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Executive Directors Message
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UPDATE ON PARSON CONTRACT: MEMBERS ARE CLEAR TO SIGN
E-CIG FLAVOR BAN REMINDER
UPDATE TO NJ PAID SICK LEAVE POLICY
GM TO INVEST 2.2 B IN EV TRUCKS
HIGHER MARGINS NEEDED TO STAY PROFITABLE- RAISE PRICES
MVC EMISSIONS INSPECTOR CLASS FEBRUARY 19 & 20
***This version contains a live link that the previous version did not.***
PARSONS
On January 14, 2020, the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) issued a VID Message to all Private Inspection Facilities (PIFs), informing them that SGS will no longer be providing service to vehicle inspection Workstations and that Parsons would take over SGS's responsibilities moving forward. In order to facilitate this arrangement, MVC asked you to sign a new multi-part "Station Participation Agreement" (SPA) to formally transfer SGS's obligations to Parsons.
Since that time, there has been a flurry of phone calls and emails from members, asking for insight and advice on signing the agreement.
In last week's Road Warrior, we advised you to sit tight, not to sign anything, and give us the opportunity to investigate and vet the information.
I'm pleased to say we have been able to parse through the documents and disorder, and were able to speak to officials at both MVC and Parsons.
There was a great deal of confusion among members - and candidly, even among State officials - throughout this episode. While the VID Message clearly indicated that the agreement was only transferring SGS's responsibilities to Parsons, the contract itself was considerably more extensive.
After digging into the contract and speaking to the appropriate parties, we have discovered that there are, in fact, two separate contracts mistakenly floating around, which is the root of the confusion.
The first contract, as conveyed through the VID message is the WRONG contract. It is a 27-page document (a 26-page contract + cover letter), that essentially replicates the original contract you signed with SGS/Parsons when you became a PIF. That contract outlined, in part, your responsibility to purchase equipment from SGS to enroll in the State's inspection program. Much to members' collective chagrin, in signing the 26-page contract, there was no way for you to opt-out of purchasing new equipment, which is why we instructed you NOT to sign it.
The second contract is the correct version of the contract. Many PIF locations received this as a hard copy in the mail after the original VID was issued. The correct version is a 14-page document (a 13-page contract + cover letter). This shorter contract coincided with the goals outlined in the original VID Message, and formally transfers SGS's responsibilities to Parsons. There is no requirement to purchase equipment that you already own, and no new liabilities, fees, or ancillary obligations therein.
With this in mind, NJGCA is instructing members to ignore (and dispose) of the 26-page contract, and ONLY SIGN the 13-page contract.
As some members have stated that they did not receive a hardcopy of the shorter, 13-page contract, please click on the following LINK to view the appropriate transition agreement. This is the ONLY document to be used and executed for current PIF locations already in the program.
In addition to the information above, please also note the following:
1 - We have heard from many members informing us that their MVC Auditors were instructing them to sign the 26-page contract and get it back to Parsons immediately. This is INCORRECT information. Firstly, you have until February 28, 2020 to submit this agreement. While we encourage you to dispatch this in a timely manner, you will not be cut from the program if you make the February 28th deadline. Secondly, to reiterate, as outlined above, if you are an existing PIF and wish to remain in the program, you should NOT sign the 26-page contract. The 26-page contract is only for new PIF locations; not current PIF locations. If your auditor continues to push you to sign the 26-page contract rather than the 13-page contract, please note their name and report it to NJGCA.
2 - Please use the link provided above to download the correct 13-page contract. To add more confusion to this situation, it appears that the link on the MVC website may be mislabeled. As such, use only the link above to get to the correct document.
3 - Some members are questioning if there are any new fees involved in this agreement. I can confirm that there are no new fees involved. After reviewing the contract language, your monthly Break/Fix Services costs will remain the same. What's more, please note that this new agreement does not impact your existing per-inspection transaction fee. That agreement already exists with Parsons, is part of the current contract, and SGS was never a party to that arrangement.
4 - A few members have asked if it is necessary to submit a voided check or provide other financial information. I can confirm that this is a requirement of the Automated Clearing House and is necessary to comply with the contract. Please follow all instructions and submit these documents accordingly.
