Village To Hold LPC Meeting Wednesday for NY Forward Strategic Investment Plan
Names of Planning Committee Members Released
COOPERSTOWN—The Village of Cooperstown was selected by the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council to receive a $4.5 million award from New York State through the NY Forward program. Investment from this program will allow Cooperstown to develop a Strategic Investment Plan and implement key catalytic projects to advance a community vision for downtown improvements. Projects selected for funding will transform the community and support a vibrant local economy.
The Local Planning Committee is co-chaired by Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh and REDC Member Ken Meifert and consists of 12 other members representing a diverse array of the Cooperstown community.
The first LPC meeting will be held on May 24 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 22 Main Street, and is open to the public. This meeting will be streamed on the village’s YouTube channel. The six-month process to develop the Strategic Investment Plan will include two separate Community Meetings to gather input from village residents and at least one additional outreach session at a to-be-determined community event.
More information can be found at https://www.cooperstownny.org/new-york-forward/
NY Forward was launched in 2022 to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller communities, with a focus on hamlets, villages, and neighborhood-scale commercial centers. NY Forward is led by the Department of State, in close partnership with Empire State Development, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. For more information, visit https://www.ny.gov/programs/ny-forward.
The full list of LPC members is as follows:
- Ken Meifert: co-chair; MVREDC council member; vice president—sponsorship and development, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Ellen Tillapaugh: co-chair; mayor, Village of Cooperstown
- Tara Burke: director, Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce
- Matt Denison: owner, Rudy’s Liquor Store
- Josh Edmonds: Simple Integrity LLC
- Keith Gulla: owner, Landmark Inn
- Tom Hohensee: council member, Town of Otsego
- Jeff Katz: executive director, Community Foundation of Otsego County
- Carolyn Lewis: MVREDC council member; regional fund manager, Bassett Medical Center
- Ian Porto: owner, Natty Bumppo’s Bar & Restaurant
- David Sanford: Cooperstown VFW
- Patsy Smith: village resident; retired business owner, SchoolHouse Kitchen LLC
- Sarah Spross: superintendent, Cooperstown Central School
- Brenda Wedderspoon Gray: director, Clark Sports Center