The Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board (“Southern Tier West”) is a regional planning council, a unit of government created pursuant to New York State General Municipal Law section 239-h. Southern Tier West was designated an Economic Development District (EDD) by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (“EDA”) in 1977. The functions of the EDD include, but are not limited to, preparing and maintaining a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (“CEDS”), assisting in the implementation strategies identified in the CEDS, and providing technical assistance to Economic Development Organizations throughout New York State’s Southern Tier West Region (Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua Counties). These three counties, as members of the Southern Tier West EDD, are designated by EDA as redevelopment areas and are eligible for financial assistance from EDA for eligible and appropriate economic development projects. This EDA funding eligibility also extends to the municipalities, economic development entities, and non-profit organizations located within these counties.
This 2020 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (“2020 CEDS”) is a strategic plan for economic development for New York State’s Southern Tier West Region, prepared and published by Southern Tier West. The CEDS is developed by the Southern Tier West CEDS Strategy Committee, which is comprised of a broad range of public sector, regional economic development, business, civic, education and workforce development professionals.
The purpose of the implementation of the CEDS is to create an economic environment that fosters job creation, a more diversified economy, and improves the quality of life for the residents of the three county Southern Tier West region. The CEDS outlines appropriate strategies and projects for implementation by local governments, private industry, organizations, and individuals concerned with economic development. Additionally, through their inclusion in the CEDS, and their identification by Southern Tier west as priority economic development projects for funding by EDA, economic development projects in the Southern Tier West region qualify for grant funding from EDA.
Southern Tier West annually prepares the CEDS per a contract with EDA. EDA has specific requirements for the CEDS planning process, document format, and document content. The 2020 CEDS was prepared through a comprehensive planning process per EDA CEDS requirements, and conforms to EDA’s requirements.