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April 4, 2019

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

Here is what you will find in this edition:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

• Notices of Violation for No Class A/B; Visa/Mastercard Settlement Update; Credit Card Skimming; Plastic Bag Ban Coming to NY, Are We Next?; Is NJ's Gas Tax Going Up Again?; Firing Webinar

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Mercer County: Gas Station for Sale
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001

NEWS AROUND THE STATE

• Assemblyman Peters Asks Towns To Take ‘No Rain Tax’ Pledge
• Rising Gas Prices Another Reason Why We Should Pump Our Own Gas (Opinion)
• Is Another N.J. Gas Tax Increase Coming This Fall?
• New Yorkers Say They Want To Save The Environment (But They Also Love Their Plastic Bags)
• Hawaii Could Become First State To Adopt Ban On Flavored E-Cigarettes
• Bluesleuth Device Combats Bluetooth Credit Card Skimmers Found In Gas Pumps
• Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York; Second Statewide Ban, After California
• Feuding Auto Industry Unites to Oppose Trump’s Import Tariffs

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!

??????• EMISSIONS INSPECTOR TRAINING CLASS: WEDNESDAY, April 24th
??????• ENTIRE EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: May 1, 8, 15, 22, June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26
??????• RECERTIFICATION EMISSION REPAIR TECHNICIAN PROGRAM: May 1, 8, 15, 22

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
• The Amato Agency: Garage Insurance and Workers Compensation!
• ATS Environmental: Confidence in your Tank & Compliance Testing
• Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
• CBIZ Insurance: Our Business is Growing Yours!
• Gill Energy: Getting you There!
• Lending Capital: "Commercial Loans Made Easy" Program
• Salomone Brothers: Tank Testing and Environmental Compliance
• TMP Energy Solutions: Another Way to Save On Your Energy Bills

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
• Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

NOTICES OF VIOLATION FOR NO CLASS A/B
VISA/MASTERCARD UPDATE
CREDIT CARD SKIMMING
PLASTIC BAG BAN COMING TO NY, ARE WE NEXT?
IS NJ'S GAS TAX GOING UP AGAIN?
FIRING WEBINAR

NOTICES OF VIOLATION

You should have received a Wildfire Alert today on impending notices of violation (NOV) for those of you who did not complete the steps required as mandated by the new UST regulations. Notices of violations were recently sent in the last part of March. Two hundred notices were sent to gas station owners that are not in compliance with the NJDEP regulations. All 200 of these notices were mailed to owners and operators that failed to designate a Class A and Class B operator on their UST registration by the deadline of October 13th, 2018. Recipients of this NOV have 30 days to make the corrective action of changing their UST registration to reflect their Class A and B operator. If they do not respond within 30 days, NJDEP will issue a penalty assessment of $1,750. NJDEP may also take administrative, judicial enforcement action, and/or impose a delivery ban.

We understand there are 400 more owners and operators that will receive this letter in late April through the beginning of May. If you own or operate a gas station, make sure you have updated your UST registration with your Class A/B Operator to avoid violation penalties and possible delivery bans. Please refer to our recently updated guidance document I Passed My A/B Operator Exam. . .Now What Do I Do Next? for guidance in filling out your registration forms. If you receive a notice of violation or require assistance in filling out your registration, please contact the office.

VISA/MASTERCARD

About a month ago I discussed the announcement that a new legal settlement has been announced between retailers and credit card companies over an ongoing dispute over the practices of these companies. You may recall several years ago there was another attempted settlement, but the terms were so seen as so unfair to retailers that many opted out of the settlement. This new settlement is a different story. It only deals with money, whereas the last settlement would have locked in a certain set of rules without changing anything.

Many retailers have or will soon be receiving info about the settlement in the mail about the settlement. Unlike last time, NJGCA and other groups representing retailers have no objection to business owners filing claims for damages. Theoretically, owners could opt out of the settlement and get a lawyer to continue the fight, but especially for some locations that simply isn’t worth the expense. Various associations, such as the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) will continue fighting for a variety of rule changes in credit card company policies.

It will likely take years for retailers to actually receive the payments they sign up for, and exactly how much any retailer can expect to get from the settlement is unknown in part because it will depend on how many opt out of the settlement. The current estimate is that the typical retailer will get back the equivalent of about 1% what they paid in interchange fees from January 2004-January 2019 (which could actually amount to a respectable amount of money). You can get more details on the settlement or pre-register by going to their website at www.paymentcardsettlement.com

CREDIT CARD SKIMMING

We all have seen the news on credit card skimming and how scammers are able to keep improving on their technology in order to be less conspicuous. The devices are commonly found on gas pumps and ATM machines. Luckily, police in Mercer County believe to have found a solution using a device that picks up all Bluetooth activity in the area. One of our members, Stan Kaplan, spoke with Fox 29 News on how serious this issue continues to be for business owners in our industry, and let the police test the device at his station. We appreciate Stan discussing this serious issue in our industry to the news media, and hope we can continue to rely on our members to keep the motoring public aware of the issues we face at the pumps every day by speaking with the news when possible.