5 - If your station has multiple Inspection Workstations (or if you have multiple stations, and each station has its own Inspection Workstation), please fill out a contract for each Workstation. Every contract is tied to PIF location and the individual Workstation itself. Depending on your individual circumstances, if you skip this step, Parsons will circle back and ask you to sign an additional contract for the unaccounted machine. Doing this correctly now before the deadline will prevent any hiccups and interruption of service after February 28th.
6 - Please be sure to include your workstation ID number on your contract. Please hand write it in on the top of page two and bottom of page three. To find your workstation ID, click on these instructions.
Thank you for your attention to the above. Again, please sign ONLY THE 13-PAGE CONTRACT, and ignore/dispose of the 26-page contract.
If you should have any questions regarding this message, please reach out to Nick here at HQ 732-256-9646 or nick@njgca.org
E-CIG FLAVOR BAN
Please note that today, Thursday, February 6th, the FDA's nation-wide e-cigarette flavor ban takes effect. This means that all flavored e-cigarette cartridges (with the exception of menthol and tobacco flavors) must be removed from your shelves. This guidance does not include disposable, single-use vape product flavors, which are still permitted to be sold.
While the guidance does not mention having the items on the premises of your store and only specifically addresses the sale of these products, you should still take precautions to ensure the products are removed from your store and inform staff to prevent any sales. Any unsold stock as of February 6th should not be in view of the customer and should be packaged, sealed, and secured in an area of the store where the public cannot access these products.
NACS has created signage for your storefront for downloading and printing which can be found HERE to inform customers of the change.
PAID SICK LEAVE
Final regulations for New Jersey's policy on paid sick leave were released late last month. One major change that you should all be aware of is that employers can now have the option of designating the benefit year by the employee's work anniversary rather than having all employees on the same benefit year. This means that the employer can either give each employee their 40 hours up front (or begin accruing paid sick leave at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked) at the employee's start date and renew their paid sick leave "bank" on each individual's work anniversary, or whenever the employer designates their start of benefit year. Not all employees have to have the same start of benefit year date.
EV TRUCKS
I will continue to keep bringing you evidence of the importance that electric zero-emission vehicles will play in the future. One of the main reasons that I believe this change is on the horizon is because large companies with very smart leaders whose heads are on the chopping block when they make bad investments are investing tons of money into these future vehicles. Recently, GM announced a $2.2 billion investment to build electric trucks and SUVs. GM plans to release an electric pickup first, and is scheduled to begin production in 2021. This will be followed by a self-driving vehicle, the Cruise Origin. The investment from GM is also falling in line with a world-wide trend to cut down on the use of fossil fuels, with the UK also recently announcing it will ban new gasoline and diesel cars in 2035. I'll have more to write soon about New Jersey's new Energy Master Plan and how this too will have an effect on the fossil fuels you sell.
PROFIT MARGINS SHOULD BE INCREASED
Many members have reported that they are feeling the impact of the most recent minimum wage increase to $11 per hour. Besides the wage increase there has been an avalanche of employer mandates such as paid sick leave that have also increased the costs of operating your business. It is time to do some simple math. Addition and subtraction, and multiplication.
RAISE YOUR PRICES! RAISE YOUR PRICES! RAISE YOUR PRICES!
Do you want to sell more product? Or make more profit? It doesn't matter if you are selling gas, brakes, or coffee. Sell less and make more! There are some business owners who are successfully doing this. Remember minimum wage goes up again next year to $12 and each year thereafter until it hits $15. RAISE YOUR PRICES.
NJGCA PIF INSPECTOR CLASS
If you or your employees need to be certified as Emission Inspectors, NJGCA will offer our NJ State Emission Inspector Class later this month (February 19th and 20th) at our offices in Wall. Our class is an approved training program that provides a detailed understanding of inspection related issues and fulfills all state requirements. This class has proven to be popular with our students, as we provide instruction immediately before MVC administers their exam on-site at our office. Please see the link to our registration flier in the Training Class Schedule section of this newsletter. Complete the two-page enrollment and follow the enclosed instructions to save your spot. MVC caps the number of students we can teach at 12, so if you are interested, it's important that you act now to reserve your seat.
