Jamestown is located in the Western New York Region for reopening, along with the rest of Chautauqua County, as well as Niagara, Erie, Cattaraugus, and Allegany Counties.
The Western New York Region will begin phased reopening on Tuesday, May 19. Please see the info below for Phase One industries and guidelines. General information can be found at https://forward.ny.gov/.
Please check this page for updates on reopening timelines, as well as guidelines for businesses.
Below you will find information about New York State requirements for reopening, along with guidelines and safety protocols, broken down by industry sector, that will assist as you prepare to reopen your business. If you have a specific question related to your business, you can contact the Jamestown Department of Development at 716-483-7541 or email them at dod@jamestownny.gov.
Information is also available from the following organizations:
County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA): https://ccida.com; Tel: 716-661-8900/Email: ccida@ccida.com
NYS Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College: https://www.sbdcjcc.org/; Tel: 716-338-1024/ Email: sbdc@mail.sunyjcc.edu
Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce: https://www.chautauquachamber.org/; Tel: (716) 484-1101/ Email: info@chautauquachamber.org
It is important to note that New York State will be releasing their own version of guidelines for reopening in the future. We will update our links as those become available.
Business Reopening Guidelines and Safety Protocols
As part of the Phased Plan to Reopen New York, all businesses are required to develop a plan, prior to opening, for how they will operate to ensure the health and safety of employees and customers. Below you will find information on the Phased Plan to Reopen New York, as well as links to guidelines and protocols broken down by industry. Be sure to review the material under your business’s industry sector, as well as the general category. This material can be used as a template, and will assist you in developing a specific plan for your business. Be sure to check back often, as new material will be added as it becomes available.
Watch the City of Jamestown’s Video on setting up your business re-opening guide:
Phase One Guidelines
Phase One: Construction Guidelines
Phase One: Non-Food Related Agricultural Guidelines
Phase One: Retail Trade (Curbside Pickup)
CCIDA Reopening Plans can be found here.
Phase Two Guidelines
Phase Two: Essential and In-Store Retail
Phase Two: Vehicle Sales, Leases, and Rentals
Phase Two: Retail Rental, Repair, and Cleaning
Phase Two: Commercial Building Management
Phase Two: Hair Salons and Barbershops
Phased Plan to Reopen New York State:
On April 26, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced a series of regional guidelines that must be met in order to reopen New York State. A description of the guidelines can be found here. The reopening will take place through a series of four phases implemented on a regional basis. Niagara County is located in the Western New York region. View the regional monitoring dashboard to see where all regions in New York State stand in the Regional Reopening Plan. The four phases are broken down by industry sector and are as follows:
Phase One: Construction, Manufacturing and Wholesale Supply Chain, Retail using curbside pickup only, Wholesale Trade, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting. Click here for a detailed description of business types that can open in this phase.
Phase Two: Professional Services, Financial and Insurance, Retail, Administrative Support, Real Estate and Rental Leasing
Phase Three: Restaurants and Food Service, Hotels and Accomodations
Phase Four: Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Education
New York State has created NY Forward, a guide to reopening New York and building back better.
JRC Programs
The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation Urban Core Committee has approved the following programs for local businesses. The deadline is 6/12/2020 for businesses to submit their applications. More info can be found in the links below:
Urban E-Commerce
Business owners may apply for matching grants for website development services, online marketing consulting services, and other technologies and services that progress the programs goals.
Urban Dining
Business owners may apply for matching grants for outdoor seating furniture and equipment including tables, chairs, umbrellas, and balusters as well as City permit application fees.
Parklets
Business owners may apply for matching grants for outdoor parklets as well as City permit application fees. This is a letter of interest as well as an application . No grants will be made or committed to until after the City of Jamestown approves parklets codes and design rules, completing this application does not force you to progress a parklet.
NY Forward Loan Fund
The NY Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF), announced on Friday by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, will begin accepting pre-applications today. The $100 million fund is a new economic recovery loan program aimed at supporting New York State small businesses, nonprofits and small landlords as they reopen after the COVID-19 outbreak and NYS on PAUSE.
The NYFLF targets the state’s small businesses with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees (90% of all businesses), nonprofits and small landlords that have seen a loss of rental income. The NYFLF is specifically timed to support businesses and organizations as they proceed to reopen and have upfront expenses to comply with guidelines (e.g., inventory, marketing, refitting for new social distancing guidelines) under the New York Forward Plan.
Priority will be given to industries that have been reopened. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as regions and industries reopen, and seek to target:
- Small businesses and nonprofits employing 20 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees;
- Small businesses that have gross revenues of less than $3 million per year;
- Nonprofits that provide direct services and have an annual operating budget of less than $3 million per year; and
- Businesses that have not received a loan from either SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for COVID-19 in 2020.
The program is not a first-come, first-served loan program. Program information can be found on ESD’s website (https://esd.ny.gov/nyforwardloans-info), as well as on the pre-application page (https://nyloanfund.com).
Guidelines and Safety Protocols for Businesses to Reopen:
Agriculture / Food Processing:
Cornell CALS Food Facility COVID-19 Strategy Checklist
Cornell CALS U-Pick Best Practices for Farms During the COVID-19 Pandemic
NYS Wine Industry Association Guidelines for Winery Tasting Rooms and Retail Shops
Childcare / Day Camps / Education:
Construction:
NYSBA COVID-19 Protocols for the Residential Construction Industry
Best Practices for Trade Scopes
General Business:
CDC Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes
General Elements of Specific Site Safety Plans
General Supplemental Health and Safety Plan
John Hopkins Operational Toolkit for Businesses Reopening or Considering Expansion
OSHA Guidelines for Reopening During COVID-19
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Health and Safety Flyer
Manufacturing:
Confer Plastics, Inc. Reopening Plan and Advice for Addressing COVID-19
Restaurant:
National Restaurant Association Guidelines
