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2007 Program Highlights
Capacity Development
ANCA, through appropriate resources and its partnership network, advances local government training and technical assistance, non-profit development and training and employment training to help meet the region’s needs. During 2007 ANCA provided the following services throughout the Adirondack North Country region:
- Staff implemented proactive public communications about regional economic development initiatives, opportunities and issues through use of the internet, press releases and public forums.
- Terry Martino assisted the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) in their recruitment and interviewing for an Executive Director.
- Staff distributed ANCA’s 2006 Program Highlights and Strategic Action Agenda to Governor Spitzer and the newly appointed economic development staff, Dan Gunderson with copies to the Adirondack North Country Legislative Delegation. After the receipt of follow-up correspondence from Mr. Gunderson, staff contacted Randy Beach of Empire State Development to discuss plans for a meeting. Staff attended the North Country Chamber’s breakfast with Dan Gundersen and follow-up economic development roundtable on July 30 in Plattsburgh.
- Staff circulated a request for project ideas to more than 300 contacts throughout the region for the 2007 funding application sponsored by the NYSDOT and the Federal Highway Administration for Scenic Byway funding.
- Staff maintain updated stakeholder contact information to maintain comprehensive communications.
- ANCA staff conferred with Sustainable Communities’ staff about coordination of the High Peak Intermunicipal Waterfront Revitalization Project that was funded by the NYSDOS.
- ANCA staff met with regional leaders on March 22 and May 1 to discuss the Blue Print for the Blue Line which forged a common ground alliance between economic and environmental interests in the Adirondack Park. Discussion included follow-up steps and communications with other regional leaders and Albany. Staff are assisting with preparation of a letter to invite guests to a July 18 meeting scheduled in Long Lake. Common Ground members have made contact with the Governor’s office with the goal of inviting Judith Enck from NYSDEC and staff involved in the state’s new initiative for Smart Growth. Staff assisted with email communications to hundreds of invited guests, follow-up phone calls, and registration for the July 18 Blueprint Forum that was hosted in Long Lake. Close to one-hundred and fifty people participated in the meeting that was a true milestone for the Adirondacks. Staff continued to provide an ANCA teleconferencing bridge to organizational meetings and participated in the August 3 and September 12 Common Ground meetings. ANCA staff also assisted with follow-up meeting notes and are facilitating sessions specific to Blueprint topics. Staff provided an overview of the Blueprint planning at a reception on October 16 with guests of the Adirondack Research Consortium.
- Staff made significant changes to ANCA’s website to present information about North Country businesses, ANCA’s programs, press releases and current news in an easily accessible format.
- ANCA has made copy of byway logos available to the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce for use on their website and in printed materials that are distributed free-of-charge. ANCA has an agreement with the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council to enable communities to use the byways map that was prepared in the 2006 joint promotional campaign with ANCA and the Council.
- ANCA initiated email transmissions to planners, city/town/village government officials, tourism representatives, businesses, civic groups and organizations, and economic/community development organizations
- ANCA assisted in the submission of project applications to NYSDOT on behalf of communities along the Olympic, Central Adirondack and Adirondack Byways.
- ANCA staff assisted Saranac Lake and Wilmington in their plans to secure project funding through the Scenic Byways Program. Both communities elected to submit applications in 2008.
- ANCA staff assisted in planning for the NYS Parks and Trails Conference.
- ANCA has officially and successfully registered with www.grants.gov which is the central depository for all future federal program grants.
- ANCA staff assisted in the development of a NYSERDA proposal submitted by Community Energy Services for a community Smart Park Coordinator position. ANCA provided a January 2 support letter for the project which was successful in securing funding.
- ANCA provided a February 1 support letter for the preproposal application submitted by Graham Cox, representing the interests of the University of Vermont, the SUNY-ESF’s Adirondack Ecological Center and Holmes and Associates. The submission to The Rubenstein School at the University of Vermont proposes to expand the regional research presented at ANCA’s Annual Meeting 2006 to a larger audience. The project was successful in securing $43K in funding.
- ANCA provided a February 5 support letter to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s application for funding to the Explore/NY I Love NY Program for matching funds for the development and promotion of web-services.
