Extension seeks input for plans

    SCHUYLER COUNTY—The Schuyler County Cornell Cooperative Extension wants public input from various residents to help create the comprehensive plans for the county, villages of Watkins Glen and Burdett, and the town of Hector.
    A comprehensive plan is a document that lists the goals and strategies to achieve a community’s vision for itself.  Rocky Kambo, director of planning and community development for the extension, explained the plan is not law and cannot be enforced, but is a general guide for the community and laws.
    “Overall, the main goal of a comprehensive plan is to provide a vision and direction for a municipality.  This vision and direction are determined and developed by the community itself.  What does a community want to be?  What will it look like?  These are questions we ask residents.  It is with the public’s answers that comprehensive plans are formed,” said Kambo.
    That is why the cooperative extension is helping organize meetings to collect public input.  Some municipalities have already been working on a plan, including Schuyler County, Watkins Glen, Burdett, and Hector.  The county comprehensive plan was first completed in 2004 and is now being updated, something that is recommended every five to 10 years.  In order to update the plan, public participation is needed.
    Kambo explained that as such, the committee in charge of updating the plan has held a number of interviews with key stakeholders and is now holding public meetings around the county to gain further input.  The next meetings will likely be held in the Mecklenburg and Tyrone areas in late April and early May.
    The town of Hector is in the process of getting public input as well.  A mass mailing of over 2,400 surveys will be sent out to residents in the town.  Residents should expect to see the surveys sometime in April.  The survey will also be made available online at www.hectorcp.com.
    The village of Watkins Glen has begun the process of updating their plan and will begin a public input process in late April and early May.  Kambo said residents of Watkins Glen should look out for public meeting dates in the near future.
    The village of Burdett has conducted their initial public input process and is now in the second stage of developing their comprehensive plan.  They are beginning to write the document and look to have a working draft sometime soon.  At that time, they will reach out to the community for further input.