PLASTIC BAG BAN

The plastic bag and straw ban issue has remained relatively quiet in the legislature for the past few months, however, this has not gone away and is not going to go away any time soon. I expect it will be addressed again before the end of the year. Eliminating not just plastic bags, but plastics of all kinds/types is a tidal wave sweeping across the United States. New York seems to be the latest to hop on the bandwagon, click the following for more information:

Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York; Second Statewide Ban, After California
New Yorkers Say They Want To Save The Environment (But They Also Love Their Plastic Bags)

GAS TAX

Some of you probably have seen news reports on the uncertainty of the gas tax going up again in November. This is a result of revenue numbers finally being made public on Monday to the Assembly and Senate budget committees. The Treasurer stated that the non-partisan arm of the legislature (the Office of Legislative Services) disagrees with the Governors revenue projections and has indicated there may be an increase. Since we just received these numbers on Monday, we will be doing our own analysis as we have for the past two years and will give our report to the Treasurer. Obviously, this is a major concern, as our competitive advantage with neighboring states continues to erode with each increase. I recently spoke to CBS Channel 2 news about this, click HERE to watch that or read about it HERE.

FIRING WEBINAR

I want to thank Steven Horowitz of Horowitz Law Group for an outstanding webinar on firing best practices and dealing with difficult employees that we conducted yesterday. It is important you understand how to handle these tough situations in order to avoid lawsuits, as well as hefty penalties and fines from the Department of Labor. We host these webinars in order to help you keep up with important employment law legal requirements without having to travel to an event. We hope you are finding these webinars informative and convenient. If you were unable to join our hiring and/or firing webinar, we will post the recordings of it on our website shortly.

That's all for this week-

Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753

Emissions Inspector Training Class - One Day Only!
WEDNESDAY, April 24th -- 7 AM to 3 PM

Want one of your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our one-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector, and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices! We are offering the class Wednesday, April 24th from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Cost is $275 for members. Click HERE for registration form.

Want to become an emission repair technician/facility?
Entire Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP) Training Classes
Sections 1-7
1 PM to 9 PM
May 1, 8, 15, 22
June 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26

Sections 8, 9, 10 (RECERTIFICATION)
1 PM to 9 PM
May 1, 8, 15, 22

Stop turning away work!

The New Jersey Inspection Program requires vehicles that fail emissions inspection to go to a Licensed Certified Emission Repair Facility and have a Licensed Emission Repair Technician perform the repairs! When the new Emissions Inspection program begins, a list of Certified Emission Repair Facilities will be given to the vehicle owners who fail the New Jersey Emission Inspection. If you want your business name on the list – make sure you have a Certified Licensed Emission Repair Technician and you are licensed as a Emission Repair Facility! Those signing up for the FULL training course will attend sections 1-10. Full ETEP class fees for members are $2,195 and non-members are $2,395. Recertification fees for members are $729 and non-members are $879. Note for Spring 2018 classes: Recertification dates will be held FIRST, with sections 1 to 7 to follow.

Click here for FULL ETEP REGISTRATION FORM
Click here for ETEP RECERTIFICATION FORM

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!

CLASSIFIEDS -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

FOR SALE:

Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

4/3/19
Assemblyman Peters Asks Towns To Take ‘No Rain Tax’ Pledge
Assemblyman Ryan Peters is calling on all municipalities in his region to band together by passing a “No Rain Tax Resolution.” “I’ll be reaching out to every mayor, deputy mayor and council member I can to implore them not to crush our residents with another new tax,” said Peters (R-Burlington). “If I can get enough towns to band together, hopefully more will follow and residents and businesses won’t ever have to see a rain tax added to their monthly bills.” In March, Governor Murphy signed S1073/A2694 authorizing municipalities and counties to establish stormwater utilities. It has been referred to as the “Rain Tax” because it creates a new tax to deal with rainwater runoff.

4/2/19
Rising Gas Prices Another Reason Why We Should Pump Our Own Gas (Opinion)
I've brought this up before and while many "Jersey girls" disagree, the numbers back me up. According to Sal Risalvato, Executive Director of the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store and Automotive Association, we can save as much as 10 cents a gallon pumping our own gas because stations will not have to pay someone to do it for you. Also, instead of having all those orange cones blocking the pumps, people will be able to buy more gas at the same time instead of waiting in line when you may not have the time.

4/1/19
Is Another N.J. Gas Tax Increase Coming This Fall?
The Legislature’s budget experts delivered a couple of tough warnings for Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration and New Jersey motorists on Monday. New Jersey’s tax collections could register $292 million below Murphy’s budget forecasts through June 2020. And New Jersey’s gas tax could rise for the third time since 2016 unless consumption rises in the next few months. . .New Jersey’s treasurer, however, later said she is “cautiously optimistic” the Murphy administration will not have to enact another gas tax increase, and that no rate increase is “assumed in the current projection.”

