Otsego chamber, Delgado discuss State of the State

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce held its annual State of the State conference online Tuesday, Jan. 11, with U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, as keynote speaker.

Delgado talked about accomplishments during 2021 and his goals for 2022 in Washington.

He noted that his formula to aid local governments was approved in the American Rescue Plan Act, which was passed in March 2021. He said the bill secured $132.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds to local governments across the United States, including $400 million in District 19 and $11.5 million in Otsego County. He said the funds were given to offset revenue loss and to invest in broadband internet and water infrastructure.

During her talk about the state of the village, Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh talked about the ARPA funding and the amount the village received. She said the village, which relies heavily on tourism, suffered a $1 million loss in revenue in 2020 and received $89,948 in ARPA funds. While the village didn't receive much money, she said the county received $11 million and the National Baseball Hall of Fame received $4.7 million in Shuttered Venues Aid.

The village, which has a population of 1,754, was classified a non-entitlement unit under the act, she said. 

Although the village lost money, Tillapaugh said no layoffs of personnel occurred and taxes remained the same. She also highlighted several projects the village has completed over the past several years including a $8.4 million upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant a $100,000 upgrade to Pioneer Park and upgrades to Doubleday Field. She said the village is seeking money to finish the renovations at Doubleday Field, which will install public restrooms and a third-base grandstand that is accessible to those with disabilities.

Delgado said throughout the pandemic he tried to find ways to help family farms, small businesses and their local partners stay afloat.

He said another big accomplishment was the federal infrastructure bill that passed in November. He said it would invest in roads and bridges, clean water and expanding access to broadband. He said there were 1,700 bridges and 7,000 miles of road in the state that need repairs, including 80% of Otsego County's bridges.

Otsego County Board Chair David Bliss, R-Cherry Valley, Middlefield, Roseboom, who spoke after Delgado left the meeting, said the figure was 70% five years ago before the county started to invest in infrastructure. Bliss talked about the pilot EMS program and the proposed Bassett simulation lab.

The infrastructure bill also included two bipartisan measures Delgado introduced: the Clean Water for Rural America Act and BuyAmerican.Gov Act. 

He said the clean water bill will invest between $25 and $75 in rural water infrastructure annually. He announced the BuyAmerican.Gov Act in September and also discussed it in October at the Cooperstown Bat Company in Hartwick. It will track the waivers the Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense use to bypass the Buy American Act. The legislation also creates an online hub of American manufacturers that government agencies can use, he said. 

Delgado said he sponsored another bill to help rebuild American manufacturing. He said the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain disruptions showed "we don't have enough domestic manufacturing."

He said he was concerned about countries dumping full shipping containers at America's ports, then returning to their countries with empty containers, so he has proposed an act that will restrict countries from taking empty containers back. He said he felt optimistic about 2022, but he also said people "have to put their partisan politics to the side and put the country first."

Assemblyman Chris Tague, R-Schoharie, said the state of the state for farmers was concerning, especially if the overtime threshold is lowered to 40 hours. He said while other industries can raise prices to combat increased wages, farmers cannot because they have to compete with farmers from other states who can set lower prices. He said he has introduced a bill that would pair farms and food banks in the state, and said he will continue to fight for small businesses in the county.

Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-New Hartford, gave a report about how he's working with the county's chamber, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Delhi, Otsego Now, Hartwick College and others to come up with ways employers can get trained employees.

Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek outlined his plans for the future, including making Market Street an entertainment district in the city, rebuilding the parking garage and transit hub and working with the two colleges to spur economic development.

Interim Chief Executive Officer Al Rubin presided over the meeting, which was his last meeting as the organization's interim leader, he said.   

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221. Follow her @DS_VickyK on Twitter.