The state Labor Department reported that Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties combined  gained 7,500 private sector jobs from March to April, a 1.6 percent  increase.

The tricounty region last month added 4,500 jobs from April 2012, a 1 percent increase. Eight other metropolitan labor markets in the state topped that job growth, according to Labor Department analysts.

The state’s private sector job count  was 7,452,100 in April.  an all-time high. The statewide monthly unemployment rate fell from 8.2 percent to 7.8 percent in April, its lowest level since March 2009. The number of unemployed in New York state fell by 35,000 workers to 748,500.

In this region, the leisure and hospitality industry posted the largest gain from March to through April. adding 3,200 jobs, a 7.2 percent increase. The industry, though, lost 600 jobs from April 2012.

The construction industry, whose union ranks have struggled with roughly 40 percent unemployment rates since the recession,  gained 1,100 jobs from March through April,  a 4 percent increase.  Construction trades, though, still lost 500 jobs in April compared with a year ago,  a 1.7 percent decrease.

Education and health services added 600 jobs over the past month, .5 percent increase, and 1,800 jobs over the past year, a 1.5 percent increase.

Trade, transportation and utilities added 1,200 jobs over the past month, a 1.1 percent increase, and 2,600 jobs over the past year, a 2.5 percent increase.

Professional and business services added 1,200 jobs over the past month, a 1.6 percent increase, and 2,400 jobs over the past year, a 3.3 percent increase.

Hiring by manufacturers was flat from march to April. The industry, though, has shed 700 jobs in the region since April 2012,  a 2.8 percent decrease.

Since January 2011, the state has added 339,000 private sector jobs.

The national unemployment rate is 7.5 percent.From March to April, the state’s unemployment rate fell from 8.2 percent to 7.8 percent, its lowest level since March 2009. The number of unemployed in New York state fell by 35,000 to 748,500.

The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce (BREW) Act would specifically reduce the excise tax on beer produced or brought into the U.S. by small brewers, which are defined as those that produce no more than 6 million barrels of beer annually.

Currently, breweries of that size pay $7 per barrel in excise taxes on the first 60,000 barrels produced, and $18 per barrel on every one produced thereafter.

If passed, the BREW Act would allow eligible breweries to pay a reduced rate of $3.50 per barrel on the first 60,000 produced and $16 per barrel on the next 1.94 million produced.

Murphy said the changes would return as much as $67 million a year back to small brewing operations nationwide.

“These breweries are small businesses that have become real drivers of local economies across the country, and we need to support their efforts to hire workers, increase production and boost local economies,” Murphy, a Democrat, said in a May 16 statement. The BREW Act was introduced earlier this month in conjunction with the American Craft Beer Week.

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service headed up security for the event, and Conyers Farm – a 20-acre estate that includes the polo club – hired additional personnel for the charity match.

The Greenwich Police Department said it handled its end of the security detail with mostly on-duty officers, according to reports. Police overtime costs for the event are reportedly expected to come to about $5,000, town officials said.

Though two state administrative law judges on May 3 reported the merger’s negatives outweighed its benefits, the two utilities said they will press on with their $1.5 billion deal. The public  letter to New York’s senior senator – which closes with an open invitation to meet – is the latest move in that effort.

It addresses Schumer’s concerns as to how the transaction  will affect utility customers in the Hudson Valley and infrastructure and green energy investments and what preparations the companies are making for future storm disasters.

Steven Lant, chairman, president and CEO of Central Hudson, and Barry Perry, vice president of finance and CFO of Fortis, addressed those concerns.

They said  the merger “will provide customers with $49.25 million in guaranteed benefits that will mitigate future rate pressure. Any future delivery rate decisions will continue under the well-established process of the New York State Public Service Commission for establishing customer rates, but with the benefit of this $49.25 million to offset or mitigate increases that would otherwise occur.”

The executives said that under Fortis ownership,  Central Hudson “will continue to invest prudently in our electric and gas infrastructure to ensure continued reliable and safe service to customers. Central Hudson’s five-year capital plan calls for $660 million in capital expenditures, including infrastructure improvements, an automated distribution system, natural gas distribution expansion, storm-hardening measures, and service-enhancing expenditures.”

Fortis’s. they said,  ”will ensure that CH can raise the equity to make these necessary investments and will permit CH to participate in larger-scale electric and gas transmission projects than it otherwise could on its own.”

