stanley, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation andWells Fargo.
Pre-applications for the New York Forward Loan Fund will be open on May 26, 2020 at Noon Eastern Daylight Time. Priority will be given to industries and regions that have been reopened. This is not a first-come, first-served loan program. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as regions and industries reopen. For small businesses and nonprofits that are in industries and regions that have not yet reopened, you are encouraged to prepare your pre-application in advance by taking advantage of the application preparation resources available here. This will allow you to quickly submit your pre-application once it is announced that your industry and region is phased to reopen.
Five Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) will be processing pre-applications on June 1, 2020: Accion East, Community Preservation Corporation, National Development Council, Pursuit and TruFund Financial Services. Please do not apply to the participating CDFI lender directly.
Harlem Community Newspapers | May 28. 2020 5 Council Member Rodriguez Unveils New Provisions For The SBJSA Bill In Effort To Save Mom & Pop Owned Small Businesses In NYC F riday, May 22nd, Council Member
Ydanis Rodriguez, was joined by the President of the Bodega and Small Business Association of New York, Francisco Marte, the President of United Bodegas of America, Radhames Rodriguez, community leaders, small business owners, and community residents to demand that SBS provide additional financial support to small businesses and to call on the City to immediately pass the Small Business Job Survival Act. The City is seeing hundreds of businesses closing as a result of the added financial pressures of the impact of COVID-19. Countless mom and pop shops have been long struggling under increasingly financial hardships that primarily result from their inability to negotiate fair leases. It is more important than ever to pass common-sense legislation that will save thousands of small businesses in NYC.
In an effort to compromise, Council Member Ydanis Rodrgiuez made changes to the bill which would ensure that the City is protecting the immigrant owned mom and pop shops who have had to face the worst of the Novel coronavirus. Throuhgout this Pandemic, the majority of the small businesses which are within some of the poorest, Latino, Black, and Asian communities have not received a single dollar from the State or the Federal Government. The Government has failed to even acknowledge that almost 70% of small businesses in NYC are owned by immigrants or that the largest employers of immigrants in NYC are immigrant owned businesses.
Currently the Bill has 29 co-sponsors, it is time to act and give justice to those small businesses which are in danger of never opening again. Work alongside storefront tenants and landlord these changes have been to the bill to ensure it moves forward as soon as possible:
The SBJSA bill will predominately impact those businesses that are located above 96st on both sides of Manhattan and those businesses located in the outer boroughs, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten island. This is to ensure that we are helping the small businesses that are within the communities most impacted by the virus as well as those that have not received any financial assistance from the federal or state government. Businesses below 96th, only street level business fronts’ commercial leases will apply to this law.
In the Rental Guidelines section we have added a new provision that would only apply to Supermarkets, Beauty Salons, Barber shops, independent neighborhood pharmacies, and general and pediatric medical doctors. This provision would allow give them the option to join a ‘pilot jobs creation and seniors support program’. This would qualify them if approved to gain added years above the 10 years minimum term to their leases and for supermarkets they would be receive up to a 15 years leases. This pilot program in short would require:
Supermarkets will have to offer a one day a week senior (62 and over) customer 20% discount on only food items, tenant would receive a 15 year lease.
For beauty salons and barber shops: those who employ two additional part time workers, either a single parent, hard to employ New Yorker, or public assistance recipient, for part time work (20 hours a week at minimum wage) the tenant will receive a 12 year commercial lease.
Independent pharmacies who agree to give seniors (over 62 years of age) one day a week a discount of 15% would receive a 12 year lease term.
Neighborhood General or Pediatric Doctors who agree to give free or greatly reduced services to low income families and seniors would receive a 12 year lease terms.
In the section for “Dispute brought before an arbitrator” language was added that the costs of arbitration shall be borne fully by the landlord. Both parties must follow the standard rules for selecting an arbitrator.
Within the “Evaluation section at the end of seven years, “the administering agency shall report to the mayor and the council on the effectiveness of this chapter in carrying out the purposes set forth in the legislative findings. The recommendations should take into account the existing commercial rental market which includes among other factors the inflation and interest rates. A priority should be given to this laws influence on stopping the closings of long established businesses, saving and creating jobs, stability of our business strips, lowering turnover rate for new businesses, and the long established businesses’ ability to grow”. Language was included which would give priority to this laws influence on stopping the closings of long established businesses, saving and creating jobs, stability of our business strips, lowering turnover rate for new businesses, and the long established businesses’ ability to grow.
Local law would take effect 30 days after passage
Additionally, Council Member Rodriguez called on the City to provide small business who have been impacted by the virus with at least 3 months rent cancellation or towaive property taxes for the equivalent of 3 months rent for property owners. These small businesses are the life and blood of our neighborhoods. New York City is one of the most diverse City’s in the world. Let’s make sure we continue supporting all local small businesses who have been devastated by the coronavirus. We need to make sure that we work alongside the property owners in this matter. We have all been impacted the virus and all New Yorkers must do their part.