Hurricane Update Message from Mayor Mark A. Smith, Thursday, November 8, 2012 Release Date: 11/08/2012
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has established a public information center at the Bayonne Community Museum, 229 Broadway (at 9th Street), to assist with applications for FEMA assistance and provide information on the FEMA claims process. FEMA representatives will be there from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, including Saturday and Sunday. Residents will be assisted on a walk-in basis. Please take advantage of this important service.
Power has been restored to almost all of the city, but we continue to press PSE&G to complete the restoration. If your home is still out, please advise our emergency operations center at 201-858-7183 or 201-858-7184.
Governor Christie has issued an administrative order imposing water use restrictions on cities like Bayonne, because of limited capacity at the Passaic Valley Sewage Commission, due to storm-related damage. All non-essential water usage is discouraged. Bayonne’s water quality has not been affected by the storm, and remains safe to use for all purposes.
The state of emergency declared at the beginning of the storm will end at 6:00 p.m. tonight (Thursday, November 8). The emergency operations center will remain open until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning (Friday, November 9). After that time, please report any issues to the Bayonne Police Department at 201-858-6900.
Most gas stations, pharmacies, and supermarkets are operating on normal schedules. Gas is generally available on an odd/even rationing basis.
Please be safe and let us know how we can help.
Mayor Smith and Assemblyman O’Donnell Announce Availability of Business Assistance Services Release Date: 11/08/2012
Bayonne Mayor Mark A. Smith and Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell announced that business assistance services are available for those affected by the storm. Services available include financial support, information on temporary space, and technical assistance for impacted businesses. Information for all services is available from New Jersey’s Business Action Center (BAC) by calling 1-866-534-7789, or by visiting the state business website, www.newjerseybusiness.gov.
Services include:
– Guarantees of up to $500,000 for commercial lines of credit to businesses that need access to cash to improve their damaged property while awaiting insurance proceeds, with all related New Jersey Economic Development Authority fees waived. – Grant awards for businesses to assist with on-the-job training costs for new workers hired specifically to assist in disaster-related activities, such as landscaping and tree removal, construction, insurance claims, building supplies sales, materials transport, utility work, call and claims centers staffing, and infrastructure clearing and repair. – Availability of the Business Resource Centers at any of the currently operational local One-Stop Career Centers across the state as temporary hubs for businesses to access telephone and internet services, as well as for job seekers and displaced workers seeking workforce development and unemployment assistance – Temporary Hubs for Affected Business to Access Telephone and Internet Services. – The availability of Disaster Unemployment Benefits to provide income security for those displaced workers suffering temporary storm-related job loss – Dispatch of Rapid Response Team members to identified Disaster Recovery Centers to assist displaced workers.. – Availability of services through the New Jersey Youth Corps to assist non-profit, public, and governmental entities in a variety of ways for disaster relief and clean-up.
In addition, BAC’s Business Call Center is also the one-stop resource for more information on how to get businesses back up and running. The Call Center staff can assist with the following services:
– Arranging business facility inspections for buildings suffering major flood damage, as such conditions require structural integrity inspections before utility service can be restored. These inspections are handled in local code enforcement offices and by local code enforcement officials. Anticipating an enormous increase in such work, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has mobilized all qualified personnel to assist local governments in this effort. – Advocating for businesses seeking information from local utilities to restore electric, phone, gas, and water services. – Advocating with insurance carriers to file and expedite claims. – Providing information on how to qualify for federal recovery assistance. – Connecting businesses to the other county and local business services and to the services offered by the Small Business
Administration and Small Business Development Centers that include assistance with insurance claims, as well as loans and business plan revisions.
For more information about best practices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, please visit www.ready.nj.gov for continual updates
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