The executives assured Schumer that Central Hudson “will continue to play a leading role in the green and renewable energy arena” in line with state laws and energy policy. They noted that Fortis’s operating utility on Prince Edward Island has worked with provincial officials to connect the largest proportion of wind energy in North America.

Regarding storm preparations, Lant and Perry said that Central Hudson as part of its overall capital expenditures plan is engaged in projects such as flood prevention strategies for vulnerable substations. The Canadian company’s financial support “will assure Central Hudson’s ability to fund needed system improvements.”

GAVIN ARNETH has recently joined People’s United Bank as senior vice president. Arneth has more than 25 years of experience in banking and wealth management and is responsible for serving clients’ financial needs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and English from Guilford College in North Carolina.

LISA DUPUIS of Shelton was appointed president and CEO of Constellation Health Services, a provider of health care services. Dupuis has a background in health care as an occupational therapist and also experience in quality management, operations, IT applications and billing and collections. She holds an MBA from Sacred Heart University.

JEFFREY SEYMOUR of Fairfield was named national leader for Deloitte Financial Advisory Services L.L.P. Discovery practice. Seymour previously served as the leader of the Discovery practice for the Northeast region. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hobart College.

MATTHEW WILCOX of Fairfield and previously of Affinion Group in Stamford was promoted to vice president at Union Savings Bank. Wilcox will be responsible for coordinating, creating and implementing all electronic marketing functions of the bank. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Fairfield University.

COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE recently announced that it has donated $2,500 to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism through its charitable foundation the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares Foundation. The donation was made in honor and memory of Josephine “Joey” Gay, Daniel Barden and all of the children and teachers who tragically lost their lives during a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Dec. 14, 2012.

CONRAD EHRLICH, medical director at Housatonic Valley Radiological Associates, was recently named a Top Doctor by U.S. News & World Report, a publication, which identifies thousands of the nation’s best doctors based on a peer nomination process. Ehrlich is board certified in internal medicine, nuclear medicine and diagnostic radiology.

SHARI SHAPIRO, executive director of Kids in Crisis, is the first recipient of the 2013 Becker Salon Leadership Award, which is awarded to top leaders of nonprofit organizations who are successfully fulfilling a mission and demonstrating passion and commitment to a cause.

Last summer, Diageo announced a plan to invest more than £1 billion – or about $1.5 billion – in Scotch whisky brands like Johnnie Walker over the next five years to meet growing demand.

Since February, Diageo’s North American headquarters in Norwalk has been powered entirely by electricity generated from renewable sources.

Three months since making the shift, company representatives say they are already seeing the results — just not the kinds of results some outside observers might expect.

John Longo, director of corporate real estate for Diageo North America — the world’s largest producer of spirits — said the beverages company will see some savings from use-reduction actions like the addition of motion sensors that can control when lights turn on and off.

But he said the switch to renewable energy sources was not inherently about cost-savings.

“The decision to switch was based on Diageo’s sustainability goals,” Longo said in an email. “Every time we flip a light on we’re seeing results — we know that we’re not harming our environment just to conduct our business.”

Diageo North America offices in Norwalk, Plainfield, Ill., Relay, Md., and Tullahoma, Tenn., draw on renewable sources for all of their electricity demands as of this spring.

“By purchasing electricity derived from renewable sources, like wind or solar power, we will reduce our carbon emissions in Norwalk by more than 92 percent,” said Larry Schartz, president of Diageo North America, in a Feb. 2 statement.

Longo said Diageo purchases electricity from renewable sources and that the switch over to renewables didn’t involve any capital investment. He said Diageo worked with an energy broker to identify locations “where the energy market supports changing to renewable sources.”

The company has taken other steps to increase its “green” footprint, including the purchase of carbon offsets for its fleet of commercial vehicles, and it has made progress on reducing water usage and waste to landfills, especially across its manufacturing network.

The Norwalk headquarters has earned an Energy Star label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is currently being assessed for LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Diageo, whose global headquarters is in London, is among the world’s largest producers of beer and wine in addition to being the largest producer of spirits. Its brands include Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Baileys and Guinness, among others.

Longo said sustainability is part of the company’s core mission.

“Sustainability isn’t the right thing to do because it’s good business — it’s good business because it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Norwalk Mayor Richard A. Moccia, who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony back in February to commemorate the milestone, said in a statement at the time that Diageo “helps set the tone for the local business community.”

