Businesses, Contractors, Workers: Find Help Here

Recovery Assistance from JEDCO

In an effort to assist area businesses with recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) has compiled the following list of available assistance for companies:

DISASTER RELIEF ASSISTANCE

• Louisiana Economic Development (LED) is working with state and federal government to identify sources of bridge funding and financing, including loans for impacted businesses. Affected businesses are encouraged to complete the disaster assistance request forms found at www.fema.gov to start the application process for federal disaster loans administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers Business Physical Disaster and Economic Injury loans. Business Physical Disaster Loans can be used to repair or replace disaster damges to property owned by businesses of all sizes. Nonprofit organizations are also eligible. Economic Injury Disaster Loans can be obtained for working capital to help small businesses and cooperatives through the recovery period. Note: This agency provides loans, not grants. For further details, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955.

In addition, the SBA is coordinating with JEDCO, federal, state and local agencies to open The Business Recovery Center to assist companies in southeastern Louisiana that have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The center will allow business owners/operators to meet face-to-face with SBA officials, as well as labor, lending and insurance representatives who will accept assistance applications, answer questions and provide counseling. JEDCO will supply further details on this operation as they become available.

• Louisiana Association of Business & Industry (LABI) has set up a disaster fund with the goal of providing small grants to qualifying businesses. To apply or to make a donation to this fund please go to www.labi.org.

• Louisiana Bankers' Association (LBA) offers a comprehensive list of banks and bank Web sites for information on business loans. Please refer to www.lba.org.

• HOPE Fed Credit Union is offering 0% interest 90-day bridge loans to their members and small businessmen. In addition, the credit union will be awarding several $1,000 grants to NOPD officers who remained on the job during hurricane katrina through the New Orleans Police Foundation. Grants are also being offered to some non-profits who serve small businesses and residents of the city. Auto, mortgage & business loan criteria are being loosened through year's end to assist hurricane survivors. HOPE also offers Hurricane Evacuation accounts, similar to X-mas Club where members save throughout the year and are allowed to withdraw the funds during hurricane season to make repairs or pay evacuation expenses. HOPE Credit Union membership is open to residents regardless of business or organization affiliation. Contact Lynette Colin, New Orleans Operations VP for more information.

FIND NO-COST HOUSING FOR DISPLACED WORKERS

• FEMA is assisting employers seeking housing for their displaced workers. Note: employees must register with FEMA at www.fema.gov so that each is issued an official identification number. Jefferson Parish company representatives can e-mail JEDCO's Jerry Bologna at jbologna@jedco.org for assistance with obtaining no-cost travel trailers for displaced workers. (If your Southeastern Louisiana company is not in Jefferson Parish you will need to contact the state directly at laskowski@la.gov.) Note: Trailers must be housed on company sites/properties and companies must provide water, sewer and electrical hookups.

OBTAIN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

• Businesses interested in providing disaster recovery work should register at www.accesslouisiana.gov.

Businesses can contact the six prime contractors selected by FEMA and the U.S. Corp of Engineers regarding sub-contractor work. These companies are listed below:

• Bechtel National – supplier.bechtel.com – Selected by FEMA to access and provide for emergency needs including identifying and readying available rental units, vacant housing complexes and open space for FEMA travel trailers and temporary housing.

• CH2M Hill – projects.ch2m.com/FEMA%5FPublic/ - Coordinating through FEMA in Baton Rouge with expansion plans for Montgomery, Alabama, to identify housing solutions and to coordinate logistics and ensure essential operational services, including electricity, water and sewer.

• Dewberry – disastersubcontractors@dewberry.com – Contracted by FEMA to inspect houses and public infrastructure and is recruiting additional qualified engineers and specialists, especially those who have been personally affected or who have lost their jobs.

• Fluor Enterprises – fluor.com/about/supplier.asp - Seeking suppliers of goods and and services for government projects. As one of the world’s largest engineering procurement, construction and maintenance service organizations, they procure a large volume of industrial goods and services.

• KBR/Halliburton – halliburton.com/kbr/kbrsuppliers/supplierRegistration.jsp - Contracted with the U.S. Navy to provide power restoration, emergency roof repair and debris removal at three facilities that were damaged, performing damage assessments at other Navy facilities and performing de-watering activities in the Greater New Orleans region.

• Shaw Group - shawgrp.com/hurricanerecovery/submitvendorinfo.aspx

Contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers for construction and related services, including pumping of floodwater from the city of New Orleans, and by FEMA to provide support services, including housing assistance for displaced residents.

• FEMA contracting opportunities can be reviewed at www.fema.gov/ofm/business.shtm.

Note: Any requests from businesses to contract directly with FEMA for products or services should go to Richard Spillane, FEMA contract officer. He would prefer to be contacted by e-mail at richard.spillane@dhs.gov. If computer/e-mail is not available, he can be reached at 504-202-4762. The following information will be required:

-- Company name

-- Contact information including address, phone and cell phone numbers, and e-mail address

-- Detailed description of services and/or products provided

Note: According to Spillane, 90 percent of the contracts are going to Louisiana businesses.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Mississippi Valley Division in Vicksburg, Mississippi is coordinating disaster and recovery efforts of Hurricane Katrina. Visit www.usace.army.mil and click on “Hurricane Katrina Contract Support” for contracting and sub-contracting opportunities and to make disaster relief equipment available.

• National Emergency Resource Registry of the Department of Homeland Security Web site at www.nerr.gov lists resources available from organizations, agencies and corporations.

• Louisiana Association of Business & Industry (LABI) offers information on procuring government contracts related to rebuilding areas that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Please consult the Web site www.labi.org.

ACQUIRE JEFFERSON PARISH CONTRACTOR PERMITS

• Companies must continue to comply with Jefferson Parish’s permitting and licensing requirements.

A post-disaster building permit can be obtained at Jefferson Parish’s West Bank Office of Inspection and Code Enforcement, 400 Maple St. in Harvey. Hours of operation: Mondays – Fridays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Phone: 504-364-3512.

Contractors not already licensed to work in Louisiana can obtain licenses from the Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board located in Baton Rouge at 2525 Quail Road. Phone: 1-800-256-1392. Hours of operation: Mondays – Fridays, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

CONNECTING EMPLOYERS WITH WORKERS

• Louisiana Department of Labor offers a list of job fairs designed to match employers with those seeking work at www.dol.state.la.us.

• Worker/Employer Locator Site. Assistance is available for employers trying to reconnect with their employees at the Web site www.findyourneworleansemployer.com.

• The United States Department of Labor offers job bank information at www.dol.gov for the following: 1) individuals seeking new, full-time employment; 2) individuals wishing to assist in the clean-up and rebuilding efforts through temporary employment; and 3) employers who want to list jobs supporting hurricane recovery efforts or want to hire workers impacted by the hurricane.

OBTAIN TAX RELIEF

• IRS updates for Hurricane Katrina Tax Relief Guidelines for taxpayers in four states, relief workers and others impacted, are provided at www.irs.gov.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.