3/31/19
New Yorkers Say They Want To Save The Environment (But They Also Love Their Plastic Bags)
New York lawmakers agreed last week to impose a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags from most retail sales. The plan was included in the state’s $175 billion budget that was announced early Sunday. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo first proposed the ban, which could begin as early as next March, a year ago. New York is now the second state to impose such a rule; California banned plastic bags in 2016. Hawaii effectively has a statewide ban since all counties in the state bar the use of plastic bags. New York’s ban allows for several exceptions, like wrapped deli meat, restaurant takeout bags and plastic garbage bags. The bill also allows counties to charge an optional 5-cent fee for customers who want brown paper bags, which has caused environmentalists to worry that reusable bags would become a less popular option. Still, many city residents in lower-income neighborhoods, while appreciative of the environmental considerations, appeared wary about how the ban would impact their daily routines. One frequent question: Who would really bear the brunt of the legislation?

3/29/19
Hawaii Could Become First State To Adopt Ban On Flavored E-Cigarettes
The first state to limit tobacco and electronic cigarette sales to people 21 and older is contemplating a new nicotine crackdown: outlawing flavored electronic cigarette liquids and flavored tobacco to combat a spike in teenage vaping. Hawaii would be the first state to adopt such a ban under a bill before the Legislature. San Francisco was the first US city to do so. The proposal would ban flavored e-cigarette liquids such as Maui Mango and Cookie Monsta, along with cloves and other flavored tobacco products, but it would exempt menthol cigarettes and vaping liquids.

3/28/19
Bluesleuth Device Combats Bluetooth Credit Card Skimmers Found In Gas Pumps
Bluetooth credit card skimming devices commonly found on gas pumps and ATM machines may have met their match after police in Mercer County have begun using a device designed to seek out the credit card swiper. The prosecutor's office has six Bluesleuth devices and agents have started using them during gas station inspections. "This industry has a problem with this and it's getting rampant now," said Stan Kaplan. "We have to step up and do something."

3/28/19
Plastic Bags to Be Banned in New York; Second Statewide Ban, After California
New York State lawmakers have agreed to impose a statewide ban on most types of single-use plastic bags from retail sales, changing a way of life for millions of New Yorkers as legislators seek to curb an unsightly and omnipresent source of litter. . .The ban, which would begin next March and is expected to be part of the state’s budget bills that are slated to be passed by Monday, would have a number of carveouts, including food takeout bags used by restaurants, bags used to wrap deli or meat counter products and bags for bulk items. Newspaper bags would also be exempted, as would garment bags and bags sold in bulk, such as trash or recycling bags.

3/28/19
Feuding Auto Industry Unites to Oppose Trump’s Import Tariffs
The U.S. auto industry is escalating a lobbying push to keep President Donald Trump from imposing steep new tariffs on imported cars and parts that executives warn could cripple a sector already facing a slowdown. Groups representing many arms of the industry -- automakers, dealers, parts suppliers and aftermarket companies alike -- are in lockstep in their opposition of new levies being considered by the White House, a rarity for an industry that often disagrees on major policies. And despite months of aggressive lobbying to block new tariffs, industry officials worry the new levies are much more than just a bargaining chip in Trump’s trade talks with the European Union, Japan and China.

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

TMP Energy Solutions

Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it's difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an "accurate" analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available.

This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum kW demand is acquired. By pooling the member's usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate.

Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group. Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision.

If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require 12 months of your most recent utility bills. There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #'s, meter #'s service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem.

The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate.

If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA.

Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket.

We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs. Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund.

Contact GREG CANNON at 732-256-9646 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: THE NJGCA PAC

DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS.
PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS.
ANSWER THE CALL & CONTRIBUTE TODAY!!

Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members.

However, in order to truly affect the debate, we must ensure our friends in the Legislature are re-elected. It is for this reason that your Association has established the NJGCA PAC.

For too long, the weight of funding our Political Action Committee, the arm of the Association responsible for political donations, has rested upon a few. This is not only unfair to those few members who have shouldered this burden, but means we are not utilizing our full strength to affect the debate in Trenton.

To truly understand the importance of supporting our allies, consider our successes in Trenton:

We defeated BELOW COST SELLING
We made history in getting FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL signed into law!
We have built large support for RIGHT TO REPAIR and got it passed out of the Assembly
We defended your small business against the false accusations of Attorney General Anne Milgram
We gained wide support to move New Jersey to an all PIF Inspection System and close the CIF lanes
...and MUCH MORE!!

In each instance, we achieved these goals with the help of our friends in the Legislature!

If every member contributes just $100.00 we will be able to provide the help necessary to ensure victory for our allies.

PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
NJGCA PAC
4900 Route 33 West, Suite 100
Wall Township, NJ 07753
Please make your donation payable to NJGCA PAC

I understand that times are tough for all NJGCA members, but this is just as important as any battle we have fought in the past.

We have made great progress in Trenton. I hope that you will answer the call.

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.