In conversations around our community and speaking with people about economic development, a reoccurring theme in the comments I hear is: “Why doesn’t Ulster get the high paying, low impact jobs?” The impression I get is that people would like great, clean jobs that have absolutely no negative impacts on their communities - no additional traffic, no more children in the schools, no visible buildings, no longer lines in the left turn lanes.

The reality, however, is that if we want jobs, a sustainable tax base and economic opportunities for ourselves and for our children, we have to be able to accept some level of impact on our communities. The up-front question for each community is, “Are you willing to accept any changes and, if so, what are they?” With the tools and experience we have available to us today, we should be able to properly plan for and execute a level of growth that will keep our communities economically vibrant, without sacrificing our unique quality of life.

This requires each community to muster the political will and make the effort to plan ahead and to proactively design its destiny instead of simply reacting over and over again to each development proposition that comes their way. It is not enough to merely say what we don’t want, we have clearly articulate what we do want and build the necessary capacity to promote it.

The Ulster County Development Corporation has actively engaged with each community in Ulster County and will continue to do so to identify opportunities and assist in planning for infrastructure, work force and resource development so that, community by community, Ulster can increase its capacity for growth on its own terms and in ways that are consistent with its goals and ideals. Every resident of Ulster County has a stake in our economic future, don’t sit on the sidelines when your community is making decisions about your economic future.