August 15, 2014

Dear NJGCA Member:

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

Here is what you will find in this edition:

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS! 

NJGCA DINER TOUR 2014 - THREE SUCCESSFUL BREAKFAST MEETINGS SO FAR!
PAID SICK LEAVE UNDER CONSIDERATION IN MORE MUNICIPALITIES
AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO INCREASES TO 21 IN ENGLEWOOD

As many of you should know (at least those of you in North/Central Jersey), we have now had three NJGCA Diner Tour 2014 Breakfast Meetings (in Bridgewater, Fair Lawn and Piscataway). I am very pleased with how successful these meetings have been, and the feedback from members is overwhelmingly positive. Members have been especially satisfied with the fact that the meetings provide a special opportunity to participate in a personal dialogue with me, the NJGCA staff, and fellow colleagues/small business owners that are facing many of the same uncertainties and difficulties in this industry.  
 
Right now, my goal is to schedule two of these breakfast meetings every month, at diners around the State.  The meetings have very much come to resemble a roundtable discussion, and my goal is to have about 10 members at each meeting, in order to create a more intimate atmosphere and ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate and seek the expertise and experience of our staff and Member Benefit Partners. All members are welcome at any or all breakfast meetings. It does not matter where your business is located or where you reside. You could come to all of them if you like! For a schedule of upcoming locations, please click HERE.  Special thanks to our MBPs who have sponsored and funded these breakfast meetings and also enabled us to offer a $50 American Express Gift Certificate to one lucky attendeeat EACH MEETING!  See some pictures below of our recent meetings.
 
I'd now like to switch gears to remind you, again, about the spread of individual cities and towns adopting paid sick leave ordinances. Just recently, Passaic and Paterson announced that their city councils would be considering ordinances that would mandate paid sick leave for private sector employees, similar to ordinances passed in Jersey City and Newark. At every breakfast meeting in the past three weeks, this has been a huge cause for concern for our members.  Unfortunately, I don't think that we will be successful in keeping this from plaguing the whole state. If paid sick leave does become a reality in New Jersey, there will be serious implications ... not only for your bottom line, but also in terms of the paperwork and bookkeeping that will be required to remain in compliance. We will continue to keep you informed about the progress of these proposals.

Finally, I know that I've talked to you a lot this year about tobacco issues. Fortunately, many of your convenience stores are prospering -- and much of this is due to the revenue that you bring in from tobacco products.  I know that tobacco-related issues are very important to you, so NJGCA has undertaken these issues with the same seriousness as we have with issues relating to the gas and auto repair businesses. Last week, the city of Englewood passed an ordinance that raised the age of purchasing tobacco to 21 years old. This really sent me into a tizzy, and I sent out a press release immediately upon learning about this ridiculous new city ordinance. To read the press release, please click HERE. To read various news articles in which I was quoted on this issue, please click HERE and HERE. Again, this is an issue that we are fighting on the state level, and I do believe that once legislators begin to hear input from business owners (and maybe even a few members of our Armed Forces who this legislation would ban from purchasing tobacco), they may have a change of heart.  We will need you to be actively involved with this issue if we want to be successful!

 
 
Great group in Fair Lawn on Tuesday, 8/12


Congratulations to our $50 winner in Fair Lawn, Marty Gallagher!


Great group in Piscataway on Wednesday, 8/13


Congratulations to our $50 winner in Piscataway, Steve Visich!

That's all for now.  Thanks for reading.  See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

Do you have a business for sale?  Are you looking for a new location or opportunity?

• NJGCA regularly assists members looking to sell their business by getting the word out.  Since everyone reading this message is involved in the small business gasoline retail, convenience store, and automotive repair trades, it is an ideal medium to connect with interested buyers and prospects!

NJGCA also helps members sell equipment by placing ads in the Road Warrior!

• If you'd like to list equipment for sale, or have an open position you'd like to make other industry professionals aware of, please contact NJGCA at 973-376-0066 and let us help you get the word out! 

