Rockland News - No paywall. No paper. Just the facts.

News from Rockland County, New York

New York State

Empire State Development Programs Offer Unprecedented Access to Capital for Loans, Equity and Technical Assistance for Small Businesses

By

More than $500 million in federal funding is now available to support the resurgence of small businesses across New York State through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a program through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury, SSBCI provides funds to support programs for small businesses, including socially and economically advantaged (SEDI) businesses and very small businesses (VSB), to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and allow them opportunity to succeed in the post-pandemic economy.
With this funding, Empire State Development (ESD) has developed a suite of capital access and equity programs to help New York State small businesses recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and allow them the opportunity to succeed.

County Executive Day, Congressman Lawler Highlight Local Immigration Impacts

By

New City, NY – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Congressman Mike Lawler shed light on local immigration impacts in schools, food pantries, housing, and social services in Rockland.

Rockland County Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Joan Silvestri was also present along with Juan Mena, Sloatsburg Food Pantry Board Member, Anita Dreichler, Rockland Community Against Hunger Coordinator, and Rosie Samudio, Director of WestCop Food Pantry.

“Lifeboats are a great tool to rescue people, but a lifeboat can only rescue so many. If you put too many people into one eventually it’s going to capsize and that’s what is happening here,” said County Executive Ed Day.

Local impacts over the last six months include:

  • Food pantries have run out of food
  • +1,000 kids enrolled in a local district
  • 35% increase in children under foster care

“What we’re asking for is help to help people. That’s all we’re asking for. We need smart people to get together and put the politics aside,” said DSS Commissioner Joan Silvestri. “So people do not live in the shadows. They come out; they’re self-sufficient; that’s what this country was built on.”

Congressman Lawler hopes to secure Federal Funding to assist localities and organizations assisting migrants who are resettling in addition to fixing the “broken immigration system that does not work.”

“We want to fix it so people who want to come here can do so and contribute to our society, economy, and culture as immigrants have and always will,” said Congressman Lawler. “We are a nation of immigrants and as I said before my wife is an immigrant. This is not about being against immigration this is about highlighting the real struggles of this broken system and the challenges the County is facing.”

“It’s happening in our backyard and hurting people in our backyard and that’s the reason why we had this press conference,” said County Executive Ed Day. “It screams out for solutions on the Federal level, and I acknowledge Congressman Lawler for trying to do that, but we need everyone in D.C. Democrats, Republicans to fix this system because it’s not helping people, it’s hurting people.”

Weber Announces Legislation to Authorize Orangetown to Establish a Community Preservation Fund

By

Assemblyman John McGowan is carrying preservation bill in the New York State Assembly

Orangetown, NY: New York State Senate Bill S4712, sponsored by Rockland Senator Bill Weber, authorizes the town of Orangetown to establish a community preservation fund.

The fund will be authorized to accept gifts of land or funds. Interest accrued by monies deposited into the fund will be credited directly to the fund. It will be prohibited for monies deposited into the preservation fund to be transferred to any other account.

New York State Assembly bill A4606, is being carried by Assemblyman John McGowan. Both bills are currently with their respective State committees on local government.

Senator Bill Weber stated, “I am grateful to Supervisor Teresa Kenny for bringing this innovative proposal to my attention. Many thanks to Assemblyman John McGowan for carrying this bill in the New York State Assembly. Protecting community character is something that is very important to me and the people of Orangetown and I’m gratified to be in a position to help.”

Assemblyman John W. McGowan stated: “This legislation is a home run for Orangetown as it will provide the Town the ability to preserve and protect land for a variety of beneficial and worthy uses, such as open spaces, parks, and agriculture. Ensuring that open spaces and natural resources are safeguarded is a top priority. This legislation will help further enhance the beautiful landscape and character of Orangetown for generations to come. I thank my colleagues, Senator Bill Weber and Orangetown Town Supervisor Teresa Kenny, for their partnership and efforts in support of this legislation.”

Supervisor Teresa M. Kenny stated, “I would like to thank Senator Bill Weber and Assemblyman John McGowan for sponsoring the Orangetown Community Preservation Fund Bill. As many of you recall, this was a key promise of my campaign in 2019. With support in both the Assembly and Senate, Orangetown should soon follow the path of Warwick and New Paltz, where millions of dollars have been raised and numerous pieces of property have been purchased. The land trust would allow Orangetown to protect at-risk properties and would give the town another tool it needs to preserve what makes Orangetown special.”

Harckham Proposes Creation of a Climate and Community Protection Fund

By

Broad commitment to ensuring Cap and Invest revenues are equitable and transparent, with a transition that is fair to labor

 

Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that he has introduced new legislation to create a Climate and Community Protection Fund (CCPF) that will finance the work of implementing the climate, jobs, and justice provisions of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) passed by the New York State Legislature and enacted in 2019.

The new law (S.5360) will ensure legislative oversight in appropriating funds to implement the CLCPA’s community-centered vision and provide transparency and flexibility in year-to-year climate appropriations; keep funding on budget so that the legislature can track spending and require reporting; and provide a democratic process for directing funds to specific spending programs with strong climate and climate justice impacts.

