Appendix
A-4. Focus Group Summaries
Elected officials 03-01-2004
East End residents 04-14-2004, 04-21-2004, 04-28-2004
Head Start parents 03-23-2005
Victims of Violence/Model Moms 03-24-2005
Teens at Youth Center 04-04-2005
Arts, Recreation and Culture 04-05-2005
Union leaders 04-12-2005
Persons with disabilities 04-14-2005
Seniors 04-26-2005
1. ELECTED OFFICIALS - 8 participants
The Census Track 9906 neighborhood (the east end of the City of Cortland) was described as having many single parent households and many senior citizens living either alone or in one of the two high-rise apartments. Concerns were voiced about high traffic, loud parties and high tenant turnover have some concerned that the area has become drug infested. The sidewalks and streets need repair and the sixth ward needs a park.
There are some nicely kept houses and lawns, in spite of the increasing transition from owner occupied to rental housing. The neighborhood is becoming more diverse.
Neighborhood coffee klatches and breakfasts continue. Problems with speeding, drugs, un-kept property and barking dogs are regular issues, along with domestic violence, major industry loss, unemployment and teen pregnancy.
There are resources available to address most of these issues such as YWCA, Salvation Army, CAPCO, Business Development Agency, Cortland Re-entry Program and Bridges for Kids. The Bridges program of the YWCA needs more volunteers as there is a long waiting list. The Libraries, Cortland Repertory Theater, Cortland Water Works, the Youth Center, and the availability of hunting/fishing and campgrounds are all valuable resources. Cortland has a lot to offer, including its central location, affordable housing and good daycare.
SUNY Cortland brings money in to the community and is the largest employer in the county. The college is a source of research and resources. Students often volunteer to help with community events.
Asked about neighborhood celebrations, people in this focus group said that they should honor the oldest resident, celebrate ethnic backgrounds and old industries. The idea of a historical home and building tour was discussed.
Asked how this group would improve the city, they identified creating a downtown parking facility, creating upscale lofts on Main Street, improving the parks and ball fields, consolidation of the city and county recreation departments, and the city and Cortlandville, changing the tax ratios between the city and the county, merging the city and county public safety facilities and developing more activities for kids (like roller skating).
2. EAST END RESIDENTS - 5 participants
The neighborhood has a nice boulevard feel, it is spacious with trees along one side of the street. Most of the people are involved in the community and do raise their concerns. The area needs long-term planning. There is not a lot of rental property and a lot of truck traffic that needs to be routed off of Church Street.
The South Main Street area is unstable with very low-income housing. It would be nice to have more residents involved with clean-up in the areas of Union, South Avenue, South Main and Owego Streets. You can always hear profanity on Randall Street and incidents of bad behaviors involving drug and alcohol use were also cited for that street. A frequent lament of focus group participants -- there are too many bars in this area.
It was suggested to have a neighborhood “Day of Caring”, that involved neighborhood churches and businesses helping with cleanup and landscaping. Having everyone in the ward involved would promote better neighborhood unity.
Cortland needs to improve the entrances to the city. The abandoned gas station on the corner of Clinton and Pendleton is an eye sore. Housing is affordable, it is nice to walk downtown and have Courthouse Park and Dexter Park. Hubbard Street was recently improved with sidewalks and curbs. The bus station is not always open when buses arrive. There is no phone and the area has no lighting. There is also a need to knock down some of the old abandoned buildings
The college provides employment opportunities, culture and a diverse population. College students are offered some poor housing and the downtown bars cater to the students. It would be nice to have a celebration that recognizes community diversity, such as an event at one of the parks that would offer an opportunity to meet neighbors. The event should offer something for every age and a variety of food.
If elected mayor, members of the group said they would: set up a railroad that ran from Syracuse through Cortland to Binghamton; create a dog park for residents; improve garbage removal; create mini-parks to promote more green areas; fix up the entrances to the city; get rid of the slum housing; bring in new industry; all this, and reduce property taxes.
3. EAST END RESIDENTS - 5 participants
Residents were unhappy with the number of deserted buildings and condemned housing. And would like to see more people cleanup their yards, especially landlords, notorious for not maintaining their properties. The neighborhood is nice with some young families moving in, but there is concern that single-family homes are increasingly becoming rental properties.
