Communities In 51st District Get Planning Grants

Senator James L. Seward said today that the Governor’s Office for Small Cities (GOSC) has awarded grants of up to $25,000 to help local communities create strategic plans for important local development projects. In Seward’s district, the villages of Catskill and Schoharie received awards, along with Chenango County.

"The local awards are important for helping local governments create a roadmap to their futures, whether it’s economic development or simply local planning," Seward said. "The result will be comprehensive plans that address issues of infrastructure, zoning, planning and economic development. I applaud the governor’s efforts to direct the funds to upstate communities."

"These new grants will help these communities devise strategic plans for important projects that are vital to their future growth and development," Governor Pataki said. "By providing municipalities with the resources for planning and strategic development, we are helping them take positive steps to create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods and improve the overall quality of life for local residents."

Glen King, director of the Governor’s Office for Small Cities, said, "Technical Assistance funding provides local municipalities with a vital and important resource in developing their own vision for their communities. Since Governor Pataki championed the federal government to assume control of the Small Cities program in 2000, we have awarded over $250 million in community development funds, and we look forward to assisting small communities across the state to build a brighter future for their residents."

Technical assistance grants assist communities in identifying steps to achieve specific development goals and objectives, focusing on research, analysis and overall community development, and provide resources to develop a strategic plan that provides a "vision" for the future of the community. The strategic plan addresses pressing community needs, and is used to determine local economic conditions, potential development opportunities, and preferences about future community characteristics.

The strategic plan also identifies attainable goals and actions for a step-by-step process for improving economic conditions and describes potential funding resources from a wide variety of state, federal and private sources.

This year, the Governor’s Office for Small Cities (GOSC) received 50 applications for funding. The GOSC provides funds to eligible towns, villages and cities with populations under 50,000, and counties with a population under 200,000 for projects that focus on strategic planning, housing improvements, public facilities, and economic development. The funds are provided to New York through a federal grant.

For more information on the Small Cities Program, please visit the Governor's Office for Small Cities website at www.nysmallcities.com or call (518) 474-2057.

STRATEGIC PLAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS

Chenango County
Chenango County--$25,000
In an effort to streamline various economic development efforts in Chenango County, an economic development strategic plan will identify opportunities to promote the county’s economy, identify and describe potential funding sources, and provide an opportunity for broad participation.

Greene County
Village of Catskill--$15,000
The Village of Catskill will undertake a pedestrian enhancement study of its business district comprised of Main Street and connecting West Bridge Street/Route 9W corridor. The study will investigate the current and future effects of growth and development, research transportation alternatives and develop methods to promote pedestrianism in the Main Street area.

Schoharie County
Village of Schoharie--$18,000
The Village of Schoharie’s strategic plan will address retention of vital services in the downtown area by increasing job opportunities and incomes, and expanding the tax base through economic development and the revitalization of Main Street, while simultaneously preserving its historic character.

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