COUNTY OF OSWEGO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE. June 28, :00 p.m. County Office Building, Oswego, NY 4 th Floor Conference Room E

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1 COUNTY OF OSWEGO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE June 28, :00 p.m. County Office Building, Oswego, NY 4 th Floor Conference Room E PRESENT: Leg. Fred Beardsley, Chair Leg. Morris Sorbello, Vice Chair Leg. Shawn Doyle Leg. Mary Flett Leg. Louella LeClair Leg. Jacob Mulcahey Leg. Arthur Ospelt STAFF/GUESTS: Barry Leemann, Chairman of the Legislature Philip Church, County Administrator David Turner, Planning Director Fred Maxon, Purchasing Director David Dano, Operation Oswego County Jeff Grimshaw, Workforce Development Board Sue Pringle Wendy Falls, Clerk of the Legislature ===================================================================== Committee Chair Beardsley called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. 1. Minutes of May 24, 2011: Motion to approve: Legislator LeClair Second: Legislator Ospelt Vote: Unanimous, motion carried 2. New Business: A. Department Updates Community Development, Tourism and Planning: Planning Director David Turner distributed an announcement of Columbus Replica Ships to visit Oswego on July 14 July 17, Leg. Flett mentioned the 4 th of July parade in Oswego that will take place on Sunday, July 3 rd. Director Turner mentioned that funding was still available for the well and septic program and if anyone was interested to contact Donna Scanlon. Committee Chair Beardsley inquired if it was a loan or grant. Director Turner responded that it is a loan. He reported that the annual audit was completed in the Housing Department and they were awarded high performance. Director Turner reported that the first ever triathlon was held with over 300 participants, including three (3) county employees with one of them coming in first place in their age division. They expect the event to double in size next year and he mentioned that it s a good source of sales tax and bed tax revenue for the county. Planning Director Turner mentioned a new website campaign based on behavioral interests of people who use the internet; referred to as behavioral marketing. He explained that the program uses Yahoo; three (3) demographic geographic areas were picked (outdoors, sporting goods, and family). The ad for Oswego County will pop up if they are searching online under these areas. The program takes the user to a 30 second commercial on Oswego County. Director Turner reported that they have had good success so far with it and provided a snap shot for a two (2) week period; there were 20,000 impressions (20,000 people saw an ad through yahoo), 7,000 actually clicked through to the website, and the interaction rate was 1.07% with the average time interacted being about 11 ½ minutes; a 1.2% interaction rate is considered excellent. He also mentioned that the program runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Leg. LeClair asked what the charge is. Economic Development & Planning Committee Minutes for June 28,

2 Director Turner responded that it depended on a number of things; including the geographic area, how defined the program, etc., the more complicated the higher the price. He said it is costing about $900 a month; whereas a half page ad in a national magazine might cost $5,000-6,000 for a month. B. RFP Professional Services Contract ABC Creative Purchasing Director Maxon reported the following: RFP 3-11 Advertising and Design; opened 6 proposals on March 14, 2011; Purchasing and Planning interviewed 2 of firms on June 2; and recommend award to ABC Creative Group of Syracuse NY; competitively priced. Planning Director Turner noted that no prices were listed because it is not a typical contract; the firm is used on an as needed basis and paid an hourly rate per project. Leg. Sorbello inquired if the Syracuse company was still competitive compared to local businesses. Director Turner responded that the company recommended had a very professional and creative proposal and put forth great effort. Leg. LeClair asked if the pricing is the same why should tax dollars be spent in Onondaga County when the same service is provided in Oswego County and commented that Step One has always done an excellent job. Director Turner said that a lot of things were considered beyond price and location such as other experience with destination marketing and creativity. Leg. Mulcahey stated that Step One was the only responder in Oswego County; they employ local people and he would like to see the award going their way. Leg. Doyle inquired about the difference between the two in pricing, if it was a hundred dollars or thousands. Director Turner responded that it was a matter of hundreds of dollars; and explained the different pricing options used. He stated that it doesn t all come down to money. Director Turner said that Oswego County is the only customer in the tourism field for Step One, whereas the other firms specialize in the area but the decision is ultimately up to the committee. Leg. Sorbello commented that the Director Turner needs to have a good reason other than dollars before going before the Legislature for approval. Leg. Mulcahey commented that there is talk about jobs all over the county and he would feel hypocritical going with a company outside the county. Motion made to award the bid to Step One Creative and discuss the problems that we ve had in the past: Legislator Doyle Second: Legislator LeClair Director Turner stated that he would be happy to show the committee the proposals and asked if it would be appropriate for an off the record comment. County Administrator Philip Church stated that the committee could enter into Executive Session if they chose to. Leg. LeClair questioned the legality of entering into Executive Session; Administrator Church left the room to get a copy of the rules. Previous motion withdrawn: Legislator Doyle Second withdrawn: Legislator LeClair Leg. Flett asked if the county is obligated to go forward with the company without talking to them if there is a favorable vote today. Planning Director Turner commented that at the end of the day it will be based on what the department feels they need internally and what they have capabilities for; the result may be that the department may not hire out as much as they would otherwise. Leg. Doyle asked Purchasing Director Fred Maxon his thoughts on the differences in the bids and if they all addressed the requirements and specifications. Director Maxon responded that all six (6) met the specifications and he didn t believe there was a question of whether they could do the work, but after review they only chose to interview two (2) of the six (6) companies. It was mentioned that ABC Creative delivered their bid in a tackle box by a resident of Oswego County. County Administrator Church explained that in the period between when an RFP is released and the time an award is made; the details of the proposal can be withheld from FOIL because of negotiations. Administrator Church quoted 105(1)(f) of the Open Meeting Law, authorizes a public body to enter into executive session to discuss: the medical, financial, credit or Economic Development & Planning Committee Minutes for June 28,

