SCHEDULE: Happenings, A ReOpening, A Menu Revamp, And More... 7/24/2020
/
|
|
How Sales Tax In Beacon Is Collected - By Dutchess County - And Redistributed
/As business in Beacon began to increase years ago, with commercial rents and home prices inching up, A Little Beacon Blog grew curious about the sales tax, and if Beacon was benefiting from any increased sales tax. Furthermore, we wondered, how Beacon was benefiting tax-wise from the growing short term rental market from website platforms like Airbnb.
Nick Page, a local resident and Dutchess County Legislator, as well as managerial worker for his family’s commercial and residential property development company, Hudson Todd, LLC, in Beacon, was wondering the same thing. He embarked on a search, and A Little Beacon Blog brought on research assistant Yvonne DeMoss to pursue finding the total sales tax generated for Beacon. Despite following up with numerous offices, we were unable to find the sales tax number. Instead, we are publishing what we have found so far that helps clarify how Beacon earns back the sales tax generated here.
“Surrendering Of Rights Of Preemption With Respect To Sales And Use Tax As A Source Of Revenue”
Decades ago, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, and some other surrounding municipalities, agreed to surrender all sales tax generated in their communities to Dutchess County to manage. Dutchess County is then contracted to pay out a fixed sum from that collection of money, negotiated over the years through different contracts and mayors, back to the municipalities. You can see the contract originally signed between Dutchess County and Beacon (as well as other municipalities) here that started as far back as 1989 and was renewed in 2013 to go through 2022.
How Much Sales Tax Is Generated In Beacon?
When A Little Beacon Blog started this research project last year, we were looking for the total number of sales tax dollars generated in Beacon, so that we could see if the number was going up or down. Instead, we learned that Dutchess County pays Beacon a fixed sum over a scheduled period of time. Once we learned of the flat rate Beacon was paid by Dutchess County, we wanted to see if Beacon was getting a good deal or not, since the flat rate is one that is negotiated. In June 2019, we reached out to Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, to see if he knew Beacon’s sales tax total generated in Beacon, as compared with the flat rate Beacon receives, but he did not: “I am sorry, I would not have that information. We believe it is a pretty good deal.”
When A Little Beacon Blog inquired with then Mayor Randy Casale about it also in June 2019, he stated: “I’ve been looking for the number for 4 years!” Randy did indicate that by having a flat rate that does not change, it could put Beacon in a good position of guaranteed income, should it face a slump or dark period as is has before. This makes the annual budget more predictable. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said after issuing a sales tax performance report in 2018: “As history has proven, sales tax can be an unpredictable revenue source for our local governments.”
We have confirmed that the Department of Taxation collects the amount of sales tax generated in Beacon, but will not release it, stating that tallying a total dollar figure would be difficult, as online sales gets tricky when items are purchased from a store and shipped out of state.
Jeff McLauchlin, Senior Administrative Analyst for the New York Department of Taxation, explained it this way: “Sales tax vendors collect the tax and remit it to the State Department of Taxation and Finance and the department distributes the revenue. Sales tax in New York is a destination based. One quick example: A business in Beacon sells to a customer online who lives in Saratoga. The sales tax rate is that for Saratoga and the return filed by the business should reflect the breakdown of sales to different jurisdictions properly. Purchasers who aren’t charged the correct rate or no tax at all are still responsible for paying the sales tax.” Saratoga County also collects sales tax for municipalities, but Saratoga City, a tourist destination, collects its own separately. A finance transparency tool can be found here.
Dutchess County Legislature Nick Page submitted a FOIL to the Department of Taxation and Finance in July 2019 in order to get clear numbers, and was told that the answer would take time to process, might be completed in August 2019, would have a fee for printing pages, and was not guaranteed to be approved.
The New York State Comptrollers office also states that they are not apprised of what the incoming dollar figure is, but does track the total amount for payments paid out (aka “distributions) by Dutchess County to each participating municipality. The State Comptroller’s response in May 2019 by way of Katelyn Israelski, with the Office of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, was: “Our Local Government and School Accountability division has informed me that OSC doesn't typically monitor monthly or quarterly sales tax distributions by counties, but that data is reported annually by both the county and those local governments receiving funds.”
Katelyn then attached the historical data that they have available for Beacon for Sales Tax Revenue Distributions from Dutchess County. “Unfortunately,” she continued, “we do not have data on the sales tax generated, for which NYS Dept. of Tax and Finance is the primary source.”
The fixed dollar amount that Beacon receives from Dutchess County is as follows, as per the most recent contract through 2022:
The County shall distribute to the Cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon, collectively, a fixed amount of money from the $25 million dollars referred to in Paragraph 2 above pursuant to Section 1262(c) of the Tax Law. The City of Poughkeepsie shall receive $9,566,212 and the City of Beacon shall receive $4,158,686 subject to the provisions of paragraph 6 below.
Beginning in 2014 and continuing through 2022 the County shall make 21 equal payments of $198,032.66 to Beacon and $455,533,90 to Poughkeepsie with such payments to be made between February 1st and December 31st of each year. Such payments by the County shall be made directly to the Cities on the next business day after receipt of the County's share of the sales tax proceeds from the State Commissioner, by wire to a designated account or by check of the County Commissioner of Finance, at the option of each City.
Beacon will not exercise its right of preemption to impose a local Sales and Use Tax pursuant to Article 29 of the Tax Law of the State of New York to be effective for each year of the term of this agreement as long as the County's Sales and Use Tax remains at no less than 3.75%.
