Fighting COVID-19
Resources for Plainfield Residents
Greetings!

As cold and flu season approaches, I want to remind all Plainfield residents to continue taking the recommended COVID-19 precautions in addition to cold and flu safety measures. Let’s continue to wear our masks every time we leave our homes, continue to social distance, and avoid gatherings with large crowds. Not only can this help lessen the number of COVID-19 infections, but it can help lessen the spread of the flu, another dangerous virus. 

The spread of the virus in our city is continuing to slow, and I believe it is due to our community following the recommended guidelines and protocols. I want to thank all Plainfield residents for their efforts.

At City Hall we’re maintaining essential services while taking steps to safeguard the health of our employees. We want to encourage you to try and complete your business online as much as possible. If you can’t find what you want online, please give us a call before coming to City Hall, chances are we can get the information to you and save you the trip.
While this crisis lasts, we will be sharing this resource edition of our newsletter every Wednesday. Please stay tuned and share this information with your loved ones and friends.

Stay safe and may God continue to bless you.

Creating One Plainfield. One Future.
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
Queridos amigos y vecinos,

A medida que se acerca la temporada de resfriados y gripe, quiero recordarles a todos los residentes de Plainfield que continúen tomando las precauciones recomendadas por COVID-19 además de las medidas de seguridad para el resfriado y la gripe. Sigamos usando nuestras máscaras cada vez que salgamos de nuestros hogares, y sigamos a la distancia social y evitemos reuniones con grandes multitudes. Esto no solo puede ayudar a disminuir la cantidad de infecciones por COVID-19, sino que también puede ayudar a disminuir la propagación de la gripe, otro virus peligroso.

La propagación del virus en nuestra ciudad continúa disminuyendo y creo que se debe a que nuestra comunidad sigue las pautas y protocolos recomendados. Quiero agradecer a todos los residentes de Plainfield por sus esfuerzos.

Aquí en Plainfield continuaremos ejerciendo la máxima precaución según nuestra situación. Partes de nuestra ciudad están densamente pobladas y debemos seguir las restricciones hasta que estemos seguros de que los números no volverán a aumentar. A medida que el Estado encuentra su camino de regreso a la normalidad, les animo a todos a continuar siguiendo las medidas de higiene y distanciamiento social lo mejor que puedan. Sigamos avanzando hasta que esta pandemia haya terminado de verdad.

Mientras dure esta crisis, compartiremos esta edición de recursos de nuestro boletín todos los miércoles. Estén atentos y compartan esta información con sus seres queridos y amigos.

Manténgase a salvo y que Dios continúe bendiciéndole.


Sinceramente,


Adrian O. Mapp, Alcalde
FIVE Ways to Cast Your Vote in November
YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
Click here to register to vote, or to update your voter registration if you have moved: voter.svrs.nj.gov/register.

The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, October 13.
Mayor's Wellness Campaign | Free Flu Clinics
How to Select, Wear, and Clean Your Mask
Tips from the CDC
How to Wear

Wear a mask correctly and consistently for the best protection.
  • Be sure to wash your hands before putting on a mask
  • Do NOT touch the mask when wearing it
Do NOT Wear a Mask...
How to Take Off a Mask
How to Clean
Masks should be washed regularly. Always remove masks correctly and wash your hands after handling or touching a used mask.
  • Include your mask with your regular laundry
  • Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the mask
  • Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry
For more information, visit our How to Wash Masks web page.

COVID-19 Testing
Plainfield COVID-19 Relief Fund/ UEZ Relief Fund
The goal of the Plainfield COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund is to provide assistance to residents who are experiencing economic hardship as a result of this pandemic. The emergency relief will assist with rent or mortgage payments, utilities, food, or other items deemed as essential. We are committed to supporting our residents during this challenging time.

In order to qualify applicants must provide the following:
1. Proof of Residency
2. Proof of Hardship

Completed applications should be sent to COVID19fund@plainfieldnj.gov

Skip the Trip to City Hall
Plainfield Coalition of Emergency Food Providers
Free Breakfast & Lunch for Plainfield's Youth
Emergency Food Distribution Event
Partnership with Evangel Church | Just Text HOPE!
Since many of our residents may be without food and other necessary supplies during this crisis, we have partnered with Evangel Church to have boxes of hope delivered to our vulnerable residents in our community. These supplies are ONLY for vulnerable residents including the elderly, quarantined, or individuals who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. If you fall under these categories, please 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝟗𝟎𝟖-𝟑𝟐𝟓-𝟓𝟏𝟔𝟑 to have a box of hope containing much needed supplies delivered to your door.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 - 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥!
Dado que muchos de nuestros residentes pueden estar sin alimentos y otros suministros necesarios durante esta crisis, nos hemos asociado con Evangel Church para entregar cajas de esperanza a las personas que necesitan. Los suministros son solamente para las personas en cuarentena, individuales mayores, o individuales que han perdido su trabajo. Se les pide que manden un mensaje de texto con el escrito "HOPE" al 908-325-5163 para que reciban una caja de esperanza que contenga los suministros necesarios en su puerta.