3 employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matter leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation Committee Chair Beardsley suggested that if there was no objection by the committee they would continue with the agenda and move back to this item at the end of the meeting. No objection was made. C. Operation Oswego County Dave Dano made presentation for Michael Treadwell who was on vacation. 1. County of Oswego IDA Financing WD Malone Trucking & Excavating, Inc. (Ryan Malone); acquisition of equipment to expand construction business; total cost $202,000; IDA financing of $80,000 for 5 years at 3% ; equity from Mr. Malone a tad over 60%; retention of 2 jobs. Lindsey Aggregates, Inc.; in old 84 Lumber building; working capital for mining, excavating and trucking business; in business for 10 years; project cost $391,697; funding provided through IDA is $150,000; 5 years at 6%; other lenders involved; USDA ratification received. First IRP Program loan (IDA and USDA funds). IDA is 1 of 2 lenders in the IRP Program in the country; creation of 4 jobs. Nellis and Peterson Properties Inc./Physical Therapy Plus; expanding in Fulton; acquisition of 2 buildings located on Schyler Street; expanding outpatient clinic and have renters in the building as well; total cost $585,000; IDA financing 15% ($87,500) for 20 years; creation of 2 full time jobs. Leg. Ospelt inquired about the lumber company that opened on Co. Rt. 57, and asked if they were going to have an open house. Mr. Dano responded that he didn t think they were having an open house; the company talked about getting into retail but is currently a wholesale business. 2. Operation Oswego County 2010 Annual Report Dave Dano mentioned the 2010 Annual Report provided to legislators in the packet and asked them to review and call with any questions. Leg. Doyle commented that it was an excellent presentation at the Operation Oswego County Annual Meeting and was encouraged to see businesses doing well. Motion to approve report: Legislator Doyle Second: Legislator Ospelt Vote: Unanimous, motion carried 3. Workforce Development Board Mr. Jeff Grimshaw from the Workforce Development Board of Oswego County spoke to the committee in regard to the function of the board. He explained that the board was not for profit and was housed at SUNY Oswego. The members are appointed by the Chairman of the Legislature and currently there are about 35 members, which are overseen by several committees. Mr. Grimshaw mentioned that the board works closely with economic development agencies; looking at skills and training, needs and requirements of the workforce (meet or exceed the standards regularly), youth counsel to look at keeping youth in the county, look at unemployment (2 nd highest unemployment rate in NYS). Leg. Mulcahey asked if it was legal to put eligibility requirements on their services. Mr. Grimshaw responded that there are no eligibility requirements; programs are open to anyone in the county. Leg. Sorbello commented that manufacturing has been hit hard and asked if any training has Economic Development & Planning Committee Minutes for June 28,