What About Airbnb Tax Revenue?
In terms of taxes collected from Airbnb renters, of which there is a healthy market in Beacon, which was just legalized in June of 2020, Dutchess County again receives the revenue from that tax, known as the Hotel Tax, or in some cases, Bed Tax or Occupancy Tax. Says County Legislature Nick Page: “Airbnb began collecting 4% Bed Tax from Hosts using the Airbnb platform on March 1, 2017. Airbnb remits one payment to the County by the 20th of each month for the preceding month’s activity. The County received $221,918 from Airbnb in 2017. The payments are not broken down by municipality and the County does not have access to the addresses from Airbnb.”
It is unclear at this time if Dutchess County sends a payment to Beacon for a portion of the bookings made in Beacon. According to James Gazzale of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the collection and tracking of the Hotel Tax resides with the county: “This is strictly a local county issue. It’s separate from our regular sales tax. The state authorizes this hotel tax, but the county imposes, administers and collects it. Your best bet is to reach out to the local county Commissioner of Finance.”
Onward! Consider this story ongoing as we learn more about taxes and where they go.
Dutchess County Projects $20-$50 Million Revenue Decline - 41% Comes From Sales Tax - Of Which Beacon Pays In
/County Executive Marcus Molinaro released 2020 projections for a severe decrease in revenue to Dutchess County due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the release, it “includes a projected sales tax revenue decline of $20-50 million in 2020. Sales tax accounts for 41% of the County’s 2020 budget,” County Executive Molinaro said during his June 10, 2020 online Town Hall. The City of Beacon and other municipalities like Poughkeepsie pay into Dutchess County’s sales tax collection. Beacon does not keep the sales tax generated here, and is instead paid out a distribution of a fixed, negotiated amount from the cumulative sales tax collected across municipalities each year. A Little Beacon Blog conducted research into this, and reported on it here.
According to Molinaro’s statement, 3 of the sales tax payments Dutchess County has received from New York State in 2020, reflecting sales tax revenues since March 1st, have been lower than 2019. You can read about where which municipalities Dutchess County collects sales tax from in New York State, which include Beacon, Poughkeepsie and smaller surrounding municipalities.
Molinaro went on to describe a furlough program for Dutchess County employees: “In the wake of a projected $40-80 million revenue loss, Dutchess County Government has offered its workforce a voluntary furlough program, which 66 employees across various departments have volunteered for, and implemented freezes on hiring and non-essential spending. Funding from New York State accounts for 16% of Dutchess County’s annual budget and Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested the pandemic may result in as much as a 20% cut in state aid to local counties, resulting in a projected loss of $15-20 million to Dutchess County. County Executive Molinaro continues to advocate for state and federal aid for counties like Dutchess to avoid being forced to eliminate critical services and programs.”
Park Your Tuchus In That Spot. "Parklets" In Beacon's Street Parking Spots Are Filling Up
/
Not gonna lie, turning right from N. Walnut onto Main Street has a new obstacle: people. Instead of a parked car blocking your view as you turn out onto Main Street, you now have a clear view, but actual people sitting in chairs at tables! Not that you would hit them, because you don’t normally drive into parked cars, but the new “parklet” option for restaurants in Beacon is bringing a new awareness of car safety, as well as a much pined for dining experience at our favorite restaurants.
Using the parking spaces is optional, and businesses need to apply with the city. They are then given cones to set up around their parking spots, at no cost to the business (provided by the City of Beacon). Ziatun and Max’s both opted in, and Ziatun added a decorative pallet/patio underneath their seating. Says Kamel Jamal, owner of Ziatun: “The additional parking spaces for dining has been a tremendous help in so many ways. We are more visible, and we are able to showcase our services at a different level. Our rush to reopen indoor dining is no longer a priority, so we can help slow the spread and protect our team from getting sick. Sales have been climbing and nearly our entire staff at Ziatun is back at it and loving every minute.”
Ziatune’s “parklet” with additional pallet patio. Max’s On Main is next door. Isamu sushi, also next door, did not opt for a “parklet” as of yet. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Dining at Meyer’s Old Dutch (MODs) offers the “parklet” experience, as well as dining in their back patio (not shown).
BJ’s opted to not do the “parklets” but does offer new outdoor dining on their sidewalk.
Royal Crepes has always offered sidewalk dining outside, but opted into the “parklets.” Find sweet crepes here, as well as salads and meal type crepes with chicken or cheese.
The bar Draught is taking the step outside to the “parklets.” Normally a narrow standing or sitting closely next to someone experience inside, this will be a way to spread out for the little bar.
The Wonderbar is owned by the same co-owners of the Story Screen movie theather, which took a double hit. Movie theater closed (with recent opening news of Phase 4 put on hold due to ventilation concerns in New York) with the totally renovated, back to its bast, Wonderbar. Shortly after its opening, the pandemic forced it to close. Now diners can enjoy the cocktails and food outside on the newly installed picnic tables. Says co-owner Marjorie Tarter about the “parket”: “We’re making it work! It hasn’t been easy, but these city “parklets” will definitely help us serve more folks in a safe way.”
Across the street, The Vault expanded onto their parking lot. The Vault enjoys an outdoor patio, and a parking lot.
Have we ever seen outside dining at Brothers? While they have a healthy delivery and pickup business, tables outside is a welcome addition.
