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Elmwood is the heart of food & beverage industry in Jefferson Parish

Tax Highlights: Tax Time

Leave as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the ADA

New Year • Hot Topics • Updates

President’s Letter

Meeting Highlights

Jefferson Parish Update

JEDCO

Upcoming EBA Events

Tax Highlights: Tax Time

Leave… Under the ADA

EBA Board

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Dear EBA Members:

This issue of The Elmwood Business Association newsletter marks the beginning our 2nd year of a digital format. We hope you have enjoyed the new format and have found the articles helpful. We thank all our newsletter advertisers and encourage our members to support them.

Our annual charity fundraiser, Taste of Elmwood, is being held on Tuesday, March 21st, at Elmwood Self Storage and Wine Cellar. This year we are raising funds for Metro Centers For Community Advocacy (formerly Metropolitan Center for Women and Children), an Elmwood-based non-profit whose mission is to break the cycle of violence and aid survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking through advocacy, intervention, empowerment and transformation. We are hoping for a record turnout this year and ask that all of our members spread the word and send your employees to support a good cause. Attendees get to taste a variety of food provided by restaurants in the Elmwood area. In addition, we will have a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, and a raffle drawing.

I would especially like to thank our sponsors, to date, for Taste of Elmwood: $1,000 “Gold” - Priority Floors; $500 “Silver” - Metairie Bank and Magnolia Physical Therapy. We also thank Elmwood Self Storage and Wine Cellar for donating the space for us to hold this event, Chaps Party Rentals $500 “Silver” sponsor trade out on quote for providing tables and chairs for the event, and Lisa Taglauer of Magnolia Physical Therapy for again serving as Chairperson of Taste of Elmwood. Registration is available at www.elmwoodba.org. Tickets are $15 (with advance registration) or $20 (at the door). We look forward to seeing many of our members there, and bring a friend.

Our membership year will be coming to an end in June. We hope you all will renew your membership and help us to continue to grow our association. We will also be transitioning in new Board members and officers and encourage our members to volunteer. We welcome new members who would like to serve and help build the Elmwood Business Association so we can support our business community.

Sincerely,

Donna Casadaban Lowe, CPCUEBA, President

Donna Lowe 2017 President

L E T T E R F ROM O U R P R E SI DE N T

M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R S !March 21, 2017 • 11:30 am to 1:00 pm

Elmwood Self Storage & Wine Cellar • 1004 S. Clearview Parkway • Elmwood, LA 70123

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Presented by

• Bring your friends, family and coworkers• Get networking opportunity• Enjoy great tastes from many of our local Elmwood Restaurants• Plenty of great food and variety• Win door prizes

• Enter Raffle for a Massage Package and a French Quarter Hotel Stay• Tickets $15 (advance registration) or $20 (at the door)• Register online at www.elmwoodba.org or call (504) 733-8900

GOLD Sponsor SILVER Sponsors

Sponsored by

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E L M WO OD BU SI N E S S AS S O C IAT I ONM E E T I N G H I G H L I G H T S

DECEMBER 13, 2016: DECEMBER LUNCHEON

Doug Mouton, WWL Sports Director, was our honored speaker who gave his thoughts on the Saints ending 2016 Season as well as Pelicans organization management.

During December meeting, Mark Firmin with Angel’s place also spoke to us about the remarkable care and support services the organization gives to children and their families. Elmwood Business Association’s members donated money and gift cards with contributed over $400 in value to help their organization.

EBA board with Doug Mouton and Mark Firmin (Angel’s Place)

Mark Firmin at Dec. 13th meeting for Angel’s Place donation by EBA members

Keith Conley, COO of Jefferson Parish

JANUARY 17TH, 2017: STATE OF JEFFERSON BREAKFAST

Keith Conley, Chief Operating Officer of Jefferson Parish gave a very informative presentation on the ongoing and future updates for Jefferson Parish. Some of the topics he discussed were as follows:

•RecreationDepartmentEnhancementtoFacilities •SpecialNeedsFacilityinDevelopment •SportsComplexonWestbanktoattractnationaltournaments •2016Road&SewerBondInitiativeInfrastructure •DavidDriveCorridorImprovementsandDrainage •CausewayBlvd.CorridorImprovements •RivertoLake–6-mileBikePath •HueyP.LongBridgetorelieveandimprovetrafficflow •LawEnforcementandFireDepartment •LibraryMillagerenewalcomingupforvoteApril29,2017: EarlyvotingbeginsApril15thtoApril29th,2017

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JEFFERSON PARISH UPDATE FOR ELMWOOD BUSINESS AREA

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ELMWOOD IS THE HEART OF FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY IN JEFFERSON PARISH

By Kelsey Scram, JEDCO Marketing & PR Manager

In a community where our culture is so closely tied to food and drinks, it makes sense that Jefferson Parish is home to some of the greats: Zatarain’s, Smoothie King, Boscoli Foods, L.H. Hayward (the team behind Camellia beans). The list goes on and on.

