News
- CACDA Holds Elections - Officers Chosen for 2006
- CACDA Wins Grant! - CNY Community Foundation Makes Award
- CACDA Directors Re-enlist - New Member Joins Board
- CACDA Receives Support from IDA
- CACDA Receives Grant from Lake Foundation
- CACDA Presents: "Impacts of Watershed and Riparian Health on Cazenovia Lake”
- CACDA Cazenovia Republican Column
- “Farmland Protection” CACDA & Town of Cazenovia Co-sponsor Program
- CACDA Cazenovia Republican Column: CACDA Chronicles
- Village Supports CACDA
- SMSI Grant Offers Potential Planning Assistance for Greater Cazenovia Area
- CACDA Helps Town with PDR Grants
1. CACDA Holds Elections - Officers Chosen for 2006
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 11/22/05
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Holds Elections
Officers Chosen for 2006
Cazenovia, NY - On Wednesday, 16 November 2005 at the regular monthly Board of Director’s meeting held at The Brewster Inn, the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) elected its new slate of officers for the coming year.
The following individuals were re-elected, through a paper ballot process, to their previously held positions: Betsy Powers, President; Mark Tierno, Vice-President; Larry Wetzel, Treasurer; Maureen Zupan, Secretary.
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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2. CACDA Wins Grant! - CNY Community Foundation Makes Award
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 12/08/05
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Wins Grant!
CNY Community Foundation Makes Award
Cazenovia, NY - On Thursday, 1 December 2005, the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) received official notification of a funding contribution. The Central New York Community Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to help support CACDA’s start up as an independent not-for-profit organization.
Betsy Powers, President, said, “The Board of Directors of CACDA gratefully and respectfully accepts the CNYCF grant and its validation of both our mission and the expertise of our Executive Director in execution of that mission. The overall positive response the organization has received from residents and more recently from the local municipalities speaks to the need for, and relevancy of, CACDA as a facilitator and resource for the community.”
Unanimous resolutions of support from the Village and Town of Cazenovia, and the Town of Nelson accompanied the grant application. Thomas Dougherty, Mayor of the Village, said, “The Village Board is happy that CACDA received the grant from the Community Foundation and glad that we could be of some help.”
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
The Central New York Community Foundation, a charitable endowment for Onondaga and Madison counties, has served our community for over 78 years. It awards over $5 million in grants annually to not-for-profit organizations and administers over $100 million in assets. More information about the Central New York Community Foundation, including grant applications and deadlines, is available at www.cnycf.org or by calling 315/422-9538.
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3. CACDA Directors Re-enlist - New Member Joins Board
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 12/08/05
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Directors Re-enlist
New Member Joins Board
Cazenovia, NY – Three directors of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) have agreed to serve a second term.
At the regular monthly Board of Director’s meeting held at The Brewster Inn on 16 November 2005, Edward Green, Robert Dubik and Jim Walter each stated their intention to remain with the organization for another three years. Mr. Green is an at-large director, Mr. Dubik represents the Cazenovia School District and Mr. Walter represents Madison County Tourism.
David Lucas of Cazenovia has been elected to an initial three-year term on the Board. Mr. Lucas will serve as an at-large director for the greater Cazenovia area.
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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4. CACDA Receives Support from IDA
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 1/05/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Receives Support from IDA
Cazenovia, NY – On Thursday, 8 December 2005, the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) received verification of a funding contribution. The Madison County Industrial Development Association (MCIDA) voted at their board meeting on 7 December 2005 to donate a portion of their fee for a Cazenovia College project to CACDA to help support economic development initiatives.
Peter Cann, Executive Director of MCIDA, expressed his thoughts by saying, “The Madison County Industrial Development Agency is happy to support CACDA with a monetary contribution derived from our work with Cazenovia College. Cazenovia is an important part of Madison County’s past, present and future. Deliberately planning the future is the only way to keep pace with our globally connected world; staying the same is increasingly a recipe for decline. CACDA is all about helping the people of Cazenovia plan the future of their community. The MCIDA is ready to help in any way we can.”
Betsy Powers, President of the CACDA Board of Directors said, “Peter Cann is absolutely correct and we appreciate the support of the MCIDA. With the pressure of development escalating, the Cazenovia area recognizes that planning and coordination is essential to preserve the historical uniqueness and economic health of the community. CACDA provides an experienced full time executive director who assists our
decision makers in leveraging their time by providing grant information, resources and a forum for communication. The intended result is a more cohesive and proactive stance for the community as a whole."
