Report Card

I. Acknowledgements

Economic Track Priorities and Updates

Reduce unemployment to no greater than 5.5%.
In 2003, the annual county unemployment rate was 7.1%.
 
Business Development Corporation (BDC) to continue to market and recruit.
Cortland County was ranked among the top 100 US Small Towns in 2003 and 2002 by Site Selection Magazine, and recently received the NYS Economic Development Council's top marketing award.
 
Improve employment services.
The BDC and Cortland Career Works Center (Career Works) have developed a strong partnership to deliver services to new businesses, as well as to employees and employers experiencing downsizing. Career Works, a partnership of agencies, provides a full array of workforce development services as a certified NY One Stop facility.
 
More job stability, more job diversity.
Development efforts are focused on small and mid-sized businesses in targeted sectors, with focus on regional connections.
 
Complete a new comprehensive plan.
The last county-wide plan for land use and economic development was compiled in 1978. However, many localities have worked with the County Planning Dept. to update their comprehensive plans. Through the BDC, Cortland County is part of a regional 12-county economic development plan, "The Essential NY Initiative" and part of an 11-community Local Waterfront Development Project funded by the State Dept. for waterfront revitalization, environmental protection, and downtown development.

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Youth Track Priorities and Updates

Communities That Care (CTC), consisting of nearly 100 youth advocates from more than 30 agencies, schools, and colleges, systematically looks to promote healthy, positive attitudes and behaviors among young people and their families while reducing substance abuse, violence, delinquency, school dropout, and risky sexual practices. CTC is a state-sanctioned operating system that uses research-tested, effective prevention stretegies and builds its goals and objectives based on community assessments, strengths, and participation.

After three years of research, community mobilization, and a complex planning process, CTC finalized a five-year plan. In July 2004, CTC received notice of a grant award for $236,400 from the state to prevent alcohol abuse over the next three years. CTC's objectives are to:

1. Implement the Cortland County Five (5) Year Comprehensive Youth Development Plan within 24 months
    
2. Conduct ongoing CTC program evaluations
    
3. Annually update the community assessment information
    
4. Re-evaluate the Comprehensive Youth Development Plan annually and adjust as needed

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Health Track Priorities and Updates

• Increase the availability of dental services.
  • Family Health Network will open a new Article 28 dental clinic in the City of Cortland by January 1, 2005. This clinic is slated to serve all residents, particularly low-income persons who currently do not have access to dental services. 
     
• Increase health education, health promotion and health screening
  • Tom Carman, former CEO of the hospital had led this task force. Bonnie Hodges, Associate Professor in Health, and her SUNY Cortland students have taken over the assessment of workforce wellness programs, the current task of this group. A health and human service directory and calendar of health education events are available online at www.sevenvalleyshealth.org
     
• Decrease rates of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
  • The NYS Clean Air Act limits cigarette smoking in public places, thus protecting citizens from second-hand smoke and hopefully, encouraging smokers to quit. CTC (see Youth Track above) is implementing Strengthening Families and Project Northland, 2 multi-level, community wide approaches to prevent/reduce alcohol use among 6-14 year olds. CTC also received a large grant for alcohol prevention programs for older teens.
     
• Increase our preparedness for emerging health issues
  • A task force is researching the integration of mental health assessments into primary care settings and the utilization of tele-psychiatry to provide timely access to psychiatrists. Cortland's primary needs are therapists who can work with children and adolescents, and the provision of services in remote areas of the county.
     
• Increase access to affordable health care
  • Family and Child Health Plus are actively promoted.
     
• Maintain efforts with communicable disease surveillance and control
  • Cortland County Health Department continues weekly surveillance of communicable diseases and receives daily reports from laboratories. Follow-up is provided to ensure treatment and control according to New York State Department of Health guidelines.
     
• Maintain low teen pregnancy rates
  • In 2001, ZAP celebrated the lowest teen pregnancy rate among 15-19 year olds ever! (35.5/1000)

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