County Committed To ‘Single Point

Of Contact’ On Ec-Dev, Clark Says

By JIM KEVLIN • allotsego.com

Rep. Kathy Clark, R-Otego, chair of the county Board of Representatives, said today the county is not ready to participate in the IDA’s  “single point of contact” approach to economic development right now, but she intends that it will.

“In no way did I intend it to be interpreted that we don’t want to do a one-stop shop,” said Clark.  “I don’t want it to appear that we’re going to be in the ivory tower again – because that didn’t work for us.  We can’t have all these silos.”

Still, three issues have slowed the county, Clark said:

• One, the IDA was asking for more than that county had been paying.  “The price tag was more than we could swallow,” she said.

• Two, the “deliverables” – “What is it we want these people to do?” – need to be better defined to ensure the success of the collaboration.  “I like to set things up to succeed, not fail.”

• Three, the county’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee was surprised to learn extent of delinquent loans under the previous administration – some have been delinquent since 2011 and have not been consistently invoiced.  “We want to get a handle on it” locking into a new agreement.

Clark didn’t set a deadline for firming up the arrangement with the IDA, but said deliberations on the 2015 budget begin “very soon,” and may be worked out through that process.

Except for a temporary receptionist, the count ec-dev office has no employees right now.  Clark said the current responsibilities include administering a regional microenterprise grant program that provides funds to small businesses.  Only four applications are now pending, and the applications have been advised by the IGA committee that someone will be back in touch.

The county-IDA interface will be discussed again when the IGA committee meets Monday, Clark said.