That's all for this week -
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director
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Training Class Schedule
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All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753
Two-Day Emissions Inspector Training Class
February 19th & 20th
March 17th & 18th
April 22nd & 23rd
Want your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help!
Our new two-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector. Day one will consist of written test training and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices. Day two will be a hands-on training course to prepare you for the hands-on test. Class will run from 7:00am to 4:00pm on day 1. Class will begin at 12:30 PM on day 2. Cost is $479 for members.
February class registration click here
March class registration click here
April class registration click here
FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT NICK at 732-256-9646 or NICK@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HIM 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! |
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News Around The State
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2/3/20
NJ Is Billions Of Dollars In Debt. Now, Leaders Want To Borrow More To Fund New Projects.
New Jersey is saddled with one of the greatest debt burdens in the country - frequently ranked in the top five states with most owed per person - and is looking to borrow even more. The state has begun to issue $825 million worth of bonds to fund voter-approved projects, like public library improvements, technical education programs and school security upgrades,as well as needs that didn't get voter sign-off,like new trains and buses.
2/1/20
He Used To Pump Gas As A Newly Arrived Turkish Immigrant. Now, He's A Morris County Freeholder
Twenty-four years ago, Tayfun Selen was working the pumps at a gas station in Madison as a newly arrived immigrant from Istanbul, Turkey, hoping to earn a piece of the American dream. Today he is Morris County's newest freeholder, chosen by his fellow Republicans who convened at County College of Morris on Saturday to select a replacement for Heather Darling, who left her seat on the board following her November election to the county surrogate office.
1/31/20
Teens Find A Big Loophole in the New Flavored Vaping Ban
Blame a policy loophole. When the Trump administration decided to prohibit fruit, mint and dessert flavors in refillable cartridge-based e-cigarettes like Juul, it carved out a few exceptions to mollify the vape shop owners and adult consumers who complained. The much-publicized exemption allows menthol and tobacco flavors. But a footnote on page 9 of the new policy permits all flavors to continue to be sold in devices that cannot be refilled and are designed to be disposed of after the flavored nicotine has run dry. . .Juul Labs, the San Francisco-based company that dominates the e-cigarette market, has been widely blamed for igniting the youth vaping epidemic with its fashionable, sleek devices and flavors like mango, mint and creme. The company was feeling so much pressure it voluntarily discontinued all its flavors but menthol and tobacco last fall. But the holes in the government's flavor ban have merely opened the door to an array of competing brands that produce disposables, like Puff Bars, blu, Posh and Stig. The pre-charged, pre-filled devices are made by domestic companies and imported from China. Some have a higher nicotine level than Juul.
1/30/20
Debate Over Banning Plastic And Paper Bags In N.J. Heats Up Again
Lawmakers have revived a debate about banning plastic and paper carryout bags just weeks after a controversial bill died at the end of the last legislative session. But it's unlikely the measure would become law if legislators try to tackle paper and plastic simultaneously. The state Senate Environment and Energy Committee on Thursday approved the bill (S864), which would ban the single-use bags, along with Styrofoam, or polystyrene foam, takeout containers. The ban would take effect 18 months after the governor signed it, rather than two years, as the previous bill mandated. It would also limit use of plastic straws after one year by making them available only upon a customer request. But that can't happen unless the state Assembly passes its own version of the bill, and lawmakers there want to wait to bar paper after a plastic bag ban takes effect, a source with knowledge of the measure said.
1/30/20
Weinberg Bill Would Establish Fair Scheduling For Shift Workers
Lawmakers in Trenton are moving ahead with a bill aimed at ending unpredictable scheduling practices, a measure they hope will improve the lives of shift workers in New Jersey. The bill, NJ S921 (20R), would require service sector employers to provide their workers with advance notice of schedules, compensation for canceled shifts and estimated weekly hours, among other things.
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Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices
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Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.
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Classifieds: For Sale and Help Wanted Ads
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NEW!
FOR SALE:
Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.
New! Parts For Sale: Incon TS-1000 tank monitor works well just taken out of service. Printer is aprox 2 months old. Also, Incon 8, tank probes. System replaced because on an Exxon upgrade. Call John Twin Towers Exxon (201) 224-8444
 
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