COVID Time Capsule: Village & Chamber of Commerce

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

THE VILLAGE ELECTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL

 AFTER JUNE 1st, 2020

WE ARE AWAITING GUIDANCE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS FOR ALL ELECTION RELATED MATTERS

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UPDATED:

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

THE VILLAGE ELECTION HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

FROM 12:00 PM TO 9:00 PM AT VILLAGE HALL

WE ARE AWAITING GUIDANCE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS FOR ALL ELECTION RELATED MATTERS

All public meetings are cancelled at Village Hall until further notice (Board of Trustees, Planning and Zoning Board)

All Village sponsored community events are cancelled/postponed until further notice

Many merchants throughout Farmingdale Village are open for takeout, curbside and delivery. Several stores / merchants are open to the public but hours may vary. Call / check the businesses social media / websites for details

Please consider donating to those in need during this crisis. Whether its helping a neighbor, shopping for seniors, family members or donating within the local community

Farmingdale Village is collecting non-perishable food donations for the needy in the local community. Donations can be dropped off and placed in the food pantry box located outside the entrance to Village Hall from 8:30am -4:30pm Monday - Friday

St. Kilian’s Social Ministry is collecting donations – and are open for assistance and donations Tuesdays and Fridays from 9am – Noon. Donations can be brought to the entrance door that faces Elizabeth Street (140 Elizabeth Street). Please do not bring donations to the Outreach building outside of those times or to our door that faces Conklin Street, which will be used for assistance only. If you cannot get to us during those hours with your donations. There are wooden bins in the back of the church that are available for donations.

While schools throughout the nation are closed – the Farmingdale School district issued a memo regarding meals for students that receive free/reduced meals that can be picked up at 3 locations on weekdays – Howitt Middle School (west building, main entrance, 7:30-9:30am), Saltzman East Memorial School (main entrance parking lot, 8-9am) and Bethesda Junior Academy (Amityville, in parking lot, 8-9 am). Student ID is required to pick-up the meals. Any questions email:  foodservicessupport@farmingdaleschools.org.

Check the Village website and Nassau County Health Department website for updates: www.farmingdalevillage.com, Nassau County Health Department (link for COVID-19 Nassau County Health Department webpage)

June 3, 2020 

Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand, on behalf of Village Taxpayers, requested and received approval from Governor Cuomo through executive order 202.36 to extend the payment of Farmingdale Village Taxes for 21 Days without penalty. Village Taxes, normally due by July 1 each year, can now be paid until the close of business on July 22, 2020 without penalty  

Village of Farmingdale
Due to the COVID-19 Case Increase,
VILLAGE HALL IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

The staff will be in the office from Monday – Friday,
8:30am – 4:30pm to answer any phone calls or emails.
Please mail payments or use the drop box to the left of the front door. We anticipate opening to the public on
Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

In case of emergency, please call the
Fire Department dispatch number:

516-531-9820

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION

Village Hall: 516-249-0093    Court: 516-293-2292

Declaration of State of Emergency Order

(CORONAVIRUS) 2020

RALPH EKSTRAND, as the Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Farmingdale, pursuant to the powers vested in him by Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law, in order to preserve the public safety and property of the Village of Farmingdale, DOES HEREBY ORDER that:

The Village is declared under a STATE of EMERGENCY; and it is FURTHER ORDERED that:

A.         Effective March 16, 2020, the Village will be open but Village Hall will be closed to the public. Furthermore, all Village public facilities shall be closed to the public. For life threatening emergencies you may continue to contact our Fire Department Directly at (516) 249-0070 or dial 911. For non-life threatening emergencies (Water Main Breaks, etc.) please call the Farmingdale Fire Department Non-Emergency Line at (516) 531-9820. During this state of emergency you may continue to email the Village for non-emergent matters. Emails should be sent to rekstrand@farmingdalevillage.com or bharty@farmingdalevillage.com or you may call (516) 249-0093 and your call will be forwarded to our Fire Department’s Non-Emergency line. Rest assured we are reviewing these non-emergent communications but the public is asked, to the greatest extent possible, during the state of emergency to defer any non-emergent attempts to contact Village Hall until such time as this DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDER is lifted and or rescinded.    