Shopping In Beacon COVID-Style: Shop and Go! Here's What It's Like At The Boutiques
/
Retail shopping is totally different in the time of COVID, as different businesses need to comply by different sets of standards. Boutiques and shops have been able to be open for a little bit now, experimenting with their new signage and policies. Big-box stores in malls, however, aren’t faring as well for the walk-in experience, as Phase 4 just got scaled back to keep malls closed in the name of ventilation (unless the store has its own outdoor entrance, like Dicks or Best Buy at the Poughkeepsie Galleria).
The boutiques did outstanding jobs at quickly getting their inventory online and putting all of their efforts into posting at Instagram and arranging for porch drop-offs. Now that the doors can open and people can go inside, shopping is much easier. But new rules remain.
As you shop, you’ll find required hand sanitizer at the door of each store. You’ll need to sanitize each time, with no excuses of: “I just sanitized my hands at the last store I was at next door!” While this thought did enter our minds too, as we visited 4 stores in 1 hour, it didn’t matter. Who wants to hassle a store owner when you have the privilege of walking into the shopping experience they set up for you.
Masks are asked for in every store, and Governor Cuomo did grant the store the right to deny you access. So mask up! Several stores on Main Street even sell the cutest masks for men and women, so you have no excuse if you forgot yours at home. Just buy a new one and help a maker! Check out A Little Beacon Blog’s Face Mask Gift Guide, but here are some hints: you’ll find face covers in Hyperbole, Blackbird Attic, Beacon Natural, La Mere, Zakka Joy, and a few other stores.
Shop ‘n Go. The social element to shopping is there, but stores have severely limited capacity. As stated in the sidewalk sign of Blackbird Attic, only 12 people are allowed in a store at one time. Be mindful by looking around, purchasing, and leaving. Do others a favor and touch as infrequently as possible. Some shops have appointment scheduling if you want guarenteed browsing time. Like Binnacle Books. You can book a time on their website, and go. But, if you’re walking by, do drop in! If no other customers are there, or if they haven’t hit their reduced capacity number, you can probably stay. And they want you to stay!
Guest Books. These are new COVID trackers. Stores are encouraged by New York State to put out a guest list for you to sign and date that you were there, for COVID tracking reasons, but filling it in is voluntary.
One of the main goals of these restrictions is to increase social distancing, and to increase ventilation inside of a store. If it gets too crowded, and if the air is getting thick, kindly step outside and wait for a different time.
LOCALS TIP: Do your boutique shopping during the week. You know it gets crowded on the weekends! Let the visitors do their thing, and enjoy your shops Monday-Thursday.
Outdoor Seating Licenses For Dining Is Expanded By City Of Beacon - Fencing Provided To Enlarge Spaces
/The City of Beacon along with Dutchess County has made a large effort to increase seating in outdoor spaces in Beacon. Dutchess County has been working with the State Liquor Authority to increase opportunities for restaurants to serve food and alcoholic beverage outside. According to a press release sent 6/3/2020 by Dutchess County: “For weeks, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, working with local supervisors and mayors, has pushed the state and State Liquor Authority for a series of innovative actions to help restaurants provide alternatives to traditional ‘dine-in’ set-ups, and enable them to take advantage of the important summer dining season. New York State has taken Dutchess County’s suggestions and yesterday (6/2/2020) authorized restaurants to offer outdoor dining once the region is in Phase II.”
Cities and towns are also allowed to expand dining space into public spaces such as sidewalks and streets “which are beside, but not immediately adjacent to, the licensed premises for service of food and/or beverages” according to the SLA guidance.
According to the same press release from Dutchess County: “County Executive Molinaro, during his biweekly conference call with local Mayors & Supervisors, reviewed the new SLA guidance and strongly encouraged local leaders to assist their local restaurant operators in taking advantage of this opportunity.”
The City of Beacon, in group meeting conversations with local business owners on Tuesday morning conference calls, have been talking about “parklets,” where more city space will be created for businesses to set up tables and chairs to serve patrons. The City of Beacon has purchased fencing and cones that businesses can use without charge to help create these boundaries for “parklets,” and can decorate them.
Some business owners in retail are in favor of expanding dinging spaces into parking spots, which encourages walking. Courtney Sedor, owner of Raven Rose, was on the business conference call and was in favor of encouraging walking foot-traffic as opposed to cars, since the intersection down by her shop and across from Echo is a dangerous one with cars coming around the sharp bend in the road. Courtney was also in favor of lending her sidewalk space to her restaurant neighbor Beacon Falls Cafe if they wanted to expand seating as much as possible.
Said City Manager Anthony Ruggiero in response to Courtney’s question on if she would need a special permit: “I think the restaurant would [need to]. We wouldn't be opposed here. The whole goal is to help people and to provide as much social distancing as possible.”
During last night’s 6/15/2020 City Council Meeting, the City voted to approve making this process easy.
Outdoor Business Area Permit applications for Beacon can be downloaded here: https://www.cityofbeacon.org/index.php/2020/06/12/main-street-parklet-program-applications-and-guidelines/.
Please direct any questions relating to the permit to the experts in the Building Department at 845 838 5020.
Property Tax Abatement Filing Extended To July 15, 2020
/According to this press release, and Dutchess Business Notification Network, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.8122-B/ A.10241-A) authorizing local governments to extend the deadline for filing property tax abatements to July 15, 2020 in recognition of the hardships many families and businesses continue to face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is a property tax abatement? Investopedia explains here.
Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman introduced the bill, and said: "The property tax legislation I've introduced and passed in the Assembly is important to homeowners and those alike across my community of District 29 and the State of New York.”
Dutchess County Makes It Easier For Restaurants To Use Public Spaces Outside On June 9
/According to a press release by Dutchess County, the County Executive Marcus Molinaro cut red tape to make it easier for restaurants to go around regulations to serve outside by signing this Executive Order today. Recently, that has been confusing for business owners and patrons, as public space was available to anyone to use (such as a picnic table in a park), but private property was not (such as a patio behind or adjacent to a restaurant). According to a business briefing last Tuesday by Beacon’s retained law firm, Keane & Beane, restaurants could use public spaces such as sidewalks, but not private property yet.
The press release:
“To help facilitate outdoor dining, which can begin tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9th in Dutchess County as part of Phase II, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today signed a local Emergency Order waiving local regulations and requirements that could cause a potential burden or delay for local establishments to expand outdoor dining space. The executive order will also aid in the local efforts to provide access to municipal-owned land, including sidewalks, streets, etc. contiguous to a licensed establishment in coordination with the local municipality.
”County Executive Molinaro said, “By partnering with our twenty towns, eight villages and two cities we are working to remove every obstacle possible to support our small businesses and Open Main Street. As you can, with what you can, please support our neighborhood businesses as we reignite our economy and restart Dutchess.”
Beacon Farmers Market Opens For In-Person, Time-Slot-Based Pickup; SNAP Available; Delivery Remains For Those Quanrantined
/
Photo Credit: The produce photo is by Maple View Farm.
This Sunday, May 31, 2020, the Beacon Farmers Market will open on its usual outdoor summer spot on Veterans Place, in between the Post Office and Towne Crier and across the street from Beacon Natural. For the past several weeks, the Beacon Farmers Market has been doing pre-order and delivery only, which was a huge undertaking that involved two different website builds, and order fulfillment from several vendors.
The market will remain offering online pre-orders for those who are immune-compromised, at risk, or quarantined, as well as for any SNAP customers participating in the pre-order coupon program. SNAP customers who need to use it for pre-ordering online can learn how to do that here for SNAP which includes $30 worth of groceries. Otherwise, SNAP will be accepted in person at the market on Sunday.
Like the rest of the Phase 1 opening, this will be a slow reopen, and will not be the socialness as usual. Expressed on the market’s Instagram and website: “Please be mindful that our number one priority is human health. Our mission is to make local and responsibly harvested food available to you while helping the local food economy and supply survive. It is important to remember that New York is still on pause, and undergoing a slow, phased reopening. This is not the usual social gathering space as we know it.”
While farmers markets were deemed essential businesses and could remain open, the Beacon Farmers Market opted to go delivery and pickup only. “We are taking COVID 19 very seriously,” continued the reopening message on their Instagram. “We have re-designed the layout and protocol for the safety of our patrons, vendors, and staff for this upcoming season.”
How To Shop Properly At The Beacon Farmers Market COVID-19 Style
You’ll need a shopping spot that is a 30-minute opportunity to walk the market to get your things. Sign up for your shopping time-slot here. But, according to the Beacon Farmers Market, if your desired time slot is full, or if it’s full when you arrive, walk-ins will be accommodated. In other-words, everyone is figuring it out, and you can wait in a social distanced manner around the are of the market.
Read the shopping guidelines here on the shopping signup page, so as to be prepared of how you need to be when you go to market. Highlights include:
Wearing a mask to enter the market.
Limit of shoppers to 1 person per household.
Get in, get out. Shop safely and efficiently.
About shopping: The time you pick to shop is not an appointment. It’s an approximation, according the Beacon Farmers Market: “Time slot registrations are not appointment times. If the market is at capacity when you arrive, please wait patiently for entry.”
Legal Webinar To Review NY Governor's Reopening Plan - Hosted By Beacon's Attorneys' Firm
/Businesses live with a lot of risk. Entrepreneurs tend to be risk averse, and don’t mind jumping with both feet into the unknown. Success is not always guaranteed, but a business owner will do as much as they can to get there. With the new Coronavirus world, and current pandemic we are living in, a whole new world of public health risk just opened up for business owners. To answer that, federal and regional laws are being created right before our eyes to help keep people protected, employed, fed, paid if not employed, housed, etc.
Businesses have a new set of guiding regulations to comply with as the regions reopen in phases. The law firm who Beacon contracts with to advise them on several legal matters, Keane and Beane, is hosting a free webinar to help guide businesses through this new legal landscape: “Re-Imagining New York: Preparing To Re-Open And Consideration Of Legal Issues And Best-Practice Tips.”
After having followed the attorneys from Keane and Beane at weekly City Council meetings and the Zoning and Planning Board meetings, this webinar will be one you want to attend if you are a business owner. The presentation will answer considerations of what can be done to get ready, and will review the Plan and explain the preparation that can be done now to get ready. The attorneys will review the forms and documents required for the upstate regions opening now.
Topics Covered In This Presentation
Topics include:
What’s required for the mandatory Health & Safety Plan
Consequences of an improper certification
Labor and employment law issues
Lease modification considerations
Site plan and land use compliance issues
State requirements for re-opening retail
State requirements for reopening construction
Interested attendees should RSVP to Barbara Durkin at bdurkin@kblaw.com. An email with the webinar sign-on information will be sent the morning of the program.
