Friday March 20, 2020
Hello Chamber Members and Partners,

Here are the latest updates and resources for businesses and employees during this uncertain time including new information in the in-office work force reduction, disaster relief webinar sign-up, loan option and a member spotlight.

*Please note: Today we conducted a webinar, with Attorney Jacqueline Kelleher, for employers, if you were unable to attend, or would like to refer back to the information there is a link to the full webinar on our site or click here .*

Send us any questions or updates you may have, we are here to help provide information, connect the dots and assure those in the North Country that we will get through this together.

Onward and Upward!
Compliance deadline is
Sunday, 3/22 at 8:00 p.m

Restaurants & Bars are still allowed to be open for Delivery and take-out and fall under "Essential".
Alert 75% order goes to 100%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that yesterday's Executive Order that non-essential businesses have no more than 25% of their workforce on site at any one time has been revised.

The new order requires that non-essential businesses must now have NONE of their workforce on site.

The definitions of "essential" remain the same. Employers with questions or looking to confirm that they can be regarded as essential must submit their query via the below link to  Empire State Development Corp.
WEBINAR:
SBA Disaster Relief Loan
Program Webinar
The  U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)  is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and non-profit organizations suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The North Country Chamber of Commerce and SCORE will be hosting a webinar/call on Tuesday, March 24th from 11:00am-12:00pm . SBA staff will be on the call to provide information to our business community and chamber members on eligibility, loan terms/restrictions, and best practices when applying.
NOTE: We will be using GoToWebinar for this. Please download and register for the FREE GoTo viewer on your mobile device (available for android and iphone in the app store) OR on your desktop. Your registration confirmation will contain a link that will lead you to the webinar on Friday morning. Talk to you then!
ADIRONDACK FOUNDATION:
Local Response Fund

Adirondack Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs Fund (SUN) is a responsive granting resource that can be deployed to assist Adirondack communities during times of crisis. Given the extraordinary circumstances of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, this fund is mobilizing resources specifically for COVID-19 response.

In fact,  a coalition of philanthropy and business partners  has joined together to grow the SUN Fund to be able to rapidly deploy resources to community-based organizations at the front lines of the Coronavirus outbreak in the Adirondack region.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
  • The deadline for state sales tax payments for this month will stay the same, but the state will forgive any penalties or fees per Robert Mujica.

  • Governor will stop any eviction of residential or commercial tenants for 90 days.

  • State will provide funding to businesses producing necessary safety equipment and supplies. The Governor states that the state will pay a premium to businesses able to provide or produce these items.

  • Trump administration moves Tax Day to July 15

  • Hamilton County DMV: DMV and Clerk's Office are closed. Not taking appointments. Phone requests are being looked at on a one-by-one basis / Franklin County DMV: Closed to the public. No appointments. 



  • In response to the current situation, the North Country Chamber of Commerce, will be allowing a 60 day grace period on payments for vision and dental policies. Also, anyone affected by layoffs can temporarily cancel their policies and be reinstated when you return to work. Please contact us to make arrangements at 518-563-1000 or lisa@northcountrychamber.com.
The home page of the Chamber's website is now your go to resource for all things Coronavirus related. From information to help your business, health insurance, employee guidelines, restaurant offerings and CDC resources,  northcountrychamber.com  will hopefully make things a bit easier for you during this challenging time.
EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT: 3DRPD
With the constant evolution of the coronavirus situation, 3DRPD is proactive and keeps taking action to keep their employees safe. Here are some of the actions 3DRPD has taken:

  • Each employee has been trained on proper sanitation techniques and personal distancing.
  • They have setup their system to maximize the number of employees who can work from home.
  • They scheduled their employees in a way that they work alone or have great distance in between them.
  • At the end of the shift, each station is cleaned and sanitized. If there is a common station, they assign one person only for the day. 

Have a story to share about how your business is adjusting to this ever changing environment? We'd love to hear it!

Have Questions? We're here to help!

North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000
info@nothcountrychamber.com