ATTENTION: Post-Sandy Updates

The Office of Council Member Letitia James is available at the District Office at 67 Hanson Place, and has been assisting residents in emergency shelters, and facilitating fallen tree removal and other Hurricane Sandy-related issues. The District Office may be contacted at (718) 260-9191.

Important information has been sent to local community organizations over the last 72 hours, and is summarized below:

Con Ed/ Electricity
As of October 31, 2012, Con Edison was able to return service to many Manhattan and Brooklyn customers who have been without service since Hurricane Sandy touched down. If you are still without service, please report to 1-800-75-CONED. The Con Ed outage map is available here: http://apps.coned.com/stormcenter_external/default.html
Please be aware that the NYPD has set-up light towers in areas that continue to be without power.

Buildings
The Department of Buildings has begun inspecting buildings in  Zone A areas to assess their structural integrity. By and large, these inspections are taking place outside of the 35th District.

However, please be aware that buildings will be tagged with one of three color placards to indicate their safety: ​
Green: the building is safe to enter
Red: the building is not safe and may not be entered
Yellow: it can be occupied conditionally (i.e. one floor may be safe while another is not.) These conditions would be explained on a placard attached to the building.

Transportation
As the MTA and New York City Transit recover, Governor Andrews Cuomo has announced that free transit will be available for Thursday (Nov 1) and Friday (Nov 2), and limited subway service will be available. WNYC has a helpful Transit Tracker available here: http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2012/oct/28/transit-tracker/. Multiple outlets are reporting that the MTA-operated Brooklyn-Manhattan "bus bridge" is slow-moving, as is acquiring gas. Please be aware that cars entering Manhattan must have 3 passengers between the hours of 6:00AM to midnight. Roughly 4,000 taxis and livery cabs are available and allowed to do street hails and pick-up multiple fares. The city suggests an additional $10 charge per fare and notes that drivers must quote prices up front.

Schools
The Department of Education schools are closed Thursday (Nov 1) and Friday (Nov 2). Teachers and administrators are expected to report to work on Friday for updates.

CUNY is open on Friday (Nov 2), except: Borough of Manhattan Community College, College of Staten Island, Baruch College and Kingsborough Community College.

Sanitation
The Department of Sanitation is making scheduled garbage collections as conditions permit. Recycling collections are suspended at this time.

Volunteering
This is a list of the local emergency shelters:

• NYC Technical College, 300 Jay Street
• I.S. 117, 300 Willoughby Avenue
• I.S. 55, 2021 Bergen Street
• Brooklyn Tech High School, 29 Fort Greene Place
• Boys and Girls High School, 1700 Fulton Street
• Clara Barton High School, 901 Classon Avenue

You may additionally find your local emergency shelter location here: http://gis.nyc.gov/oem/he/index.html. The Park Slope Armory and Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene are hosting a large number of people, specifically seniors and people with disabilities. Those looking to volunteer or donate supplies should stop by. Otherwise, you may volunteer with NYC Service by contacting 311 or nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov. A list of volunteering opportunities is available here: http://www.dogoodrighthere.org/blog/tue-10302012-325pm/volunteer-help-after-storm.

Homeowners (Who Have Sustained Loss)
Residents and business owners who sustained losses may begin applying for assistance http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov/, or 800-621-FEMA(3362). Additionally, please log your application with New York City Communities for Change at http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/6245/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=6487.

The Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) provides low interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, equipment, inventory, etc. that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster. Further information is available here: http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants/small-business-loans/disaster-loans

Businesses (Who Have Sustained Loss)
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has created a resource guide with vital information and phone numbers businesses need to contact in order to get assistance and emergency loans. The guide can be accessed here www.ibrooklyn.com/sandy. Emergency loans will be made available to small-to-midsize businesses through the City, with caps at $10,000. Please see here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz/html/contact/manager.shtml, or call 311 for NYC Business Solutions.

Midsize-to-large businesses that need to rebuild should contact the NYC Economic Development Corporation for further information on an emergency sales tax letter from New York City Industrial Development Authority (IDA) that will allow businesses to avoid payment of New York City and New York State sales taxes on materials purchased for rebuilding. IDA will also waive all fees and look to streamline its normal procedure. This program is expected to offer economic benefits to reconstruction projects costing $500,000 or more. Please contact Shin Mitsugi at smitsugi@nycedc.com for further information on this program.

Finally, office space at Brooklyn Army Terminal is available free of charge. This space includes approximately 40,000 square feet of warehouse area.

The Federal SBA is assisting small businesses with several loans that have been made available since New York City has been declared a Disaster Area. Please see further information here: https://www.box.com/s/jifheaiau2x8y76xqzb9
Application Filing Deadlines:
Physical Damage: December 31, 2012
Economic Injury: July 31, 2013

CM James Sponsors "Beautify and Unify" To Encourage CrH/PH Revitalization; 8/20

Council Member Letitia James invites the Crown Heights and Prospect Heights communities to "Beautify and Unify", sponsored by Council Member Letitia James, NYC Community Cleanup, the Crown Heights Mediation Center, The Prospect Heights Street Tree Task Force, and the Executive Director of IKOKO!

The event is Saturday August 20th, beginning 10:00am (participants are encouraged to meet at 9:45am) on the corner of Sterling Place and Nostrand Avenue.

The clean-up day will encourage and assist in the ongoing North Crown Heights revitalization, and include graffiti removal, store front cleaning, garbage removal and street tree care. NYC Community Clean Up will provide these services (with the exception of street tree care) at no cost to the merchants and residents. Prospect Heights Street Tree Task Force will handle tree care which will include soil aeration, mulching, and pruning. The Crown Heights Mediation Center conceived of the clean-up day as a way to support new and existing businesses along Nostrand Avenue.

Council Member James encourages store owners along Nostrand to contact the Brooklyn Solution Center Branch of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, which provide alternate sources of capital and business solutions. Also, we encourage new store owners to access NBAT, New York City business acceleration initiative.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jonathan Perez at the Office of Council Member Letitia James at 718-260-9191.

ATTENTION: BK Chamber of Commerce, Con Edison Present "Real Green! Meet the Experts on Energy." 4/1; BK Boro Hall; 8:30AM

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Con Edison, will present "Real Green! Meet the Experts on Energy" at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Thursday, April 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The event is designed to encourage business owners and homeowners interested in "green-proofing" their businesses and residences, but who are stymied by concerns about cost or are searching for ideas about how to get started. The process for obtaining funding for green projects will be demystified and attendees will be able to explore ideas about eco-friendly construction illustrated by case studies that offer a road map approach to sustainability.

The selected case studies represent some of Brooklyn's newest and most exciting development projects- commercial projects will be the focus in the morning and will include a LEED-certified clothing store, Bird, and Brooklyn's newest recreation destination, Brooklyn Bowl. Residential projects will be covered in the afternoon and will feature projects such as The Silhouette and Greenbelt. In addition, attendees can take advantage of a full day of table presentations and the opportunity to meet one-on-one with representatives from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority).

Presenting sponsor, Con Edison, will offer free energy surveys for which attendees can sign up on-site at the event. This exciting "one-stop" fair will get attendees on their way to the most cost effective and achievable means to implement their wish list of green projects.

Real Green! is free and open to the public; advance registration is required.

Attendees may RSVP online at www.ibrooklyn.com; if you are interested in scheduling an appointment with a NYSERDA project manager, please send an email to Lori Raphael at lraphael@brooklynchamber.com or call (718) 875-1000 ext 140. Light refreshments will be served.

ATTENTION: Upcoming Community Events

*The Working Families Party (WFP) is extending an invitation for you to attend a breakfast reception honoring Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown with special guest Charles E. Schumer, United States Senator--

Monday, August 3, 2009
8AM- 9AM
100 Wall Street, 23rd Floor
N.Y., N.Y. 10005
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Cumberland Diagnostic & Treatment Center invite you to attend their World Breastfeeding Week Celebration--

Monday, August 3, 2009

10AM- 2PM
Cumberland Diagnostic & Treatment Center- Main Plaza
100 North Portland Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205

The event will include games, gifts, raffles, guest speakers and refreshments.
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*photo courtesy of bizjournals Business News.

And don't forget about tonight's Public Advocate/ Comptroller Candidates' Forum at St. Francis College!

Econ. Development Forum: PA, Comptroller; 8/3; St. Francis College; 6PM

On Monday, August 3, the candidates for New York City Comptroller and Public Advocate will participate in the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Candidates' Forum hosted by the Government Affairs Committee. The event will be held at St. Francis College- Founders Hall located at 180 Remsen Street, Downtown Brooklyn from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. and moderated by one of the City's leading political reporters, NY1's Michael Scotto. Candidates joining us are:

Comptroller Candidates

Melinda Katz, Councilmember (D-Queens)
John C. Liu, Councilmember (D-Queens)
David Weprin, Councilmember (D-Queens)
David Yassky, Councilmember (D-Brooklyn)

Public Advocate Candidates

Bill de Blasio, Councilmember (D-Brooklyn)
Eric Gioia, Councilmember (D-Queens)
Norman Siegel, Esq.

The candidates will discuss the economic development issues of Brooklyn and the City-you may submit your questions in advance to brooklynsprogress@brooklynchamber.com with Candidates' Forum in the subject line.

This event is free. Space is limited. You may register here.