With close to 30 food manufacturers, distributors, and growers in the area, Elmwood has become a hub for the food and beverage industry. Companies like Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends, which manufactures the iconic chef’s signature blend of spices, have been a staple in Elmwood for years. Laitram patented the world’s first automated shrimp-peeling machine and revolutionized the shrimp processing industry along the way. Today, the company employs over 2,000 people around the world and has over 1,150 patents. It’s another Elmwood success story. Imperial Trading is a wholesale distributor that supplies convenience stores across the southeast. This Elmwood-based company generates over $1 billion in annual sales and has been ranked a Top 10 Convenience Store Distributor by Convenience Store News. These companies choose Elmwood because of its varied building stock, easy accessibility, and low-cost to operate.

Startup companies in the food and beverage industry have also found their place in Elmwood. Big Easy Blends came ontotheentrepreneurialscenein2009withon-the-go

cocktails in re-sealable pouches. Over the years, the team expanded their product line, partnered with major companies like ICEE, and expanded their reach across the country. The company is headquartered in Elmwood.

Southern City Farm also found Elmwood’s amenities desirable. This local urban farm grows specialty produce inside a 1,100 square-foot warehouse in Elmwood. The company has been in business for two years and has already built up an excellent customer base of local restaurants and chefs. Southern City Farm will compete in the 2017 JEDCO Challenge, a pitch competition for startups with ties to Jefferson Parish, on March 20th during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. Powered by First NBC Bank, the competition elevates opportunities for five startup companies in the area.

Cook Me Somethin’ Mister, a former JEDCO Challenge finalist, manufactures her jambalaya rice mix and gumbo base in Elmwood. In fact, her product is made at Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends and distributed throughout the country by another Jefferson Parish company. It is the perfect example of why the food and beverage industry is so successful in our community; there are so many opportunities for businesses to work together.

The impact of this industry and the potential for growth is so significant that JEDCO identified it as one of five targeted industry clusters in the Jefferson EDGE 2020, the Parish’s long-term economic development strategic plan to promote sustainability, job growth, and investment. JEDCO will place an increased focus on growing this industry within Jefferson Parish through a variety of action items, which include promoting Jefferson as a destination for food, beverage, and seafood businesses and developing supply chain strategies to connect producers to consumers. The food, beverage, and seafood industry plays a vital role in Jefferson Parish’s economic success and JEDCO will do everything it can to foster its continued growth.

For more information about JEDCO, the Jefferson EDGE 2020, and the JEDCO Challenge, visit the JEDCO website at www.jedco.org.

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3.21.17 TASTE OF ELMWOODElmwood Business Association’s Premier Charity FundraiserThe event features local Elmwood restaurants and caterers showcasing samples of their cuisine in a fun, social, networking atmosphere. This year’s charity beneficiary is the Metro Centers for Community Advocacy (www.mcwmgno.org). The mission of MCWC is break the cycle of violence and aid survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and staling through advocacy, intervention, empowerment and transformation.

Attendance is $15.00 per person | $20.00 at door11:30am - 1:00pm | Elmwood Self Storage and Wine Cellar5616 Citrus Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70123

4.18.17 EBA LUNCHEONSpeaker: Mitch Theriot Jefferson Parish Drainage Director11:30am - 1:00pm | The Rose Garden1004 S. Clearview Pkwy. Harahan, LA 70123Attendance is per person:$30.00 pre-registered | $35.00 at door

5.16.17 EBA LUNCHEONSpeaker: TBD11:30am - 1:00pm | The Rose Garden1004 S. Clearview Pkwy. Harahan, LA 70123Attendance is per person:$30.00 pre-registered | $35.00 at door

**Register at www.elmwoodba.org

W E L C OM E 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 N E W M E M B E R SNEW MEMBERS:JJ Costa Company, LLCJoe Costa, Owner901S.AlDavis,Jefferson,LA70123Industry: Construction Supplies, Equipment & Services

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:Cox CommunicationsLauree Mardis, Account Executive2121 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA 70001Computers & Telecommunications

Sternberg, Naccari & White, LLCGCC Title, LLC1441 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112Joseph Marriott, Attorney

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Written by Randy Martin, CPA

Yes, it is February and time when us in New Orleans have only one thing on our mind, Mardi Gras!! However, it is also tax time. This article will outline some new tax deadlines. Basically, the tax laws and the tax return preparation matters remain much the same for 2016 tax preparation.

