Four grassroots groups tak-ing a look at where Schoharie County needs to be—economically—in five years have discovered they have more in common than not.
The groups, representing agriculture, tourism, manufac-turing, and micro-enterprise, will report at the 2008 Scho-harie County Community and Economic Development Summit Saturday, April 5, at the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.
In addition to their con-cerns, they’ll share strategies for dealing with them.
There will be time for Q&A and feedback and organiz-ers—The Four Partners—plan to use it all to draft a “plan of action.”
Launched last summer, the all-volunteer effort has worked in fits and starts to come up with close to 100 things the groups feel are standing in the way of growth.
Common to each group’s list are a half-dozen top con-cerns:
• The need for consistent regulations.
• Better use of the Empire Zone.
• Developing water and sewer facilities to support growth.
• Involving older people and encouraging younger people to stay in the county.
• Developing “incubators” for agriculture, manufacturing, and micro-enterprise, and a facility for arts education.
• Establishing a revolving loan fund and funding sources.
• Insisting on countywide access to broadband--high-speed internet access.
“What we’re trying to do here is come up with a plan that doesn’t end up sitting on a shelf somewhere,” said Linda Cross, one of the coordinators of the Agricultural Group, at that group’s final meeting Thursday.
“The most important thing to ask is: Is this going to help the local economy?” added Julie Rohan, Empire Zone coordinator and a member of the group.
Among ag’s goals: Preserv-ing open space and farmland, developing a local USDA meat processing plant—or plants—as well as dairy processing and wood facilities, expanding the marketing and branding of local products, and more edu-cation about the benefits of agriculture.
“Without farms there isn’t going to be any food,” said one member of the group.
Manufacturing expressed similar concerns; “Educate community about manufactur-ing to ensure positive attitude towards sitings” leads that group’s list of goals.
Tourism wants to see more emphasis on the arts; Micro-enterprise wants a guide to starting a business locally, a mentoring service, and a busi-ness incubator.
Jodie Rutt, executive direc-tor of the Chamber, said the event’s Planning Committee is meeting Friday to firm up plans for the Economic Sum-mit.
The event is set to begin at 7:30pm at C-RCS on the 5th with a breakfast; speakers start at 8pm; lunch begins at 1pm.
There is no charge, but res-ervations are required by March 30.
Contact the Chamber at 295-6550.