The Downtown Merchants of Ocean City, NJ are once again going virtual! Be sure to check back for online shopping specials to see how you can support your favorite Asbury Avenue businesses! Specials are posted and last all weekend long during Memorial Day Weekend! Have friends that want to shop that are not on Facebook? No problem...have them visit the Blog...www.oceancityvacation.com/blog/summerkickoff         ... Read More

INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR RESTAURANTS AND BARS This guidance provides considerations for businesses in the food service industry (e.g., restaurants and bars) on ways to maintain healthy business operations and a safe and healthy work environment for employees, while reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread for both employees and customers. Employers should follow applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and CDC guidance for businesses to plan and respond to COVID-19. All decisions about implementing these recommendations should be made in collaboration with local health officials and other State and local authorities who can help assess the current level of mitigation needed based on levels of COVID-19 community transmission and the capacities of the local public health and healthcare systems. CDC is releasing this interim guidance, laid out in a series of... Read More

Grants & Loans NOTE: All federal and state programs have, for the time being, closed their application process. If you already filed an application with your bank, you should contact them directly to make sure all of your paperwork is in order and about the status of your application.  We will update this section as soon as new opportunities become available. With PPP Out of Money, What Should Businesses Do? Main Street Lending Program:  The Federal Reserve has created the Main Street Lending Program to provide a total of $600 billion in financing for small and medium-sized businesses.  While the program’s start date has yet to be announced, here’s what you need to know to check eligibility and get ready to apply. (Prepared by the US Chamber of Commerce) NJEDA Entrepreneur Guarantee Program (Applications now open) NJEDA Partnering with CDFIs to Support... Read More

Back to Work Best Practices  Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce (OCCC) has recognized the balance needed to safeguard public health and safety while protecting New Jersey’s economy. New Jersey businesses are eager to get back to work and provide their products and services. The health and safety of their employees, clients and customers are their top priority.  Based on the best practices shared by employers in New Jersey’s critical industries, OCCC is offering the following guidelines and suggestions to assist our member companies in their efforts to provide safe workplaces for their employees and customers as they come back online. Specific metrics will determine reopening, with the appropriate balance being struck among data-driven testing and tracing, the ability to assess risk and the ability to... Read More

Genova Burns Guide for Back to Business Planning - By: Dina M. Mastellone, Brigette N. Eagan, Sharina Rodriguez Now is the time for employers to formulate action plans for returning employees to the workplace. We have developed the following FAQ’s to guide the development of your return to work plan. REQUIRING EMPLOYEES TO RETURN TO WORK 1. Can employees decline reinstatement from a furlough? If an employee has no reason protected by law from returning to work, then that employee may be disqualified from unemployment benefits. Following are some common COVID-19 based protected reasons that would delay an employee’s active return to work. New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Act If an employee has not exhausted their sick leave, they can use their accrued earned sick time for the following reasons: (1) their own COVID-19 related illness, (2) a family... Read More

May 9, 2020 Dear Friends, I want to wish all the moms in town a happy Mother’s Day tomorrow. I also want to provide a quick update. Today, we opened the shared-use path on the Route 52 causeway, and we began permitting beach access for exercising and active recreation. We will continue to take a measured approach and work with the governor’s office on a plan to safely reopen different parts of the city. Please continue to take personal responsibility for following social distancing guidelines and other safe practices. Warm regards, Jay A. Gillian Mayor ... Read More

May 8, 2020 Dear Friends, I had another week of conference calls with doctors, hospital officials, the governor's office and local leaders as we continue to plan for reopening Ocean City. I am encouraged to report that our local hospitals remain below capacity, and the trends in COVID-19 cases appear to be flattening. So far, we have done well in Ocean City to prevent the worst outcomes of this pandemic by following all of the directives issued to slow the spread of the virus. I anticipate that very soon I will be able to share information on beach access for exercising. We will take a measured approach to reopening different parts of the city. As your mayor, my first priority is your health and welfare, and I am particularly concerned for our senior population.... Read More

Below is a link to the Cape May County Recovery Initiative proposal to reopening our county. The plan was submitted to Governor Murphy. We encourage all business owners and residents to read the plan. Click here to read the Cape May County Recovery Initiative Proposal... Read More