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December 13, 2013 Here is what you will find in this edition:
JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS! ZONE PRICING LEGISLATION PASSES SENATE COMMITTEE ACCESSING YOUR MONTHLY INVOICES FROM PARSONS 2014 DEP COMPLIANCE CALENDARS COMING SOON UPDATE ON PAID SICK LEAVE IMPLEMENTATION & COMPLIANCE IMPROVING FUEL PREPAREDNESS FOR FUTURE DISASTERS IMPORTANT SURVEY ON STAGE II VAPOR RECOVERY TESTING
The big news coming out of Trenton this week was that Zone Pricing was approved in the Senate Commerce Committee. The legislation now awaits a vote by the full Senate and a vote by the full General Assembly before it can go to the Governor's desk to be signed into law. I was joined by NJGCA member Joe Ocello, who testified with me in support of this legislation. Executives from both Sunoco and Lukoil testifed against the bill and their testimony created much discussion and even some confusion amongst the Senators on the committee. In the end the bill passed the committee by a 4-2 vote. I imagine that we will be in for a fight when the bill comes up for a vote in the full Senate and the full Assembly.
To see pictures from the committee meeting, please scroll down to the end of my message.
Zone Pricing is an issue that has been on the NJGCA radar screen for 15 years. When I arrived at NJGCA six years ago, I set out to end the practice. Thankfully there aren’t quite as many dealers today that are affected by this discriminating pricing practice by their suppliers. However, there are still a few hundred dealers that will benefit once this law is passed and signed by the Governor. Stay tuned... I expect this to happen before the end of January.
Now, I want to clarify the TWO very important emails that all PIFs received earlier this week. Effective 11/11/2013 Parsons took over the Verizon billing for inspections. On December 5th, Parsons sent out an email which instructs all PIF owners to set up a username and password to gain access to their online portal. This will allow you to view the Parsons invoices, which will be automatically drafted out of your bank account on the 26th of each month. You must follow the instructions that you received via email from Parsons on December 5th to set up your username and password.
On December 9th, Parsons sent a subsequent email containing a link to access to your first invoice. Once you click the link, you are instructed to log in. You can only do this if you have followed the instructions from December 5th and already created a username and password. When logging in, you must also enter your station ID, which begins with the letters "PIF" and then is followed by a 6-digit number. If your PIF number is 123 you must enter 000123. If your PIF number is 1234, then you must enter 001234. As always, please call 973-376-0066 if you have any questions or difficulties.
Moving on... We received some calls this week about the 2014 DEP Compliance Calendars. Debbie has been working with NJDEP and has signed off on some changes to the 2014 calendar. The calendars are still in production and we will receive them as soon as they are completed. FYI, your 2013 calendar DOES include January of 2014, so you should still be able to record the necessary information for one more month. Hopefully the new calendars will be in your hands by February 1, 2014.
FYI for members in Jersey City: Paid sick leave posters have been printed and must be posted!
Click here to access the poster for Workers Click here to access the poster for Employers
For those of you that aren't in Jersey City, this is a preview of what is to come... This is what we have been warning about, and you should expect these types of proposals to be included in the next tidal wave of bad legislation that comes our way. If you are in Newark you will be faced with this even sooner, since the proposal has already been introduced in the City Council.
Last week, Eric and I attended a meeting organized by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management that included representatives from all the various layers of the petroleum market. The purpose of the meeting was to continue discussing what can be done to prepare for another fuel crisis like the one we experienced after Hurricane Sandy. We have repeatedly talked about the fact that the fuel crisis did not stem from a lack of electricity, it was a distribution problem. Part of the meeting was spent discussing the Generator Grant Program which we have covered extensively in recent weeks. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) also alluded to the possibility that more stations may be added to the list of those eligible, depending on how many stations are given grants from the original list. (Both the list and the eligibility criteria can viewed online HERE).
