BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON - The Local Planning Committee (LPC) dealing with the Village of Canton’s $4.5 million NY Forward grant will be taking a closer look on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at all projects seeking funding.

“We will be verifying information contained in the project proposals,” stated Canton Mayor Michael Dalton who serves as co-chair of the LPC with St. Lawrence University President Kathryn Morris.

Dalton said he expects the committee to begin reviewing and prioritizing $14 million in submitted projects at the next LPC meeting in October. The task at hand is trimming the list of projects to $6 to $8 million.

“We want to have all the information we need to make those tough decisions,” stated Dalton.

The committee’s recommendations will be included in a Strategic Investment Plan to be passed on to the Department of States who will make the final decisions on who will receive a piece of the $4.5 million in NY Forward funding.

The LPC meeting will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the courtroom at the Canton Municipal Building, 60 Main St.

The meeting is open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comment at the conclusion of the meeting. For more information, please visit the Canton NY Forward website at www.CantonNYForward.com

NY Forward is part of the State's economic development efforts. Gov. Kathy Hochul has committed $100 million for the second round of the NY Forward program. 

Each of the State’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) recommended two communities for NY Forward awards.  

The Local Planning Committee (LPC) includes local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives.

 LPC members attend a variety of meetings to brainstorm ideas, provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and prioritize actions.