News (All) - Page 39 of 163 - Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP

CMM Strategies Presents Business Unusual: Tech Talk

Event Date: October 20th, 2020

Technology is one of the countless aspects of the business world the pandemic has upended – and one of the most critical. Join us as Michael Chiang, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Stony Brook Small Business Development Center, and Phil Rugile, Director of LaunchPad Huntington, provide an inside look at the technology landscape for small businesses as the pandemic stretches on.

Chiang and Rugile will share their experiences with the SBDC’s Technology Enhancement Program, part of the Suffolk County Forward recovery program. With a focus on major technology priorities including contactless payment and mobile-friendly websites, the program helps startups and small businesses implement the technology that their survival depends on.

DATE: Tuesday, October 20
TIME: 11:30 a.m.

Business Unusual: Kristen Jarnagin of Discover Long Island

Posted: September 22nd, 2020

September 22, 2020 – Episode 18 of Business Unusual Weekly Recovery Webinar with business leaders Joe Campolo and Peter Klein. In this episode, Campolo welcomes Kristen Jarnagin, President & CEO of Discover Long Island. The discussion focused on innovative new programs to help the region’s vibrant tourism industry and local businesses survive and thrive.

Campolo and HIA-LI Call on Business Community to Demand Economic Relief from the U.S. Senate

Posted: September 22nd, 2020

Joe Campolo, CMM Managing Partner and HIA-LI Board Chairman, put out a call to action to the Long Island business community, including HIA-LI members, to demand federal funding for New York State and local municipalities. These funds are critical to our region’s economic recovery. Read the message and take action below.

HIA-LI Demands Immediate Economic Relief for New York State and Municipalities

Patience is a virtue – and a luxury that Long Island can no longer afford.

Every minute that the Senate refuses to pass an economic relief bill, millions of dollars in losses continue to mount.

Many business sectors remain in freefall. Sales taxes are Suffolk County’s largest revenue source, funding nearly half of the $3.2 billion annual budget – but sales taxes impacted by the pandemic are not going to rebound quickly enough to sustain any type of economic recovery. The Suffolk County Budget Review Office estimates that Suffolk County will lose close to $150 million in revenue from a variety of sources.

Infrastructure spending is the only solution that will drive sustained recovery. But municipalities have put millions of dollars in infrastructure spending on hold due to lack of funds. In addition to New York State and its counties requiring additional federal funding, Towns and Villages throughout Suffolk County need additional federal assistance to fund critical infrastructure projects, as well as fund essential services and increased costs in the face of unprecedented lost revenue.

As Long Island’s strongest business advocate and steward of the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge – the second largest industrial park in the nation behind only Silicon Valley – HIA-LI and its members must demand action from the U.S. Senate. Our economic recovery depends on it.

Hats off to our local elected officials at all levels of government, who understand the urgency and have been working on bipartisan solutions to provide direct support to state and local governments. (Learn more about their calls for direct coronavirus funding to state and local governments here.) But the Senate has continued to delay.

We ask you to reach out to the dignitaries listed below and let them know how critical this funding is to our region’s economic recovery.

We simply do not have any more time to wait. The time to act is now.

Joe Campolo

Board Chairman, HIA-LI

Managing Partner, Campolo, Middleton & McCormick

Terri Alessi-Miceli

President & CEO, HIA-LI

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Representative Lee Zeldin – Conor Carney: Conor.Carney@mail.house.gov

Representative Thomas Suozzi – Conor Walsh: Conor.Walsh@mail.house.gov

Representative Peter King – Kevin Fogarty: Kevin.Fogarty@mail.house.gov

Representative Kathleen Rice – Michel Viterise: michele.viterise@mail.house.gov

Senator Charles Schumer – Garrett Armwood: Garrett_Armwood@schumer.senate.gov

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand – Magdalonie Campbell: Magdalonie_Campbell@gillibrand.senate.gov

Campolo Moderates HIA-LI’s Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge Update

Posted: September 22nd, 2020

On September 22, 2020, HIA-LI Board Chairman Joe Campolo moderated a panel of elected officials and business leaders about the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, the anchor of the region’s economy. Check out the video replay for the latest updates about zoning changes, post-COVID economic issues, and more.