Beacon Businesses Form Open Group To Discuss Safety and Best Practice For Reopening
/During a City Council meeting this month, Councilperson George Mansfield, who is the owner of the bar and restaurant Dogwood, reported that he and other business owners had met on Zoom to discuss best practices and safety measures for moving forward in a reopening, and will be doing so once a week on Tuesdays. This was prior to the official opening date of Phase 1 for the Mid-Hudson Region, of which Dutchess County is a part of. George encouraged other Beacon businesses to join in, and recommends that people email the Assistant to the Mayor, Collin Milone, to be added to the invite list when Zoom meetings are posted: cityofbeacon@cityofbeacon.org
When asked what some of the topics the group was looking at, George responded with:
“Opening streets /sidewalks for possible restaurant use. We are weighing logistics and safety concerns.”
“Establishing safety protocols for both retail and hospitality businesses.“
“Making sure that we present to the Public a clear and consistent message regarding safety and sanitary standards.”
“Those are the prime issues,” George told A Little Beacon Blog. “We will obviously be following guidelines determined by NYS and looking at the success and failures of communities that have opened before us.”
Mid-Hudson Region (Dutchess County) Reopens Phase 1 Tuesday - But This Ain't No Door Buster
/Governor Cuomo announced on Saturday, May 23, 2020 that the Mid-Hudson region, which includes Dutchess County, may begin reopening starting with Phase 1 on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. This announcement has been anticipated by Dutchess County who has been sending press releases the past few days in anticipation.
As recently as last week on May 14, 2020, County Executive Marcus Molinaro had stated in a press release that hitting all 7 benchmarks - specifically the decline in deaths metric - would be difficult. “The final two criteria the region must meet – 14 consecutive days of decline in new hospitalizations and 14 consecutive days of decline in deaths – will prove extremely difficult for the region, including Dutches County, to meet,” he stated. “A single day with an increase over the previous day in either category resets the 14-day clock.“
However, this week, Governor Cuomo feels satisfied with the metrics in Dutchess County, having increased the amount of contract tracers based on a new requirement he set. According to a press release sent by the county: “Dutchess County had already met the original state-mandated metric of 30 contact tracers per 100,000 population with more than 90 contact tracers. Earlier this week, the state increased the required number of contact tracers to 252, basing it on infection rate.” Dutchess County put out a call for more volunteers, and were answered with the necessary amount of people wanting to be trained to trace.
While County Executive Molinaro was pushing for Dutchess County to reopen independently of the other counties in the Mid-Hudson region, which includes hard-hit Westchster (New Rochelle hotspot) and Orange County (Newburgh deaths continue to rise and the new cases metrics have not updated in the past few days), Governor Cuomo remained steadfast that all counties within a region open at the same time, stating the decision is the federal and CDC policy, according to this report in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Governor Cuomo stated that if there is a region that has their various indicators rise after they begin the reopening phases, the state will shut that region back down.
Who Is In Phase 1?
At the county level, the following areas of business can begin to reopen: Construction, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Retail (limited to curbside or in-store pickup or drop-off), Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade. As for retail stores, this does not mean that the shopping experience is back on. In fact, store sales are limited to pre-ordering only, with pickup at the curb, or inside if necessary, if the store owner allows it and has reduced capacity by 50% which includes employees and customers. If many doors are open, it may be because the store owner is complying with the new retail COVID-19 regulations that favor increasing ventilation.
According to New York State’s FAQ on its New York Forward plan and Business Reopening: “In-store pickup is defined as a customer placing an order for specific item(s) by phone or internet in advance, then collecting such order at the retail location. The retail location must abide by physical distancing requirements which prohibit occupancy within the location to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy, including both employees and customers. Customers are only allowed on the premise to retrieve their prearranged order; not to browse or place an in-person order. Customers must maintain 6 feet of space from others or wear an acceptable face covering, if unable to maintain such distance.”
No Hair Cuts Yet
Salons, beauty services like lashes and nails, tattoo establishments and other touch-based businesses are not included in Phase 1. Hair salons, however can sell products, as other retail stores can. Currently, these professional services are in Phase 2. The barber in Kingston, Joseph LaLima, who was operating illicitly did so from his home, having taken the Governor’s edict to work from home literally.
The barber told the New York Times: “‘He said do not open up your shops, barbershops, beauty parlors, nail salons, tattoo parlors,’ Mr. LaLima said on Friday, referring to the governor. ‘So I didn’t.’ Mr. LaLima, who spoke just after his release from a four-day hospitalization, began to get agitated. ‘It said you can work from home,’ he said. ‘678 Broadway is my home!’”
But for the barbering profession, Governor Cuomo’s position is that it is not possible to socially distance while cutting or styling hair. According to the New York Times, the barber is being investigated by the Ulster County District Attorney: “The Ulster County district attorney’s office sees the matter differently: It has launched an investigation into whether Mr. LaLima violated public health laws, a criminal offense, and whether any of his clients may face penalties. ‘This kind of flouting of the rules is unacceptable, and it puts lives in danger,’ said Patrick K. Ryan, the Ulster County Executive. ‘We are taking it very seriously.’”
Outdoor Dining
County Executive Molinaro did provide guidance on outdoor dining at restaurants, especially in light of this holiday weekend: “While the state does not yet permit restaurants to host outdoor dining, County parks have picnic tables available for families to enjoy this weekend; residents will find social distancing measures in place around these tables.”