- ANCA provided a February 27 support letter for Dr. Kamelia Petrova’s research for the Economic Development and Patterns of Enterpreneurship in the North Country Region project submitted to SUNY-Potsdam’s Center for Regional Research and Community Education.
- ANCA staff and contractor met with the Atlantic Provinces Regional Economic Development Association from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Canada to provide an overview of ANCA’s Crafts Development and Scenic Byways programming on May 8.
- ANCA staff and contractor presented at the Economic Affairs Committee of the Adirondack Park Agency on May 10 to discuss Byway Programming and Economic Development in the Adirondack Park, including a discussion of how ANCA has structured the marketing campaign to best meet the needs of the byway communities.
- ANCA’s Executive Director participated in the New York Day in Washington, D.C. that was organized by Garry Douglass of the North Country Chamber. ANCA discussed ideas for federal investment in a Green Planning and Technology Project.
- ANCA staff attended the National Scenic Byway sponsored Scenic Conservation Workshop in Schenectady on June 12/13 and networked with the Mohawk Towpath Byway organizers.
- ANCA staff submitted corridor management plan information on the Adirondack Byway for the Town of Malone’s comprehensive plan which is under development by staff at SUNY-Plattsburgh.
- ANCA staff contacted the Adirondack Park Agency regarding the design standards planned by the APA for the Olympic Byway and to encourage coordination and implementation of the corridor plan recommendations.
- ANCA staff participated in an August 28 meeting at the Adirondack Park Agency with staff from Northeastern University that are interested in working with North Country communities.
- ANCA staff attended an Adirondack Health Care Summit on August 30 in Warren County and provided ANCA’s support to the resolution of the Adirondack North Country primary health care crisis.
- ANCA staff attended a "Meet and Greet" session on September 4 with Commissioner Deborah Van Amerongen, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal and Joe Rabito, Director, NYS Office for Small Cities.
- ANCA staff met with Mayor Jamie Rogers of Lake Placid and Owen Goldfarb of the University at Albany on September 6 to discuss the topic of "government as infrastructure." There was recognition that this topic can be included in the Regional Assessment Project.
- ANCA staff attended a September 10 Economic Development Meeting hosted by Hamilton County Tourism and Economic Development and the Adirondack Museum.
- ANCA staff attended a September 20 NYSDED meeting with Robert McNary, Empire State Development Corporation’s new Director of Community Planning for Upstate. Staff discussed the need for capacity building and community development services throughout the North Country.
- ANCA staff attended a September 20 North Country Chamber of Commerce Roundtable with NYSDOT Commissioner Astrid Glynn. Staff discussed the 2006 funding made available by Governor Pataki for the Adirondack Railroad and the continued need to have the funding now made available. In addition, staff discussed the Scenic Byway program, ANCA’s long-standing partnership with the department, and the Lake Placid Pathway Project. The commissioner commended our efforts in the establishment of the rails-with-trails corridor.
- ANCA staff attended a roundtable session with Governor Eliot Spitzer in Plattsburgh on October 18 prior to the Governor’s announcement of City-to-City funding for CBN Connect and the Plattsburgh Air Base. Staff discussed the need to secure the railroad funding that had been identified by Governor Pataki in 2006 and the interest in environmental research and planning that can be of benefit to communities in the North Country such as Saranac Lake.
- ANCA staff attended an October 19 North Country Chamber of Commerce roundtable with Senator Schumer and discussed the impact of cross border travel on the region and the interest in securing federal investment in environmental research and planning.
- ANCA staff did a presentation on October 31 to the Local Government Review Board to request their support for a Smart Growth application. The Review Board supported ANCA’s goal to develop an application to address the potential for Adirondack Park grass-roots comprehensive economic development, resource and land use planning and a support framework for a Circuit Rider program. Following the meeting ANCA received a resolution from Hamilton County committing to be the project sponsor for the NYSDEC Smart Growth funding. ANCA staff will prepare the application for submission at the end of December. Additionally, ANCA staff will discuss the application at an Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages meeting scheduled for December 10. On November 20 staff met with John Bartow at the Tug Hill Commission to discuss the organizational framework of the Commission’s Circuit Rider Program.
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