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Finger Lake Regional Economic Development Council

MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: CC: DATE: RE: Finger Lakes Region Council Co-Chairs Danny Wegman and Joel Seligman Robert McNary and Joseph Hamm October 24, 2011 Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Draft Strategic Plan Accelerating our Transformation

Governor Cuomo has proposed a fundamental shift in the states approach to economic development from a one-size-fits-all model to a community-based, grassroots-driven approach that recognizes each regions unique attributes and emphasizes local collaboration. Following the launch of the Regional Councils at the end of July and our inaugural meeting on August 3rd, the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council has been working diligently on developing key components of a comprehensive strategic plan. Our challenge was to develop a clear, focused, evidence-based five-year strategic plan that would accurately reflect all nine counties in our region both now and into the future. Through the efforts of our 32 Council Members, the significant contributions of our 11 Work Groups, extensive research into current economic conditions and the review of numerous studies, public outreach that has literally yielded scores of suggestions and several hundred participants in our public forums, we share with you our initial efforts at developing a strategic plan for the Finger Lakes region for your review and feedback. This process and the draft Strategic Plan are a work in progress and still incomplete. At our October 18th meeting, the Council agreed to proceed in the following manner. At that meeting, we addressed the first four sections of the Plan: I. Executive Summary; II. Regional Assessment of Existing Conditions and Economic Opportunities; III. Economic Development Vision; and IV. Economic Development Strategy and Components. Still in development is the balance of the Plan, which includes sections on the Regional Implementation Agenda and Performance Measurements. We have requested our Work Groups help us further refine their submissions to articulate where they want to be in five years, as well as prioritize transformative projects. In order to be included, these projects need to be consistent with the Governors requirements (firm commitments, significant leverage, and direct jobs), our goals and vision, and be measurable in their outcomes. Projects already submitted and solicited for inclusion are absent from this draft Plan because they are currently being scored and evaluated based on the proposed Priority Project Action Criteria also included in the draft Plan. At our November 1st meeting, we will incorporate the public comments we receive to these sections and focus on the remainder of the Plan. As soon as the Council has completed review of the remaining parts of the Plan, we will post these publicly for public comment before our final meeting on November 9th. As has been stated by the Governor and Lt. Governor, we are not only creating a plan to compete for the $40 million in regional funding, but creating a framework that will allow the region to pursue additional state support and continually identify, prioritize, and implement transformative projects for the next five years. Our ultimate goal all along has been to present the very best plan that supports Governor Cuomos goals of job 1

creation, economic development, and improved quality life as well as being consistent with our vision for the Finger Lakes region. In order for this to happen, we need your assistance. Your feedback is critically important to us and we welcome it through our next round of Public Forums scheduled for October 25th (Batavia), 26th (Geneva), and 27th (Rochester) or through email at nys-fingerlakes@empire.state.ny.us. We need to hear from you about what we got right and what we are missing. We also want to know whether we captured the right narrative and if these are the appropriate core issues, opportunities and strategies for our nine counties. The draft Strategic Plan will continue to be refined from now until November 14th. We anticipate many revisions and multiple drafts, but welcome your input throughout. We want to thank you for your support, participation, and patience and we look forward to your comments and suggestions.

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