Section 4: Appendices

Appendix 1. List of Tables - Alphabetically Arranged
Appendix 2. United Way for Cortland County
Appendix 3. Clients Served in the Last Year by Age Category
Appendix 4. United Way for Cortland County - Waiting Lists
Appendix 5. United Way Key Informant Survey Results
Appendix 6. Resource Inventory for Youth with Risk Behavior
Appendix 7. Summary of Community Visioning
Appendix 8. Focus Group Summaries
Appendix 9. Your Opinion Counts

Appendix 8. Focus Group Summaries

1. Arts/Culture and Recreation

These focus group participants, drawn from various aspects of Cortland's art and recreational communities, appreciated the community's smallness and thought that it contributed largely to the friendliness of the people here. The size and central location of Cortland County were important to the fine quality of life in Cortland County. The natural resources (particularly the quality of the water) and the recreational opportunities were seen as excellent. The college and YWCA were cited as two important local institutions.

There needs to be on-going planning. Members of this focus group wanted smart growth and development and thought that we should be proactive in business recruitment. Quality businesses that have sustainability were needed. With regard to local government, the need for a county administrator was noted. There should be term limits and fewer meetings for county legislators to attend. The legislature should believe that planning should be a priority. More and better education and the expansion of our public transportation system were final points.

The best investment for our county would be to invest in our youth – give them all kinds of opportunities, not just sports. Give everyone expanded recreational opportunities to include culture and arts. Other important investments would be in the planning for our future, the development of more jobs and more public education for children and adults.

This focus group saw a turn around happening right now for Cortland County. There were plans for more economic development, more cultural and recreational opportunities. The proposed Lime Hollow Visitor Center was noted. The need for high tech industry was especially needed. Much faith was expressed for the value of education: educate people out of poverty, make sure that children fall in love with learning and that we all be educated to know that the love and appreciation of nature will sustain us more than the love of consumerism.

2. Business Leaders

These participants were members of the Cortland Business Network.

They thought that Cortland's agencies worked very well together and that there were good prevention programs like ZAP. The BDC was seen as doing a good job with job creation.

There was an expressed need for a better educated work force. Concerns were also raised about drug and alcohol abuse, single parent families, and the "collective funk" of Cortland.

The business leaders would invest in collaborative community efforts to address the problems of smoking, child abuse and educational attainment. They would like to see more positive publicity to emphasize the positives in the county.

3. Faith and Social Justice Group

The best things about Cortland County are the community's cooperative spirit and abundant volunteerism, the beauty of the area and the prospects of the River Trail. Efforts to preserve downtown's historical character were applauded by the members of this focus group. The diversity of the people with regard to socio-economic status and occupation (farming and manufacturing) was seen as a positive.

The greatest needs relate to economic conditions. First there needs to be better health and dental care for all. Cortland needs more employers, more opportunities for job satisfaction, more high tech businesses, and living wages. Code enforcement and neighborhood pride related to the quality of our housing are both seriously lacking. There should be more awareness about buying and selling locally produced items.

A living wage paid by local government and schools would be a good investment in Cortland. There should be negotiations with those who create new jobs in Cortland. They should pay a living wage and pay back tax breaks if they break the terms of any agreement they make with local government.

No child should be left behind. There should be early diagnosis of learning disabilities in children. We should have smaller classes in schools. We need to do more to keep our children in Cortland after their graduations. Other investments should be made in a clean environment and free drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

In ten years there should be better housing and health care. City living will become more attractive. There will be greater emphasis on family and neighborhood cooperation. Child abuse will decrease. It will be cleaner and we will buy more locally.

4. Elected Officials

The soil, air and water were seen as the best things about Cortland County. On a very positive note, the community is beginning to look at itself more critically. There is more energy for study and planning efforts, especially related to zoning. The dairy industry adds much to our economy. The soil and water conservation is excellent. We were chosen as one of the top 50 small towns to locate a business by Site Selection Magazine.

In the needs column, there was concern for jobs, wages and education. Poverty is a serious problem. It was noted that there was a great deal of marketing of our community but few results. Should we be redefined as a bedroom community? Route 81 was noted as a crime corridor. The high rate of smoking was a concern. The quality of the newspaper was questioned.

It would be best to invest in the following items: A plan, a vision for the future. Tourism should be promoted. Bring in non-polluting manufacturing jobs that pay living wages. A food industry was suggested.