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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5. CACDA Receives Grant from Lake Foundation
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 3/17/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Receives Grant from Lake Foundation
Cazenovia, NY – Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) recently received confirmation of a grant for an initiative at Lakeside Park. Cazenovia Lake Foundation (CLF) has donated funding to help cover the cost of materials and supplies for a two phase restoration project.
The first phase of the project begins on Wednesday, 22 March at 7:00 p.m. at the Cazenovia Public Library with a presentation on the importance of preserving the local watershed. Scott Ingmire from Madison County Planning Department will be the featured speaker. All area residents are invited to attend.
The project’s second phase will involve preparation of the shoreline area, and subsequent installation of native plants utilizing local volunteers and professionals of all ages. Actual planting dates have yet to be determined. The Village of Cazenovia and graduate students from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry’s Landscape Architecture program are assisting with the project.
If individuals or organizations would like to help with plant installation, please call Barbara Henderson at 655-7651 or send an e-mail to director@cacda.net
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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6. CACDA Presents:
"Impacts of Watershed and Riparian Health on Cazenovia Lake”
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 3/16/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Presents:
"Impacts of Watershed and Riparian Health on Cazenovia Lake”
Cazenovia, NY - On Wednesday, 22 March 2006 at 7:00 pm in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room, Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) will sponsor a presentation on the significance of preserving the health of Cazenovia Lake watershed.
Scott Ingmire from Madison County Planning Department will be the featured speaker. Mr. Ingmire received an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Allegheny College in 1998 and a Master of Science degree in Water and Wetland Resource Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry in 2001. He has worked on various projects within the county that include environmental planning and water resource management.
A 3-D model that demonstrates visual depictions of cumulative pollution effects throughout a watershed will also be available for viewing. Julia Shotzberger will describe point and non-point pollution sources, and offer practical suggestions for controlling both.
This program is free and open to the public. Please join us for this important informational program.
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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7. CACDA Cazenovia Republican Column
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 3/16/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Cazenovia Republican Column
It is hard to believe that nine months have passed since I became the first Executive Director of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) in June of 2005. The entire community has been incredibly welcoming and supportive from the beginning, which is a critical factor in helping us determine how CACDA can most effectively assist the greater Cazenovia area.
Our strong Board of Directors serves as a broad cross-section of local stakeholders. Representatives from the Village, Town, Chamber, College, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, Cazenovia Lake Association/Foundation, Trush Park Association and the Agricultural/Equine community comprise the eight standing members. Seven at-large members have ties to the Cazenovia Central School District, Madison County Tourism and various other entities.
CACDA was originally formed to provide full-time assistance for local organizations, governments and residents by helping them accomplish goals and objectives through consensus building activities, cooperative efforts, educational programs and the location of funding sources to implement priority projects.
I am pleased to report that we are currently involved with several initiatives, including the Shared Municipal Services Incentive Grant application, which Supervisor Liz Moran detailed in a previous issue. We are working with the Town and Village of Cazenovia, the Town of Nelson and the Cazenovia Central School District to define specific areas
where the four entities can cooperate more efficiently through shared services. Monthly meetings between the partners are providing a forum for better communication, an essential ingredient for future planning efforts.
CACDA is also collaborating with the Village of Cazenovia to implement restoration of the riparian, or lakeshore, buffer zone at Lakeside Park. The first phase of the project begins on Wednesday, 22 March at 7:00 p.m. at the Cazenovia Public Library with a presentation on the "Impacts of Watershed and Riparian Health on Cazenovia Lake".
Scott Ingmire, Madison County Planning Department, will be the featured speaker.
A 3-D model that demonstrates dramatic visual depictions of cumulative pollution effects throughout a watershed will be available for viewing. Julia Shotzberger will describe point and non-point pollution sources, and offer practical suggestions for controlling both. Please join us for this important informational program.
The project’s second phase will involve preparation of the shoreline area by village personnel, and subsequent installation of native plants by local volunteers and professionals of all ages. Actual planting dates have yet to be determined. Graduate students from SUNY ESF’s Landscape Architecture program are assisting with plant selection and design. Cazenovia Lake Foundation (CLF) has helped fund the cost of materials and supplies.
If you happen to be walking in downtown Cazenovia during the month of March, be sure to stop and see CACDA’s display window at the Chamber of Commerce office. We are proud to represent so many local organizations and residents, and look forward to strengthening our relationships as we all move forward together.