Tenga en cuenta que este es un número de solo texto. ¡No llames!
Plainfield Action Services
CARES Relief & Recovery Program
CFPB | Economic Impact Payment Guide
Small Business Administration Debt Relief
As part of our coronavirus debt relief efforts, the SBA will pay 6 months of principal, interest, and any associated fees that borrowers owe for all current 7(a), 504, and Microloans in regular servicing status as well as new 7(a), 504, and Microloans disbursed prior to September 27, 2020. This relief is not available for Paycheck Protection Program loans or Economic Injury Disaster loans. Borrowers do not need to apply for this assistance. It will be automatically provided as follows:

  • For loans not on deferment, SBA will begin making payments with the next payment due on the loan and will make six monthly payments.
  • For loans currently on deferment, SBA will begin making payments with the next payment due after the deferment period has ended, and will make six monthly payments.
  • For loans made after March 27, 2020 and fully disbursed prior to September 27, 2020, SBA will begin making payments with the first payment due on the loan and will make six monthly payments.

SBA has notified 7(a), 504 and Microloan Lenders that it will pay these borrower loan payments. Lenders have been instructed to refrain from collecting loan payments from borrowers. If a borrower's payment was collected after March 27, 2020, lenders were instructed to inform the borrower that they have the option of having the loan payment returned by the lender or applying the loan payment to further reduce the loan balance after SBA's payment.

Borrowers should contact their lender if they have any questions regarding this payment relief.


The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted family routines around the world. For families with children who have special needs, such as children with medical conditions or developmental disabilities, these disruptions are amplified. Public uncertainty makes schedules unpredictable and maintaining previous routines a challenge.

Kids with special needs and their parents may feel anxious, just like any family.
At the same time, families with complex needs have a hidden strength: They're resilient, and they know what it takes to adapt to the unexpected.

If you're in this situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, know that you can navigate uncertain times successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Rely on your experience

Think back to strategies that have worked for you in the past. Go back to the basics. This might include:
  • Keeping a consistent schedule for meals, medications, exercise and bedtime
  • Planning gradual transitions that suit your child's pace
  • Using visual cues to illustrate schedules and activities
  • Scheduling quiet time to reduce sensory input and de-stress
  • Offering warm praise for a job well done
  • Promptly correcting or redirecting negative behavior and offering a chance for a redo

COVID-19 School-Age Tuition Assistance
for Working Families
Online Grocery Shopping | SNAP EBT in New Jersey
Online Grocery Shopping: New Jerseyans enrolled in SNAP may use their Families First EBT card to purchase eligible groceries online through Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite, and The Fresh Grocer. Under federal rules, SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay for delivery fees. Recipients can register their EBT card with Amazon at Amazon.com/SNAP. To learn more about their SNAP programs, visit WalmartShoprite, or The Fresh Grocer.
Tips for Talking to Children and Teens About COVID-19
Virtual Narcan Training
Governor Murphy Signs FY 2021 Budget Into Law, Protecting Crucial Services and Programs During COVID-19 Pandemic
Budget Plan Reinstates Millionaires Tax, Delivers Middle-Class Tax Relief

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today signed the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY 2021) Appropriations Act into law, working together with legislative leadership to enact a revised spending plan that manages to protect core priorities and deliver middle-class tax relief during the historic fiscal crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget plan also fully reestablishes the millionaires tax that expired in 2010, instituting the existing 10.75% rate on income over $5 million to income earned over $1 million.

“As we continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic, building a stronger New Jersey requires us to continue to bolster the middle-class families who are the backbone of our state,” said Governor Murphy. “This revised budget not only recognizes the realities of the pandemic, offering much-needed tax fairness, including tax relief to the middle class, but also maintains our core principles so that we can emerge from this crisis stronger, fairer, and more resilient.”

Governor Murphy originally laid out his FY 2021 budget proposal on February 25, 2020. Less than two weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic took root, ravaging New Jersey from both a public health and an economic standpoint. The crisis prompted the State to follow the federal government in moving important April tax filing deadlines to July and extending the fiscal year from the traditional June 30th end date to September 30th. As a result, the budget signed today addresses spending for only the nine-month period from October 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

The revised budget the Governor unveiled last month laid out a series of solutions to help close a roughly $5.28 billion budget gap and protect many shared priorities. Together, Governor Murphy and legislative leaders reached an agreement that builds upon that proposal while securing a significant victory for middle and working-class taxpayers by restoring the full millionaire’s tax and delivering sizable tax rebates to approximately 800,000 New Jersey families.
“The pandemic has challenged people and government in unthinkable ways. This budget responsibly answers the calls for economic relief and recovery while simultaneously building up our middle class,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “By providing significant tax relief through updated tax codes and keeping the programs people need in place, the Murphy Administration and the legislature are demonstrating good governance by prioritizing working people, veterans, seniors, young adults and children in this budget.”

