Board of Legislators County Office Building, Room 201

7 Court Street

Belmont, New York 14813

Phone: 585-268-9222

Click here for Facebook live streaming:

https://www.facebook.com/alleganycountyny/

PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA

August 18, 2021

1. Roll Call

2. Approval of Minutes

- July 21, 2021

3. Reita Sobeck-Lynch, Employment & Training Director - Monthly Report

4. H. Kier Dirlam, Planning Director

- Monthly Report - Approval of Priority EDA Projects

5. Gretchen Hanchett, GACCC Executive Director

- Monthly Report

6. Craig Clark, Economic Development/ Industrial Development Agency - Monthly Report

7. Old Business

8. New Business

9. Good of the Order

10. Adjournment

August 2021 Report General Information

Front Door Traffic: 340

Employment: 24 customers reported finding jobs year to date

Unemployment: Allegany County June~ 5.3% (June 2020 10.6%); NYS 7.3%; US

6.1%

Veterans: 5 Veterans received services for job search, SNAP benefits and assessment

Business Services: Administered 2 TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) tests for

training; 214 (1 new) business contacts/services for job orders & posting,

verification, matching, sending resumes, follow-up and Summer Youth Employment

(SYEP), worksites.

Facebook Data: Post reach~11.5K; post engagements~ 2.6K; new page likes~ 22;

total page likes~1,710; page follows~ 1,796 and page views~ 309

Department of Social Services Contract

471 services provided: Family Assistance 147; Safety Net Family 138; Safety Net 114 and SNAP(Supplemental Nutritional Assistance) 72

Safety Net/Family Assistance Job Readiness Training( JRT) Class: Begins 8.3.21 Non-Custodial Parent Program: 24 active participants; 13 employed; 1 receiving

unemployment benefits Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP): This ends 9.30.21 and most Youth

are still working.

WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Program Year 7.1.2021-6.30.2022

Youth: 8 enrolled youth, 3 in unsubsidized employment, 1 in Work Experience, 0 in Training and 10 Youth received services in June.

Training: 2~ Certified Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counselor Certification & Medical Insurance & Billing; 1 approved for Counselor Certification but has not started

Training related Employment: 4 reported Training Approved: 0 Trade Act: 14 Outreach contacts; 1 in Training~ HVAC; 2 entered employment

Reita Sobeck-Lynch, MPH, Director

Employment & Training Center

7 Wells Lane

Belmont, NY 14813

PH: (585) 268-9240

FAX: (585) 268-5176

Office of Planning

6087 NYS Route 19N Belmont, NY 14813

585-268-7472 dirlamhk@alleganyco.com

www.alleganyco.com

PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES: AUGUST 2021 REPORT

A. General Planning: • Broadband

ACTDC has been informed by Win-Win Wireless that they turned over their customers to Southern Tier Wireless going forward for future service.

The Contract was approved between STW, ACTDC and the County at the August 9th meeting for the installation of the new radios. Installations are being scheduled.

• Community Technical Assistance: Participated in the LWRP Roadshow events during July in the Towns of Willing, Wellsville,

Scio, Amity/Belmont, Angelica, Belfast, Caneadea/Hume. Assisted the Town of Willing with the survey that was distributed to Town landowners and

residents in July. Reorganized text of the Amity/Belmont Comprehensive Plan and reviewed for

completeness. Continued work with Town of Almond on revising their Zoning Law.

• County Planning Board: The County Planning Board meeting is scheduled for tonight August 18, 2021 in person for

board members and via Zoom for non-board members who wish to participate this way. • GIS

Continued to provide weekly maps for the Department of Health to show COVID-19 Positive cases. We continue to provide the weekly summary press release with the Health Dept. We are no longer doing a daily update on the Covid Dashboard as agreed to by the County Health Department and Administrator.

Developed a Tourism map for the Driving Trails Brochure that is being printed for distribution.

Updated the Restaurants Data layer. • Grants

Annually this committee approves 2 projects to be priority EDA Projects for submission to Southern Tier West. The 2 Projects that we are currently looking at being the highest priority and likely to get funding are for the Crossroads Infrastructure Improvements Project and the Alfred-Almond Sewer Project. This only needs committee approval.

Land Bank was notified that they did not receive the CDBG Grant that had been applied for in the amount of $50,000.

• Tourism Finalizing the Driving Trails Brochure for production. Continuing to implement action items for Fresh Air Adventures, including adding

introductory image and content, logo, destinations, and establishing RSS feed. Completed action items for Fresh Air Adventures, including:

• Assisted Gretchen and Steve in gathering social media content for July and August posts.