“We are lucky that Diageo is an environmental steward, and is raising the bar for the rest of us,” Moccia said.

Arthur “Chip” Bottone, CEO of FuelCell Energy, spoke May 3 in Bridgeport at the groundbreaking for a new 15 megawatt fuel cell development. State officials are hoping a new bill will encourage more such projects.

Connecticut’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) was enacted in 1998. It aimed to spur the development of new renewable power projects through financial incentives for developers and a requirement that utilities purchase a certain percentage of the power they supply from renewable sources.

But for a range of reasons the new projects never materialized, forcing utilities like Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and United Illuminating Co. (UI) to purchase power from out-of-state providers in order to avoid penalties that were attached to the RPS for noncompliance.

“The RPS was put on the books about 15 years ago and we believe that it needs restructuring,” said Dennis Schain, communications director for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). “It’s not working effectively to achieve the goal of bringing more clean power online at a cost that is good for consumers.”

Those concerns led DEEP to commission a study aimed at modernizing the RPS. That report was finalized April 26, while state legislators simultaneously worked on a bill that would incorporate its recommendations.

The bill, An Act Concerning Connecticut’s Clean Energy Goals, was passed in the state Senate earlier this month and awaits action in the state House of Representatives. It proposes to broaden the definition of “green,” or Class I, resources and to modify the alternative compliance payment facing utilities that don’t meet their RPS obligations.

Under the current RPS, Class I resources include energy generated by solar panel systems, wind turbines, fuel cells, a hydropower facility with a capacity of 5 megawatts or less, and certain sustainable biomass facilities, among others.

The proposed changes would reduce the amount of biomass-generated energy that could count toward utilities’ RPS obligations and would allow energy generated by large-scale hydropower facilities to count toward the RPS.

State Sen. Bob Duff, a Norwalk Democrat and chairman of the Senate’s energy and technology committee, said, “Clearly, we have work to do.”

The current RPS, Duff said, “hasn’t been a success because of the fact that most of our Class I power comes from out of state … so our ratepayers are basically subsidizing somebody else outside Connecticut.”

In 2010, in-state renewable projects accounted for just 11 percent of Connecticut’s Class I RPS standard, according to the DEEP report, with the remaining 89 percent coming from out-of-state.

Additionally, in 2010, 76 percent of Connecticut ratepayers’ investment in Class I resources went to support biomass plants located primarily in Maine and New Hampshire. According to the report, “These plants are among the least ‘clean’ Class I resources.”

Schain said the DEEP report “suggests and the bill contains language that would clamp down on the biomass and landfill gas projects and help move our money into newer projects and hopefully more cutting-edge technology.”

Added Duff: “Some of what we’re paying for now is really an embarrassment.”

The bill also contains a provision that has pacified the state’s utilities. The current RPS stipulates that a certain percentage of the electricity circulated by utilities must come from Class I sources, and that percentage increases every year. For 2013, 10 percent of the power provided by utilities must be from renewable sources; by 2020, the minimum is 20 percent.

Under current law, alternative compliance payments facing utilities that fail to meet the minimum are required to go to the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) to develop new Class I resources. The bill would instead require that any revenues from alternative compliance payments go toward reducing electric rates.

Representatives from both CL&P and UI said their employers supported passage of the new legislation.

“Our whole effort has been geared toward increasing the use of clean energy but driving down the price of it and moving toward what we call grid parity, so the price of clean energy is the same — or lower — than you get from conventional sources,” Schain said.

University student at the school’s Life and Sport Analysis Clinic. Courtesy of SHU

A smaller version of the clinic has been around since 2009, but with a complete staff the center will now be fully operational. Clinic technicians will be able to advise patients on how to lose weight, build strength and eat healthier.

Brendan Rickert, a clinical exercise scientist who runs the clinic, said he hopes the clinic will help fill a gap in the current health care system.

In light of the clinic’s opening, the Business Journal asked Rickert to explain the clinic’s model further.

Business Journal: How does Life and Sport Analysis Clinic help patients?

Rickert: “We provide contemporary research-based information and exercises that fit the goals and needs of our clients. Typically our clientele are people who are done or almost done with their physical therapy visits, but aren’t quite strong enough to be 100 percent confident in returning to their daily activities. We help bridge that gap by continuing with the same principles of exercise from physical therapy and expand upon them, to the point where the client is ready to be cut loose.”