“The revenues from any Cap and Invest plan need to be directed toward meaningful and equitable climate and community programs rather than just sent to the state’s General Fund,” said Harckham. “We need a strong commitment to transitioning the state’s economy to clean energy, growing new union jobs and restoring environmental justice to disadvantaged communities.”

Harckham added, “All of this is going to require both a significant investment as well as a strong, transparent, fair, and community-focused spending plan. That’s why my office introduced legislation to establish the Climate and Community Protection Fund in partnership with NY Renews, a statewide coalition representing hundreds of thousands of environmental justice, community-based, labor, faith, business, and youth organizations from across the state.”

A key provision of the legislation, Harckham noted, is that it incorporates robust labor standards, such as prevailing wage requirements, buy U.S. procurement standards, and protection of benefits, wages and collective bargaining power.

Modeled upon the Environmental Protection Fund, Harckham’s bill to create the CCPF will include four separate accounts:

  • Climate, Jobs, and Infrastructure: directs funding to programs for increasing building efficiency, updating our energy infrastructure and expanding public transit upstate and on Long Island;
  • Community-Directed Climate Solutions: directs grants to community organizations for grassroots-led energy planning and reducing local emissions;
  • Community and Worker Transition Assistance: funds programs providing direct support to job training for impacted workers, funds to replace lost tax revenue for municipalities and school districts, as well as expanded economic development programs;
  • Energy Affordability: directs funding to rebate programs alongside additional measures to assist low and moderate-income families and small businesses to reduce the burden of energy costs while lowering emissions.

In addition to establishing the accounts for the purposes above, the CCPF directs the New York State Energy Research Authority (NYSERDA) to establish an Office of Equity for Energy and Environment to administer grants from the Community-Directed Climate Solutions account. The fund also creates a Gap Funding Program to address health and safety issues in existing buildings prior to weatherization and efficiency measures, and develops an equitable Climate Rebate program.

Finally, Harckham’s CCPF bill will require that at least 75% of funding supports projects located within disadvantaged communities. Up to 25% of funding may support projects outside of disadvantaged communities, if such funding provides a broader benefit to disadvantaged communities, including that of reducing pollution and energy costs, or increasing disadvantaged community ownership or governance of energy infrastructure. One year after the CCPF bill is enacted, and then annually, the Office of Equity for Energy and Environment shall submit a report to a climate justice working group on the use of funds in the Community-Directed Climate Solutions account and its grants program.

Katherine Nadeau, deputy director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, said, “The Climate and Community Protection Fund is a game-changer for climate justice funding in New York State. The law will democratize investments in buildings, businesses, and communities from Montauk to Buffalo, Plattsburgh to Delhi. It puts polluters’ dollars and taxpayers’ hard-earned money to work to support thriving, healthy communities, affordable energy, and family-supporting union jobs. Catskill Mountainkeeper is proud to support the CCPF, alongside the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers represented by the over 340 organizations in the NY Renews coalition.”

Eddie Bautista, executive director of New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA), said, “The New York City Environmental Justice Alliance commends Senator Harckham for introducing the Climate and Community Protection Fund. This bill can ensure an equitable and just transition towards renewable energy and storage to replace fossil fuel infrastructure. The CCPF will establish dedicated funds and accounts within the NYS budget that will be crucial for the implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The CCPF will help prioritize climate jobs and infrastructure while assisting low and moderate-income families to reduce the burden of energy costs while simultaneously reducing emissions. On behalf of environmental justice communities, NYC-EJA is calling on elected officials to help pass the CCPF to further investments in communities that are most burdened by the climate crisis.”

Dariella Rodriguez, director of community development at The Point Community Development Corporation, said, “New York’s Black, Brown, Indigenous and working-class communities—communities disproportionately impacted by extreme weather, toxic pollution and skyrocketing energy bills—deserve to take the lead in New York’s clean energy future. The Climate and Community Protection Fund would empower neighborhoods from the Bronx to Buffalo to enact grassroots-led energy plans, climate resiliency programs and clean energy jobs training, while lowering energy bills for low- and middle-income families. New Yorkers deserve to live in healthy, thriving communities; the CCPF is a key step in securing climate and environmental justice for New York State.”

Nadeau, Bautista and Rodriguez are members of the NY Renews Steering Committee.

Massive 18-Car Pileup on Route 9W Blamed on Icy Conditions

By

A multi-vehicle pileup caused a New York highway to shut down, causing traffic delays and injuries on Monday morning. The incident occurred on route 9W in Fort Montgomery.

According to authorities, a total of 18 vehicles, including a tractor-trailer, were involved in the collision. The cause of the pileup is still under investigation, but eyewitnesses reported that the accident occurred due to icy conditions on the roadway.

The pileup caused significant traffic delays for several hours. Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene to assist the injured and to clear the wreckage.

A total of three people were transported to local hospitals for treatment of injuries. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time, but all are expected to be ok.

The incident is a reminder of the importance of safe driving during inclement weather conditions. Drivers are urged to exercise caution and slow down when driving in icy or wet conditions to avoid accidents.

The New York State Department of Transportation also reminds drivers to prepare their vehicles for winter driving by ensuring that their tires are properly inflated and have adequate tread, and by keeping their windshield wipers and defrosters in good working condition.

The department also advises drivers to keep a safe distance from other vehicles and to avoid sudden lane changes or maneuvers that could cause a collision.

Translate »