4 been geared towards these individuals; for example Birdseye. Mr. Grimshaw stated that they have already been in to talk to Birdseye employees to provide services and information. He commented that the One Stop Center numbers have almost doubled in the past year alone in the amount of people being seen. Mr. Grimshaw mentioned that the board works a lot with On the Job Training programs with businesses within the county. He explained that the One Stop Center is staffed by state employees as well as County Employment and Training employees; who are very effective and meet the needs of the people. Mr. Grimshaw reported that the Workforce Development Board is in the midst of Strategic Planning; changing the model to best meet the employment needs of the county and working very hard to reduce the unemployment rate. Leg. Doyle inquired if the board worked with Literacy Volunteers. Mr. Grimshaw said yes, they frequently work with them. Leg. Mulcahey asked what the legislature can do better or differently to promote development. Mr. Grimshaw responded that the board is working on answering that question now; he said that everything can t always be on the back of the county. Mr. Grimshaw said that the most helpful things the county could do is to provide support to employment and training; deal with federal and state elected officials on issues, and don t continue cutting Workforce Investment Act. Leg. Doyle said that the lack of public transportation is a problem in his area. Mr. Grimshaw agreed that it s a road block for employment in the county. Leg. LeClair commented that the county just approved grant acceptance for OCO and they are building a garage. Planning Director Turner clarified that when state and federal dollars become available they decide what types of things to spend money on; the grant referred to was for Intelligent Transportation System study to better understand services needed. He also mentioned that there is another project that is underway for the purchase of four (4) new buses, one of which would serve the area Leg. Doyle referenced. Mr. Grimshaw thanked the committee for their time. Leg. Mulcahey mentioned that Congressman Owens was going to be at the SUNY Oswego Campus Center today. County Administrator Church updated the committee on the RFP to do an economic development study in the county; he commented that he could go get quotes; to go out with an RFP will cost a minimum of 5 to 6 figures because of the scope to be done. Motion made to submit RFP for economic long term feasibility study: Legislator Mulcahey Second: Legislator Doyle Leg. Mulcahey stated that there are a number of economic engines in Oswego County and that he has been talking with a lot of them and they are expressing that there is no real direction. He said the county needs a solid grasp on what the future of business holds and educate the population along those lines. Leg. Sorbello stated that agencies are doing a lot of that now, an example being Workforce Development Board and Operation Oswego County. He commented that a study costs money and he would rather see it go into a job generating system. Leg. Ospelt stated that money is not being spent now, just getting information. Administrator Church suggested setting up a scope to get a clue of what the cost will be; could have estimates available by next month. Leg. Doyle expressed that he didn t think anything new would be learned; the focus should be on transportation. He commented that the county has a port and the power industry; the county should look into lowering the cost of power here. Leg. Doyle commented that he s not sure what can be learned from a study; that the money would be better spent increasing the support to other agencies. Leg. Mulcahey stated that he just wants to know what the cost would be, with a study the county would know where to advertise and information could be released to economic engines. Leg. Ospelt commented that zoning laws, etc. come into play when starting a new business and sometimes it s not easy getting the town s approval. Committee Chair Beardsley stated that the major problems are trickling down to the county from the state and federal level; the county doesn t create them and doesn t always have the tools to correct these problems. He remarked that the economy is still bad and New York State is driving out businesses because of zoning laws, taxes, etc. Chair Beardsley stated he was against spending more money. Leg. Mulcahey expressed his belief that there are issues that can be addressed and that he is not okay with throwing in the towel and just blaming New York State. Leg. Economic Development & Planning Committee Minutes for June 28,

5 Flett asked if it will cost anything now. County Administrator Church responded that he is only seeking quotes for a nonbinding description and range in how a study could be done. Committee Chair Beardsley remarked that it s the first step in spending money to do a study. Vote: 3 Yes (Legs. Mulcahey, Doyle, Flett), 4 Opposed; motion failed. Leg. LeClair inquired if Operation Oswego County had already done a study. Leg. Doyle wanted to clarify that he wasn t for spending money, but if getting quotes doesn t cost anything to get information he was for it. He didn t want to question anything Operation Oswego County does. Planning Director Turner remarked that from his own perspective, things that were important to companies such as rail, water, employees, etc. aren t as important as they used to be; quality of life is the top priority and very important to companies today. He remarked that Oswego County is hampered by the impression that snow causes hardships, and that can t be overcome. Leg. Mulcahey commented that the county does a good job of maintaining roads. Director Turner suggested the legislature support the things in the county that will improve quality of life. Leg. Doyle agreed with Director Turner; stating that there are other organizations available to deal with these issues and the legislature needs to support them. He mentioned that zoning is an issue, and there needs to be a balance. Leg. Sorbello commented that anyone is welcome at the Operation Oswego County and IDA meetings to see the type of projects in the works. Leg. LeClair commented that it is sad people don t take pride in the appearance of their homes, but with so many rentals in the cities how do we teach people to do that. Committee Chair Beardsley stated that he has no problem with including agenda items for discussion on these issues. Committee Chair Beardsley stated that the committee needed to get back to the RFP issue; and commented that the committee can enter executive session for discussion. Motion made to enter Executive Session to discuss information regarding a specific company: Legislator Sorbello Second: Legislator LeClair Vote: Unanimous, motion carried Entered executive session at 3:26 p.m. Motion made to re-enter open session: Legislator Ospelt Second: Legislator Sorbello Vote: Unanimous, motion carried Re-entered open session at 3:41 p.m. Motion made to accept the recommendation to award the contract to ABC Creative Group: Legislator Doyle Second: Legislator Beardsley Vote: 6 Yes, 1 Opposed (Leg. Mulcahey); motion carried 4. Adjournment: Motion made to adjourn the meeting: Legislator Doyle Second: Legislator Ospelt Vote: Unanimous Meeting adjourned at 3:43 p.m. Economic Development & Planning Committee Minutes for June 28,

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