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City Extends Deadlines for Alcohol Beverage Operator (ABO) Renewals, Extensions

9/29/2020

 
The City of New Orleans' renewal deadline for Alcohol Beverage Operator (ABO) permits is being extended again, until Oct. 31, 2020. (The previously extended deadline was Sep. 30, 2020). ABO expiration deadline will extend through Nov. 30, 2020. (The previously extended expirations deadline was Oct. 31, 2020).

The City continues to process a substantial number of permits, as the Office of Safety and Permits is open for emailed submissions. Payments also are being accepted online.

Residents may also drop off payments at City Hall.

For any questions, email the ABO staff at ABO@nola.gov.

House Democrats Release Updated Version of The Heroes Act

9/29/2020

 
House Democrats today released an updated version of The Heroes Act, addressing needs that have developed since the House passed an earlier iteration and reflecting negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. 
 
The $2.2 trillion legislation protects lives, livelihoods and the life of our democracy. To address needs that have arisen since the House first acted, the updated legislation includes:
  • Strong support for small businesses, by improving the Paycheck Protection Program to serve the smallest businesses and struggling non-profits, providing hard-hit businesses with second loans, and delivering targeted assistance for the struggling restaurant industry and independent live venue operators.
  • Additional assistance for airline industry workers, extending the highly successful Payroll Support Program to keep airline industry workers paid.
  • More funds to bolster education and child care, with $225 billion for education – including $182 billion for K-12 schools and nearly $39 billion for postsecondary education – and $57 billion to support child care for families.
 
In addition, it maintains key priorities from the legislation that passed the House in May. Among the bill’s many provisions, it:
  • Honors our heroes, through $436 billion to provide one year’s worth of assistance to state, local, territorial and tribal governments who desperately need funds to pay vital workers like first responders and health workers who keep us safe and are in danger of losing their jobs.
  • Supports testing, tracing and treatment, through $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing and isolation measures, with special attention to the disparities facing communities of color, ensuring every American can access free coronavirus treatment, and supporting hospitals and providers. The updated bill also includes $28 billion for procurement, distribution and education campaigns for a safe and effective vaccine.
  • Provides additional direct payments, cushioning the economic blow of the coronavirus crisis with a more robust second round of economic impact payments of $1,200 per taxpayer and $500 per dependent.
  • Protects payrolls, by enhancing the new employee retention tax credit that encourages employers to keep employees on payroll.
  • Ensures worker safety, by requiring OSHA to issue a strong, enforceable standard within seven days to require all workplaces to develop and implement infection control plans based on CDC expertise.
  • Preserves health coverage, protecting Americans losing their employer-provided health insurance by making unemployed Americans automatically receive the maximum ACA subsidy on the exchanges, as well as a special enrollment period in the ACA exchanges for uninsured Americans.
  • Restores unemployment benefits, ensuring weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January and preventing unemployed workers from exhausting their eligibility, providing a vital safety net for the record number of Americans who are unemployed, including those connected to the gig-economy. 
  • Bolsters housing assistance, helping struggling families afford a safe place to live with tens of billions in new supports to assist renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments and other housing-related costs – preventing homelessness. 
  • Strengthens food security, addressing rising hunger with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs that help families put food on the table as well as targeted support for farmers and producers impacted by the crisis.
  • Safeguards our democracy, with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and preserve the Postal Service.
 
The Heroes Act is sponsored by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) and co-sponsored by House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Education and Labor Committee Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA).
 
The text of revised version of The Heroes Act is here. A one-pager on the legislation is here. A section-by-section summary is here. Additional information on the state and local relief provisions is here.

City Approves Use of To-Go Drinks in Continued Easing of Phase 2 Restrictions

9/25/2020

 
Mayor LaToya Cantrell today announced that, effective 5 p.m. tonight, restaurants in Orleans Parish may resume serving alcoholic beverages through drive-thru, takeout and curbside pickup options between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
 
Read the revised guidelines here.
 
