HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WENY) -- For the first time ever, Chemung County is developing a Comprehensive Plan. County officials are gathering input from residents, and using it to develop the Comprehensive Plan, as well as the Agricultural and Farmland Plan and the Long Range Transportation Plan.
Tuesday marked the second public input session. Focus groups of Chemung County residents talked about their visions for the plan and the county. The plan aims to highlight current needs of residents, while addressing issues and new opportunities.
Officials say people seem to love nature, culture, and community in the county, but seem to be most concerned about things like crime and the job market. County Executive Chris Moss says its important to get feedback from residents when undertaking a plan like this.
"What we need, what's important for the public, is to get their input so we know what direction we want the county to go in the future," said Moss. "This is the first comprehensive plan we've ever undergone in Chemung County. It's going to lay out a plan for five, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road. It's important to make sure that we have a diverse group of people all telling where they'd like to see the county be in that same time frame."
If you're not able to make it to a meeting, there are surveys on the county's website. A third public input meeting will be held at some point, but that date has not been announced yet.
RELATED: Shaping Chemung County's Future with the Community's Input