This Will End, And

City Will Be Ready,

Mayor Herzig Says

Pangman, Drnek To Chair Task Force

With Two Goals: Survive, Then Thrive

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – “Survive, then thrive.”

That’s Mayor Gary Herzig’s mantra and message to a City of Oneonta economic-development task force that he expects will convene for the first time later this week.

In an interview a few minutes ago, he said he’s asked Judy Pangman, the city’s community development director, and Council member Mark Drnek, who has launched www.supportoneonta.com and www.supportotsego.com web sites to help businesses that are open get their messages out.

Herzig is a member of the county’s COVID-19 Economic Development Task Force/Otsego County, a sub-task-force of the county’s Covid-19 Task Force,  appointed by county board Chair Dave Bliss and chaired by Cassandra Harrington, Destination Marking executive director.

The idea is to “work in partnership” to the degree each task force can help the other, he said.

“My message to the task force is, in looking at small businesses, local shop owners, employers, we need two strategies.

One, through the Otsego County chamber and Otsego Now, “to make sure all of our local businesses have access to state and federal help; two, “to hit the ground running when the doors are open again,” he said.

He’s asked the chamber’s Barbara Ann Heegan to serve, as well as Otsego Now CEO Jody Zakrevsky, and plans to invited local businesspeople as well.  The first meeting, he said, still needs to be scheduled, but it will be this week.