July 2010 Monthly Announcements

1. Official Road Mapping - Many (12) of the NOCCOG towns and village have expressed an interest on working on an official road map for their respective town or village.  The first step in this process is contacting the Tug Hill Commission staff assigned to this project. You can contact Phil Street at the Commission (315) 785-2380 or e-mail him at phil@tughill.org. You can also contact Mickey Dietrich at the Commission (315) 785-2380 or e-mail him at mickey@tughill.org

They will work on putting together a "first draft map" using the highway inventory information submitted yearly to the state by highway superintendents. The next step will be to give the map to the highway superintendent so a visual inspection of the map can be made for accuracy based on the superintendent's knowledge of the road system.  Town roads will be marked in yellow with question areas showing a red dot.  The highway superintendent will then meet with Phil Street to discuss any discrepancies or changes that need to be made. Mickey Dietrich can then use the Commission's GPS unit to address any remaining problems.  Once completed, the official road map will need to be approved by resolution of the governing board.

 We hope to be able to work with three towns or villages a month. If you are thinking of doing an official road map for your town or village, please contact us and let us know ASAP.  An official road map is a valuable tool in making sure you are receiving credit for every mile of road that is either a town road or village street.

2. Rural Community Development Workshop - The first of two workshops that will be offered to promote community assets for economic development, especially for rural communities, will be offered on August 5.  Regional assets are key building blocks in sustainable revitalization efforts. Assets include the skills of the workforce; the vitality of community organizations; the resources of public, private and nonprofit institutions; and the physical and economic resources of local places. The numerous lenses through which we can view regional community assets include, but are not limited to tourism, arts and culture, education, entrepreneurship, natural resources, agriculture and history. Highlight regional community assets as they relate to economic development opportunities;

      •· Encourage communities to build unique niches within the region;

      •  Explore the relationship between capacity building, development and promotion of community assets;

      •  Provide tools that will cover the practical implementation of project development.

Municipal Governments, Local Officials, Nonprofit Groups, Civic Organizations, Planners and Developers are encouraged to attend this workshop. Anyone interested in community development is welcome. The workshop will be held on:

Thursday, August 5, 2010, 8:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m., at Beardslee Castle, 123 Old State Road, Little Falls, NY 13365. 

The cost is $30 per person. Registration & payment must be received by July 30, 2010. Space is limited. The registration form can be downloaded online at:

http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oneida/Rural%20Development/RCDC%20Web%20Registration.pdf.

Contact Caroline Williams, Rural Development Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension Oneida County by phone by phone at 315-736-3394 x133 or email jcw28@cornell.edu for additional information

3. NOCCOG Executive Board - At the NOCCOG Executive Board meeting on June 8th the executive board decided to bring before the membership at the annual meeting in October a proposal to increase the size of the NOCCOG Executive Board from three to five members.  This proposed amendment in NOCCOG's bylaws will need a 2/3 majority vote of the municipalities present at the 2010 annual meeting. The notice of said proposed amendment will be given to each NOCCOG representative from each of our 19 members at least five days before the annual meeting. Each of our member communities will have one vote.

We will be in contact with our member communities regarding this issue as it moves forward.

4. Changes in Dog Licensing - Town Clerks have received information on recent developments regarding the licensing of dogs in NYS.  Ag and Markets has expressed a very strong desire to eliminate the statewide data base and wishes to delegate authority for dog licensing to the municipalities (which mean the towns in this area). At this point it appears this proposal is going to move forward and take effect at the earliest on 1/1/2011. Some key points to keep in mind include:

     • The state wide data base for dogs will be eliminated.  This is where you go to check if a dog is up to date on the rabies vaccine.

     •  A new law will be passed by NYS that will require that dogs be licensed and have rabies shots with municipalities having sole propriety for the dog licensing program.

     • Towns will establish the time of license renewals and the length of the licenses.  It will also be up to town to decide classifications ( spayed, purebred)  and exemptions ( i.e. waivers for service dogs, etc)

     • All licensing fees will go to the municipality. No checks will need to be sent to the County or State.

     • Towns will have to purchase and design their own dog tags.  Tags will be required to contain and ID number, name of municipality, NYS and a municipal contact number.

 All of this means that every town will have to pass a local law containing the necessary information that will be governed and determined by the town and the Town Board will need to budget for the expenses/revenues in the 2011 budget. There are still many answered questions and we hope to have either a training or additional material available for towns in the next two months.  For additional information please go the following web site:  http://nystca.com/content/Generic/View/18 and click on the e Ag & Market presentation.  Look especially at pages 10-14 and pages 24-26.

5. Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation Accepting Grant Applications- The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations on a variety of topics, including community development, which consists of creating and sustaining affordable housing; revitalizing low-to-moderate income neighborhoods; facilitating job creation, work force development, and financial literacy/empowerment; and/or providing economic development for minority and underserved groups and/or low- to moderate-income areas. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information can be found on their website: https://www.wachovia.com/wachoviafoundation

6. NYS DOS Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) funding program -This program is designed to assist communities in redeveloping dormant and blighted land into productive and catalytic areas while restoring environmental quality.  This can include old factories, gas stations, etc. BOA provides municipalities and community-based organizations with resources to address local brownfields by providing area-wide redevelopment planning, access to expert environmental and economic analysis, and environmental site assessment for strategic redevelopment parcels. Non-profit community-based organizations, New York State municipalities, and community boards are eligible to apply.  For more information visit http://nyswaterfronts.com/grantopps_BOA.asp or contact David MacLeod at 518-474-4949 or david.macleod@dos.state.ny.us

 There is no official deadline but the program will be ongoing until all funds are fully committed

7.  Veteran Cards Offered by Oneida County Clerk's Office - U.S. Military veterans living in Oneida County are able to obtain a photo identification card that designates their status as a veteran. Participating retailers will offer discounts to card holders in recognition of the veterans' service on behalf of their country.  There is a $3 charge for the card.

The cards will be issued when veterans file DD-214 discharge papers with the clerk's office, which is located on the fifth floor of the County Office Building in Utica. There is no charge to file the form and veterans receive two certified copies of it when they file. Filing the military discharge provides a permanent record for future proof of service for veterans' benefits. The document contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment and membership in veterans' organizations.

8.  NOCCOG Circuit Riders - The three circuit riders, Sue Martin, Harlan Moonen and Gerry Ritter are going to take turns attending the municipal meetings of towns and villages they usually don't attend on a monthly basis.  It will be good to learn more about the individual towns and villages and see some local officials we may only have the opportunity to talk to once or twice a year.

Email addresses:

Gjriiter01@aol.com or gerryritternoccog@frontiernet.net

hmoonen@twcny.rr.com  &  smartin47@roadrunner.com