“Our budget restores cuts and makes the investments we need in our state and county colleges, in Extraordinary Special Education Aid for our most vulnerable students, in our hospitals and direct care workers who provide critical healthcare, and in a wide range of other services that are more important than ever in this pandemic.” said Senate President Steve Sweeney

“Together with the Governor and the Senate we put together a balanced plan that cut nearly a billion in spending, asked the wealthiest among us to share in the sacrifice and made the difficult decision to borrow,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. “Our budget delivers for our seniors and working-class families by fully funding the Senior Freeze and Homestead Rebate programs. Our schools and municipalities are receiving the same funding level as last year. Together, we made significant investments in hunger relief, anti-poverty, and health programs to continue helping struggling families through this crisis. Working, middle-class families will receive tangible relief in the form of a $500 rebate next summer. This budget demonstrates our commitment to every New Jerseyan.”

“This budget gives us the tools we need to help New Jerseyans meet the challenges of this pandemic, while still providing the resources necessary to better protect the state during these fiscally unprecedented and volatile times,” said State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio.
“This is a coronavirus-response budget that is needed to contend with the crisis conditions created by the pandemic and its impact on the state’s economy,” said Senator Paul Sarlo, chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. “We were confronted with some of the most challenging fiscal conditions of our time that continue to have a profound impact on the lives and livelihoods of people throughout the state. This spending plan will help address problems created directly or indirectly by the COVID-caused shutdown, prepare for a potential second wave and provide for any other consequences that impact the lives and livelihoods of the people of New Jersey. As we move forward, we have to turn our attention to fiscal reforms that will help prevent future financial problems. This crisis should be taken as a tipping point that will spur action on needed structural reforms. ” 

“The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been crushing to so many New Jersey families, also had a devastating effect on our state’s finances, and resulted in a multi-billion dollar loss in revenue. We knew going in that this would mean making some hard decisions. The document signed into law today builds on the three-month budget we passed previously by balancing careful reductions with responsible spending and reallocations where they can do the most good,” said Assembly Budget Committee Chair Eliana Pintor Marin. “I am grateful to my colleagues on the Budget Committee and to all of the residents and advocates who shared thoughts, information, and concerns with us. With their assistance, and in spite of the significant challenges, we crafted a budget, based on our shared values, that protects our most vulnerable, assists the middle class families that are the core of our economy, and puts New Jersey in position to weather whatever comes next.”

The final Appropriations Act signed today maintains funding for a wide range of critical programs, including K-12 education, municipal aid, direct property tax relief (including the Homestead Benefit and the Senior Freeze), the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and postsecondary tuition assistance. It also makes new investments in the Clean Water and Drinking Water programs, the Children’s System of Care, Regional Coordinator Hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers, extraordinary special education, early voting, and the State’s Emergency Feeding Organizations.

The Governor is pleased to have worked with the Legislature to sustain funding for programs like school-based mental health services, higher education operating aid, and Charity Care and Graduate Medical Education. Without emergency borrowing or sustainable revenues, a wide range of shared priorities would have faced draconian cuts.

The Governor also signed legislation to increase Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) eligibility to assist tens of thousands of more young adults and to exclude combat zone pay from the Gross Income Tax to assist soldiers serving abroad.  
As part of the Governor’s continued focus on tax fairness, the existing 10.75% rate on income over $5 million will now be extended to income earned over $1 million, which is expected to generate $390 million for the nine-month budget. All told, the Appropriations Act includes $750 million in revenue derived from new tax policy changes, including:
  • Restoring the 2.5 percent corporation surtax on corporations with taxable net income in excess of $1 million, which will yield an estimated $210 million during FY 2021; and
  • Increasing the current annual assessment on net written premiums of HMOs from three percent to five percent, raising an estimated $102.7 million in FY 2021.

The budget also includes a nearly $4.8 billion contribution to bolster the state pension system, which represents the largest percentage of the Actuarially Determined Contribution (ADC) contributed in 25 years. Additionally, it includes a robust $2.5 billion surplus, which represents 6.2 percent of appropriations over the 12-month period. This surplus is critical to addressing the very real possibility of another resurgence of the novel coronavirus. 
The Appropriations Act also relies on the ability to issue up to $4.5 billion in General Obligation bonds to help address the massive economic fallout created by COVID-19 and better position the State to weather any future public health and economic uncertainties. The type of borrowing facility that will be utilized, interest rates, and repayment schedules will all be determined based on market conditions when the state is ready to issue the bonds over the next several months. 



Last But Not Least
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and the City of Plainfield are committed to making it as easy as possible to report concerns in your city. To that end, we've partnered with REPORT IT, which is now live in Plainfield and ready to be used as an important supplemental reporting tool.

Report it makes community reporting easier than ever! Residents and visitors can download the app by scanning the barcode below or by going to your phone's app store. Your reports will be submitted to the appropriate city department, and the city will work to resolve the issue or complaint.

You have the power to be the eyes and ears of our city! Your reports can greatly increase the quality of life in Plainfield. Let's work together to keep our city safe- If you see it, say it with Report It.

Click here to download the app.

As we navigate these uncertain times please know that everyone at City Hall is working to ensure that you are safe, secure and healthy. If you need anything addition please contact us at 908.753.3000.