[Adopted 10-15-2002 by Res. No. 177-02]
A.
The objective of this plan is to review the progress of the Saratoga
County Empire Zone and to prepare the zone in the future. The preparation
includes evaluating existing land and businesses in the zone and determining
expansion criteria for future use of Empire Zone incentives.
B.
With this plan, the zone board, zone staff and business and community
leaders throughout Saratoga County will determine the best path for
maximizing the future of the Saratoga County Empire Zone.
C.
This plan will:
(1)
Define the Business Development Goal Statement with short- and long-term
goals for Saratoga County Empire Zone development by reflecting the
goals stated in the original Empire Zone application submitted in
December 2000 and updating new zone initiatives.
(2)
Establish an economic development strategy for the zone by making
commitments for the current zone and identifying the business clusters
the zone seeks to attract.
(3)
Identify the geographic areas where development is desired and/or
expected and goals for expansion.
(4)
Clarify the criteria for expansion and the local process by which
the zone community and the zone administrative board will evaluate
requests for amending the zone's boundaries.
A.
The Saratoga County Empire Zone Administrative Board is committed
to fulfilling the goals set forth in its original application including
job retention and creation and business retention, growth and attraction.
B.
The application for Empire Zone designation was submitted in 2000
with goals and objectives outlined. These goals were:
(1)
The creation of additional job opportunities for residents of underserved
communities throughout Saratoga County.
(2)
Deliver needed programs, training and services to new businesses
locating in the Empire Zone.
(3)
Retain existing jobs in existing businesses.
(4)
Create greater opportunities for small businesses.
(5)
Increase opportunities for tourism.
A.
Goal One: Create additional job opportunities for residents of Saratoga
County by attracting new businesses that are in the economic interest
of the empire zone community. Objectives:
(1)
Create a regional product that clearly demonstrates to outside investors
the benefits that can be obtained by locating in the region and especially
the Empire Zone.
(2)
Assess the needs of the residents within the area of impact and organize
training and human resource needs so that they will be able to work
when the jobs are available.
(3)
Identify types of businesses that are appropriate for each area of
the zone. Saratoga County Empire Zone seeks to attract businesses
that add to the economic vitality of the community by showing positive
economic impact through increased employment and capital investment
in the Empire Zone.
(4)
Link existing business entrepreneurs in the zone to appropriate resources,
which in turn will support a cost-effective environment for entrepreneurial
business expansion and provide on-site strategic business planning
and technical assistance.
(5)
Develop a systematic process of pre-permitting sites. Participate
in New York State's statewide campaign to "pre-certify" sites
for development with the Build Now-NY Program.
(6)
Participate in the regional effort to attract the chip-fabrication
industry so as to be prepared to provide needed support for this industry
and their second-tier companies.
(7)
Assist corporate and industrial parks with bringing in necessary
infrastructure to support their needs including access to fiber optic
networks, high-speed Internet access, water, electrical service and
transportation.
(8)
Foster the distinctive public/private/academic partnership that has
created the best model for economic development in New York State.
(9)
Continue an economic development program that produces wealth for
our communities, so that the people of Saratoga County can prosper.
(10)
Cultivate the infrastructure needed to grow and sustain a knowledge-based
economy while still delivering the required resources for our brick-and-mortar
industries.
(11)
Foster countywide solutions to provide necessary infrastructure to
improve the quality of life for residents of the County.
C.
Goal Three: Deliver programs, training and services that will enable
residents to work. Objectives:
(1)
Create better integration between job training agencies and new and
existing employers.
(2)
Work with public and private educational institutions to develop
and promote new education initiatives and new course offerings to
meet the ever-growing needs of business and industry.
(3)
Continue to seek grants that assist communities in all kinds of various
ways including identifying "ready-to-go" business and tourism sites
to attract and expand businesses, increase capital investment, diversify
the tax base and create new jobs.
(4)
Encourage increased availability of public transport services.
D.
Goal Four: Encourage retention and expansion of existing businesses
throughout the Empire Zone that are in the economic interest of the
Empire Zone community. Objectives:
(1)
Develop innovative structuring for large and small companies including
business planning, financial packaging, and innovative financing programs.
(2)
Articulate a business support program for businesses in the Empire
Zone.
(3)
Work with local industries that are struggling to remain competitive
to find ways to reduce costs and to remain competitive by diversifying
their operations and looking for "specialty niche markets."
(4)
Continue the process of pinpointing the location of a potential workforce
in a tight and spread out workforce.
(5)
Develop Commercial and Light Manufacturing Incubator Spaces and Technology
Accelerators for small businesses. Incubators provide the necessary
support for the growth of startup businesses while accelerators aid
existing businesses to grow into mid-level operations. These incubators/accelerators
will allow small businesses to remain profitable and expand into larger
flex/spec buildings in targeted zones throughout the County.
(6)
Work with local and regional developers to develop flex/spec buildings
within the zones in industrial and business parks throughout the County
allowing creation of new business and the retention and expansion
of existing businesses.
E.
Goal Five: Revitalize core business areas of communities in the Empire
Zone. Objectives:
F.
Goal Six: Enable new businesses that are in the economic interest
of the Empire Zone community to more fully participate in the global
marketplace. Objectives:
(1)
Develop policies and implement programs that will enhance and accelerate
economic growth for all businesses in Saratoga County by sustaining
a business climate that encourages private sector investment and focuses
on the cultivation and strengthening of such critical economic development
factors as technological innovation, workforce skills, public infrastructure
development and expansion of our export market capacity.
(2)
Attract, retain and grow diverse industry segments in the Empire
Zone.
(3)
Expand upon the momentum of the recent economic success in the County.
The strategy is to incorporate the fundamental principles of SEDC,
economic development through leadership, innovation and teamwork.
