NY State Legislator proposes EB-5 visa regional center for his district to develop a large scale ski resort

In the coming year, Franklin County may need to take serious steps to save money, including furloughing or firing employees and possibly shutting down or privatizing the county nursing home.

That’s what county legislators from the southern end of the county said last week when they outlined their goals and objectives for their districts in the coming year.

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Burpoe’s goals

Legislator Tim Burpoe, a Saranac Lake Democrat whose district covers the towns of Harrietstown and Franklin, said he gave a list of six priorities for 2010.

First, he said the county will need to make cuts in order to be fiscally responsible in light of expected funding reductions from the state. He said legislators will try to get employee unions to open up their contracts for renegotiation, but since that is unlikely it will probably be necessary to lay off or furlough employees.

With the state cutting subsidies to the county nursing home, Burpoe said he thinks it’s time to either close, sell or otherwise alleviate the county’s responsibility toward its nursing home.

“We may have to make some really hard decisions about that 80-bed facility and the amount of money that we put into it,” he said.

Burpoe also spoke about projects he believes could help bring more revenue into the county, like the possibility of creating a county planning entity, something the county is applying for grant money to do.

“Either you have 19 little towns going for this or one county,” Burpoe said.

Burpoe said he thinks it’s important to continue his committee work to create an all-terrain vehicle trail system. He said he plans to begin the process of mapping potential trail routes by the end of 2010.

He also wants the county to move forward on getting an EB-5 designation, which would allow foreign investors to get green cards if they invest a certain amount of money in the region. The county has selected tourism as the industry it wants investors for, and the Adirondack Club and Resort project, a proposed large-scale development of the Big Tupper Ski Area in Tupper Lake, would be its cornerstone project.

Franklin County has applied for the designation and plans to receive an answer by the second quarter of the year, Burpoe said.

Finally, Burpoe would like to make sure in the coming year that the phased capital project to renovate North Country Community College’s main campus in Saranac Lake is funded and on its way.

This may be difficult since the state is supposed to provide 50 percent of the funding for the project and Essex and Franklin counties are both committed to provide 25 percent, and all three are facing tough budget decisions.

“We’re really going to have to make a decision in 2010 about this,” he said. “If we can’t to it for North Country Community College, I’m afraid of what that might mean for the future of the community college. … The facilities that are up on that hill are falling apart very quickly.”

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Maroun’s goals

Legislator Paul Maroun, a Republican who represents the towns of Tupper Lake and Santa Clara, said he also talked about getting the nursing home off the county budget, renegotiating union contracts, and layoffs and furloughs.

He also mentioned that cutting programs, or switching them to being run by private nonprofit groups that he said could run them cheaper, will be the only way to control costs.

“Basically the thing is, I think we’ve all got accustomed to living beyond our means,” Maroun said.

Maroun also noted that the county should be working on things that will move the Adirondack Club and Resort project along because he said it would increase tax revenue for the county.

“In my district, the most important item right now is the Adirondack Club and Resort,” Maroun said.