Who can seek care at the clinic?

“The great part about the services we offer is that we can provide the highest level of care for all types of clients, spanning from someone who is a high-level athlete, to someone who needs to bridge the gap from the end of physical therapy to return to everyday life. This really is for anyone who wants to exercise in a safe and effective manner.”

Why aren’t clinics like this more common in the health care system?

“The missing link is the ability for these services to be covered by insurance. Unfortunately the health care system is set up so that it pays out to treat rather than prevent. Without a proper support system, a clinic like this would be hard pressed to stay afloat financially.”

Do you think more preventative care like this will be covered by insurance in the future?

“Yes, but it takes time to sway opinion. It’s hard in this economic climate to say if you pay a little more now you will save a lot in the future. But that’s the whole idea of an investment. The average direct medical costs of obesity in the United States are $200 billion per year, which makes up over 21 percent of all health care costs. Approximately one-third of all Americans are obese. Imagine if you could take the $200 billion per year and pump it into prevention rather than treatment. We would also see a much higher quality of life if we could do that.”

How will this clinic survive financially?

“We have many ways to bring people through our doors. We get clients from our on campus physical therapy clinic as well as people from the community. We also have developed partnerships with local business that offer discounts to their members. Even though these services are out of pocket, we feel as more people become better educated that they will understand that this is an investment for their future and will be willing to pay for a high level of preventative care.”

Do you think clinics like these will become more popular?

“Yes, which is why we are trying to stay ahead of the curve by always adapting to the current demands for services, as well as having a wide range of staff that can specialize in all aspects of health. The one part about our clinic that separates us from everyone else is that our staff is made up of Sacred Heart University faculty and students that are constantly on the cutting edge of contemporary research.”

BY MARK FAGAN

As we have discussed, a CEO must separate him or herself from the tactical, day-to-day duties in order to spend more time on strategic activities.

This can be difficult for companies with limited resources and personnel. A solution is outsourcing. Outsourcing is also a way to focus on the core business and reduce risk by limiting operations you can do best. A company may have a great product design, but no space to house mass-production facilities. Or it may not have the people with the right skills to manage its servers and technology.

If your company fits this description, consider outsourcing non-essential activities, and outsourcing to small and mid-market companies. Many Fortune 500 companies will outsource functions for a variety of reasons, but all in the name of achieving greater efficiency.

Of course, there are naysayers. Outsourcing within the U.S. has a reputation of being more expensive than performing duties in-house, but if you consider the indirect costs tied to those duties and the potential time-savings that can result from outsourcing, it can be effective.

While there may be cost-savings with outsourcing internationally, there are a number of pitfalls, as companies like Apple — which sources many of its product components from Chinese firms — have seen over the years.

Here are a few examples to consider:

Human resources: This can range from hiring a payroll service to completely outsourcing certain functions of your business offshore. Outsourcing payroll is a no-brainer for most companies. Performing payroll functions in-house is time-consuming and risky, because business owners are personally liable for misappropriated withholding or payroll taxes.

Outsourcing health and welfare administration functions has been very popular and will only increase with the Affordable Care Act. Recruitment, compensation planning, relocation and records management are other functions that are commonly outsourced.

Outsourcing entire departments offshore (to places like India) can significantly reduce costs and increase productivity and efficiency. In addition, it frees an organization from investments in technology, infrastructure and people for administrative functions. Disadvantages to outsourcing can include loss of confidentiality, control over deliverables, problems with quality and delays in work output.

Technology: Redundancies, server choices, technological advances, disaster recovery, license requirements, security, down-time: IT is a world unto itself. More and more companies are outsourcing at least part of their IT function because the broad range of expertise required to keep an organization on-line has become too complex. IT issues that affect productivity and efficiency include employee down-time, maintenance of networking and website functions. Maybe the only thing worse than sending your employees home early due to system failure is an inability for your customers to purchase your goods because your website is down.

The company that has its own team of IT employees for managing networking may need additional support during bigger issues. Hiring outside vendors to lend a hand to your team can allow you to maintain efficient timing and make a big problem smaller with additional input and solutions.

No matter what your need may be, locating the right group of people to help is important. The outside team you select should make sure to keep you informed and maintain an open line of communication about the stages of work being done in your project.

One great aspect of modern technology is the rate at which upgrades hit the market. By keeping a professional team of experts on top of your IT systems, you will have less risk of falling behind. Always remember: Your competition is most likely staying tuned to the latest in technological advances as well.