On behalf of CACDA, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has contributed to our initial success and, ultimately, the success of the larger community. Particular thanks to the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce for their patient nurturing of similar ideas from different entities until they grew into a separate 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization known as CACDA, and to Cazenovia College for their continuing generous donations of office space and technical assistance.
Special thanks to Dick Hubbard of the Brewster Inn, who provides a regular meeting space for the Board of Directors, and to J. Smith Lanier Co. of NY, Ralph Monforte, Mark Edwards and Stephen MacDonald of MacCopy for their help in securing a copying machine for 7 Nickerson Street.
We welcome support for CACDA’s programs from individuals and organizations through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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8. “Farmland Protection”
CACDA & Town of Cazenovia Co-sponsor Program
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 4/12/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
“Farmland Protection”
CACDA & Town of Cazenovia Co-sponsor Program
Cazenovia, NY – On Monday, 17 April 2006 at 7:00 pm in the Cazenovia Public Library Community Room, Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) and the Town of Cazenovia are co-sponsoring an informational presentation.
Farmland protection tools and a funding program offered through the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets will be the main topics.
Judy Wright, a representative from the American Farmland Trust, is the featured speaker. An Elbridge farmer who has received a NYS Purchase of Development Rights grant will discuss the experience.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information call 315-655-7651.
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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9. CACDA Cazenovia Republican Column: CACDA Chronicles
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 5/16/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Cazenovia Republican Column: CACDA Chronicles
The last several weeks have been busy ones for CACDA (Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc.). On April 17th we co-hosted a public informational meeting about available Farmland Protection tools. Our speakers were Judy Wright, a local representative for the American Farmland Trust, and Nancy Hourigan, a farmer from Onondaga County who has applied for and received funding from the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets for Purchase of Development Rights grants or PDR.
PDR is a voluntary technique to protect agricultural land. It helps active farmland owners who are willing to permanently save their land for agricultural uses by paying them for property development rights. Generally, a landowner holds many different rights regarding their property, such as rights to water resources, timber harvesting or developing parcels in a manner consistent with local ordinances.
A portion, or all, of these rights can be sold or transferred to another person. Utilizing a PDR program, landowners can sell just the development rights for their property. In New York State, farmers generally are offered the difference between the fair market value and the restricted value of the land. This allows the land to remain on the tax rolls with its taxable value based on the remaining rights.
Several local farmers expressed interest in applying for PDR grants. Since applicants must be sponsored by a county or municipality, CACDA has been collaborating with the Town of Cazenovia to develop a process that will allow participation in the current funding round. Pre-applications have been sent to qualifying farmers and are due back to the Town office by May 31st. The Town can sponsor up to three applications for the grants.
The PDR program can help ensure that the high quality soils located in the Cazenovia area are maintained for agricultural purposes, and that the intrinsic rural scenery and character are preserved. Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped shape this process.
CACDA has also recently formed a partnership with the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management. Their Whitman Consulting Club, composed of graduate students and headed by Professor Ravi Shukla, will be updating the 1996 Cazenovia market study. Information gained through surveys and other actions will provide a better idea of the types of retail businesses that are desired and would be supported by residents. Activities will officially begin in the fall. We hope everyone will contribute to this important community effort.
The Lakeside Park project to remove riprap along the shoreline and replant with native species is also moving forward. Adding more plant materials to the buffer zone next to the water will assist the health of the lake in several ways. It can provide a better filtration system for runoff, reduce erosion at the shoreline, protect terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, and supply more oxygen through photosynthesis and cooling of the water. SUNY ESF Landscape Architecture graduate students have completed a draft planting plan that is under review. Actual planting at the site will occur this fall.
We are also working on several other projects throughout the community, so stay tuned for the next edition of the CACDA Chronicles. If you have questions, suggestions or comments, please contact me at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net
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10. Village Supports CACDA
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 5/12/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
Village Supports CACDA
Cazenovia, NY – Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) is beginning to be recognized as a true resource for the community. When the Village of Cazenovia budget was approved at the Board of Trustees meeting several weeks ago, funding was included to help support the relatively new organization’s efforts.
According to Mayor Thomas Dougherty, ”The 2006 - 2007 Village of Cazenovia Budget included an appropriation of $2500 for CACDA. The Board of Trustees felt that the $2500 was a sound investment in our community.”
CACDA has been actively collaborating with residents in the greater Cazenovia area for the past year. In addition to sponsoring several public informational sessions about the lake, farmland protection and Route 20, CACDA has provided technical assistance to various groups.