In ten years Cortland will have a River Trail, a sports complex, cleaner air, less litter, a strongly protected water supply and a better definition of what kind of a community we want to be. Housing will be improved by giving incentives to police, nurses and firefighters to live in and fix up city houses. Student housing will be improved. We will have our own energy supply and the sources might be windmills or methane. There will be more cooperation among municipalities with joint bidding, and resource sharing. There will be more recreational opportunities and perhaps Main Street should extend to Hope Lake.

5. Parent Group

Like the groups above, parents mentioned location, smallness, the quality of the people, the cooperative spirit, the recreational opportunities and the beauty and natural resources as assets in Cortland County. It is safe here and there are good school systems. We have a slower pace of life and the change of seasons are appreciated. Our labor force has a reputation as hard working.

The number of people in poverty and the rate of child abuse were of concern to the parents. They wanted more retail stores, more childcare (after school), more specialized doctors, more activities for children, and some solutions for the poor parenting and high property crime rate.

An investment in our youth and their education is most important. They are our future. We should also invest in creating more jobs, more sports opportunities, better housing and more community pride.

In ten years, parents would like to see more open-mindedness in Cortland County, especially to outsiders and people who are different. They stressed the need for more economic development and would like to see fewer poor people. They wanted a clean environment.

6. School Personnel

The best thing is the "rejuvenation feeling about Cortland... First Night, the Pumpkin Fest, etc." School personnel were also very positive about the children in the county – basically "good kids." Cortland was seen as a good place to raise a family and the great sense of community added to that. It's beautiful and has great access to outdoor activities. The college is a fine resource for community-college partnering projects (Festivus cited as good example). Health care is more accessible to our rural populations due to the existence of the Family Health Network. Again, location was noted as a positive, especially because we're located between Cornell and Syracuse.

There need to be more opportunities for children, especially things with longer horizons – we need regularly scheduled monthly family activities, things to look forward to. Youth activities should have positive risk-taking built into them and there needs to be a balance between structure/supervision and creativity/independence. Parenting skills are needed, especially for young parents. There should be more parents groups that put out a uniform set of behavioral expectations. Curfews should be enforced. Drug use in certain parks should be looked at. The Court House needs a skating rink and more music.

Enhancing parenting skills would bring a good return on the investment. Schools have difficulty getting parents to participate. It is especially difficult to have affluent and non-affluent parents (and kids) work together. Another wise investment would be in cultural and recreational activities. Parental involvement in these might influence youth to remain in Cortland after school. We need to invest in job creation (high tech and others) to make our economy more stable and to keep our kids. Invest in dental – "the dental situation in Cortland County is absurd."

In ten years, the educators would like to see a thriving, united and diverse community. They want tourists pouring in and no unemployment. Main Street should be more festive and vibrant with the Farmer's Market occupying the empty space next to Basils. There will be more cultural/art activities downtown. College theater should go to area schools to perform excerpts from plays. Link Exit 11 to Main Street. More people use that exit than any other on Rt. 81. Improve Clinton Avenue and other gateways. Market Cortland to be the hub of N.Y.

7. Union Leaders

A hardworking labor force, good schools, recreational opportunities, the quality of life, the people, and the smallness were all items mentioned by this focus group as well as others. The lower cost of living in Cortland was noted.

Jobs, code enforcement, better housing, better wages and a better sense of community were needs repeated in this group and others. Cortland also needs more green space, attractive entrances off Route 81 and into the city, and more sunshine. Unions should be represented on more community boards.

The best investment would be in education and job training. The need to define us as a community was expressed in this and in the elected officials focus group. It would be important to invest in more mass transit especially if we are to be a bedroom community. Also clean up and beautify Cortland.

In ten years, union leaders would like to see union neutrality when it comes to job creation. They want health insurance for all, night day care, living wages for all, environmental protection and more stores. They envision a business/education coalition working to ensure our future.

8. Youth

The youth could name very few positive things in the county. This question for the other focus groups brought full discussion but not so for these 13-18 year olds. Our parks, the skate board park, the Dairy Parade and the people were noted as the best things about Cortland.

The lack of activities for youth was mentioned here and in other groups. The birds (crows and pigeons) were bad. So was the wall at the Cortland Jr. Sr. High School where all the smokers hang out. The music at the Youth Center was often just for older folks. There were too many fights and too much smoking there. Basketball was only available once a week in the winter at the County Office Building. There are no roller-skating or soccer facilities.

Here the question posed to the youth was, "If you were the mayor, what would you do first?" Get more stores, more youth opportunities, build a Darian Lake, create a teen nightclub, and have a teen advisory board to the mayor.