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

8/11/2014:
NJGCA in the News: Convenience store group says Englewood's age 21 smoking limit is unfair
A citywide ban on tobacco and nicotine sales to anyone under 21, which goes into effect this week, will hurt small businesses and infringes on the rights of their adult customers, the head of an advocacy group for gas station and convenience store owners said. "It is the right of every adult consumer to decide which products to indulge in and which to abstain from," said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline-Convenience-Automotive Association. "This ordinance removes that freedom of choice from legal adults, who are old enough to sign a contract, get married or go to war, yet are apparently incapable of deciding whether to use tobacco products." Englewood recently became the first municipality in the state to raise the minimum age for sales of tobacco and "nicotine delivery" products – including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes – to 21. Any retailers caught violating the provisions of the new ordinance could be subject to a $250 fine for the first offense and fines of up to $1,000, 90 days in jail and suspension of their retail-food licenses for a third or any subsequent offense committed in one year. The law, approved last month in a unanimous vote, takes effect this week.

8/11/2014:
NJGCA in the News: Englewood ban on under-21 tobacco sales criticized by convenience store group
The head of an advocacy group for gas station and convenience store owners said a citywide ban on tobacco and nicotine sales to anyone under 21 would hurt small businesses, the Record reported. The city's new ordinance applies to cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes. It is the first in the state to raise the legal age since 2006, when it was raised from 18 to 19. The Senate approved a bill in June that would raise the age to 21 statewide. New Jersey would be the first state to increase the legal age to 21. Small-business owners in Englewood will lose customers to competitors in neighboring towns because of the ordinance, Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline-Convenience-Automotive Association, said.
 
8/11/2014:
Passaic, Paterson eye paid sick leave law
The Passaic city council next week will consider an ordinance requiring private employers to provide workers with paid sick leave, and Paterson Mayor Joey Torres said he wants to see such an ordinance enacted in his city. The two cities are among five that are the latest focus of an effort by a coalition of unions, anti-poverty poverty activists and other groups to enact local laws that would mandate paid sick leave for private sector employees, similar to ordinances passed in Jersey City and Newark. The ordinances are part of a grass roots campaign to generate enough local momentum to get statewide legislation, which was introduced in February, enacted. The groups say about 40 percent of New Jersey workers don't get paid sick leave. Business groups oppose the measures, saying they will add to the expense of running a business and will interfere with an employer's ability to manage the business. If the issue is to be considered they prefer that be done at the state level rather than by individual cities.

08/11/2014:
Mercer County exec seeks referendum on 5-cent fee on plastic shopping bags
With an eye on reducing pollution, county officials are moving forward with the first step of charging residents a 5-cent fee for each plastic shopping bag they use. County Executive Brian Hughes said he is requesting county freeholders support placing a nonbinding referendum on the November ballot to get the public’s take on the effort. The freeholders are expected to vote on a resolution authorizing the referendum at their formal meeting last night – one day before the deadline to get the matter on the ballot, Hughes said.  County officials acknowledge that in New Jersey, counties do not have the authority to impose separate fees on plastic bags. The authority to do so would have to come from an act of the Legislature.  However, there are precedents for counties in other states, Hughes said. He also believes if voters were to pass the referendum it would give the county a much stronger talking point to be able to institute the fees.

TRAINING CLASSES!!
-ALL CLASSES WILL BE HELD AT NJGCA HEADQUARTERS-
66 Morris Avenue - Springfield, NJ 07081 (Union County)

NJGCA is pleased to offer the NJ Emission Technician Education Program, starting in August. It is the ETEP Certification Course, the entire program, sections 1-8.  This is everything you need to become a licensed Emission Repair Technician. Tests are given throughout the course and technicians that pass will receive a certificate stating that they successfully completed the New Jersey Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP). NJGCA has provided this program to the NJ Department of Transportation, UPS and NJGCA Members throughout New Jersey. Our pass rate in this class is 100%.

FOR INFO ABOUT THE 8-WEEK ENTIRE EMISSION TECHNICIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM (ETEP) CLASS -- SECTIONS 1 TO 8 -- TO BE OFFERED ON WEDNESDAYS DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, PLEASE CLICK HERE  .

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 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 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.