B.          Any and all meetings of the official Boards or committees of the Village, are hereby adjourned during the pendency of this DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDER;

C.          The Village continues to communicate with and work with County Executive, Laura Curran, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor, Joseph Saladino, Governor Cuomo, their staff and their public health advisors. Rest assured, the Village shall continue to advise the public of information concerning the Corona Virus pandemic (via the Village website: http://www.farmingdalevillage.com/ and via telephone via constant contact) and the Village shall immediately implement any additional orders and effectuate any additional public health actions intended to preserve the wellbeing of our residents and the public at large.

The Mayor thanks everyone for their understanding and cooperation during this DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDER.

This DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDER shall be effective IMMEDIATELY and shall remain in effect until removed by further order of the Mayor.

Failure to obey this order shall subject such subject such violator(s) to those penalties and incarceration as set forth in the New York State Executive Law.

Dated: Farmingdale, New York

March 20, 2020

RALPH EKSTRAND

Mayor

                                                               Welcome Back to Farmingdale Village!

We are all in this Together! We hope everyone is well and staying safe, and are happy to be moving ahead as the Long Island region progresses, re-opening from the Covid-19 pandemic. Welcome back to Farmingdale Village!

The weekly Farmingdale Farmers Market by Schneider's farm continues on Sundays, through November 22nd, from 10 am - 3 pm, weather permitting, On the Village Green, with social distancing - face coverings/masks are required.

Please continue to shop / dine Local, support the Village merchants, and we look forward to brighter days, #farmingdalereopening. Check their websites, social media or call them to confirm operating hours, place orders, for reservations, and further information. We thank everyone for their cooperation throughout the pandemic and remember to practice social distancing and wear face coverings in public for health and safety.

Farmingdale Village Looks Forward to Coming Back Strong!

Thanks again to ALL essential workers, health care workers - front line workers and to everyone supporting - helping each other, #dalerstrong!!

Stay Safe & Be Well,

Mayor Ralph Ekstrand

How to Support our #Farmingdale Businesses:
✅Order Take Out
✅Order Online
✅Buy Gift cards
✅Consider continuing to pay (even if services are temporarily unavailable)
If you typically pay a business monthly or even weekly (such as a local gym, personal trainer, or home cleaning service) if you are able, consider still paying them as if you were using the service.
Final Thoughts
As we all continue to adapt to a new reality, the best way that we can keep ourselves safe and support small businesses is to consciously shop local (online or over the phone) when possible.

Yes, it may not always be the most convenient — you might have to wait a little longer or pay a little more than you would at a big-box retailer. But, as the country struggles to overcome a once-in-a-century pandemic, practicing patience and empathy and support towards our neighbors is paramount to our recovery as a nation. A decision as small as purchasing a gift card from your favorite local restaurant could make all the difference to the owners of the restaurant and the employees who count on them for income. #dalerstrong 

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#Farmingdale’s #DalersForDalers program has been feeding local health care workers with funds donated by Farmingdale residents. The program is also helping to support Farmingdale restaurant owners who are struggling through this crisis. THANK YOU DALERS! #DalerStrong 

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#Farmingdale Chamber's board of directors have diligently kept to their meeting schedule throughout the COVID pandemic.They generously continue to devote their time and talents in the best interest of serving our members and the Farmingdale community. #DalerStrong 

The coronavirus outbreak has led to a months-long, yet ongoing, struggle for small businesses across the United States. Mandates requiring temporary closures in spring and reduced occupancy throughout summer have thrown many challenges at New York merchants trying to stay afloat financially. The pandemic has been "really difficult" for Farmingdale businesses, says Joseph Garcia, the community's Chamber of Commerce president.

Garcia, a manager at Weichert Realtors, has served as the chamber's president for 2-and-a-half years. This is "certainly the biggest challenge" the chamber and its merchant members have faced in his time in the role, he said.

"The businesses that are doing well have to work 10-times harder just to survive it and continue to survive it," he told Patch. "There were plenty of businesses that, no matter what they did, were just not going to have the ability to hang on."

