Overview

This Report Card is the annual update of the previous 2001 community assessment. It provides the most recently available single year data for the five areas of review:

• Health and Safety
• Social Cohesion, Culture and Recreation
• Employment, Economy and Welfare
• Housing and Environment
• Positive Development Through the Life Stages

Cortland County data are presented within the context of statistics from the composite data of 57 upstate counties, the state as a whole and/or from national data. Usually single year data are provided but when the cases are few, the number or rate is given as the average of 3-5 years of data.

Included in this report is the "Healthy People 2010" set of health goals established by the federal government to be accomplished by the year 2010. These have served as guides in establishing our local priorities. In this report the apple symbol is used to indicate a favorable status and the magnifying glass indicates the community should take a closer look at this particular item. The up and down arrows of the last column, "Cortland County Goal," signal the favorable direction for the indicator.

Back to top

Priority Setting

The first assessment released in July 2001 was produced in three different formats -- an eight-page Report Card, a 140-page "Cortland Counts" document, and on-line. Since that issuance, the Community Assessment Team (CAT) has attempted to publicize the information in these reports throughout the county. It has done this through a weekly column in the Cortland Standard, focus group studies, surveys, and at many public forums.

The CAT also went on a listening tour. From written and verbal evaluations of the first reports, many suggested changes have been incorporated into this update. We thank all those who shared their comments. With your feedback the updates of this report and the on-line version of Cortland Counts only get better.

Armed with subjective and objective data gathered throughout the year from these many sources, the CAT called upon a Blue Ribbon Committee to help determine priorities for the community. The Blue Ribbon Committee consisted of elected officials; the media; health, mental health and medical professionals; labor and business leaders; drug/alcohol prevention, accessibility and art/culture advocates; youth and elderly representatives; and educators.

Back to top

Findings for Cortland County 2001-2002

For the past several years, Cortland County has been taking a serious look at its economic development, its housing, cultural and recreational resources, among other things. It has identified the need for more long-term planning, especially with regard to grant applications that require this introspection and focus.

The Community Assessment Team took on the responsibility of gathering data from the community as a means by which to better identify community resources and our areas of need. Through interviews with key informants, surveys of agencies and the general public, 20 focus groups, 30 community presentations, seven community visionings with different service groups and a listening tour, the Community Assessment Team identified several key areas of need and began a listing of our community's assets.

Interestingly, several focus groups posed the same key question: "What does Cortland want to be?" Does it want to be a bedroom community to the surrounding cities? Does it want to focus on tourism? Manufacturing? Or, high tech industry? Linked to this question is: "How can we retain our youth after they graduate?" What living and economic conditions would induce young people to stay in our community after high school or college?

Back to top