Advance our attraction and retention of jobs for Saratoga County residents
by improving the economic development structure with relevant plans
of action, developing and introducing new capital access programs,
enhancing the critical public and private sector coalitions and strategizing
with local community groups.
(4)
Continually update the overall economic development plan for Saratoga
County that includes an export development program, extensive in-house
financial services, community economic development, marketing initiatives,
and business retention.
(5)
Remove barriers and disincentives in Saratoga County that discourage
business growth in the region.
(6)
Become fully aware and responsive to the new world economy and the
information revolution.
(7)
Continue to participate as part of the strategic team for organizing
a statewide alliance and participation at the world's largest
industrial trade fair, the German Hannover Trade Fair.
(8)
Develop a Saratoga County Zone Capital Corporation; use $1.5 million
of the Zone Capital Credits allocated to the Saratoga County Empire
Zone.
G.
Goal Seven: Increase opportunities for tourism that are in the economic
interest of the Empire Zone community. Objectives:
(1)
Revitalize waterfront areas including the Great Sacandaga Lake and
the Sacandaga and Hudson Rivers.
(2)
Revitalize the commerce, commuter and tourism rail systems along
the north-south route from Albany to Corinth to Hadley to North Creek
in recognition that railroads play an important role in supplying
the economic engine for local industries and tourism.
(3)
Join regional recreational forces that are making heritage tourism
an economic industry.
H.
Goal Eight: Encourage the formation and growth of cottage industries
that are in the economic interest of the Empire Zone community. Objectives:
I.
Goal Nine: Diversify and expand the local economy by actively facilitating
Internet-centered jobs and businesses that are in the economic interest
of the Empire Zone community. Objectives:
(1)
Ensure availability of education and training opportunities for entrepreneurs
who might locate in the Empire Zone.
J.
Goal Ten: It is in the economic interest of the Empire Zone community
to develop vacant, abandoned and underutilized commercial and industrial
lands. Objectives:
K.
Goal Eleven: Increase intermunicipal cooperation. Objectives:
(1)
Continue to promote the idea of micro-regionalization where economic
development committees from towns and villages come together on a
regular basis to ascertain their readiness for new enterprise growth,
to set economic development goals, share resources and assets, and
plan for the future.
(2)
Using a "team" approach by working with Saratoga County officials,
local communities and private sector businesses to develop a strong
marketplace.
(3)
Expedite programs and the review process for local approvals.
M.
Goal Thirteen: empower local communities to become more self-sustaining.
Objectives:
(1)
Encourage communities to initiate their own solutions to common economic
problems and thereby build their long-term capacity for jobs.
(2)
Support and find funding for transportation, environmental, land
use planning and other studies necessary to assess total impact on
a region and clear the way for future economic development.
(3)
Encourage responsible land use planning by working with local communities
on their comprehensive plans and making sure they are aware of the
economic development strengths and constraints when developing a vision
for the future. Encourage communities to create and maintain a "business
friendly" environment.
(4)
Improve and develop infrastructure necessary to the successful operation
of businesses including, but not limited to, water, sewer, transportation,
electric, gas and telecommunication.
N.
Goal Fourteen: build regional capacity through interagency relationship.
Objectives:
(1)
Continue an excellent working relationship with the Small Business
Administration and New York State Business Development Corporation
to provide Section 504 financing to small businesses. Continue working
relationship with Empire State Development Corporation in providing
Economic Development services.
(2)
Work with all five Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs), Saratoga
County, Clifton Park, Town of Corinth, Mechanicville/Stillwater, and
Town of Waterford, to allow eligible companies to receive significant
economic development incentives to create quality jobs in Saratoga
County.
Redraw the boundaries of the current Empire Zone to distribute
the Empire Zone throughout the County.
A.
Goals for expansion. The Saratoga County Empire Zone Administrative
Board is committed to optimizing economic development opportunities
in existing zone-designated areas, amending boundaries in areas with
little or no potential for economic growth and applying undesignated
acreage to an expansion of the zone that will create new economic
development opportunities that are in the economic interest of the
Empire Zone community. The Saratoga County Empire Zone board will
use the following guidelines to determine areas for inclusion in future
boundary amendments for the Saratoga County Empire Zone:
(1)
Priority will be given to sites that will suit manufacturing, warehouse,
distribution, research and development, software development, high-technology
industry development, nanotechnology, biotechnology and biomedical
industry, agriculture, the paper industry, wood products manufacturing
and commercial/light manufacturing incubator space and technology
accelerators.
(2)
Priority will be given to businesses that create new jobs and make
capital investment in the Empire Zone.
(3)
Priority will be given to projects that will bolster downtown redevelopment
and community development in the northern and shoulder towns of Saratoga
County.
(4)
Municipalities proposing expansion must provide evidence of willingness
to work with the Saratoga County Empire Zone Administrative Board
on gathering necessary community approvals.
A.
Identify the local process by which a zone community and the Zone
Administrative Board will evaluate requests for amending the zone's
boundaries.
B.
In considering and recommending areas appropriate for addition to
the Saratoga County Empire Zone, the Zone Administrative Board will
review and evaluate areas based on the following state and local criteria:
(1)
A change in the boundary must be in the economic interest of the
Empire Zone Community receiving the boundary change.
(2)
Demonstrate that a change in circumstance has occurred since the
establishment of the existing boundaries, which makes the revision
necessary or desirable.
(3)
The properties to be included are developable in terms of environmental
condition and proper zoning. Businesses will be ineligible for Empire
Zone Certification if they are tax delinquent.
(4)
Estimate the economic impact in terms of potential number of new
jobs, capital investment or business attraction that may be created
as a result of the zone boundary amendment.