Vital Peel Bar & Spa, as well as Striking 101, both closed permanently due to the coronavirus. Peanuts Nursery School nearly went out of business, though it will reopen next month with a "fighting chance" after support from local residents.

"We know several businesses have already shut," Garcia said. "And we expect, unfortunately, for there to be some more. Our small business people are hardworking. They're tenacious. But we live in a very high-cost area in a very-high cost state with very high property taxes and very high utility costs."

Most financial relief for business owners has come in the form of loans or by deferring payments, whether that's rent, utilities or taxes, Garcia said. However, all of those expenses will eventually need to be paid. Businesses running at a 10 to 15 percent profit have lost a third of their revenue, Garcia said, adding that it will take merchants "years" to make back the pandemic losses before they start making profits again.

"Happily, I think a lot of our members are in a little bit better shape than some of the businesses that are out there, but we still know there's a lot of pain to go around," he said.

Garcia has offered his members two pieces of advice: "Focus on what you can do" and "Keep an eye on your profitability." For the former, he says merchants need to home in on what they're still allowed to do given the restrictions caused by the pandemic and do it "really well." As for profitability:

"It doesn't make sense to do things always for exposure or because you just have to do something," Garcia said. "You need to really know your numbers and you really need to make sure whatever you're doing is profitable, or you have to find another way to do things."

The chamber had to adapt its own primary function at the onset of COVID-19. Previously, a core aspect of the chamber was to run networking events that connected business owners with potential customers. That way, merchants could satisfy the needs of the community, and residents would frequent their shops. However, the idea of holding networking events became very different around March, Garcia said.

Face-to-face, belly-to-belly interacts have not been feasible given current restrictions. The chamber of commerce has pivoted to be a source of information, Garcia said. It seeks out resources, such as personal protective equipment, Paycheck Protection Program or Small Business Administration loans, or grants to help support shopkeepers.

Garcia said he's happy to hear more ideas on how the chamber can help its merchants.

"There's not been a magic bullet that we've come up with to find a way to either pump liquidity into these businesses in the form of a grant instead of loans, and we have not found some magic potion that we could get the community to come out and shop heavily at our members," he said.

The chamber has instead served as a source of information on marketing programs, repayment programs or grant programs, as well as a motivational force.

"Whenever you're a small business owner, you're really on an island by yourself," Garcia said. "Nobody's ever going to tell you that you did a great job, and no one's ever going to tell you what to do. Sometimes, the chamber can fill the need of moral support which may not exist in other places for a business owner. We'll try to keep doing all that and just reminding the community to shop local, shop small, shop Farmingdale."

Businesses around Farmingdale have helped support each other — both during and before the coronavirus outbreak. Products from certain shops can be found on the menus of other eateries, and sign companies have aided getting COVID-19-compliant messaging into shops.

"You find a lot of friends in the small business community here in Farmingdale, and there's no reason you couldn't pick up the phone and ask for help, because our members are out there helping each other," Garcia said. "But when you have these natural gatherings, whether it's through virtual means or outdoor tailgating, we find that somebody may have a question, somebody's got an answer, but three other people have the same question. They've been really helpful for our members to stay connected and continue finding help in places they've never needed it before."

Farmingdale Village particularly is known for its food scene. It officially became dubbed the "Culinary Quarter" in November.

Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Resources

Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, like business-support organizations everywhere, is doing everything they can to help support local businesses adversely affected by COVID-19.  In addition to helping promote their member’s new business models to the community during this crisis and offering various tools available to them through their membership, the chamber felt the need to funnel some sales to the businesses hardest hit.  As a result, the board of directors has initiated a ‘Dalers for Dalers’ program.
 
Farmingdale residents have been contributing monetary donations to the chamber’s Daler for Dalers to be used to purchase food from Farmingdale restaurants to be delivered to the homes of Farmingdale medical personnel who work in hospitals.  These Farmingdale residents are working tirelessly to keep us safe. This community effort is a simple way to thank them by providing their families with a hot meal when they return home from work.   The chamber has contributed $1,500 to this fund.
 
We encourage everyone to consider donating whatever they can to contribute this effort to support Farmingdale residents while also helping to support Farmingdale’s small businesses.