McKonly & Asbury Announces Promotions to Two Members in the Bloomsburg Office

Aaron Stagliano, CPA – Principal

• Aaron joined McKonly & Asbury in January 2019 through the firm’s acquisition of Brewer & Company, LLC, and is currently a Principal with the firm. As a member of the firm’s Assurance & Advisory Segment, he serves a variety of clients in a number of industries, including family-owned business, construction, nonprofits, and government organizations. Aaron was previously employed by the U.S. Army as a sergeant in food services and was stationed in Germany. Aaron works out of our Bloomsburg office and holds a Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Bloomsburg University.

Diane Else, CPA, MBA – Manager

• Diane joined McKonly & Asbury in January 2019 through the firm’s acquisition of Brewer & Company, LLC, and currently is a Manager in the firm. As a member of the Tax Segment, she handles business tax returns as well as client notices and issues with the state and IRS. She also assists with compilations and audits along with monthly accounting work for our clients. Diane works out of our Bloomsburg office and holds an Accounting degree as well as an MBA from Wilkes University.

MEP Centers (IMC and NEPIRC) and small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) are invited to a special webinar for SMMs to help shape the future of U.S. advanced manufacturing strategy on Jan. 12, 2022 from 3-5 p.m. EST. The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing is in the process of updating the National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. The plan will improve government coordination and provide long-term guidance for federal programs and activities in support of U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, including advanced manufacturing research and development over the next five to ten years.
 
NIST, as the co-chair of the NSTC subcommittee, is facilitating a series of roundtables, concurrent with an RFI. The intent of the Jan. 12 webinar is to gather public input from SMMs that may be used in developing the National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing.

BlueJeans meeting information: https://bluejeans.com/911195551/3791

Bloomsburg Town Council is holding a workshop on Wednesday, January 19^th to get public input on two draft ordinances related to racing at the Fairgrounds. Following a short schedule of races in 2021, the Fair Association is planning on expanding the schedule in 2022. Area residents have expressed concerns about the noise and dust from the racing. The Chamber of Commerce has encouraged Town Council and the Fair Association to work together to find compromises that benefit the entire community.

As currently drafted, the noise ordinance would allow racing outside of Fair week on just five additional days, which could only be Fridays and Saturdays, with races ending by 10 p.m. Fair officials have stated that additional flexibility is needed in scheduling races so as not to conflict with other venues in the region. There are reportedly eleven race events scheduled for 2022, and organizers are looking to hold up to twenty events per season, which could be multiple days. Acknowledging that racing should not go late into the night, Fair officials are asking that races that may be delayed due to accidents or weather be allowed to conclude after 10 p.m., though none would be started after that time.

The noise limit for racing is set at 70 decibels at the property line. While all race vehicles will be required to have mufflers in 2022, the ability to meet that sound level is unclear. The Town is working to have readings taken with calibrated equipment in 2022. The Association is also exploring building a wall along a portion of the track to reduce the sound level for adjacent residents.

The proposed new dust control ordinance may have less debate. Following the first race of the 2021 season, the surface of the race track was changed and Fair officials feel the dust was reduced significantly with additional improvements planned for the coming season. The Chamber of Commerce has called for some additional definitions and clarity in the draft language.

The Chamber of Commerce recognizes the importance and economic benefit of the Bloomsburg Fair and other activities that happen at the Fairgrounds throughout the year. The cancellation of the Fair twice in the past 10 years has resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in economic impact to the area, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue specifically to the Town. The Fair Association is attempting to further utilize the Fairgrounds to generate activity and additional economic benefit with races. These activities should not create undue hardship or harm to the Bloomsburg community.

The Town’s public workshop will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on January 19^th at the Bloomsburg Fire Hall.

In December, the PA House approved a concurrent resolution by a 130-70 vote that disapproves the Wolf administration’s pending regulation to enter the state into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program for power plants in the mid-Atlantic and New England. In October, the Senate passed the same resolution by a 32-18 vote. Senator John Gordner and Representatives Kurt Masser and David Millard voted in favor of the resolution.

“Joining RGGI would do great harm and bring no benefit,” said Rep. Millard and his weekly newsletter. “RGGI was created as a means to cap CO2 emissions for power generation plants, but Pennsylvania is already outperforming most states currently enrolled in the initiative in reducing our emissions. Joining RGGI would significantly increase the operating costs for power plants, and those costs will be passed on to us as consumers at a time when we are facing the highest inflation rate in decades.”

The PA Chamber of Business & Industry supported the legislative efforts to disapprove the resolution, noting in its memo that concerns with respect to costs, leakage and impacts to manufacturing were not appropriately considered in the final rulemaking.

For the resolution to take effect and void the regulation, Gov. Wolf must either sign the resolution or let it lapse into law by taking no action, or the General Assembly must overcome his veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Gov. Wolf is expected to veto the resolution, which will open a window of ten legislative days in each chamber to attempt to override his veto. If the General Assembly cannot muster enough votes in both chambers, the regulation will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, with compliance obligations beginning the start of the next quarter. Once the rule takes effect, DEP is expected to offer a six-month window to affected facilities to modify their operating permits.

Bloomsburg Children’s Museum Offering “Free Day of Play” on Jan. 10 Thanks to Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce Sponsorship 

The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a free day of play at the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum, 2 West 7th Street, on Monday, January 10, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Admission to the Museum will be free of charge thanks to the Columbia Montour Chamber.