The college is nice for our community; it brings culture as well as jobs.
Residents of the neighborhood have had a “get to know your neighbor” picnic in the past and would like to have another event, like a street or neighborhood celebration with music and food.
If elected mayor, this group would like to see: areas of the city cleaned up especially the entrance ways to Cortland; landlords fined for not maintaining their property; and free trees distributed in the neighborhood.
4. EAST END RESIDENTS - 5 participants
The neighborhood is becoming more transient with people moving in and out and multi-family homes becoming rental units. There are too many bars for such a small area. This was the second focus group to report vomiting and public urination in the neighborhood yards.
There is not enough parking in the downtown area; and downtown employees should not have to abide by the 2-hour parking rule. The bus station is severely lacking with poor lighting, no benches or places to sit and no building to wait in. It is not a welcoming place for anyone coming to Cortland. The poor quality and upkeep of rental housing brings the neighborhood down; creating the overall “look” of Cortland. There are several church groups and local residents that would participate in a clean-up day.
The campus contributes greatly to the community. Students who do something bad get most of the media; there is a need to recognize contributing students. Parking on campus is a problem. Public transportation to the campus and throughout the area is needed and it would provide residents with access to some of the college facilities.
As mayor they would make the city responsible for the trash pick up and get rid of the blue bags. They would improve the cities entryways and try to bring in better paying jobs so people could afford to live in better housing.
5. HEAD START PARENTS – 8 participants
Picnics, gardening, hunting, rollerblading were favorite activities. Most mentioned the Dairy Parade as an enjoyable community event but would like to see it have more bands, and fewer floats that were purely advertising, as well as fewer vendors selling to their kids. The Children’s Free Fair and the County Fair were positively mentioned. The County Fair also should have bands, showcase community services and have a tractor pull to draw more people.
Participants were discouraged by the change of bus routes and objected to the limited hours of operation – no nights, weekends. Catching a bus was unsafe, especially where there are no sidewalks.
Unemployment was a concern. They suggest recruiting bigger industries to keep people here. All agreed that Cortland was a safe place with a low crime rate. They liked its central location and many opportunities for outdoor activities -- hunting and fishing. They thought the new sports complex was a great new addition and also thought that the Head Start program was fine.
They would, however, improve the opportunities for older children. College students leave town in August and parks have to close for lack of staff. Remove time limits on downtown parking to encourage shoppers. Have smaller businesses instead of Wal-Mart. The Youth Center shouldn’t be downtown; it appears as bar prepping with its pool hall atmosphere and inappropriate activities. There was concern that the Center did not keep track of the kids who attended events there. They complimented Jill Reeners Dance Studio for chaperoned dances for the older kids. The number of bars on Main Street discourages evening shopping. Cortland will be one big bar in 10 years. More entertainment is needed on Main Street from sources other than bars. Sadness was expressed on losing the main street movie theater.
6. VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE/MODEL MOMS – 22 participants
As teenagers, participants of this group dreamed of going to college, having a family and doing better than their parents did. Most achieved their goal of a family, but became pregnant at a younger age than they wanted. Having a child changed the focus from their needs to those of their children and several women said that they were happy with that shift, but then partners who became violent and/or addicted to drugs disturbed their lives.
Now, most of them dream of independence, getting out of debt and a rich spiritual life. They also wanted to be involved with things that helped them to give back to the community. They thought it was important to instill a good work ethic in their children and teach them that they are responsible for their own actions and behavior. Children need to be educated to make the right choices and understand the consequences of their decisions.
They all thought Cortland had good programs for mothers and victims of violence. They thought that there were a lot of different programs and activities for kids and families to do together, as well as opportunities for spiritual love and support. They specifically supported Cortland’s Alternative School and the programs at the Youth Center.
When asked what they would change about Cortland, the Departments of Social Services and Child Protective Services were most mentioned. The consensus was that both agencies needed to be more thorough, many employees had bad attitudes, and that it felt as though the DSS staff ran the courtroom and not the judge. High property taxes should be decreased and decent employment opportunities should increase. They talked about the number of vacant buildings and the poor management of rental properties by some landlords. They felt that law enforcement was not consistent -- stating that the law may apply to one person, but another person with “connections” might get off for the same violation. They thought Cortland could also use a mall.
