Cooperstown News Bureau

Otsego County's Empire Zone — centered in Laurens but reaching into many towns in the county — is being redone to accommodate more businesses, said Carolyn Lewis, county economic development specialist.

"We've been doing a massive reconfiguration, eliminating wetlands and other areas that aren't suitable for development and expanding to other areas," Lewis said. The proposed changes have been approved by the Otsego County Empire Zone Administrative Board and soon will be sent to the state's Empire State Development Corp., she said Tuesday.

In recent months, the Otsego County Board of Representatives has approved moving forward with the local Empire Zone, an area where qualified businesses can receive tax credits in exchange for creating jobs. However, the county board has been split on two issues: hiring an Empire Zone coordinator and allowing the county's industrial development agency to handle the zone's day-to-day affairs.

In October, the county board opted not to hire a coordinator until a great demand was shown from businesses to locate within the zone. Later, the board reversed and approved the position, which Rep. Ronald Feldstein, D-Otego, said is a sign the county is committed to the program.

Then, during budget sessions this fall, the county board did not fund this new position, and the job fell to Lewis.

"I've been doing it, and I can do it," she said Tuesday. Lewis is pregnant and plans to take a two-month leave, starting near the end of December. During the period she is likely to be on leave, the Empire State Development Corp. probably will be considering the county's proposed changes to the zone, she said.

At their Dec. 4 meeting, representatives voted not to grant day-to-day control of the Empire Zone to the county's IDA. Board Chairman Carl Higgins said he saw no need to do so because the county's Economic Development Office was overseeing the project.

Feldstein said Tuesday that the Empire Zone would function more smoothly if it didn't have to deal with the county's bureaucracy, instead operating through the IDA. He also noted the state would pay the cost of an Empire Zone coordinator, except for about $9,000 in fringe benefits, and he still thinks the county should hire a person whose sole job is to oversee the zone.

Rob Robinson, chief executive officer of the Otsego County Chamber, concurred.

"I think the county should hire the person for a year and at the end of the year, evaluate how well it's working," he said.

Lewis said about 90 firms applied to be part of the zone, and 66 applications have been approved by the local administrative board.

"I think it's coming together well and will really help the county's economy," she said.