W-2 FORMS AND 1099 TAX FORMS New for 2016, these tax forms were to be issued by January 31,2017.Inprioryearsthe1099taxformswererequiredtobe completed by January 31, but the issue date to recipients was February 28. Hopefully, everyone has filed these returns in a timely manner.

TAX FORMS 1040The deadline for filing individual tax returns with the IRS is usually April 15. Since that day falls on a weekend, the filing date is extended to Monday. However, Monday, April 17 is

a holiday in the District of Columbia, Emancipation Day, so the deadline for filing 2016 tax returns will be Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

PARTNERSHIP RETURNS, AND S CORPORATION RETURNSThese tax returns, Tax Forms 1065 and 1120S are now due on March 15, 2017. Please note that the filing deadline for partnership tax returns, Form 1065, is now due March 15th and not April 15th as in prior years. An automatic six month extension to file these returns can be obtained by filing Form 7004 on or before March 15th.

CORPORATION TAX RETURNSThe corporate income tax returns for calendar-year ending corporations, Tax Form 1120C, are due April 15, 2017. This is a change from prior years. In prior years, such tax returns were due March 15th.

CONCLUSIONThere are valid reasons for these changes in filing deadlines. The reason being that individual tax payers must have their copies of the K-1’s from their partnerships and their S Corporations in order to properly complete their 1040 Tax Form. By moving the filing deadlines to an earlier date fortheTaxForms:1099’s,1120S,and1065’s,itisthe opinion that individual taxpayers will have, in a timely manner, copies of the tax returns that they may require to file their tax returns by the April 18, 2017 deadline. It is also important to remember, that there exist substantial penalties for late filing of the aforementioned tax returns and tax forms.

TAX H I G H L I G H T S : TAX T I M E

F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 7 SP E A K E ROlivia Carisella, one of Ochsner’s long-term Eat Fit NOLA interns. Olivia has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in food and dietetics. As part of the Ochsner’s Eat Fit team she works with restaurants to incorporate healthful items onto menus, and represents Eat Fit at health fairs and cooking demos, with blog articles and, by educating the staff of restaurants and stores. Her presentation was on on EAT: To beat stress, to look better and feel better.

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JEFFERSON BUSINESS CENTER 520/524 Elmwood Park Blvd., Jefferson, LA 70123

520 Elmwood Park Blvd. Suite Total s.f. Office s.f. Warehouse s.f. 100 5,977 4,558 1,419 110 8,056 6,069 1,987 115 1,063 1,063 - - - 160 8,162 5,847 2,315 190 11,495 7,270 4,225 524 Elmwood Park Blvd. Suite Total s.f. Office s.f. Warehouse s.f. 110 4,534 4,534 - - - 120 3,898 3,898 - - - 130 3,898 3,898 - - - 150 10,000 6,046 3,954

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LEAVE AS A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION UNDER THE ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—and it’s Louisiana counterpart—protect disabled individuals from unlawful discrimination. One form of unlawful discrimi-nation is the failure to make a reasonable accommoda-tion to an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the work environment or the way things are customarily done that enables the employee to perform the essential functions of his job. One of the most common forms of reasonable ac-commodation is a leave of absence, the subject of this article.

Under the ADA, the employer and employee are to com-municate—what’s called the interactive process—about an employee’s disability and what reasonable accommodation might be available. Both parties are obligated to interact—not just the employer. The purpose of the interactive process is to identify an accommodation, if any, that will permit employee to perform essential job functions without causing an undue hardship to the employer.

Step 1: the employee requests an accommodation (time off to get treatment for alcohol problem) or the need for one is obvi-ous under the circumstances (employee is injured at work and needs leave to get treatment and convalesce).

Step 2: the employer should initiate the interactive process and document that effort. It’s a sound practice to get the employee to fill out an accommodation request form and sign a HIPPA Release to authorize the employer to communicate with the employee’s doctors.

Step 3: confirm whether employee has a disability. Under theADA,asamendedin2009,thisinquiryisalmostalwaysanswered in the affirmative; an older, more pro-employer stan-dard is in place under Louisiana law.

Step 4: If employee has disability, then consider leave as an accommodation: must be effective, necessary and reasonable without imposing an undue hardship (term of art—discussed below). Leave may be designed to allow treatment, recovery or both—but the purpose of leave under the ADA is to get an employee back to where she can perform the essential func-tions of her job.

The duration of leave that is reasonable is based on the facts of each case. If employee will not be able to return to work or

ever be able to perform the essential functions of the job, leave is not a reasonable accommodation. Generally, leave of indefi-nite duration is not a reasonable accommodation. The interac-tive process attaches to the leave process too and requires the employee and employer to communicate about the employee’s prognosis, anticipated treatments and potential length of leave. The employer may find it easiest to communicate directly with the employee’s health care provider, if the employee has autho-rized that communication.

