Legislature hears update on projects

Legislature hears update on projects

YATES COUNTY--At the Yates County Legislature meeting Tuesday, Oct. 11, legislators shared updates on the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) Fall Seminar. Legislators attended different break-out sessions, making sure that as many sessions as possible were attended.
The Finger Lakes Economic Development Council is currently reviewing responses from developers for the proposed mixed-use, middle-income housing project. Also underway: an engineering firm has been selected and a contract should be executed soon to begin an investigative study of Yates County roads. This initiative started two years ago following a fatal accident between a buggy and an automobile and aims to identify options to make the roads safer for cars, buggies, and bicycles. Steve Griffin reported news from the Yates Community Center: the first full-time executive director has been hired. Jill Bird, former registrar at Keuka College, will lead the organization.
The Community Center has completed work on the playground and installed a new basketball court that will also support pickleball. Work on the pavilion will be completed in the spring, and a construction committee has been formed, with Paul Brown, from Dundee, at the helm.
At the meeting, legislators also heard from Penn Yan native and resident of the Town of Milo Barbara Craig, who offered an introduction to the Downtown Business Council and raised several concerns about the awarding of grants supported by the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC). Craig is the secretary of the business council.
According to Craig, the Downtown Business Council applied for a grant and was denied, for the second year in a row. While she stated that all recipients have very worthy missions, she wondered if all the projects awarded met the funding criteria, especially promoting tourism during the off-season.
"Last year, when the applications were being reviewed, members of this body asked that priority be given to off-season events," said Craig. "That is what the Downtown Business Council does."
Craig explained while the council is independent with its own bylaws and elected officials, it is currently a sub-committee of the Yates County Chamber of Commerce. However, the council's TAC application was separate from any funding the chamber is already receiving with Craig saying, "to date they have never provided us with any kind of operating budget; if it exists we don't know."
Stating her concerns, Craig said:
• 86 percent of the monies awarded are directly linked to seven of the 10 committee members' interests in organizations.
• The council can't find a public record of the committee's deliberations: who applied, who got an interview, who was denied, and why?
• What is the measurement for return on investment?
Specifically, Craig requested that the legislators review all the applications, including those that were denied, and that the process be reviewed with an eye for increasing transparency.