Herkimer County launches countywide development plan

HERKIMER, N.Y. — A local government-nonprofit collaborative recently completed a countywide community development plan to address the county’s longstanding challenges and future growth opportunities.

Under the blueprint, a nonprofit called Herkimer County Community Development Partnership will be created to formalize collaborative efforts needed to address the county’s economic challenges while connecting and encouraging innovation in thriving but disconnected points of growth around the county.

“This plan continues the cooperation we’ve seen across local governments and builds on recent economic development successes, and it also addresses head-on the challenges we face across the county as we work together to make a great place to live and work even better,” Herkimer County Legislature Chairman Vincent (Jim) Bono said in a press release. “With this plan as a blueprint, we can tackle challenges and celebrate accomplishments in a coordinated way, attracting public and private investment that cuts across local government lines and addresses common needs across the county.”

A countywide steering committee of local government, business, and higher-education leaders, chaired by Little Falls Mayor Mark Blask, worked with consultant Fairweather Consulting of New Paltz to engage a broad range of constituents through a variety of in-person and virtual events, tactics, and tools to probe the county’s strengths, weaknesses, and residents’ visions for the future.

The six main themes of the study are vital villages and Main Streets; healthy, affordable, and livable communities; thriving economy and economic opportunity; authentic and sustainable places; diverse recreation, cultural, and social activities; and engaged, informed, and inclusive culture.

The plan recommends a focus on government, business, and nonprofit collaboration and connectivity, economic and agribusiness development, and tourism to work toward that vision.

“We all know that our entire county is rich in tourism assets and offers a lot to our heritage business as well as outside companies seeking to relocate here,” Blask said. “This plan gives us a framework for sustained collaboration across municipal boundaries and will strengthen our identity as a tourism destination and as a place that’s open for business.”

Herkimer County plans to hire a community coordinator to advance cross-governmental collaboration as a first step toward creating a community-development partnership. The county will also utilize the itshappeninginherkimer.org website throughout the process.

“We are thrilled that this partnership is moving forward to build a better future for all of Herkimer County,” Alicia Fernandez Dicks, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, said. The foundation helped coordinate and fund the process. “This kind of collaboration on a countywide basis should serve as a model for others, an example of how local governments, businesses, nonprofits, all sectors can work together for the greater good.”

The village of Herkimer announced it will hire a consultant to create a 10-year village-specific vision that complements the countywide plan.