Town developing economic-development strategy

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February 10, 2012

DAN HEATH Press-Republican The Press Republican Fri Feb 10, 2012, 02:28 AM EST

PLATTSBURGH — The Town of Plattsburgh is developing a plan for how it will pursue economic development.

The Town Council recently authorized Supervisor Bernie Bassett to enter into an agreement with its consulting engineer, the Albany-based Laberge Group, to create an Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Per resolution, the cost is not to exceed $14,640.

"My goal is that the Town of Plattsburgh play a very formal role in economic development and job creation," Bassett said.

BEING PROACTIVE

The plan should contain an economic analysis of existing conditions and needs, facilitate public outreach and workshops, establish an action plan to identify objectives and make recommendations to cultivate future economic development and business expansion.

Bassett said some municipalities passively wait for companies or businesses to approach. This plan should allow the town to present what is available to attract businesses, both to those companies and to the region's other economic development agencies.

"We have to be building for the future, and that's what we're doing."

MICROENTERPRISE GRANTS

One program in development is the Town of Plattsburgh Microenterprise Program. The town was awarded $200,000 for its creation as one of the 70 projects to receive $103.2 million in the North Country Regional Economic Development Council's Strategic Plan.

Town of Plattsburgh Local Development Corp. CEO Philip Corell said the funds will be distributed as grants, so they don't have to be paid back. The money will be tied to job creation, and the state will monitor the recipient to ensure those jobs are retained.

Before they can start to administer those grants, he said, they have to choose an entity to administer the program. Bassett said the town sent out a request for proposals for that and will begin to review responses next week.

After that decision, the next step will be to determine how grant applications are evaluated, Corell said.

TIED TO JOBS

Bassett said the town has been slowly nurturing and evolving the Town of Plattsburgh Local Development Corp., which was created in 2005.

It has created the Small Business/Economic Development Revolving Loan Program for funds repaid under Community Development Block Grant loans that the town has made since 2003.

It plans to loan up to $30,000 per application, with a stipulation that at least one job be created for every $15,000 received.

The Local Development Corp. signed an agreement with Saranac Lake-based Adirondack Economic Development Corp. in November to review loan applications and make recommendations on which to act on.

"Our concern is we are not equipped to evaluate loan applications," Corell said. "They are our loan evaluators."

Email Dan Heath at:

dheath@pressrepublican.com