18 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 21, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
community banking
City Council passes small business relief package to aid store owners
BY BEN VERDE
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
As the state’s stay-at-home measure
drags on and store owners fi nd themselves
Photo by Todd Maisel
Maspeth Federal Savings Bank to honor small businesses and fi rst responders
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Maspeth Federal Savings Bank has
launched their COVID-19 Giving
Campaign to recognize local small
businesses and fi rst responders in the
Queens and Nassau county area.
Th is campaign is part of their ongoing
community giving eff orts.
To date, MFS has donated over
$50,000 to support various programs
and initiatives, such as securing 11,000
KN95 masks and donating them to
local hospitals, nursing homes and fi rst
responders in partnership with state
Assemblyman Brian Barnwell.
Th eir COVID-19 Giving Campaign is
another part of those eff orts. MFS is asking
the community to nominate local
small businesses and fi rst responders for
awards of $1,000 and $250. Th ey will
select 10 small businesses to receive a
$1,000 award.
Twenty fi rst responders and essential
workers will receive $250 gift cards and
two KN95 masks. For each nomination
received, the bank will donate $1 (up to
$5,000) to a local charity. Th e campaign
will run through the month of May, and
nominations can be submitted until May
31 on their website, maspethfederal.com.
Th e winners will be announced on their
website and social media on June 8.
“We are so proud to off er support to
our communities during this time,” said
Christina Zanca, vice president and marketing
director at MFS. “Th ank you to our
fi rst responders and essential workers for
keeping our communities going.”
crushed under mounting expenses,
the New York City Council passed a package
of legislation on May 13 with the aim
of assisting small businesses.
Th e package contains a number of measures
which aim to protect commercial
tenants from harassment by their landlords,
and restrict the fees that third-party
apps such as Grubhub and Uber Eats
can charge businesses during states of
emergency.
“Small businesses are the heart and soul
of New York City, and right now they
are hurting,” said Council Speaker Corey
Johnson. “Th ey need help and this small
business package is designed to protect
them during this pandemic.”
To combat exorbitant fees charged by
delivery services, the council passed two
bills: one will cap the fees services can
charge restaurants during states of emergency
to 15 percent, while the other prohibits
the services from charging restaurants
for phone calls made through their
platforms that do not result in an order
being made.
With restaurants limited to takeout and
delivery only during the pandemic, these
types of fees have increasingly cut into
their already razor-thin profi t margins,
restaurant owners say.
“Delivery fees being 30 percent were
killing this business,” said Manhattan
restaurant owner Melba Wilson, who
joined a virtual press conference ahead of
the council’s vote.
Wilson says the 15 percent cap may
allow her to bring back some of the
employees she had to furlough in March.
A Grubhub spokesman blasted the legislation,
claiming it would lead to higher
costs for customers, fewer orders for businesses,
and less pay for delivery workers.
“Th is is exactly the wrong proposal,”
said John Collins. “Any cap on fees represents
an overstep by local offi cials and
would not withstand a legal challenge.”
Also included in the package is legislation
that fi nes landlords who harass any
COVID-19-impacted business between
$10,000 and $50,000 per violation.
Another bill suspends the personal liability
provision in certain commercial leases,
which allow landlords to hold tenants
personally liable when they are unable to
pay rent, and can lead to the seizure of
tenants’ personal property.
Th e bill allows tenants to hand in their
keys if unable to pay rent, eff ectively ending
their lease.
“Don’t let me also live with an added
fear that losing my business isn’t suffi
cient, I might also lose my personal
bank account,” said Manhattan restaurant
owner Gabriel Stulman. “It’s literally
inhumane.”
To reduce the burden of sidewalk cafe
fees on restaurants with existing outdoor
tables, the Council voted to waive the costs
through the remainder of the pandemic.
Many Council members, though happy
with Wednesday’s vote, said they hope
more proactive measures are taken in the
future, such as measures that allow restaurants
to expand out into streets and sidewalks
to allow for more social distancing
in collaboration with the city’s incremental
open-streets program.
“I hope this will be just a fi rst step,”
said Park Slope Councilman Brad Lander.
“Th ere’s so much more that we have to
do.” From here, the package will go to
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s desk to sign.
Photo courtesy of Maspeth Federal Savings Bank
/maspethfederal.com
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