The announcement was another in a series of actions that Mayor Cantrell has taken as the City continued in its easing of Phase 2 restrictions. On Monday, the City announced that the area playgrounds would reopen effective immediately and that high school athletics would be allowed to resume play in early October. Contact practices for football were allowed to help the schools prepare for the resumption of play.

The City will continue to monitor the number of cases as the schools move to in-person instruction in order to prepare for the next steps in the safe, phased reopening of New Orleans.
 
Visit NOLA Ready for more information about COVID-19 here; text COVIDNOLA to 888-777 to receive alerts.

National Restaurant Association Board Chair to Congress: Without Action Now More Restaurants Will Close

9/25/2020

 
The New Orleans Restaurateur told key Congressional subcommittee industry landscape is stark without federal aid
 
National Restaurant Association Board Chair, New Orleans independent restaurant operator Melvin Rodrigue, today testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, on the stark landscape for the industry and he urged Congress to take action to help restaurants and their employees before it adjourns until November.
 
“Restaurant owners are making business decisions for October based on the actions you take today. I implore you—please take action before leaving town for the elections,” he testified. “If Congress adjourns without extending the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or providing other enhanced relief, more restaurants will close, more employees will lose their jobs and the pandemic economic crisis will deepen.”
 
He highlighted that restaurants have suffered more losses in dollars and jobs than any other industry. “What restaurants and their employees need is targeted help for the nation’s second-largest private sector employer,” he added.
 
Rodrigue reiterated the Association’s call for Congress to consider short-term assistance like the authorization of a second round of the PPP, with greater flexibility for both operating expenses and payroll outlays. Additionally, he encouraged the Subcommittee to consider long-term tools from the Association’s Blueprint for Restaurant Revival, including:
 
  • Passing the Senate version of the RESTAURANTS Act, which takes a balanced approach to support independent and locally owned franchise restaurants
  • Ensuring that business expenses paid from PPP proceeds are tax deductible
  • Enacting a refundable tax credit to cover investments in equipment and safety programs, and to set up social distancing in facilities amid a crippling economic climate
  • Enhancing the Employee Retention Tax Credit
 
“Restaurants and our employees have a personal connection with customers. In some towns, it’s a small chain; in some towns, it’s a beloved local restaurant. But every one of you, and every American, has a place that is their favorite. Regardless of the name on the door, restaurants are community cornerstones that provide a ladder of opportunity for employees,” Rodrigue said.
 
Click here to read his full testimony. Click here to read the Association’s Blueprint for Restaurant Revival.

Restaurant Week New Orleans Aims to Support, Highlight Local Eateries Amid Pandemic

9/24/2020

 
Celebrate October 5-11, 2020, with brunch, lunch, dinner & take-away menu items
​

 The Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Greater New Orleans Chapter, in partnership with New Orleans & Company, is excited to announce its tenth annual Restaurant Week New Orleans will be held October 5-11, 2020. A special thanks to our 2020 Restaurant Week New Orleans presenting sponsor, TABASCO® brand, who has supported the event for the last three years.
 
During this weeklong celebration of New Orleans cuisine, participating restaurants in the New Orleans metro area will offer special pre-fixe menus including a two-course lunch for $25 or less and a three-course dinner or brunch for $45 or less. Many establishments are fully embracing the takeout trend and offering a to-go option as part of this year’s promotion.
 
We are pleased to present Restaurant Week New Orleans as our first promotional program since COVID began. The favorable positive case data in Orleans and Jefferson parishes’ paved the way for this popular event’s return. Restaurant Week New Orleans is designed to celebrate the area’s diverse and award-winning dining options, with more than 40 restaurants registered to participate to date. “Our restaurants have embraced the reopening guidelines as they focus on best practices in social distancing and sanitation to provide a safe environment for our guests and team members. Our world renowned cuisine remains the star of the show,” said LRA President and CEO Stan Harris. 
 
Participating restaurants range from fine-dining establishments to neighborhood favorites. Discover new places or try something new at a trusty staple.  
 
The LRA projects the event will inject a sales boost into an industry that has struggled with closures and restrictions during the pandemic. 
 
For a complete listing of participating restaurants and to browse their menus, visit www.restaurantweekneworleans.com. Diners can make reservations through the website or restaurant directly. Don’t forget to share your Restaurant Week New Orleans experiences on social media using the hashtag, #RestaurantWeekNOLA.
 
There is no charge for LRA-member restaurants to participate. Please contact Ellyn Davis at edavis@lra.org or (504) 303-4660 to register.  

Bars Can Reopen in Jefferson Parish

9/23/2020

 
The Jefferson Parish Council voted and adopted a resolution unanimously at a special council meeting on Monday, September 21, 2020 to allow all Jefferson Parish bars to reopen as soon as the parish met the percent positivity criteria under Governor Edwards’ current Phase Three order. Today, September 23, 2020, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) released data to show that Jefferson Parish has a two-week COVID-19 test positivity rate of less than five percent.

Starting today, all bars in Jefferson Parish will be allowed to open for on-premise consumption but must follow guidelines per the Governor’s order. Bars can open at 25 percent capacity or up to 50 patrons indoors for customers seated for tableside service, whichever is less. Outdoor service is also allowed but in no event can the outdoor seated capacity exceed 50 patrons in total. No standing room capacity is allowed, all drinks must be ordered at a table and delivered by bar staff to the table. All seating of patrons must be socially distanced. No live music will be allowed.

Sale and service of alcohol at bars must end at 11 p.m., with all patrons cleared from the building by 11 p.m. No one under the age of 21 is permitted in any bar. The Governor’s order also prohibits the sale or service of alcohol for on-premises consumption at all establishments, including restaurants and casinos, after 11 p.m.

The Governor’s Phase Three order will be in place for 28 days, expiring on October 9, 2020. For more information from the Office of Governor John Bel Edwards, please visit gov.louisiana.gov. To access the Governor’s Phase Three order, CLICK HERE. The State Fire Marshal’s office and the Louisiana Department of Health also share information with business owners via the Open Safely portal, which is located at opensafely.la.gov. All business owners are encouraged to read not only the executive orders, but the relevant documents from Open Safely.

Louisiana Lawmakers Call Special Session to Begin Monday

9/22/2020

 
State lawmakers issued a proclamation yesterday, September 21, calling itself into a special legislative session for 30 days starting Monday, September 28. The proclamation includes 70 items including the Budget Stabilization Fund and the Unemployment Trust

Read the full proclamation HERE. 

Gov. Edwards Adjusts Phase 3 Order to Extend Alcohol Sales by One Hour

9/18/2020

 
Following discussions with restaurant and hospitality industry leaders, Gov. John Bel Edwards today altered his Phase 3 order to allow the on premises sale and consumption of alcohol until 11 p.m. at restaurants, casinos and bars in parishes that are eligible to opt in to reopen bars. However, all bars must still close by 11 p.m.

The Governor’s order previously ended the sale or service of alcohol for on-site consumption at 10 p.m. as part of mitigation measures recommended by the White House and designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 across the state. While bars remain closed for on-site consumption in some areas, in parishes with lower incidence of COVID, local government may opt in to open their bars. Four parishes that are eligible have opted in so far: Acadia, Jefferson Davis, St. Landry and Plaquemines. 

“I had a productive discussion this week with several restauranteurs and the Louisiana Restaurant Association and agreed that allowing the sale and service of alcohol until 11 p.m. for on premises consumption was a meaningful change we could make to the Phase 3 order to benefit restaurants that may have later service. To be consistent, my updated order will allow casinos and bars in parishes where they are allowed to be open to also serve alcohol for on-site consumption until 11 p.m. However, opened bars will still be required to close at 11 p.m.,” Gov. Edwards said. “Limiting hours for alcohol consumption is designed to reduce the amount of higher risk behavior in the community. This change has been implemented in several states, including Colorado, and has also been recommended by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.”

Click here to read the new order.
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