Public call for DRI, NY Forward grants is late in process
Public call for DRI, NY Forward grants is late in process
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It's good that local residents are getting an opportunity to have input in the plans for Jamestown's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative and Falconer's $4.5 million NY Forward grant. Local planning committees have been created in Jamestown and Falconer, and local residents are now being asked to bring any project ideas they have to the committee for possible inclusion in the final plan for the state grants. In Jamestown, an open call for projects is taking place from Aug. 21 through Sept. 25, with an information session scheduled for Aug. 27 at the Robert H. Jackson Center from 1 to 3 p.m. In addition, a public survey has been launched to gather input on downtown development priorities. Feedback will be used to identify issues, opportunities, and needs for downtown development. It will also help shape the final slate of projects to be recommended to New York State for DRI funding as part of a Strategic Investment Plan for downtown.
The public input is welcome. It is also, in our view, late.
That's not the fault of the local officials who submitted applications. It's not as if it was a secret amongst Jamestown and Falconer that their governments were seeking the state grants. Both efforts were reported on by The Post-Journal. But knowing a government is going to apply for major grants is different from a public process that seeks projects from people who aren't already involved with local governments as part of their day-to-day businesses. And, for those who have read the DRI and NY Forward grant applications, it's clear that a lot of work will need to be done to get ideas brought forward from the public to the same stage as the projects included in the applications to the state.
In our view, if the state wants to make sure there is public input for the DRI, NY Forward and other Consolidated Funding Application programs, then it should require that public input happens early in the process rather than after the state money has been awarded.