Safety First
The reopening comes with many new safety requirements. All businesses, including essential businesses, must develop a COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan. A COVID-19 template for a plan has been published by New York State. This plan does not need to be submitted to a state agency for approval but must be retained on the premises of the business and must made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
The Dutchess Business Notification Network outlined this point about OSHA: “The US Department of Labor has adopted revised policies for enforcing OSHA’s requirements with respect to coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country. The revised policies cover increased in-person inspections at all types of workplaces, and the enforcement policy for recording cases of coronavirus.” That OSHA policy can be found here.
Businesses wondering about what Phase they are in can use this new Lookup Tool from New York State, which includes a “Regulation Wizard” that links a reader with the relevant category’s regulations. To get an idea of how a retail business must comply with this new plan, click here to read the COVID-19 regulations, which include social distancing right of way in an isle, or barriers if social distancing cannot happen between employees or customers. For a bakery, for instance, click here for their COVID-19 regulations.
As for testing, employees of essential businesses or businesses opening in Phase 1 are eligible for COVID-19 testing. Testing sites can be found here.
Future Phases
Governor Cuomo has said there is a 14 day minimum between phases, due to the incubation period of the virus. As of 5/18/2020, “he did not clarify his remarks on the parameters being shortened to allow regions to move into the next phase before the 14 day minimum,” according the Dutchess Business Notification Network.
Phase 2:
Professional Services
Retail
Administrative Support
Real Estate / Rental & Leasing
Phase 3:
Restaurants / Food Services
Phase 4:
Arts / Entertainment / Recreation
Education
Reopening Resource Links For Businesses
Business COVID-19 Reopening Plan With New Safety Measures Template
Business Lookup Tool With Regulation Wizard For New York State
New York State’s Essential Business List and Guide
New York State’s PAUSE Enforcement Task Force
New York’s Phases For Reopening
New York State’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on New York Forward and Business Reopening
CDC Guidelines For Preparing Small Business and Employees For The Effects Of COVID-19
Dutchess Business Notification Network
"Genius!" The Most Shoppable Window In Beacon Right Now Is At Echo Boutique
/
Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.
Owner Karen Donohue has a 14 year old daughter in school. When districts closed state-wide, so too did she on Main Street. Trouble is, Karen did not have a website to fall back on while her doors were closed, and remain closed during the phased reopening across the country and in Dutchess County specifically. But Karen is no newbie. She is a veteran of Main Street, having run her shop here for 19 years, always changing its inventory and display, depending on her mood and customer reactions. “I opened the shop a short while before 9/11 happened, so I wasn’t sure I’d survive. But I’m still here,” she tells A Little Beacon Blog. Karen also lives with Lyme disease, so summoning strength can at times be challenging.
“I started in a little 10x10 space as an art gallery next door to where the Korean deli, Seoul Kitchen, used to be.” That small storefront space she is referring to changed to a home brew beer shop for a minute, and is now part of No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Books Works, who bought the building and transformed it to an artist studio live/work space. “470 Main Street is my 3rd space on the east end of Main Street. I went from the little one to around the corner, which later became Waddle and Swaddle and is now Hyperbole. Then to my current spot at 470 Main Street, which is basically two storefronts in one.”
Extremely comfortable in the visual, physical space, Karen has a degree in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and went on to be a prop stylist for almost a decade. Her window displays are known in Beacon for being extremely imaginative.
When she was comfortable with reopening in her own way, she and her daughter headed back into the store to bring as much as they could to display in the windows. Parents were eager to buy the toys she carries in the store, both to support her, and also to benefit from her educational and science-based selection.
Each item in the window is labeled in a box, and a sign with ordering instructions is taped in the window. Customers are told to snap a picture or simply text 845-863-3166 with what they want, and porch delivery within Beacon will be arranged. We can tell you this, however: this is a fraction of what you’ll find inside of Echo. Karen is always going to market to bring back new designers and toy makers. If you need something else, just ask her!
As for the lovely bras you see in the window, those are from The Bra Fit Expert, Christina (Tina) Faraj, who permanently pops up inside the shop with her wide selection of high quality women’s under things and comfy PJs. The benefit of Tina was her expert fitting, but if you contact her, she can telacoach you through a fitting christina.faraj@gmail.com.
When A Little Beacon Blog first shared a video of her shop in our Instastories, the positive reaction we received was swift. Several people shared heart eye emojis and explained: “Genius!”
What Beacon’s shop owners (and shop owners across the country) have done to stay connected to their customers has been astonishing. Many don’t qualify for unemployment because of their business entities, and applying for the PPP loan could be challenging, depending on what type of business they are. Translation: some businesses receive a fraction of stimulus funds, as some business owners are stuck between a rock and a hard place with how rules around these stimulus monies work and change on an almost daily basis.
Main Street business owners are always hustling hard, and they rose to the challenge of this crisis.
Shop Echo at 470 Main Street by shopping their window (spacially distance yourself), and look in their Instagram for product postings, as well as their Facebook.
Boutiques In Beacon Quickly Build Websites To Stay In Business On Main Street
/
For some brick and mortar businesses, establishing an online presence pre-pandemic may not have been a priority. Walk-in business was good enough to keep them in business, so perhaps building an online website store was not needed. Plus, a shop owner is quite busy with customers who walk into the store, so spending a lot of time online to build a web shop is not easy. That all changed with the shutdown of Main Street back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the doors shut and foot traffic disappeared.