Bookkeeping: Like payroll service companies, there are many local bookkeeping companies with efficient accounting processes that makes this service affordable and can also improve the timeliness of financial reporting. Outsourcing your bookkeeping and accounting functions should not, however, include any treasury functions (such as investing, signing checks, authorizing bill payments online, executing wire transfers, etc.), which should remain completely under your control.

Manufacturing: Many companies struggle with their identity. Is their core competency in manufacturing, design, engineering, marketing or some combination of those? Managing all at once requires resources, attention and expertise in each of the different disciplines.

Manufacturing is often capital- and labor-intensive, and for many products is a commoditized activity. Outsourcing manufacturing in order to concentrate on the core business can be done through local and national production firms. This will likely increase the direct cost of the product, but will allow you to reduce headcount and facility space and to concentrate on what your organization does best.

Outsourcing manufacturing with the goal of cutting costs will most likely involve looking abroad, which presents additional challenges. Distance, cultural differences, language barriers, international trade regulations, foreign exchange rates, and lack of enforcement of intellectual property rights are all factors to consider. Yet companies from well-developed countries have almost always used outsourcing to save on the cost of acquisition of contract manufacturing.

An important disadvantage to outsourcing internationally is the extended cash cycle. Capital outlays for the purchase of raw materials and production of finished goods can be required six months before collection from the sale of such goods. In addition, letters of credit securing the full purchase are often required upon shipment, which will reduce your line of credit availability. Look into the ability to obtain financing from purchase orders and fully understand the cash cycle when you consider international outsourcing.

Mark L. Fagan, CPA, is the managing partner of Citrin Cooperman’s Connecticut office. He can be reached at mfagan@citrincooperman.com or (203) 847-4068.

The Connecticut General Assembly recently approved a plan to distribute $72 million the state will receive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the first of three rounds of storm-related community development grants.

The plan must next be approved by HUD itself. If all goes according to schedule, residents will likely start to see federal checks for storm repairs and related work as early as mid-summer, Connecticut officials said.

“We’re right on schedule for what we need to be doing,” said Evonne Klein, commissioner of the state’s Department of Housing. “With this first tranche of money, we’re trying to make it go as far as it can.”

Following Hurricane Sandy, Congress approved $60 billion in disaster aid to help Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and other Northeast states rebuild their communities.

The first round of funding — totaling $16 billion — is being administered through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program by HUD.

Of the $72 million slated for Connecticut in this round, roughly $30 million will go single-family homes, and $26 million will go to multifamily housing, including public housing. The remaining funds will be split between economic revitalization, repairs for infrastructure and public facilities and administrative and planning costs.

“Our priority is to get people back in their homes, that’s our priority,” said Klein, whose department will supervise the distribution of community block grant funds. “We want to reach out to as many individuals and families as possible to get them back into their homes.”

Roughly 80 percent of the funding will go to homes in New Haven and Fairfield counties and at least half must be spent in low- to moderate-income communities.

The funds are designed to cover needs that were not addressed by individuals’ or businesses’ insurance policies or by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The assistance will go to both home repairs and flood mitigation improvements, such as elevating a house or installing storm shutters. Subsequent funding rounds in the upcoming months and years are expected to help with infrastructure and other flood mitigation tactics.

David Kooris, director of the Bridgeport Office of Planning and Economic Development, said he welcomes the needed funding but would like to see the state dedicate a higher proportion of the funds to low-income areas and multifamily housing.

Kooris said the allotted funding covers 70 percent of what is needed for single-family homes but just 20 percent of what is needed for multifamily residences.

“For residents of public housing, where units are boarded up because of flood damage, the funding can’t come soon enough,” Kooris said.

However, Klein responded, there are additional sources of funding available to multifamily housing complexes, such as various tax credits, that the state is hoping to leverage to cover repair costs.

Bridgeport’s Marina Village public housing project was the state’s largest area of concentrated poverty to be damaged by the storm, Kooris said.

The city plans to apply for the block grant funding to demolish a small section of the development and relocate it out of the flood plain and into a mix-income community. However, it will be competing with the rest of the state for the $26 million.

“I think we have a very good and competitive case to make,” Kooris said. “We have a significant amount of public housing that was damaged by Sandy and we have the land and opportunity to replace those units. We’re in a perfect position to utilize that money.”