LAKE PLACID – At a meeting planned for earlier today, the North Country Regional Economic Development Council was to outline progress it has made in advancing last year’s strategic plans and implementing its supporting projects.

The presentation will also focus on projects for Round 3 it is submitting to the Strategic Implementation Assessment Team (SIAT), made up of state commissioners and other officials.

The council's progress report and full list of endorsed priority projects for 2013 can be found at www.northcountryopenforbusiness.com.

The NCREDC is composed of representatives from business, government and education in St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Lewis counties.

Everyone, including representatives of businesses, labor and universities from the North Country region are welcome to attend the public meeting beginning at 2:45 p.m. in the third-floor Van Hovenberg Room of the ORDA Lake Placid Convention Center, 2634 Main Street, Lake Placid.

The presentation is to follow an announcement of an undisclosed nature that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has scheduled for this afternoon in Lake Placid.

For the third year in a row, all 10 regions statewide will compete against each other for millions in development aid from the state. The competition places emphasis on regional council performance and action to implement strategies.

The NCREDC was named a “Top Performer” in 2012 in addition to their plan being named a “Best Plan Awardee” in December 2011. In 2011, the North Country aid amounted to more than $100 million. In the second round, in 2012, the North Country council received $90.2 million for 82 projects.

In this next round, five regions will be identified as “Top Performers” and will receive up to $25 million each for the honor. The remaining regions will compete for the balance of $25 million.