With one meeting already under its belt, the seven counties comprising the new Mid-Hudson Economic Council are charged with the Solomonic task of determining an “economic epicenter” for the region.
The council has scheduled five public meetings that will be working to come up with a viable plan to earn some of the $200 million in economic stimulus funding set aside in the 2011-2012 New York state budget ”“ with the promise of millions more to come in the form of state and federal grants.
Vincent Cozzolino, who founded The Solar Consortium in 2007 to bring the “Tech Valley” corridor from Albany southward, was one of the 29 hand-picked members attending the Mid-Hudson”™s first meeting at SUNY New Paltz Aug. 9. The Mid-Hudson council cochairmen are Dennis Murray, president of Marist College, and Leonard Schleifer, president and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown. The council”™s 29 core members include representatives from nonprofits, from the for-profit private sector and from government.
The seven counties are: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
“It was a very well-organized meeting, considering how quickly everything was pulled together,” said Cozzolino. “Our first work is to develop a five-year strategic plan for the seven counties. It will be a competitive process against the nine other regions.
“Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy was there and promised he”™d be at every meeting at each of the 10 councils held within the next three months. That”™s 60 meetings, so he”™s got his work cut out for him, too.”
While the first meeting at SUNY New Paltz was closed to the press and public, future meetings will not be, said Cozzolino. “We may go into executive session if we are discussing specific business plans ”“ that would be the only time the public and media would not have access.”
Ken Kleinpeter, director of farm and facilities for Glynwood Farm in Cold Spring, said the work of the Mid-Hudson council will extend well beyond the Nov. 14 deadline to have its economic proposals on paper and sitting on Gov. Andrew Cuomo”™s desk.
“Everyone had a list of what work groups need to be formed,” said Kleinpeter. “Before our next meeting in New Paltz, those workgroups need to be in place. One that would focus on what industries will grow within the next 20 years that are relevant to the Hudson Valley was discussed.”
Kleinpeter said he thought closing the first meeting was a good idea. “It gave everyone a chance to meet the new Mid-Hudson Empire State Development President Aimee Vargas and to meet each other. Everyone had good ideas. We split off into groups and each of us came back with suggestions for three work groups that would work on specific projects.”
Kleinpeter, whose nonprofit farm organization is currently rolling out g a portable meat processing facility through a LILA (Local Infrastructure for Local Agriculture) program, and has its prototype docked in Delaware County while other docking sites are being sought, said the Mid-Hudson council has its work cut out for it.
After splitting up, said Kleinpeter, “Each group had an hour to do some overview brainstorming. We focused on what the positives of the region ”“ and what the vision should be for what we are trying to accomplish. There was value to it, because none of us had spoken privately to each other before.
“I”™m excited to be representing Glynwood, and I”™m sure I”™ll be getting input from my colleagues; there will be a lot of work after the November 14 deadline,” said Kleinpeter. “Each person on the council has been appointed for two years. Needless to say, since it is all voluntary, it is a big commitment, but one I”™m up for.”
Back to the epicenter of the region”™s business core: “There really isn”™t one; each county has its own specific ”˜epicenter”™ of commerce,” said Cozzolino. “So we”™ll welcome the input of the public at our next meeting.”