With CACDA’s help, four local entities were able to complete an application for New York State’s Shared Municipal Services Incentive grant program. The Towns of Cazenovia and Nelson, the Village of Cazenovia and the Cazenovia Central School District have partnered to apply for coordinated professional planning assistance to develop or update comprehensive plans. If funded, this grant will help eliminate redundancy and enable more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. This initiative has also provided an opportunity for everyone to meet regularly to discuss common interests and issues.
CACDA’s partnership with the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management will facilitate the update of a 1996 market study. The information gained will provide a better idea of the types of retail businesses that are desired and would be supported by residents.
In the past few months, CACDA has been cooperating with the farming community, the Town of Cazenovia, the American Farmland Trust and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets to develop a process that will enable local farmers to apply for Purchase of Development Rights funding. This program can help ensure that the high quality soils located in the Cazenovia area are maintained for agricultural purposes and that the intrinsic rural scenery is protected.
A project to remove riprap along the shoreline of Lakeside Park and replant with native species is also being guided by CACDA. Adding more plant materials to the buffer zone next to the water will assist the health of the lake in several ways. It can provide a better filtration system for runoff, reduce erosion at the shoreline, protect terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, and supply more oxygen through photosynthesis and cooling of the water. Actual planting at the site will occur this fall.
"I think that CACDA has really shown that they are involved, and want to be involved, in assisting the Village and its taxpayers with obtaining grant funding and working on community objectives," said Village Trustee Troy Waffner. "This funding is an endorsement of that, which will allow them to continue this good work.”
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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11. SMSI Grant Offers Potential Planning Assistance
for Greater Cazenovia Area
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 6/05/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
SMSI Grant Offers Potential Planning Assistance
for Greater Cazenovia Area
Cazenovia, NY - New York State set aside more than $2.5M in the 2005-2006 budget to help municipalities that are interested in finding ways to share services – and therefore eliminate redundancy, enhance efficiency and save taxpayers money. The Shared Municipal Services Incentive (SMSI) grant program was developed to support local governments and school districts who want to discover effective methods for sharing and consolidation of services.
Earlier this year, Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) brought the SMSI program to the attention of the Town and Village of Cazenovia, the Town of Nelson and the Cazenovia Central School District. All four entities decided to partner for the grant application in order to coordinate professional planning assistance for creating and/or updating comprehensive plans for each of the partners.
In a truly collaborative spirit, the partners and CACDA worked together to complete the application in nine days. Unanimous resolutions from each entity and numerous support letters were forwarded a few weeks later as part of the required documentation.
More than 250 applications were received by the Local Government section of the New York State Department of State (DOS), the agency administering the grant program. According to the DOS, most of the applications were received on time and are therefore eligible for funding.
Currently, the greater Cazenovia area is experiencing an increasing amount of growth as well as pressure for more residential housing. Two main priorities have been identified and both focus on land use. The priorities include planning for agricultural land protection and for the future of the Route 20 east corridor, an important area that encompasses a Madison County Empire Zone.
The partners are meeting regularly to communicate about common issues and concerns. Whether or not the grant is funded, they are moving forward with selection of a mutual professional planning consultant to get the process started. If received, the grant will match up to 90% of a community’s investment in pursuing shared services.
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals and corporations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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12. CACDA Helps Town with PDR Grants
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA)
7 Nickerson Street • Cazenovia, NY 13035
Tel: (315) 655-7651 • Fax: (315) 655-7129 • www.cacda.net
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release – 7/05/06
Contact: Barbara Henderson, Executive Director
Tel: (315) 655-7651; e-mail: director@cacda.net
CACDA Helps Town with PDR Grants
Cazenovia, NY – For the past several months Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. (CACDA) has been working with the Town of Cazenovia to pursue Purchase of Development Rights grant funding.
Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs can help ensure that the high quality soils located in the Cazenovia area are maintained for agricultural purposes, and that the intrinsic rural scenery and character are protected.
PDR, which is also known as purchase of agricultural conservation easements, is a voluntary technique to protect agricultural land. It helps active farmland owners, who are willing to permanently save their land for agricultural uses, by paying them for property development rights.
Generally, a landowner holds many different rights regarding their property, such as rights to water resources, timber harvesting or developing parcels in a manner consistent with local ordinances. A portion, or all, of these rights can be sold or transferred to another person.