Overnight, the digital way of reaching a customer was the only way to reach a customer. Any store without a social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok was cut off from their customer base (unless they had been sending newsletters, which is even less of a percentage). Anyone who did not have an ecommerce website lost the ability to sell to the customer stuck at home - looking for something to do, or who needed that special something only available at the boutique.
Some brick and mortar shops in Beacon have not committed to the daunting task of establishing an online presence - it could be because they think it’s too hard, or feel not tech-savvy enough. When once they felt it a waste of time and money if not enough customers use it, that percentage shifted as no customers are currently walking through the door.
Boutiques Build Their Webshops
A Little Beacon Blog traveled around the web to find new or enhanced websites that popped in some of Beacon’s Main Street businesses up post-pandemic. With so many resources available now to sell online, shop owners don’t need to be coding experts to get one up and running. Required, however, is a lot of patience to build it, and good ideas for how the shop owner wants the web shopping experience to flow. Below is a sampling of brick and mortars who expanded online:
Blackbird Attic
Website Platform: WordPress with WooCommerce
Blackbird Attic, a consignment shop on Beacon’s east end of Main Street, already had a website but didn’t convert it to an online store until recently. Prior to that, they utilized their Instagram account (@blackbirdattic) to host pop-up shops and gather sales through Instagram via Direct Messaging (DMs). Owner Michelle Caves-Deal tells us “Selling on Instagram definitely works - people like to see the items live in Instastories, They've said it feels like they’re back shopping in person…”
But this does come with some extra steps for shop owner Michelle in order for the sale to happen, like sharing additional details and photos with the customer prior to purchasing. Being a consignment shop, she needs to create two invoices, merchant account and one for the WooCommerce software they use for sales.
The Underground Beacon
Website Platform: WordPress, WooCommerce, eBay
2020 has already been a challenging year for The Underground Beacon, a well known comic book store with weekly comic book release days and in-person gaming events. First, they faced the risk of closing due to the usual pressures of personal life (family loss) and revenue streams to pay the rent, only to be saved by a new partner just earlier in March.
The shop has been hosting the weekly Magic The Gathering sessions on Zoom. They also created a website to sell t-shirts promoting love to the store in addition to selling comics through their eBay store.
Comic book shops were hit pretty hard when Diamond Comic Distributors - the main distributor for most comic book publishers including Marvel and DC Comics, announced a halt to all product distribution on March 23rd. This meant comic shops, like The Underground Beacon, would not get new merchandise coming in until further notice. Thankfully, at the beginning of May, Diamond announced they will resume distribution May 20th. Marvel and DC Comics have announced are being shipped to stores beginning in late May 2020.
Flora Good Times
Website Platform: Squarespace for the main website; Square for the Delivery Shopping
As we shared in this recent article, Corrine from Flora Good Times was concerned dealing with such a tactile store “from seeing the plants and flowers to the smell of the shop itself” she says “it was such an unknown for me whether or not people would continue to shop at Flora through the computer.” She created a second website through Square just for local orders. This was convenient since they also use Square for their point-of-service sales. “It is easy to integrate into your inventory and create a delivery radius..” Speaking personally as a customer, it was super easy to place an order for delivery (twice!).
Still a new business with just 8 months under its belt, the plan for an online shop was in the cards but current circumstances really rushed that project. “I find that a lot of people are looking to spruce up their homes during this time, and adding a plant or some flowers to their quarantine definitely appears very popular!” says Corrine.
RAVEN ROSE
Flower shops for the longest time relied upon centralized flower delivery websites to host their flower bouquet options. Raven Rose on Beacon’s east end of Main Street has a large space, most of which is filled with home goods, despite their large floral business. Years ago when owner Courtney Sedor bought the former floral shop that was located there, she relied upon a florist website service for her ecommerce, which locked her in into different template and selling options. After the COVID-19 shut-down, she dove in and put her home goods online, and now is part of the “release” news when a shop owner puts something new up on the website.
LAST OUTPOST STORE
Website Platform: Shopify
Getting a website up and running quick was a concern for a few businesses. When starting a brick & mortar business, a website could be on the to-do list but building it in stages like how Last Outpost Store was doing.
While timing was of the essence, the Last Outpost store still wanted their website to capture the feel and vibe of their shop, while wanting the online experience to be as close to the interior shopping experience as possible.
Co-owner Allison Cimino was able to finish the site 2.5 weeks after their March 17th shut-down. Allison shares with A Little Beacon Blog: “The response has been really good. The local delivery has been great as well. I have been learning just how many locals really love our shop. That alone really drives me to want to see through this so we can be there for all of our customers when we return!”
BINNACLE BOOKS
Website Platform: IndieCommerce (Drupal)
Binnacle Books, the small independent bookstore located in the middle of Main Street, always had a website, but did not always have the ability to shop on that website. They started with a form you could fill out if you wanted to order any book (possibly any book in the world?), and they would process the order. Different weeks into the pandemic brought different iterations of their website. First the ordering of any book got more advanced, and then their book collection appeared online in a searchable organized fashion. Binnacle Books offers a monthly membership that locks in a discount on book prices, and devised a way to make it easy to checkout without using your credit card so that the shop keepers could credit it against your monthly membership card on file.
