NORWICH – Aiming to bolster housing and manufacturing in the central Chenango County region, county officials are weighing a $50,000 investment that could lead to improvements in water and sewage along the Route 12 corridor.

Local funds will fulfill a matching requisite of a $50,000 New York State Government Efficiency Grant recently awarded to the county. The Chenango County Planning Department proposed using the total $100,000 for examining upgrades to the water and sewage infrastructure in the northern portion of the Town of Norwich, as well as the City of Norwich and Town of North Norwich. It would also provide for studies to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant to make it more usable for extensions.

Efforts to upgrade water and sewage in the region would shore up housing and manufacturing development near critical sites, including Sunrise Farms in Norwich on State Route 23 and the empty industrial lot on State Route 320, once home to Chobani corporate offices.

According to Chenango County Planning Director Shane Butler, the county’s dollar commitment could be drawn from the county’s revolving loan fund, an account typically reserved for growing businesses to secure a low-interest loan with payback requirements. However, Butler said the $50,000 match wouldn’t carry the same requirements.

“What we’re considering is using that revolving loan fund, not as a loan, but as an injection of a 50-50 match to this grant,” Butler said, citing a similar use of designated funds when the county allocated money for railroad repairs. “Since this is a multi-municipal economic development project for the water system, sewer system, and housing, I think it’s a good use of this money to do that.”

“This will generate additional manufacturing and housing, so we feel that this is a way of getting more manufacturers in the area,” Butler added.

If approved by county officials, drawing money from the county’s revolving loan fund will leave $400,000 in the local revolving loan fund – enough to fulfill approved funding requests of roughly half a dozen applicants, said Butler. The planning department has not yet earmarked those remaining funds.

In spite of potential economic benefits, taking from the revolving loan raised concerns among members of the county’s finance committee. John Lawrence, supervisor for the Town of Afton, didn’t question the validity of the planning department’s proposal, but asked what effect there would be if other Chenango County municipalities applied for loans for their own water and sewage upgrades.

“Knowing that other communities in Chenango County could argue they’re just as important and may have interest in improving or creating a water and sewage system, if these other communities can utilize this, how would that affect this fund? Couldn’t it deplete this fund?” he asked.

The request to take from the county’s revolving loan fund was ultimately greenlighted unanimously by the county’s finance committee. The request will go before the Chenango County Board of Supervisors next week for final approval.