Dear Friends,
Over the last week we have welcomed the return of some of New York City’s most renowned arts and entertainment properties. MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened their doors to the public, and the MTV Video Music Awards broadcast their star-studded celebration against the backdrop of our beloved city. (If you missed the show, you can
watch the show here.) These events affirmed New York City as the epicenter, not of COVID-19, but of media, arts and culture.
The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) continues to work with our colleagues in government, local communities and the industries we serve to support restart and recovery and keep you informed about updates and available resources.
MEDIA PRODUCTION
As of September 1, productions may submit permit applications for filming on exterior locations on public property with up to 100 cast and crew, held parking and assistance from the NYPD Movie/TV unit. Certain restrictions still apply with respect to over-dimensional vehicles and around open streets, open restaurants and open classrooms. Updated production guidance is available on the
Film Permit website. Please review the guidelines and FAQ before submitting permit applications. The Film Office is operating remotely, so please allow additional time for Film Permit processing.
NIGHTLIFE
This week, the Office of Nightlife presented the first report on M.A.R.C.H. (Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots) operations, which are unannounced inspections of nightlife establishments led by the NYC Police Department in coordination with other city agencies and the NY State Liquor Authority. This report is the first of what will be semi-annual reports are mandated by Local Law 220 of 2019 in order to provide data and insight about nightlife enforcement that can inform ways to improve and mitigate the need for enforcement.
MEND NYC continues to build momentum, offering residents and businesses opportunities to resolve disputes over quality-of-life issues through mediation. Administered by the
Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) in partnership with the Office of Nightlife, MEND (Mediating Establishment and Neighbor Disputes) NYC provides an option to refer cases involving chronic or urgent quality-of-life complaints related to a restaurant, bar, or other nightlife venue to OATH’s
Center for Creative Conflict Resolution. By providing residents and businesses with a vehicle to collaboratively design creative solutions and repair tense relationships, MEND NYC aims to mitigate the need for formal enforcement, such as issuing summonses, which can add financial hardship to small businesses that are already under tremendous strain.
To assist businesses participating in outdoor dining, the Office of Nightlife has made the following guides and informational materials available for download at
www.nyc.gov/nightlife:
RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES
Information and guidelines for businesses reopening in Phase 4 are available at NYC.gov/nycbusiness. Under the State’s
New York Forward plan, each business must develop a written Safety Plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Businesses may
fill out this template or develop their own Safety Plan, which must be conspicuously posted on site and made available to the New York State Department of Health or New York City health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is hosting
Small Business Resource Fairs to provide information about requirements and guidelines to re-opening, safety plans, financial assistance, regulatory changes, employee support, licensing, inspections, and more. They also have a small business hotline—
888-SBS-4NYC or 888-727-4692—to answer questions about the latest guidelines and regulations.
The
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers information about reopening requirements and health and safety guidelines for the workplace, including
FAQs for NYC Workers and an
update about workplace laws for employers and employees to stop the spread of COVID-19. In addition, they have set up a
Worker Protection Hotline at 311 or 1-212-436-0381 for questions about reopening or to report an employer that is not following reopening requirements.
DCWP and SBS also are working with business-serving partner organizations throughout the five boroughs to distribute free face coverings citywide to small businesses and their employees. If you are a small business looking to secure free face coverings for your employees,
information is available here.
The
NYC PPE + Reopening Supplies Marketplace provides a one-stop-shop for easy-to-access suppliers of (i) face masks and coverings, (ii) face shields, (iii) gloves, (iv) cleaning and disinfectant products, (v) physical barriers and portable furniture, and (vi) other supplies needed for re-opening. It represents both local and national suppliers and manufacturers to provide a wide range of order minimums.
New York State’s COVID-19 Travel Advisory remains in effect. Travelers from 30 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to New York. The State Department of Health issued an
emergency health order mandating that travelers from designated high infection states provide local authorities with contact information upon entering New York to help enforce quarantining. For more information, visit the New York State website at
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/ or call the New York State hotline at
888-364-3065.
* * *
As the city continues to reopen, we encourage you to join the
#AllinNYC social media campaign that showcases New York stories of resilience.
All in NYC invites residents and businesses to share their love for their neighborhoods, elevating a diverse range of voices across channels to celebrate the locals who make the City so engaging and encourage visitors to enjoy a deeper, authentic experience in NYC’s many enclaves. Information on how to participate is
available here.
And finally, a reminder that
we’re down to the final month of CENSUS 2020. As New York City faces unprecedented challenges in the wake of COVID-19, filling out the census has never been more important. The census determines how the federal government allocates hundreds of billions of dollars every year to states and cities for important programs and services we all rely on, including education, housing, transportation, and even health care. The census also determines the number of seats New York State gets in Congress, as well as our local and State legislative district lines. Now, more than ever, we cannot lose out on representation in Washington or Albany.
Filling out the census is easy--just 10 simple questions can be answered in just a few minutes online by visiting
my2020census.gov, or by calling 844-330-2020 for assistance in English. Please fill it out if you haven’t already done so, and then spread the word!
