NORWICH – A request for county funding made by the Town of Bainbridge to renovate the bathroom facilities at General Clinton Park was approved by the Chenango County Board of Supervisors on Monday, but not without deliberation among some county officials who feared they may have set an unwanted precedent for how the county’s economic development funds should be allocated.
Board members passed a resolution authorizing that $7,500 be allocated from the county’s “Infrastructure, Promotion and Business Development” budget account for the project which will include upgrades to the bathrooms and making them more handicap accessible. Being that General Clinton Park draws thousands of visitors each year for the annual General Clinton Canoe Regatta, supporters of the resolution say the allocation coincides with the goal of using that money for economic development purposes.
Bainbridge, however, is the first township to apply for – and receive – economic development funds from the county, leading some county officials to wonder if that will open the floodgates for all townships to apply for funds from the same pot of money in the future. What’s more, some also questioned the prudence of helping Bainbridge improve facilities that are the town’s responsibility to maintain.
“I don’t think the intended use of these funds, at least from my perspective, is for towns to use for infrastructure improvements in this way,” said Plymouth Supervisor Jerry Kreiner. “I guess some argument can be made that this is for economic development, but it’s really one of those things that you can spin either way.”
Kreiner added that if the resolution were to pass, he would be interested in knowing the procedures to apply for county economic development funding on behalf of the Town of Plymouth.
Bainbridge’s request for funds started in the Chenango County Planning and Economic Development Committee back in August. The township originally sought between $7,000 and $10,000 to help foot costs of updating its comprehensive plan. But because each township is obligated to update their own comprehensive plan, and help for one town would mean providing the same help for every town, the Bainbridge Town Board was encouraged by the committee to consider other projects where funds could appropriately be used.
“Yes, no town in the county has ever received money from this budget before. No town has ever asked, to my knowledge,” said Norwich City Supervisor and Planning and Economic Development Committee member James McNeil. “If there are any projects in any town that might need assistance, whether it be for infrastructure or development, I encourage them to put in a funding application.”
The county budgets its Infrastructure, Promotion and Business Development account with $90,000 at the start of every year. Money is available to businesses and nonprofit organizations that can prove intent of using those funds for the purpose of enhancing economic development within the county.
“In my opinion, sitting on the Planning and Economic Development Committee, this $7,500 is being used exactly for what it was intended for. It’s a small part of a very large project the Town of Bainbridge has,” McNeil added. “They are looking at $55,000 worth of improvements to General Clinton Park, which is a big attraction in the county.”
Bainbridge Town Supervisor Dolores Nabinger, who also serves on the county’s Planning and Economic Development Committee, said although the township may be setting a new precedent, it breaks a longstanding trend of awarding county funds to the same organizations year after year.
“For six years, I have sat on Planning and Economic Development, and I have watched repeatedly the same people come back and ask for money,” she said to County Board members. “We (the committee) look for people to give money to ... Am I opening a can of worms? I probably am. But the Planning and Economic Development Committee would welcome any of you to come and ask for money to help you with different projects in your towns too.”