Certain attendance policies create risk of an ADA violation in the leave context. For example, a policy which sets a maxi-mum limit of leave (e.g. 16 weeks) followed by termination will violate the ADA as will no fault attendance policies where accumulated points for absences while on leave may trigger an ADA violation. The EEOC has made challenging automatic termination provisions an enforcement priority.

An employer may terminate the leave if the leave or its continu-ation would impose an “undue hardship.” An accommodation might create an undue hardship in the leave context consider-ing the nature, cost resources, type of employer, nature of business and impact of accommodation on fellow employees and the business. For example, where the employee has signifi-cant management responsibility an extended leave may impose an undue hardship since no one else can perform the job. And there is no requirement to tolerate indefinite leave (because the purpose of the leave is to allow the employee’s health to improve—not protect his job forever). But an employer’s leave practices with other employees may defeat an undue hardship defense, for example, where the employer gave longer leaves to similarly situated employees.

For employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), leave under the ADA is a “must consider” option once an employee consumes her FMLA leave.caution in administering them.

Drew Burnside, a shareholder, represents employers through the New Orleans office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.drew.burnside@ogletreedeakins.com or (504) 648-2609

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The Elmwood Business Association Newsletter is published quarterly by the Elmwood Business Association. The views expressedhereindonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheElmwood Business Association or its Board of Directors. Any official positions taken by the Association will be specifically identified as such.

Articles, letters to the editor, news releases, and ads are welcome. Send copy to: The Elmwood Business Newsletter, P.O. Box 23642, Elmwood, LA 70183, or email elmwoodba@gmail.com or call the EBA office at(504)733-8900.

For more information about the Elmwood Business Association or to become a member, please visit our website at www.elmwoodba.org.

Our MissionThe Elmwood Business Association exists to protect, promote and encourage the businesses located within the Elmwood Business Park and their partners.

Our VisionOur vision is to adopt initiatives that make the Elmwood area one of the best places to live, work and play in Jefferson Parish. Through this reputation, our businesses within the park will thrive.

Who We AreTheElmwoodBusinessAssociationwasformedin1970.Theboardconsistsof9Elmwoodbusinessrepresentatives that serve at least a 3-year term and are supported by The Executive Team. These individuals work closely with other organizations such as JEDCO, The Chamber of Commerce, Government Officials, etc. to form strategies that protect, promote and encourage the businesses within the Elmwood Business Park.

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E BA 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 B OA R D OF DI R E C TOR SDONNA CASADABAN LOWEPresident

Harry Kelleher & Co., Inc.5720 Salmen Ave., 70123504.828.0400dlowe@hkelleher.com

ANA LANGSecretary

Cort Furniture5035 Bloomfield St., 70121504.733.8381Ana.Lang@cort.com

GEOFF ARTIGUESPresident Elect/Treasurer

Home Bank5700 Citrus Blvd., 70123504.736.5140Geoff.artigues@home24bank.com

KENNY BERTUCCIBoard Member • Government Committee Co-Chair

Bertucci & Labiche1321 Hickory Ave., Suite 100New Orleans, LA 70123504.733.3933Kenny.bertucci@lpl.com

AL GARDESBoard Member • Program Committee Co-Chair

Elmwood Self Storage & Wine Cellar1004 S. Clearview, 70123504.737.7676agardes@lauricellaland.com

CHRISTIAN ROONEYBoard Member • Government Committee Co-Chair

Priority Floors5403 Powell Street, 70123504.733.8188christian.rooney@priorityfloors.com

CINDY HARTBoard Member • Membership/Mar-keting Committee Co-Chair

1st Lake Properties/Clearwater Creek826 S Clearview Pkwy., 70123504.734.0074cindyh@1st-lake.com

MONIQUE DANAHAYBoard Member • Program Committee Co-Chair

Crescent Transport, Inc.P.O. Box 10681New Orleans, LA 70181504.733.3737monique@crescenttransport.com

KAREN DUFFYBoard Member • Membership/Mar-keting Committee Co-Chair

First NBC Bank1105 S. Clearview Pkwy.Jefferson, LA 70121504.671.3518KDuffy@FirstNBCBank.com

MICHELE ANGELOExecutive Director (non-voting)

Elmwood Business AssociationP.O. Box 23642Elmwood, LA 70183504.733.8900elmwoodba@gmail.com

JIMMY BAUMJEDCO Liaison (non-voting)

Home Bank5700 Citrus Blvd., Suite KHarahan, LA 70123504.736.5140jimmy.baum@home24bank.com