• Added summer and fall events to the Fresh Air Adventures website events calendar.

• Added Allegany County destinations to the Fresh Air Adventures website. Made selections, organized content and links for blog posts, August – October.

• Trails & Outdoor Recreation Next Trail and Outdoor Recreation Committee meeting is scheduled for August 25 at

2:30pm. Genesee River Wilds has tentatively scheduled a fall float on the river from Transit Bridge

to Caneadea on September 4, 2021.

Continued managing the grant project to do pre-planning research on connecting the WAG Trail in Wellsville to the Genesee Valley Greenway in Belfast including field analysis.

Participated in the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan meetings as well as providing GIS data and other information to Ingalls Planning.

• Websites: We do updates regarding COVID-19 Press releases and assist departments with their

postings. Assisting the Community Services Office with developing webpages for their department. Continue to hold Bi-Weekly meetings with the website contractor.

B. Business and Economic Development:

• Branding: Working on development of creative materials for social media. The Ad campaign is

scheduled to commence during the next 30 days. Building a new micro-site to attract new people to move and/or work in the County.

Drafted microsite layout; initiated project with Mason Digital with anticipated September 1 Launch Date

Developed new social media content and have been posting in a continuous effort. Working on marketing for social media outreach program ‘Wild Souls, Wild Places’ video

campaign. The Ad campaign is scheduled to commence during the next 30 days. Reviewed interview transcripts and refined messaging.

• Business: Updated the Commercial Business Listings available properties on the County Website. Continued to assist the IDA with looking for alternative sites for the Great Lakes Cheese

facility to be provided to the company. C. Meetings: Most meetings have gone to in-person if required due to Open Meetings law.

• Participated or attended meetings including: o Board of Legislators - biwkly o Legislative Committees - Mth o ACTDC Meetings - Mth o Land Bank - Mth o NYS County Planning Directors - Mth o Website Project Mtg - Bi-wkly o Planning Board - Mth

o Genesee River Wilds - Mth o Allegany County Unified Services – Mth o Comprehensive Plan Comm. – varied o Age Friendly AC – Mth o County Administrator’s meeting o Southern Tier West - Mth

D. Administrative: • Reviewed audits for Planning, Development and Tourism as well as Payroll. • Provided secretarial, meeting minutes, financial and other assistance to the IDA.

E. Next Month: • Continue outreach on behalf of the County related COVID-19 and other topics. • Continue advertisement development layouts. • Finalize the Micro-Site. • Undertake implementation of the FB Ads campaign. • Update the Hunting and Fishing Brochure for Tourism. • Shared Services Program is going to be restarting shortly. • Working with the Cuba Trail Town Initiative and Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway to

collate all the various plans that are available related to the stretch from downtown Cuba to the High School.

• Continue work on technical assistance with various municipalities. • Continue Hazard Mitigation start-up activities.

Sincerely, H. Kier Dirlam DIRECTOR - Office of Planning

Planning & Development Committee Tourism Report:

Gretchen Hanchett 8/2021

Top Priority Projects

1. Western NY Wilds Tourism partnership with Fresh Air Adventures (FAA)

https://www.freshairadventuresny.com/ for tourism promotion.

FAA site post weekly BLOGS.

Adding Allegany County travel guide request to the FAA site has doubled the number of

request for Travel guides. We are getting about the same number of request for travel

guides from both websites. Guides requested since May 25, 2021, is 63 or 1/3 of total

request since the end of May.

This is an exciting long-term collaborative project that we look to grow in terms of financial

investments and number of campaigns/projects over the next 4-5 years.

2. Western New York Destination Guides

Working with Josiah Brown who led our branding project to update and design our

Travel Guide. New look and setup using our “Western NY Wilds Brand”. Proposed

overview coming soon from “New York’s best Experience”.

Working with development on WNY wilds design to update the scenic drive brochure,

just need to add updated map and clean up the graphics. Printing is last step to

complete.

Starting to rebrand the Hunting and Fishing brochure.

3. A2D Website updated with WNY Wilds brand

Visitor Journey A2D is an online learning program that gives you the tools needed to positively influence every visitor's experience from their Arrival to Departure, or from A2D! To consistently create positive visitor experiences.

Embracing the importance of tourism and its effect on your quality of life Providing correct information about hours, costs, travel time, etc.

Giving accurate directions consistently Helping visitors plan what to do or see based on the visitor’s interests. Offering additional suggestions for things to do or see along the way. Being open and welcoming with all visitors Solving visitor problems to the visitor’s satisfaction Recognizing how your actions affect the visitor’s entire experience.

