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With a deadline just two months away to submit a plan to the governor’s office, the western New York regional economic council continued its discussion about the local economy’s strengths and weaknesses on Tuesday.
The council has been subdivided into ten work groups, focused on economic areas like tourism, higher education and manufacturing.
Tuesday, those groups took turns presenting on why western New York’s economy succeeds and fails in these areas.
About a half an hour into the meeting, First Niagara Bank president John Koelmel spoke up, saying that the council has just two months to complete a five-year economic plan that will compete for tens of millions of dollars in state funding. So far, he said, the council had been short on ideas and tangible plans.
“How do we better align and come up with programs in the next 60 days that are innovative and can incrementally move the needle? I’m a little concerned listening to the [deliberations of the regional council] that it is more self-fulfilling than focused on the targeted objective,” Koelmel mused out loud.
Ongoing public input
The council is just one of ten statewide that are competing for state money that will fund promising businesses and projects.
Part of that process is collecting suggestions from the public, which each council will do in each county this month. Tuesday’s meeting saw only a handful of citizens attend. Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy says he’d like to see that change.
“I think the excuse of being too busy is one I don’t want to hear. Look at people in this room. Nobody is busier than some of the people around that table today and they still find time to be a part of this,” Duffy says. “It’s one thing to complain and throw your hands up in the air. It’s another thing to roll your sleeves up and get involved.”
Consolidated funding application
This week will also see the release of what’s being called a “consolidated funding application,” which will be available at nyworks.ny.gov.
Businesses looking for state cash will be able to apply to New York’s 17 economic development agencies with the new form. The regional councils will review the applications and make recommendations about which projects deserve money.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are up for grabs this year, but Duffy says the administration can’t comment on what funding will be available beyond the initial year of the program. He also says the state’s deficit and events like Hurricane Irene could compromise New York’s ability to be aggressive with economic development.