7. TEENS AT YOUTH CENTER – 7 participants
Members of this group enjoyed playing the piano, the guitar, and softball. Drawing and video games (play stations) also filled leisure time hours. They volunteer at Cortland Hospital through the teenage volunteer program, the Cortland Library and through the Youth Bureau assisting elderly with snow removal and yard work. They noted that there were also opportunities to volunteer through groups at school. The Pumpkin Festival, Cortland County Fair and First Night Cortland are community events that they enjoyed attending.
When asked to identify a time that they needed help they listed grief counseling (one participant lost 2 cousins in a car accident), help improving their grades and help finding a job at the Works and Career Center. It is difficult to find jobs for their age group. Job Training Placement Act (JTPA) assists them with job opportunities at TOPS, daycares etc. Career choices included: professional athlete, kindergarten teacher, novelty store clerk, radio station owner and NASA engineer.
Environmental concerns for our community included: the amount of trash/garbage that needed to be picked up, cigarette butts and trash being tossed into the rivers. They had concerns for the clean-up needed after recent flooding and the pollution that contributes to poor air quality.
If elected Mayor, this group would clean up the trash, having college and high school students would help. They would make sure laws were enforced; police are currently too lenient with the cell phone law. They would decrease the number of bars and keep the college students on campus because the off-campus residents are too loud. Increase/improve training for College students that are employed at the parks. One student cut himself at the pool and needed stitches; the lifeguard didn’t do anything to help him.
What did they like best about Cortland? The parks, Youth Center and bowling.
What would they change? Fix the streets, improve the rusted jumps at the skate park, restore broken down buildings to their original style, plant trees and flowers, and bring in more jobs for teens.
Where will they be in 10 years? Living at home with their parents, graduating from college and starting a career as a counselor, interning in the music industry, training as a professional athlete, starting a career as an art teacher.
8. ARTS, RECREATION AND CULTURE – 5 participants
Members of the group enjoy gardening, home repair, painting and hiking as leisure activities. In the past year, they attended the many community sponsored events, such as the east end history presentation, Maple Festival, press conference for the opening of the Arts Center and the Charlie Bertini music program.
The Cortland community should invest in: the Center for the Arts, parks improvement; more outdoor recreation like the River Trail; rehabilitated housing (especially in the student areas). There should be some type of urban design plans, a town center with fountain and a department and grocery store downtown.
Cortland’s greatest assets include its location, size and quality of life. Cortland is pretty safe with a low crime rate. The educational programs in Cortland are excellent from nursery schools to college.
If they could change anything they would recruit stores for downtown and improve the student housing. Poor housing in the city causes a loss of tax base as folks move to outlying areas. They would like better cooperation and sharing between the city and the county with regard to the Youth Bureaus and other youth programming. Youth should be more involved with environmental projects; environmental science should be taught in the elementary schools. The town-gown relationship should be improved.
In 10 years, they would like to see kids from the entire county taking advantage of the cultural attractions in the same way they do for sports. They say that Cortland has proven to be a great place and we need to invest more in it.
9. UNION LEADERS – 2 participants
The last community-sponsored events they participated in were: the 35+ softball league, CRT productions and music in the park events. CRT can improve its events by continuing to improve its accessibility. Music in the park is a convenient walking distance for seniors. It would be nice to have wine and cheese or something similar during the events.
The flood of 2005 was identified as a time in the past year when they needed some help from their community. If they could change anything about Cortland, it would be to shorten the winters! Realistically, they would try to recruit businesses that would draw people to Cortland – manufacturing not service industry. The city needs to be selective about the types of businesses it recruits. Get businesses with a long-term commitment, not just those that come in for the tax breaks and leave. There is a need for better paying jobs; many people in Cortland have to work several jobs.
The best things about Cortland include: low crime, clean air, good water, great landscapes, family-oriented recreational facilities, cultural diversity, central location and friendly people were among those listed.
In ten years, they hope to be retired and enjoying a cottage on the lake or their family farm.
10. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – 10 participants
Free concerts in the parks, was mentioned again as a recurring comment from almost every focus group in 2001, 2004 and 2005. Activities enjoyed include group trips provided by Access to Independence, TV, movies, computer games, fireworks, and barbecues. Some have been volunteering with the Salvation Army to help clean up after the flood of 2005. One lament was for a drive-in movie.
Events attended include St Anthony’s Day, New Year’s Eve First Night celebration, Pumpkin Fest, and the Dairy parade. The Halloween Parade is missed. The Pumpkin Fest could be improved with more demonstrations and better parking, perhaps a shuttle bus. This led to a larger discussion on the bus service’s limited hours and the need to, at least, have weekend bus services for special events. Although CRT is now accessible, you can’t get there by bus. People were pleased that the buses were accessible. It is a disappointment that the train to the Marathon Maple Festival is not accessible.
Over the past year, Access clients needed help with transportation to grocery stores and carrying groceries. Taxi drivers sometimes were helpful but tips were required. Taxis are not accessible. There was much discussion about medical care. It was noted that doctors have to accept very low reimbursement rates when providing services to Medicaid and Medicare patients. Do these patients have an excessive number of visits? Do patients know when they should see a physician? One person worked in the ER and thought that folks misused the ER with complaints of headaches and colds. The availability of a lower level of service with the Nights and Weekends Too clinic was noted. In a final analysis, people had to take care of themselves and they knew their bodies best, especially with regard to their particular handicap.
Things they would change about Cortland included: running buses on Saturdays, repairing sidewalks, county legislators, providing more information about events and services available in Cortland, bring more big factories, keep jobs here, and create a 24 hour drop-in center for social interaction.
The best things are: quality of life despite the homeless living under the bridge; the good attitudes of J.M. Murray Center employees despite the low wages; Horizon House; the friendly people; the restaurants; the low crime rate; historical houses; our “old town look”; section 8 housing; and no extreme weather conditions.
More so than any other group, this group was able to fantasize about their lives in 10 years. One was going to be a rich and famous author, another would manage a restaurant after finishing school, debts would be paid off; one would run an arts and crafts project and another would be living where it was warmer in the winter. They were all planning to lunch at the rich author’s mansion.
11. SENIORS – 18 participants
The seniors enjoy playing cards, doing puzzles, knitting and crocheting. They are competitive with other senior centers when it comes to pool and they also enjoy bowling, golf, gardening, bike riding and swimming. A majority of the group said they walked daily. They mentioned the McDonald Sports Complex, YW and YMCA’s, Curves and the schools as locations they visited for regular physical fitness.
The last community sponsored activity attended included the senior dinner sponsored by the senior council, Homer High School Dinner theater, Cortland College Theater, Community Day in Willet, Summer Fest, Pumpkin Fest, Maple Festival, Music in the Park, Harvest Moon dinner/dance in Cincinnatus and the Marathon Car Show. These events would be better if people wouldn’t bring their dogs and if organizers put out chairs or benches for people to sit and rest.
This group also mentioned the flood of 2005 as a time when they needed some help. They would like to see some improvements to parking downtown, at the college, at community events and at the county office building. Things they would change about Cortland included high property taxes, high unemployment, and the potholes. Downtown needs to bed cleaned-up; there are too many bars and they cater to the college. It is not safe to go downtown at night. They would also recruit better paying jobs and employment opportunities. It was difficult for seniors to find part time work and for farmers to find good help. Local youth won’t work for minimum wage; they have had too much given to them. A lot of road rage and speeding by younger drivers was a concern. Most deadly accidents involved high speed.
Cortland is a very friendly place with many activities for seniors. There is a sense of community here and plenty of opportunities for youth and seniors. Cortland is centrally located and folks don’t have to travel far for medical and dental facilities. They feel safe here; they have a lot of access to cultural events and enjoy the senior centers.
The commonalities include:
Enjoyment of music in the parks, theatre and the festivals;
Concern for more public transit on nights and weekends;
Lack of parking downtown and on campus;
An appreciation for the college,
Cortland’s central location, rural beauty, friendly people and the clean environment;
Concern for the number of bars on Main Street
Lack of a bus terminal,
Lack of well paying jobs, and
High property taxes.