4. Developing tourism videos to use

8/11/21 Met with Genesee Valley Media to plan 6 to 8, 30 second tourism videos for

website and social media. Proposed to include

Camping

Day on the water

Events

Outdoor sports

Our Trail system

Shopping

Agritourism

Foods

5. Digital marketing

Meeting with Genesee Valley Media to put together a digital marketing plan 8/12/21

6. Mobile Tourism Visitor’s Center

o Working with White Imprints to update wrap to include our WNY Wilds brand

*Proposed Scheduled Events in Allegany County that we know at this time (These events may

change.) Please let our office know of any additions or cancelations as you hear.

August 7 Angelica Farmer’s

Market

https://angelicaboosters.com

August 7 Wellsville Farmers

Market, Library Lawn

August 11 Allegany County Senior

Picnic, Angelica

August 14 Angelica Farmer’s

Market

https://angelicaboosters.com

August 14 Wellsville Farmers

Market, Library Lawn

August 21 Wellsville Farmers

Market, Library Lawn

August 26 Cruise Night, Main

Street, Angelica NY Info:

www.visitangelica.com

August 28 Wellsville Farmers

Market, Library Lawn

August 21 Angelica Farmer’s

Market

https://angelicaboosters.com

August 27-29 Western New York

Bowhunting Festival, Swain Resort

and Ski Center, Swain NY

www.swain.com

August 28 Angelica

Farmer’s Market

https://angelicaboosters.com

September 3-5 Farm Fest, Tall Pines

ATV Park, Andover, NY

www.tallpinesatvpark.com

September 12 Immaculate

Conception School Fun Fair

September 11-12 Sunnydale-

Proctor Area Yard Sales, Wellsville

September 4 Angelica Farmer’s

Market www.visitangelica.com

September 4-6 Rushford

Labor Day Celebration, Rushford NY

September 11 Swain Swamp

Stomp & Obstacle Course 8 to 5 ,

https://www.swain.com/swain-

swamp-stomp/

September 12 9 AM – 2 PM

Park N’ The Park - Island Park Car

Show, Wellsville

September 11 Wellsville Farmers

Market, Library Lawn

September 11 Angelica Farmer’s

Market

https://angelicaboosters.com

September 18, 19 Cuba Garlic

Festival, Cuba NY Info:

www.cubagarlicfestival.com

September 18, 19 Canaseraga

Harvest Festival, Village Park,

Canaseraga NY

September 24-26 Civil War

Weekend, Angelica, NY

https://angelicaboosters.com

September 18 Angelica

Farmer’s Market

https://angelicaboosters.com

September 18 Wellsville

Farmers Market, Library Lawn

September 25 Angelica

Farmers Market

September 25 Wellsville

Farmers Market, Library Lawn

Marketing

Tourism Face book and Website.

Letchworth Fall guide ad

GuestQuest

Committees.

NYSTIA (New York State Tourism Industry Association

STEDO

WIB

IMPACT: Friends of Allegany County trials on public lands

Respectfully submitted. Gretchen Hanchett, Executive Director/ Tourism Project Manager (W) 585-268-7443 (C) 585-268-5645 ghanchett@alleganychamber.org www.wnywilds.com

Office of Development

Crossroads Center

6087 NYS Route 19N

Belmont, NY 14813

Ph: 585-268-7472

Fax: 585-268-7473

Economic Development

August 2021

Long Term Projects Development team • Continue updates to county COVID-19 business related items on website as required Crossroads project

• Continue working with developer for hotel development

• Continuing discussion on restaurant at the site

ANGEL fund • Angel fund is now operational and reviewing a potential investment.

Wellsville Business Park

• Discussion continues to find tenants for the facility including ESD and Invest Buffalo Niagara.

• Empire State Development continues to provide possible projects with tenants

Great Lakes Cheese – Project block

• GLC is primarily looking at Cattaraugus county for their new $500 million facility location

• Cuba leaders will work with ACIDA and GLC on developing plans to use the Cuba facility after GLC leaves the facility in future

Clean Energy Projects

• Moraine Solar: 500 Acre, 80-megawatt project in Burns is moving forward now working on article 94C state approval and have contract to supply power to grid. Project will not start until late 2021 or 2022.

• Alle-Catt wind project for the 380 megawatts project with 120 turbines that includes Centerville and Rushford anticipate a late 2021 or early 2022 start currently.

• Total of 14 small 5 mw projects now approved for financial assistance by ACIDA- Angelica/Belfast delayed has begun with Independence solar projects proposing to start later this year. Rushford and Burns project finished and other projects approved by ACIDA for financial assistance in county include Cuba, Hume, Independence (North and East) and Wellsville that also plan to start later in 2021.