Another idea that is likely to be implemented is a separate location with a series of professional staff dedicated solely to following the fuel situation following any type of disaster. Representatives of the industry will be stationed there and individuals from up and down the motor fuel infrastructure (from retailer to refinery owner) will be able to call in to this one location and give their current situation, and ask for assistance. Overall it was a very positive meeting and it’s good to know that state government officials are being proactive in preparing for the next disaster. It was also clear that they understand the heart of the gas crisis post-Sandy was NOT a power problem, it was a distribution problem.
Finally, in my Thanksgiving Road Warrior message, I mentioned that you should expect a survey on Stage II Vapor Recovery in the near future. I want you all to be prepared to receive the survey next week. PLEASE LOOK FOR THIS SURVEY AND ANSWER IT PROMPTLY. We will know who has answered the survey and who has not, and we will continue sending it out until we get all of your responses. Your participation is critical. Thanks in advance.
CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS Do you have a business for sale? Are you looking for a new location or opportunity?
NJGCA also assists members in selling equipment through the placement of advetisments in Road Warrior!
If you'd like to list your business for sale, publish a location you're selling, or are seeking a business partner for your establishment, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066! NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW They may not be ready to buy one, but Americans, on the whole have a positive view of electric vehicles, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, found that 65% of the American motorists it polled think electric vehicles are an essential part of our nation’s transportation future for reducing oil use and global warming, with 60% saying they would consider owning one themselves. More than 45 million Americans could use a battery-based vehicle without much change in their driving habits, according to the Union, which has long advocated for the wider use of EVs. While plug-in hybrids have similar driving range to gasoline-only vehicles, the current, limited range of pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, can still meet many drivers’ needs, Goldman said. The survey found that almost 70% of motorists drive less than 60 miles on a weekday, which is within the range of almost every BEV on the market today. To read more about this increasingly popular alternative energy, click the link.
12/12/2013: E-cig industry, operators await federal regulatory and taxation measures Convenience store operators are used to giving quick and convenient service, but they are getting the opposite from Uncle Sam -- as they continue to wait for the US Food and Drug Administration’s pending decision on how electronic cigarettes will be regulated. Meanwhile, several states are positioned to lump the vapor products into existing smoking bans but are waiting for the FDA’s verdict first. Currently, 28 states have adopted laws that prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Utah, NJ, North Dakota and Arkansas have included e-cigarettes in indoor smoking bans, and Massachusetts, NY, Connecticut and California (which also disallows online advertising of e-cigarettes) are pondering adoption of the same ban. We will continue to monitor legislation on these issues and fight for policies that do not harm our members.
12/11/2013: NYC Law To Make 20% Of New Parking Spaces Electric-Car Ready Soon, New York City's electric-car drivers will have an easier time finding a parking space. A new law will make 20% of the city's off-street parking charger-ready over the next decade or more. The law sets standards for the electrical hardware, requiring a minimum of 3.1 kilowatts of capacity for electric-car charging. The legislation is also expected to create a total of 10,000 charger-ready parking spots, roughly 5,000 of which should become available over the next seven years. New York City currently has just under 200 electric-car charging stations. Please continue to remain informed about the transition to alternative energies and how it can affect your business.
12/10/2013: Horizon decides it will not renew 2013 policies Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's largest insurer, announced Tuesday it won't renew any 2013 small group or individual health plans after Dec. 31st. President Obama said he would allow insurers to renew plans for 2014 -- even if they didn't comply with the Affordable Care Act. Obama's suggestion came after consumers nationwide complained as their health plans were cancelled by insurers despite his promise that consumers who liked their health plans could keep them. Horizon is the largest insurer in the state's individual and small group market, covering about 500,000 people. As you continue to make decisions about health insurance for yourself, your family and your employees, please consider NJGCA's preferred insurance provider, Association Master Trust. For more details and information please call 973-376-0066.
TRAINING CLASSES!! FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 973-376-0066 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!!
MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE TMP Energy Solutions 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 require12 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 973-376-0066 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 PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS. Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members. 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: 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.
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