Utilizing a PDR program, landowners can sell just the development rights for their property. Farmers in New York State are generally offered the difference between the fair market value and the restricted value of their land. This allows the land to remain on the tax rolls with its taxable value based on the remaining rights.
Last year CACDA formulated a long term goal of helping to develop a strategy that would protect local farmland and agriculture. An Agriculture & Farmland Protection Committee met in the fall to discuss priorities then conducted a familiarization tour of farm properties in December.
In early March of 2006, several local farmers expressed interest in pursuing the PDR grants offered through the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. A representative for the American Farmland Trust (AFT) met with CACDA’s Agriculture & Farmland Protection Committee, and other interested individuals, to discuss various techniques and tools for preserving viable agricultural land.
CACDA and the Town of Cazenovia co-hosted a public informational workshop on farmland protection in April that drew more than 50 attendees. Speakers included Judy Wright (AFT) and Nancy Hourigan, a farmer from Onondaga County who has received NYS grants for Purchase of Development Rights.
CACDA subsequently worked with Town officials to develop a pre-application and selection process that utilized NYS criteria, thus maximizing the potential to receive grant funding. Examples of pertinent criteria for eligible farms are: soil quality; susceptibility to development pressure; proximity to other protected farms or open spaces; ability to serve as a buffer for significant natural resources; succession plans; investment in the farm; and landowner commitment.
All applications for PDR funding must be submitted to the state by a county or municipality that has an approved Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, or other documentation that demonstrates its commitment to preserving viable farm properties. Madison County’s plan was approved in 2005.
CACDA facilitated the process to ensure that the Town of Cazenovia was eligible to apply for PDR grants. Each qualified municipality, or applicant, can include up to three farm properties in a single application per funding round.
Three farms were chosen by the Town to participate in the application for the current grant round that was originally due on 30 June 2006. The date was subsequently extended to accommodate difficulties presented by the recent flooding throughout the state.
In addition to maps and other materials provided by Madison County Planning Department, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation and the Madison County Farmland Protection Board also provided assistance in completing requirements for the application.
Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF) agreed to assist in the implementation of the PDR program if any of the farm properties are selected for funding. Specifically, CPF has agreed to negotiate any required conservation easements with the state, as well as hold, monitor and enforce the easements. As an historic preservation organization and land trust, CPF is legally qualified to perform this function, and in fact, already holds easements on four farms in Cazenovia. Jana McDonald, a CPF board member and Chair of the Legal Committee, was instrumental in preparing the paperwork necessary for the project.
Barbara Henderson, Executive Director of CACDA, and Kristi Andersen, Town Councilor, met with the Madison County Farmland Protection Board in June to obtain their support and request an official letter to forward to NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets. The letter was required as a part of the application.
Kristi Andersen worked with individual farm owners to complete their applications and to pull everything together for the Town. She believes that, “Protecting farming and farmlands is a critical task for Cazenovia; it is important for our economy and for maintaining the rural character of our community. There are a number of avenues we as a Town can use for this all-important work. New York State's PDR program is one of these, and I'm very glad that the Town has been able to help write the proposal for protection of the Critz, Jones, and Holmes farms.”
As far as can be ascertained, the Town of Cazenovia is the only municipality in Madison County that applied for PDR grants in the current funding round. This initial effort has required a tremendous amount of coordination and cooperation from local farmers, groups and elected officials, as well as county, regional, state and national organizations. It is an important step to help ensure that Madison County farming communities, which have been a major part of the upstate economy for the past two hundred years, will continue to enhance the unique quality of life enjoyed by area residents.
Jacob Miller, director of Madison County Planning Department, summed up the experience. “The Planning Department was happy to be able to help in the process. From an outsider’s perspective, I was impressed by the high degree of focus on, and flexibility in, getting the job done--and done well, at that--displayed by the Town’s grant application task force under the pressure of the application deadline. It’s encouraging to see the Town government, CACDA, CPF, and several farmers able to work so well together.”
Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community based organization representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders. CACDA seeks to facilitate the planning and implementation of various projects and programs that will enhance the quality of life, for all residents in the greater Cazenovia region, through education and consensus-building activities.
CACDA offers assistance in accomplishing community goals and objectives. It provides a non-political clearinghouse for discussion and a resource for fact finding as well as dissemination of information.
Individuals, businesses and organizations can support CACDA’s programs through donations and volunteer efforts. For more information, please call Barbara Henderson, Executive Director, at 655-7651 or e-mail director@cacda.net.
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