CMM Strategies Presents Business Unusual: The Electron-Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Lab

Posted: September 21st, 2020

Event Date: October 13th, 2020

Located right in our backyard, Brookhaven National Laboratory delivers discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future. Join Joe Campolo and Peter Klein as they welcome Diane Hatton, the Electron-Ion Collider Project Manager, for a fascinating look at the lab’s Electron-Ion Collider and its impact on technology and our economy.

About the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC): All information technology – and much of our economy today – relies on understanding the electromagnetic force between the atomic nucleus and the electrons that orbit it. The science of that force is well understood, but we still know little about the microcosm within the atomic nucleus. That’s why BNL is building a new machine – an Electron-Ion Collider, or EIC – to look inside the nucleus. What we learn from the EIC could power the technologies of tomorrow.

DATE: Tuesday, October 13
TIME: 11:30 a.m.

CMM Strategies Presents Business Unusual: Dr. James Lentini, President of Molloy College

Posted: September 21st, 2020

Event Date: October 6th, 2020

The pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to higher education. Dr. James Lentini became the President of Molloy College at the height of this turbulent period and will join us to discuss how Molloy is facing these challenges head-on. Dr. Lentini will share his experiences taking the helm at Molloy during the pandemic and will give insight on both the difficulties and opportunities facing educational institutions in 2020 and beyond. A passionate and thoughtful higher education leader, Dr. Lentini holds Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Music, and Bachelor of Music degrees and will share how his background in the arts informs his leadership philosophy.

As home to the Energeia Partnership, a leadership academy dedicated to addressing the complex issues facing Long Island, Molloy is helping to reshape both higher education and our region. Join us for an inside look!

DATE: Tuesday, October 6
TIME: 11:30 a.m.

Campolo Delivers Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Smithtown Overlay Zoning District at LI Innovation Park at Hauppauge

Posted: September 18th, 2020

Joe Campolo delivered these remarks at a press conference on September 18, 2020 announcing the creation of the Smithtown overlay district, which will allow for the development of apartments in a section of the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge. This legislation is the culmination of years of work led by Campolo as HIA-LI Board Chairman. Other speakers included Terri Alessi-Miceli of HIA-LI, Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, Suffolk County Economic Development Commissioner Natalie Wright, Kelly Morris of Suffolk IDA, Mitch Pally of LIBI, and Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick.

Today’s announcement is a celebration of Long Island’s future. It also represents Long Island’s role as a nationwide leader, because we have created a blueprint for successful industrial parks across America. In today’s COVID-battered economy, this is no small feat – it’s something we should all be extremely proud of.

People snickered four years ago when I suggested that HIA-LI commission an Economic Impact Study to gather facts about the impact of the Park. They called it “a random collection of buildings.” They questioned why the Suffolk IDA and Regional Plan Association would fund an extensive Opportunity Analysis and bring in the renowned James Lima Planning + Development. They said these efforts would never amount to anything – this little tract of land was no Silicon Valley. Boy were they wrong.

The facts revealed unequivocally that the approximately 1,400 businesses in the Park are concentrated in tradable sectors – the industries bringing new dollars and economic growth to the region with high-paying jobs demanding a highly educated workforce. The Opportunity Analysis revealed that on Long Island as a whole, tradable industries are small, making up only 23 percent of Nassau and Suffolk’s economy (far short of the national average of 36 percent). But a staggering 58 percent of the jobs in the Park are in tradable industries – far outpacing the national average. With the largest concentration of tradable industry businesses on Long Island, and as the regional economic hub that fosters the greatest growth of competitive tradable industries, the Park is absolutely critical to economic growth and revitalization. This random collection of buildings has indeed earned its new name – the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge.

But we didn’t stop there. We have worked with the Town of Smithtown to ensure Long Island’s economic viability for years to come. Mixed use, multi-family rental housing stock is critical to facilitate job creation and economic growth, expand the property tax base, satisfy the unmet housing needs of the region, and enrich the “live-work-play” concept so critical to attracting these educated young workers. Especially in the age of COVID, workers do not want to travel far, if at all, to get to work.

