Northern Dutchess Alliance and the Town of Hyde Park Partner to Study Shared Municipal Services  

Under the New York State tax cap, municipalities will come under increasing pressure to work together to address quality of life issues to accommodate future growth while protecting the resources that it values. This effort is focused on assisting communities in identifying possible shared services projects which are appropriate and consistent with the desires of the particular communities. The research is being conducted by the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz and was made possible by funds received from the Hudson River Valley Greenway. 

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The NDA is working with CRREO to assess municipal interest in and potential for shared service delivery in the Northern Dutchess region. The goal is to identify "targets of opportunity," that is, key service areas that potentially are: 

• in need of new or enhanced collaborative approaches, 

• particularly promising for producing economies and efficiencies, 

• in critical need of attention and could be remedied faster with collaborations, and/or 

• could result in positive outcomes such as cost savings and/or increases in the quality and amount of service delivery

 

The NDA and CRREO anticipate completing the study in December of 2012. Please check back for updates.

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The Blueprint for Economic Development  

The Blueprint ties together regional planning efforts of the Northern Dutchess Alliance for the past six years and advocates for community economic development which is founded on the principles of collaboration, an investment in people, responsibility, and a commitment to an on-going, holistic process. It is consistent with all of our member communities planning documents and it places the emphasis on locally led initiatives. The Northern Dutchess Alliance, through extensive public outreach and research, believes this vision for a sustainable local economy is achievable and desirable for the region. 

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The Buy Local Campaign  

Through a Hudson River Valley Greenway grant, the Northern Dutchess Alliance will sponsor a year long effort to raise awareness and educate the public on the benefits of buying locally. Partnering with local chambers of commerce and businesses, the campaign will provide free giveaways, fact sheets and buy local events. 

 

Hudson Valley Bounty  

Hudson Valley Valley has long recognized the value of agriculture as an industry and as a contributing factor to the rural character cherished by many residents. In an effort to identify new income streams for local farmers, the Northern Dutchess Alliance is partnering with the Hudson Valley Agribusiness Development Corporation and Dutchess County Tourism to create the Dutchess County Bounty. This program will link local producers to our local professional buyers by creating a database of buyers and sellers with a list of products and their availability. Farmers work directly with chefs to sell products and possibly grow specific crops for them. This benefits the farmer by increasing his/her bottom line and the restaurateur who advertises the use of fresh, local products, which is becoming increasingly important. 

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For more information on any of these initiatives, please contact Mary Ann Johnson at info@northerndutchess.org.