LUXE OPTIQUE
Website Platform: Squarespace
While Luxe Optique always had a website, they were dependent upon walk-in foot traffic. Glasses fitting on your face is a personal, physical experience. Over the years, they added the ability to buy the frames online in their Collections section of the website, and even play with the SALE button to give shoppers a discount. Luxe Optique confirms to A Little Beacon Blog that they have seen an increase to the eCommerce section during this time, and they have more to come: online contact lens ordering. “Not only can you order from us using a prescription from our doctors, but you can also use prescriptions from any other practice,” Luxe Optique tells A Little Beacon Blog. “It might seem common, but it’s not something a lot of privately owned practices do. We can’t wait for that to launch. Should be soon!”
While having an online presence allows you to expand your customer reach outside of the immediate area, it appears to be a pleasant surprise to shop owners that local residents are taking advantage and showing their support. Local customers love their shops, connecting with the owners, and want to support any way they can.
Visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide for a list of all of the shops on Beacon’s Main Street.
Interview With Yankee Clipper Diner, Who Re-Opened As Takeout With Precautions
/
The Yankee Clipper Diner is a favorite restaurant with Beaconites both young and old. The restaurant was established in 1946, served customers back when Nobody’s Fool was filming in Beacon (starring Paul Newman, and is a scene in the movie) and is a regular eatery for locals like former Mayor Randy Casale. Since 2003, the diner has been owned and operated by two sisters and their husbands: Petros and Tonia; and Nikos and Katina. Tonia and Katina grew up in the diner business and their husbands — both from the Greek isle of Andros — run the Yankee Clipper kitchen.
Photo Credit: Yankee Clipper Diner
When New York’s PAUSE went into effect on March 22, 2020, the Yankee Clipper tried to stay open with takeout, but on March 28, 2020, they temporarily closed the diner. They announced via Instagram: “The health and safety of our family, employees and customers is always our top priority. We are sorry for any inconvenience. We greatly appreciate all the support from our customers and the community during this hard time.” Days later they launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the staff, which has raised $3,280 to date.
On Wednesday, April 29, 2020, the Yankee Clipper opened back up, with a “Distance Makes Us Stronger” theme. They announced ordering protocols via Instagram, giving customers the ability to pay over the phone or in person, but stating that only a limited number of people were allowed in the restaurant at once, and that if you really needed to pay in person, you could do so, but needed to wait outside. Curbside service is available, where the staff brings it to your car, or you can pick it up from a table in the vestibule. Delivery to your front door is also an option.
So far in Beacon, the businesses that put forth their safety protocols before opening are seeing success with the public - with distancing incorporated. How did their opening weekend go? Keep in mind, if you’re reading this from out of town, and want to drive to Beacon to eat at restaurants in Beacon, they are doing takeout only, so you’ll need to eat the food in your car or a secluded park spot. Most who walk on Main Street are wearing masks. While not as congested as NYC, walking past people or turning the corner quickly into a group of people is common. So bring your mask!
A Little Beacon Blog checked in with the Yankee Clipper to find out how the first weekend went. Keep in mind, they are open every day:
ALBB: How have people been with social distancing?
YC: Our customers have been very good with it. Poeple have been respecting boundaries and the set-up we have in place as precautions.
ALBB: Have customers been wearing masks when picking up food?
YC: Yes, 99.9% of customers are wearing masks when picking up food.
ALBB: Are regulars so excited to order from you again? Your Instagram photos are incredible!
YC: Our regulars have been so supportive and very excited that we are open again. The support from them in our first few days open was overwhelming and we feel very blessed and fortunate to have such loyal customers.
ALBB: Has it helped your business at all to do takeout? Or is it too early to tell?
YC: Under the circumstances, takeout is working out. We have still taken quite a hit in comparison to our normal business. But we are very grateful for the takeout business we do have.
ALBB: Do you do catering or large orders?
YC: Yes, we do offer catering. On Mother’s Day, we offered family meals. We can accommodate any size order.
ALBB: In the future do you want customers in the restaurant? Or are you comfortable with monitoring things and doing takeout?
YC: Of course we would love to open up our dining room again to all of our customers. We miss the interaction with them and miss providing the service and experience of dining out. Of course when we do reopen, we will do what the state asks of us and we will take additional safety precautions to keep ourselves, our staff, and customers safe.
Find out the takeout and delivery status of other restaurants in Beacon by clicking on A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide.
A Little Beacon Blog
GET THE RSS FEED:
Support for this publication comes in part from these businesses. We have highlighted what makes them special on their own dedicated pages. Want your business listed here? See the "Sponsor Spotlight" or "Event Promotion" option in our Advertising Page.
A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog.
Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
Beacon and the Hudson Valley are filled with really talented people. Reach them now by posting a Job Listing with A Little Beacon Blog.
ALBB IS A MEDIA SPONSOR FOR:
Categories
- A Little Beacon Space
- ALBB Merch
- Activism
- Airbnb
- Art
- Artists
- Beacon
- Beacon City Schools
- Beauty
- Beauty Guide
- Behind the Scenes
- Black and Brown Community
- Books
- Business Directory
- Business in Beacon
- CSA
- City Council Meetings
- City Council Workshop Mee
- Classes
- Classified Ads
- Come In!
- Community Announcements
- Development
- Donations
- Dutchess County
- Ecology
- Environmental
- Events
- Farming
- Film & Television
- Fitness
- Food
- Fundraisers
- Galleries
- Halloween
- Happening This Weekend
- Health and Wellness
- Hiking & Biking
- History of Beacon
- Holiday
- Hudson
- Hudson River
- Hudson Valley
- Human Rights
- In The News
- Job Listing
- Kids Classes
- Kids Events
- Kingston
- LGBTQ
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.