The day is part of the “Sponsor a Day of Play” program at the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum. The program was started in an effort to remain accessible to all area families. To accomplish this, the Museum is partnering with area businesses to go admission-free once a month.    

If you or your business are interested in sponsoring a tax-deductible day of play, please visit: https:/bit.ly/BCM-sponsor or contact the Museum directly at 570-389-9206.

The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum is a registered 501(C)3 nonprofit. It is open Monday – Saturday 10am-4pm. 

Pennsylvania’s Shared-Work program is a tool that that allows an employer to temporarily reduce the work hours of a group of employees while supplementing their lost wages with partial unemployment benefits rather than laying off any employees. Employees covered by the Shared-Work plan receive a percentage of their unemployment compensation (UC) weekly benefit amount while they work the reduced schedule, if they are otherwise eligible for UC.

Shared-Work plans empower employers to retain a trained and qualified workforce during periods of slowdown, and quickly ramp up operations without the expense of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees.

Since January 2020, more than 900 shared-work plans have been successfully put into action from employers across the commonwealth. With changing dynamics in the modern-day work place, Pennsylvania’s Shared-Work program may help businesses.  

Who is included in the Shared-Work plan?

Employers select which employees will be included in the Shared-Work plan. A plan must apply to one “affected unit” which is defined as a department, shift, or other organizational unit. Employers may have more than one plan if there is more than one affected unit. For example, all employees working the night shift may be one unit. All employees in the affected unit must participate; however, an employee who has been employed in the affected unit for less than three months, or an employee who would work 40 or more hours a week under the plan may not participate. There must be at least two participating employees, determined without regard to corporate officers.

How much will the employees’ hours be reduced under the Shared-Work program?

After identifying the affected unit(s), the employer selects the percentage by which the employees’ hours are reduced, referred to as the “reduction percentage.” The employer determines the reduction percentage based on business needs, but it must be at least 20 percent and cannot exceed 40 percent of the employees’ normal weekly hours. The reduction percentage must be the same for all employees participating in the Shared-Work plan. For example, if an employee normally works 40 hours per week, and the reduction percentage is 20 percent, then the employee’s hours are reduced by 20 percent and he or she would work 80 percent of 40 hours, or 32 hours per week. If an employee in the same unit works 30 hours per week, then he or she would work 80 percent of 30 hours, or 24 hours per week.

How are UC benefits determined under the plan?

For each week in the plan, an employee receives a percentage of his or her UC weekly benefit amount (WBA) equal to the reduction percentage. For example, if the employee’s WBA is $400 and the employee’s hours are reduced by 20 percent under the plan, the employee would receive 20 percent of $400 (or $80) in Shared-Work UC benefits.

What qualifications are required for participation?

To participate in Pennsylvania’s Shared-Work program, the employer must have filed all UC tax reports and paid all amounts due under PA UC Law, have a positive reserve account balance (for contributory employers) and have paid wages for the last 12 consecutive quarters, according to the department’s Office of UC Tax Services.

For more information and to view FAQs, forms and the brochure, visit www.uc.pa.gov/sharedwork .

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC has shortened the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.

Additionally, CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.  For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

Isolation relates to behavior after a confirmed infection. Isolation for 5 days followed by wearing a well-fitting mask will minimize the risk of spreading the virus to others. Quarantine refers to the time following exposure to the virus or close contact with someone known to have COVID-19. Both updates come as the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the U.S. and reflects the current science on when and for how long a person is maximally infectious.

Click HERE for additional guidance.

PennDOT believes it has the authority to implement tolls on interstate bridges to pay for replacement and maintenance and is advancing a plan to begin tolling nine bridges beginning in 2023. While municipalities and business groups are mounting legal challenges to the PennDOT plan, a bill being considered in Harrisburg would require the legislature’s approval for tolling. The Chamber’s board of directors is supporting the bill with the hope of blocking the tolling and providing oversight over any future plans.

Senate Bill 382 would prescribe a more open and transparent process for future projects proposed under the Public Private Partnership (P3) law adopted in 2012. Specifically, a detailed analysis would have to be developed prior to any consideration by the P3 board, and a 30-day public comment period would be held following publication of the project in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Additionally, any P3 project that includes a user fee would require legislative approval.

The legislation passed in the House in mid-November and is awaiting final consideration in the Senate. As Governor Wolf is expected to veto the bill, the Chamber is gathering information on the various lawsuits across the state that challenge the legal authority of PennDOT to implement tolling.

As OSHA is implementing the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring employers with 100 or more workers to require vaccinations or weekly testing, two bills are advancing through the state legislature that would restrict vaccination policies for employees. Previously, the board of directors of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution opposing the OSHA ETS. This month, the board sent a letter (link to attached) to state and federal lawmakers asking that employers be allowed to develop their own vaccination policies.

PA Senate Bill 471 would prohibit employers from requiring the COVID-19 vaccine, and House Bill 2013 would implement a Constitutional amendment that would limit employers’ ability to manage employees based on vaccination status. Neither bill has been voted on in its respective chamber. However, both would create a conflict for employers that have to comply with the ETS.

The ETS and both bills create more work for employers in compliance and reporting. They also set up collective bargaining and employee relations issues. With the challenges employers are having hiring and retaining quality employees, the Chamber board believes that employers should be permitted to develop their vaccination policies in the best interests of their employees and business operations.