Dunkirk/Sheridan Empire Zone drops COI
By GIB SNYDERArticle Photos
It was time for a change.
That was the story from all sides as the Dunkirk/Sheridan Empire Zone Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to have its necessary services performed by the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA) staff. The work, which includes administrative duties, had been done by Chautauqua Opportunities Inc. (COI) since the beginning of the local Empire Zone.
After a quick review of the financial statements by COI comptroller Edward "Bud" Woloszyn and accepted the minutes of the previous meeting, the EDZ board went into a 40-minute executive session before quickly wrapping up its business for the day.
"What we've been going over in executive session was an employee related and business related structure of the Dunkirk/Sheridan Empire Zone," Chairman John Walker said. "(Board member) Bob Iszard has put a lot of study into this, looked at our contracts and seeing exactly what is written in stone and what we may do in the future. The board, at length, has thought of where we were going to go as far as an agency to work with in the future. The contracts that the Empire Zone sets up are one-year renewable contracts and at this time the contract with COI has expired and it is the feeling of the board that we will not renew it at this time.
"Now this is something that has worked quite well for a very long period of time. COI was instrumental and very beneficial for the area and to the Dunkirk/Sheridan Empire Zone for a very long time. But as we all know things change, times change, needs change."
Walker thanked COI staffers present, including Director Roberta Keller, for their efforts over the years and then looked for a motion from the floor.
"I make a motion that we enter into an agreement with the CCIDA for the services for the Empire Zone," said board member Keith Ahlstrom.
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
"I'd like to make a motion that the zone hire Patrick Stokes as Zone Coordinator, effective immediately," Ahlstrom said. That motion also passed unanimously.
Ahlstrom then made a motion to adjourn, which also passed unanimously.
The tipping point in the board's relationship with COI was revealed with the hiring of Stokes, who had been serving as Zone Coordinator until his release July 7. According to reports, Stokes was apparently fired by Keller one day after a front-page story ran in the OBSERVER about Stokes' return to the area to take the job and what he was looking to accomplish in the position.
All sides were putting a positive spin on the proceedings after the meeting.
"We've had a good relationship with the zone," Keller said. "It's been beneficial for the IDA and the city of Dunkirk and the zone to work together in a co-location. ... It's more beneficial for them to work together, than our relationship. It's just a good mix. It will be a good blend and it will facilitate a unified approach to the business community."
CCIDA Director William Daly was asked if there would be an adjustment period.
"No, because Rich Dixon is our CFO and he and Bud Woloszyn have been friends for a long time and Bud's a great guy, so it will be a very quick transition," Daly said. "It's all just purely administrative issues. Getting any money that's been paid into the Empire Zone transferred over to us. We have an accounting system that can handle multiple transactions in all kinds of different accounts. ... I expect it to be done just as fast as possible."
Walker explained the need for the EDZ needing outside help.
"Any of the Empire Zones needs another organization to act as oversight to run state funds through and local funds through. Also to send out the billing and so on. We're not really capable of doing that," he said. "The Empire Zones are here to serve business, to look for new business to come into the area, and then to explain the programs that New York state has and how they may benefit either existing or new business coming into the area. And that remains Pat's (Stokes) job.
"We signed on with COI at the beginning and for a very long time it worked quite well. COI is a very large organization and had a lot of different capabilities. It's like everything. Over time some needs change, some things just need to move at a different pace.
"The IDA and the county exec (Greg Edwards) had offered the fact that if we were looking to do something a little bit differently they would be more than willing to work with us as much as they possibly can. After a great length of discussion with the board, we decided that we would opt to move with Chautauqua County IDA."
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