Without housing, new workers cannot come to the region for these high-paying jobs because there is no place for them to live – and 68 percent of the young people already here are considering leaving. This model is not sustainable. With the Smithtown overlay district, we now have a new model that will anchor not only Long Island’s economy, but that of the entire state.

The impact will be immediate and meaningful. The construction of rental housing is estimated to consist of 2,900 construction jobs, $180.7 million in construction earnings, and $472.6 million in construction spending.

Post-construction, over $25 million in annual spending within Suffolk County from new residents (within a 10-20 mile radius from the units) is expected. Nearly 350 new jobs would be created as a result of the new resident spending, with projected earnings of $15.6 million and spending of $45 million. For this, Supervisor Wehrheim and the Town of Smithtown Board should be extremely proud.

I would like to thank the members of the Innovation Park Task Force for their tireless efforts: Terri Alessi-Miceli of HIA-LI; Carol Allen of People’s Alliance Federal Credit Union; Anthony Manetta of HB Solutions; Rich Humann of H2M Architects + Engineers; Jim Coughlan of TRITEC; Bob Quarte of AVZ; Jack Kulka of the Kulka Group; and Kevin O’Connor of BNB Bank.

As my term as HIA-LI Board Chair winds down, I could not be more proud of the way HIA-LI has worked together with elected officials and stakeholders to ensure Long Island’s future. 2020 continues to test us, but together, we are Long Island Strong.

Watch the Remarks Here

Recent Changes to New York State Voting Leave Rights for 2020

Posted: September 18th, 2020

By Christine Malafi

As Election Day approaches, employers should take note: last year, you may recall that New York State’s Election Law was amended to increase the amount of paid time off that employees could take to vote from two hours to up to three hours. This year, the law has reverted to the previous provisions with additional changes outlined below.

As of April 12, 2019, Election Law § 3–110 required that employees in New York who are registered voters may request and receive up to three hours paid time off to vote, regardless of their work schedule and without loss of pay. Under the 2020 amendments, the law reverts back to up to two hours of paid time off to vote, but only if the employee did not have four or more consecutive hours off between either the time the polls opened and the start of their shift, or the end of their shift and the time the polls closed.

Every employer must post the new Election Law requirements in a noticeable place, accessible to all employees and on company grounds, at least 10 days prior to every election, and leave the notice up through at least the close of the polls on Election Day. Additionally, employee handbooks need to be updated to reflect the new Election Law requirements.

Employees are allowed time off to vote only at the beginning or at the end of their work shift, at the employer’s discretion, unless another time is agreed upon between employee and employer. Employees must also notify their employer at least two working days prior, though not more than ten, to an election if they require time off to vote. Notably, the time off is “up to” two hours, not two hours. The law states that employees cannot be required to utilize any form of earned leave time or paid time off (PTO) to vote.

This law applies to all elections under the Election Law in its entirety—including primary and special elections. Specifically, the Election Law covers federal, state, county, city, town, or village office elections, as well as elections on ballot questions that are submitted to voters either state, county, city, town, or village-wide. It does not apply to school district, fire district, or library district elections and budget votes, as these are generally governed by laws other than the Election Law. The amended law does not indicate whether an employer is permitted to request proof of voter registration or require a voting receipt or other proof that the employee actually used their time off to vote.

Changes such as this one can leave businesses, especially small businesses, scrambling to stay on top of the requirements and at increased risk for non-compliance. For any questions about how to implement these changes at your organization in the least disruptive way possible, please contact our office.

Business Unusual: John Flanagan of Northwell Health

Posted: September 15th, 2020

September 15, 2020 – Episode 17 of Business Unusual Weekly Recovery Webinar with business leaders Joe Campolo and Peter Klein. In this episode, they welcomed John Flanagan, Vice President of Regional Government Affairs for Northwell Health’s Eastern Region. The discussion focused on Northwell’s unique role as a healthcare provider, educational institution, employer, research facility, and community partner during an unprecedented time.