Governor’s Update

During the Governor’s press conference he announced,

• The launch of the NYS Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, which includes an Executive Order to require local governments and police departments to develop a plan that reinvents and modernizes police strategies and programs in their communities.
• Local governments will have to formulate a plan addressing use of force by police officers, crowd management, community policing, implicit bias awareness training, de-escalation training and practices, restorative justice practices, community-based outreach, a transparent citizen disposition procedure, and other issues raised by their community.
• Local governments will be required to enact their proposed plans into local law by April 1 in order to be eligible for State funding.

Mayoral Update

During the Mayor’s press conference he announced,

• Signature Bank has provided $750,000 to the NYC Mayor’s Fund, which will deliver grants to a minimum of 75 businesses.
• Grants will be prioritized for M/WBEs and small mom and pop stores with less than $1.5 million in revenue.
• An update to the City’s Summer Heat Plan, which has already installed 4,500 AC units and contacted 188,360 seniors for AC installations (of which 25,000 have been enrolled).
• The Public Service Commission has approved NYC’s petition to help low-income New Yorkers with their summer electric bills.
• PSC has doubled the current commitment to subsidize summer bills, increasing customer benefit by up to $130 from June to October.
• This will provide relief for approximately 440,000 families.

Governor’s Update

During the Governor’s press conference he announced

• North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central NY, Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier will enter Phase 3 on June 12.
• The State is allowing localities to open public pools and playgrounds at their own discretion while following state guidance.

Mayoral Update

During the Mayor’s press conference he announced,

• The Restaurant Revitalization Program, which will support unemployed and underemployed restaurant workers using $3 million from NYC Opportunity, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, and One Fair Wage
• The Program will focus on the 27 communities hardest hit by COVID-19 and will provide grants of up to $30,000 each to subsidize wages of $20 per hour for at least 6 weeks, supporting 1,000 workers.
• Preference will be given to those who offer free or reduced cost meals to New Yorkers affected by COVID-19.
• All restaurants in the program must commit to paying workers a $15 minimum wage on top of tips within 5 years of returning to regular business.
• Restaurants interested in applying for a grant should visit nyc.gov/opportunity.
• Three new youth summer programs to be implemented by the NYC Young Men’s Initiative in Partnership with the Department of Probation Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON)
• NeON Summer, offering young people a paid 6 to 8-week remote learning summer immersion
• Each One Teach One, connecting youth with mentors and media experts
• Community Crisis Response Initiative, offering $10,000 to at least 22 community based organizations to help expand youth programming, food and PPE distribution, public health education, mental health and art therapy services
• The City will host a series of Youth Town Halls in each borough with NYPD and Cure Violence providers, aimed to “openly explore interaction between youth and police.”

Governor’s Update

During the Governor’s press conference he announced,

• Long Island begins Phase 2 of the reopening on June 10.
• The opening of LaGuardia Airport’s new arrivals and departures hall at terminal B.

Mayoral Update

During the Mayor’s press conference he announced,

• An expansion of the Cure Violence program, which is an anti-violence program that detects and interrupts conflict early on, identifies and treats high risk individuals, and works to change social norms, to include four additional precincts.
• A $10 million increase to the Crisis Management System budget to add staffing, create new sites, and support community organizers and messengers.
• Two mobile testing trucks began work yesterday at NYCHA’s Monroe Houses in Soundview, Bronx.
• The City is offering testing kits to all hospitals and hospital systems.

City Budget Update

Citizens Budget Commission released their “Hard Choices That Can Balance New York City’s Budget” report.

• The report outlines a range of recommendations to close the fiscal year 2021 budget gap and significantly reduce outyear budget gaps, including:
• Expenditure reductions
• $1.6 billion in FY21
• $2.3 billion in FY22
• $2.9 billion in FY23
• $2.9 billion in FY24
• Headcount reductions
• 7,326 civilian headcount reductions through FY22
• 1,174 uniformed police officer reduction over two years
• 1,579 DOE civilian headcount reduction by FY22
• Improved efficiency, including:
• Welfare fund consolidation
• Improvements in productivity at the Department of Sanitation
• Centralizing procurement at DCAS
• Temporary two-year property tax increase of 2 percent in FY22 and FY23
• Health insurance reform to require employee cost-sharing health
• Delaying and limiting unnecessary expansion projects, such as in school construction
• Asset sales, such as parking lots and underutilized buildings
• Reduction of the current budgeted general reserve of $1 billion to $250 million
• You can find the full CBC report here.

Governor’s Update

During the Governor’s press conference he announced,

• Westchester, Rockland, and Hudson Valley begins Phase 2 of the reopening on June 9.

Governor released Interim Guidance for Phase 3 of reopening.

• An overview of guidance for Phase III industries has been posted here, and covers:
• Food Services, such as restaurants and food services establishments, including food trucks and other food concessions
• Personal Care, such as non-hair-related personal care businesses and services including tattoo and piercing facilities, appearance enhancement practitioners, massage therapy, spas, cosmetology outlets, nail specialty, UV and non-UV tanning, or waxing

Mayoral Update

During the Mayor’s press conference he announced,

• An expansion to Queens and Manhattan of NYC Care, a program that provides access to low-cost and no-cost primary care for those who are ineligible or cannot afford insurance.
• The program currently serves the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.

Kasirer Update

Kasirer Webinar on Workplace Protocols for Phase 2 Reopening

• Our client Mount Sinai has offered to present a webinar exclusively to Kasirer clients on Protocols for Reopening the Workplace in Preparation for Phase 2.
• The webinar will be presented by Dr. Lindsay Jublet, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Operations for Mount Sinai Solutions, and will take place on Tuesday, June 16th at 9 AM.
• Please let Chief of Staff Carla Matero (carla@kasirer.nyc) know if you will be able to attend.
• Our intent is to tailor the presentation specifically to our clients’ needs so would be grateful if you would forward up to two questions that you have related to reopening.

Governor’s Update

During the Governor’s press conference he announced,

• NYC is eligible for elective surgery and ambulatory care as of June 8.
• The State is authorizing local governments to extend the deadline for filing property tax abatements by 90 days.
• NYS is opening 14 new temporaryCOVID testing sites on June 8 at churches in impacted communities thanks to a partnership with Northwell Health and SOMOS.
• Reduced ridership during the crisis provided an opportunity to accelerate construction, and the MTA invested $2 billion in capital projects, including:
• Rehabilitation of the F Train’s Rutgers Tube.
• Construction of 11 ADA stations including the addition of 24 new elevators.
• Rehabilitation of the 138th Street Grand Concourse Station.
• Repairs of steel and concrete defects and leaks within the 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains’ Eastern Parkway Line in Brooklyn.

Mayoral Update

During the Mayor’s press conference he announced,

• An expansion of transit services, including 20 new miles of busways that will serve 750,000 daily rides. See more information here.
• The Staten Island Ferry is offering more frequent service during prime commute times.
• 800 NYPD school safety agents will be deployed throughout the MTA system at high priority stations and will provide face coverings and help promote social distancing.
• Alternate Side Parking is suspended through Sunday, June 21.