• 100-megawatt solar project has been discussed with Town of Alfred and initial discussion with ACIDA.

• 100-megawatt solar project has been discussed with Town of Hume and initial discussion with ACIDA.

Micro enterprise grant

• ACIDA is implementing CBDG microenterprise grant that was awarded to Allegany County • We now have six business plans approved by ACIDA board and the $170,000 of grant funds are all

awarded and continuing to be dispersed • Plan is to ask for additional funds in fall.

ATV system and Trail system in county

• The Allegany County Trails Council works to improve the overall trails system in the county including both motorized and non-motorized systems.

• Wilson Foundation Grant is in process of implementation that was submitted by Planning Department to review the easements needed to connect trails.

• Economic development goal is to increase awareness and fully utilize all trails including the Tall Pines ATV Park as an economic development project in the county Allegany in future.

Other Projects

• START-UP Allegany group that includes Incubator Works and Alfred/Allegany County program manager, ACIDA/Allegany county economic development and Alfred University, Alfred State and Houghton College continue to meet to develop an entrepreneurship ecosystem in the county.

• START-UP Allegany Group is planning for the second annual business competition for students from the three Allegany County Colleges in 2022.

• Continue working with LC Whitford regarding replacing retail store(s) and or businesses in the Kmart area that was vacated in Wellsville.

• The Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant for Alfred resulted in a $2.5 million Smart Growth grant. Continuing to finalize plans for implementation continues to work on the $1.6 million streetscape/sidewalk improvement from Alfred through Tinkertown area.

• This year’s Appalachian Regional Commission Teaching with Alfred State student project is starting that will be a vision for sustainability and growth in the town of Amity and Village of Belmont

• Continue working with the Seneca Nation on filling the Tracewell facility in Cuba with a potential company in discussion phase.

Meetings • Continue as executive director of Allegany County Industrial development Agency and serve on the Allegany County Telecommunications and Development Committee, Invest Buffalo Niagara, Southern Tier West, and Incubator Works with regular meetings now all in person Travel

• Planning to attend New York State Economic Development Council in September 28 to 30 in Cooperstown.

Advertising Digital Advertising

• Updates to COVID-19 business related items on website as needed • New Allegany County Brand is being used in all Facebook and other digital marketing on economic

development activities and Allegany Young Professional activities. • Digital marketing using Facebook to attract remote workers is being developed that includes working

with Mason Digital on website updates and will continue in other venues. • Video production continues to market the Wilds as a great place to live.

Marketing

• Working with Invest Buffalo Niagara to highlight the WNY Industrial Real Estate Development Strategy developed by Newmark and the Tracewell building in Cuba which was the top existing building in WNY. Report notes there is a shortage of suitable existing buildings and greenfield sites.

• Site Selectors report being used to develop future activities to attract companies to Allegany County. • Continue to reply to Invest Buffalo Niagara and Empire State Development when companies are

looking for property that want to reside in Western NY. • Site selectors compiled a case for metal working companies in Allegany County. Case is being updated

and to be posted to website and used to attract new companies. • Continuing to improve the list of potential buildings and land for development in the county. • Continuing to revise and improve Allegany County Economic Development page using best practices

and other websites as models.

Maker City

• Maker City Project funded by the Allegany County Economic Steering Committee members being used to develop an innovation based economic to renew and reinvent local economies.

• Allegany County Branding meetings that are developing county branding that will be used by Young Professionals, Improving Communities, Developing Entrepreneurship culture and county economic development.

• Land Bank continues to work on improving properties and communities as per report recommendations.

2021 Goals

• Regular positive press and stories for Allegany County to support expansion/retention. • Update county economic development strategic plan. • Develop ACIDA strategic plan including investment strategy. • Continue to implement the Micro-enterprise grant Allegany County was awarded. • Crossroads Development – Hotel construction on hold but will continue to plan. • Tracewell building – fill with a working company. • Develop adequate last mile providers for internet access.

• Limited travel – continue state, national and international connections.

• Meetings – Invest Buffalo Niagara to visit Allegany County

• Meetings - regular input from Allegany County Young professionals.

• Marketing – continue to improve economic development section on website and social media.

• Marketing – fully utilize new county brand and work with Startup Allegany County to develop plan to keep current college graduates and attract alumni to return.

• Site Selectors – implement their proposed plan to attract companies.

• Develop additional retail at the Kmart plaza in Wellsville and throughout the county.

Needs • Continue to develop resources for additional incentives.

• Develop project ready sites as per site selector’s suggestions.

• Review and improve ease of fast-tracking permits on sites.

• Investigate development of spec building.