Last week, Mark Geise, IDA CEO, and Nate Aldrich, Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth manager, discussed with the Chautauqua County Legislature Planning and Economic Development Committee how the IDA funded 30 county agencies in 2019.

Geise said the IDA spent $101,952 on business development and promotion. This funding went toward 16 projects, which included the construction of the Stannard Groups new building in the Mason Industrial Park, the Lawson Marina along the Chadakoin River in Jamestown and DFT fiber optic cable to rural areas, that initiated $156 million in private investment that went toward creating 190 new full-time jobs and retaining 653 full-time jobs.

The IDA also spent $59,155 on business assistance programs, with $22,088 going toward the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College. Geise said this funding assisted existing businesses like the Jamestown Brewing Company and Nestle Pruina. He also said the Small Business Development Center was able to use the funding to support client services that had a financial impact of around $4 million to create 93 jobs and retain 19 jobs.

Geise said the IDA spent $285,328 to assist Cornell Cooperative Extension programs. He said more than 5,200 residents participated in Cornell Cooperative Extension programs, with 260 volunteers donating 26,969 hours. The funding also helped Cornell with its 4-H program, in which 1,618 youth participated in last year.

The IDA spent $87,000 in funding toward marketing in 2019, which included the creation, printing and distribution of the “Find Yourself In Chautauqua County” visitors brochure. Submitted photo

The IDA funded the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System $108,300 to 36 member libraries. The IDA funding went toward $77,182 in new materials for member libraries, of which 23 are located in Chautauqua County.

Chautauqua County Soil and Water received $100,000 from the IDA, Geise said. The IDA’s funding went toward water quality improvement programs, the local high school Envirothon, an erosion and sediment control course for local professionals and highway departments and for staff program support.

Geise said $87,000 went toward marketing efforts, which included the creation, printing and distribution of the new visitor brochure “Find Yourself In Chautauqua County.”

The IDA also spent $20,000 on the Chautauqua Count Snowmobile Federation. Geise said the federation maintains 450 miles of snowmobile trails with 26 groomers. He said 75% of snowmobile club members live outside of Chautauqua County.

In 2019, the IDA spent $45,000 on the LECOM golf tournament at Peek’n Peak. The funding went to offset the $1 million cost to host the golf tournament. Geise said the fourth year of the event “broke even” in 2019 despite not receiving $300,000 in funding aid from the state, which it had received in past years. He added the tournament raised $105,000 for county charities.

Geise said the IDA funded the National Comedy Center $52,000 that went toward operational expenses, which included insurance coverage and utility cost.

Other organizations or events that received funding from the IDA included; the county fair received $6,637; Fenton History Center received $8,000; Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau received $530,000; Chautauqua County Historical Society received $5,600; Historical Society of Dunkirk received $2,350; the United Arts Appeal received $27,500; North County Shoreline Grand Prix boat races received $26,830; and Gran Fondo lake bike race received $5,000.

Aldrich said 10 organizations received competitive grant funding in 2019 from the IDA. Those organizations included the Lucy-Desi Museum, which received $3,450; Chautauqua Institution’s Farm-to-Table event, which received $3,960; Wild American Nature Festival hosted by the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History at Panama Rocks, which received $7,380; National Comedy Center received marking support for $8,460; Jamestown Renaissance Corp. received funding for the Hello Jamestown video series; Chautauqua Harbor Hotel received $8,040 for the Fire & Ice Festival; Gerry Rodeo received $3,500; the Sheridan Historical Society received $5,200; Chautauqua Lake Pops received $10,000 to relocate from Bemus Point to Mayville; Ripley Gateway Center received $45,000 for the feasibility study done by Clark Patterson Lee; and the Brownfield Development Strategy for Prospect Hill received $20,000 for assessing the site.