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Ogdensburg’s St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center gets support in resolution from North Country Regional Economic Development Council

Posted 8/8/13

OGDENSBURG -- The North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC) approved resolutions at its meeting yesterday to reflect its support of the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center (SLPC) in …

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Ogdensburg’s St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center gets support in resolution from North Country Regional Economic Development Council

Posted

OGDENSBURG -- The North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC) approved resolutions at its meeting yesterday to reflect its support of the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center (SLPC) in Ogdensburg, which is under review by the state.

The meeting was called to review the status of existing projects and initiatives for the regional economy.

It is preparing for the third annual round of applications for economic development funds, awarded on a competitive basis among several regions in the state.

The council was also updated on the pending submission by the North Country council in the Innovation Hot Spots competition that will promote the commercialization of academic research and foster innovation by offering startups low-cost and accessible incubator support systems.

“As part of the council’s vision for the North Country, we are intentionally mobilizing the creativity and capacity of the graduates of the outstanding places of higher education across the region and catalyzing the highest rate of small business start-ups in the state,” said Anthony G. Collins, president of Clarkson University and co-chair of the NCREDC. “The Governor’s Innovation Hot Spots program will accelerate the region’s transformation. As part of this transformation, we need to build momentum with new investments and also support the critical services and jobs that provide opportunities to sustain families who want to call the North Country home.”

In passing the resolution in support of the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, members cited the long history of the Center and its 500 employees in providing high quality care to North Country residents with mental health needs, and also the severe economic consequences to families should the only facility of its kind in the region close.

Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of the NCREDC, said the loss of the Psych Center would have a very detrimental effect on the families of children with mental illnesses. “The loss of Adult and Children/Youth inpatient facilities at the center would have a far-reaching impact on the residents of the North Country -- from Clinton County to Jefferson County. In addition to losing valuable jobs in the Ogdensburg area, it would place an undue burden on our North Country families who are trying to access a critical public service and reduce the quality of life for everyone in our local communities. We need to make sure the governor and his staff know the negative impact this will have on his and our efforts to improve this region.”

The council also approved a resolution to transfer the administration of the Tourism Community Transformation Fund and the Digital Theater Conversion Fund from the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation to the Development Authority of the North Country.

Coming off the launch of Governor Cuomo’s Adirondack Challenge in Indian Lake last month, the council’s Adirondack and Tourism Work Groups also discussed progress towards its vision to use tourism as a driver for economic development, and to elevate the global recognition of the region as one of the special places on the planet to visit, live, work and study.

The council also heard a report from its Agriculture Work Group, which represents 4,268 farms in the 2007 agricultural census and nearly $600 million of sales from 1.16 million acres dedicated to farming across the seven counties. They received updates on projects that advanced North Country Pastured, a new USDA approved mobile processing unit, and North Country Food Hub, and Adirondack Meat Company projects among others.

Following the meeting, the council hosted the sixth of seven public forums across the region to address any questions from the public prior to applicants formally submitting their Consolidated Funding Applications (CFA) in Round 3. The deadline for submissions is 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12.

The CFA is online at https://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/. CFAs will be reviewed by the NCREDC based on their alignment with the council’s strategic plan and will get a technical review by the State Agency Resource Team.

The NCREDC’s member counties are St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Lewis. It is one of 10 regional councils across New York state that serve as a single point of contact for economic development activity in the various regions.

The North Country council was named a “Top Performer” in 2012 in addition to their “strategic plan” being named a “Best Plan Awardee” in December 2011.

One hundred fifty-two projects across the region have been awarded a total of $193.4 million in state support through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative and Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process in the statewide competition. The plan and priority projects can be seen at www.northcountryopenforbusiness.com.

The Regional Economic Development Council initiative (REDC) is a key component of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s approach to state investment and economic development. In 2011, Cuomo established the 10 regional councils to develop long-term plans for economic growth for their regions. For more information on the Regional Councils, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov.