Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board

Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board
Name	Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board
Formation	1970s
Type	Regional planning commission
Headquarters	Jamestown, New York
Region served	Chautauqua County; Cattaraugus County; Allegany County
Leader title	Executive Director

Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board is a regional planning commission serving the western portion of New York State's Southern Tier, headquartered in Jamestown. It engages with state agencies, federal entities, local municipalities, nonprofit organizations and tribal governments to coordinate transportation, economic development, environmental management and community planning. The Board functions as a cooperative forum linking counties, cities, towns and villages with partners such as the Empire State Development Corporation, the New York State Department of Transportation and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

History

The Board was established amid the regional planning movement of the 1960s and 1970s that produced entities like the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact advocates and regional commissions such as the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission. Its formation paralleled statewide initiatives under the New York State Department of State and the development of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies modeled after federal guidance from the Economic Development Administration. Over decades the Board collaborated with entities including the New York State Senate, the New York State Assembly, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on regional planning, grant administration and disaster recovery after events that engaged the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Organization and Governance

The Board’s governance model aligns with multi-jurisdictional commissions such as the Pittsburgh Regional Transit style regional authorities and regional planning organizations like the Genesee Transportation Council. Its board of directors comprises elected officials from member counties and municipalities, representatives from chambers of commerce such as the Southern Tier Chamber of Commerce, appointees from educational institutions like Jamestown Community College, and liaisons from tribal nations analogous to interactions with the Seneca Nation of Indians. The executive director reports to the board and coordinates staff organized into divisions that mirror structures used by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council and the Capital District Transportation Committee.

Functions and Services

The Board performs functions comparable to metropolitan planning organizations such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority planning arms and regional development corporations like the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Services include transportation planning similar to work by the Federal Transit Administration grantees, infrastructure grant writing akin to applicants to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, environmental review processes that reference National Environmental Policy Act practice, and economic analyses paralleling reports from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. It provides technical assistance to municipal clients on land use planning, zoning code updates, and resilience projects seen in collaborations with New York Power Authority and energy programs linked to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Member Counties and Jurisdictions

Member counties include Chautauqua County, New York, Cattaraugus County, New York and Allegany County, New York and encompass cities and towns such as Jamestown, New York, Olean, New York, Wellsville, New York, Fredonia, New York, Dunkirk, New York and villages like Cattaraugus, New York and Silver Creek, New York. The Board interacts with county legislatures, municipal boards, economic development authorities like the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, park districts paralleling Rockland County Parks, and higher education partners including State University of New York at Fredonia and Alfred State College.

Major Programs and Initiatives

Major initiatives have included regional transportation corridor studies comparable to projects advanced by the New York State Department of Transportation and multimodal planning similar to programs by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Board administered comprehensive economic strategies consistent with Economic Development Administration funding, small business support activities like those provided by Small Business Administration programs, and workforce development partnerships with organizations similar to Workforce New York. Environmental and land use initiatives have drawn on best practices from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and flood resilience planning referenced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Funding and Budget

Funding sources mirror those of regional planning commissions that receive mixed federal, state and local support, including grants from the Economic Development Administration, project awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation, program funds from the New York State Council on the Arts for cultural planning, and pass-through contracts with counties and municipalities. The Board’s budget lines typically reflect personnel costs, consultant contracts, capital project administration and grant match requirements, following fiscal procedures akin to those used by the Government Accountability Office and state audit standards enforced by the New York State Comptroller.

Projects and Impact Assessment

The Board has managed transportation projects, downtown revitalization efforts, brownfield redevelopment similar to Environmental Protection Agency initiatives, and broadband expansion projects that echo funding priorities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Impact assessments employ methods consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance and economic impact models used by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute to measure job creation, capital investment and changes in tax base. Evaluations are used to inform policy makers in the New York State Legislature, county executives, and municipal planners, and to support subsequent grant applications to federal programs administered by agencies such as the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy.

Category:Regional planning organizations in New York