NCA news & updates
March 2021
NCA Board
The North Country Alliance Board of Directors meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 11:00am. The next board meeting is:

March 17, 2021
11:00am
Via GoToMeeting at this link.

All members are welcome to join.
Board meeting minutes and agendas are posted on the NCA website.

If you received this newsletter and are not a member of the North Country Alliance, please consider joining the NCA.

For membership questions, contact Matt Siver at msiver@danc.org.
The North Country Alliance and our members work hard year in and year out to foster growth for their businesses and the region. We determined it was time to do a better job communicating about what the NCA is doing, as well as develop an opportunity for members to let each other know more about their organizations, their successes, their events and offerings. 

This monthly newsletter will include notices about upcoming meetings and information about NCA loans and programs. It will also include information on our members; a monthly member feature; and a listing of member news or events that may be of interest to other NCA members. Submit your news and events to info@northcountryalliance.org.

Please share this newsletter with colleagues. We want to share our successes in the North Country.

Marijean Remington, President
NCA Delivers COVID-19 Emergency Working Capital Program
• Up to 5-year loans
• No payments due in the first three months. 
• Interest-only payments for the next 6 months
• Two-week turnaround to receive funds
In late March 2020, when the Governor’s orders went out for businesses to reduce capacity, or close, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCA took action to assist businesses. Working with Empire State Development, we immediately created a working capital program that provides loans for 5 years with no payments due in the first three months. Interest-only payments are due for the next 6 months, and then regular payments. From the time a business submits an application to when it receives the funds is as short as two weeks. 

These funds provided critical working capital as businesses struggled to understand the ramifications of the pandemic. It also provided some relief until federal stimulus funds became available. To date, we have assisted 10 businesses lending $115,000.
 
The fund is still available today for businesses interested in applying. We understand that the pandemic is still impacting businesses almost a year later. For more information contact Matt Siver at msiver@danc.org.    
NCA Provides Working Capital for Angel Rock Cottages
Angel Rock Cottages & Vacation Homes offers flexible vacation and event accommodations including tons of amenities. Learn details at angelrock.com
Angel Rock Cottages & Vacation Homes is a unique property with 32 unique upscale rentals accommodating from 1 to 14 guests located in Cape Vincent right on the St. Lawrence River. Because they are a lodging business, they were deemed essential and remained open throughout the pandemic.

At first things seemed fine, as there were some long term, off season guests who were working on the solar project in Clayton, however, that project shut down as did so many others, and Angel Rock's guests soon left the area. The NCA's Emergency Working Capital Loan program helped Angel Rock to continue to pay staff and meet ongoing expense while they had no other cash flow. "Also, the application process was simple and streamlined, which was exactly what was needed at the time," says Carol Thomas at Angel Rock Waterfront Cottages and Vacation Homes. 

Ensuring that businesses that both celebrate and sustain the Thousand Islands and the whole North Country endure challenges is the mission of the North Country Alliance. 
Education and Outreach Tackles Issues
The NCA has issued its 2021 Education and Outreach Agenda that is shared with state elected officials. A committee of members from the NCA convened to identify the top issues in the FYE 2022 budget impacting the North Country. A brief summary is as follows:
  • Funding for infrastructure, especially rural broadband without excessive fees, other charges or mandates is critical.
  • Strongly opposes increases in state taxes to fund the budget gap.
  • Strongly supports continuing stable funding for community colleges.
  • Supports additional funding to promote technical skills and trades for relevant workforce development.
  • Opposes the further closing of prisons in the North Country.

Read more about the priorities and download the one-pager for distribution at this link.
Photo: Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Your Input Needed: SLC Broadband Survey
Please fill out a quick and confidential survey about your internet access and affordability at this link.
Access to affordable broadband (high-speed internet) is no longer a luxury ; it is necessary for students to be able to learn from home, for parents to be able to work from home, for people to be able to use telemedicine and to attract economic development to St. Lawrence County. This is one of the North Country Alliance's outreach agenda's priority issues for 2021.

St. Lawrence County has partnered with the Development Authority of the North Country to document exactly where in the county is unserved or underserved by high-speed internet. Part of the project requires input from every resident and business in St. Lawrence County (even if you have good internet service).
Member Spotlight — Aubertine and Currier
Visit Aubertine and Currier online to view their diverse design portfolio.
Founded in 2000, Aubertine and Currier Architects, Engineers & Land Surveyors, PLLC has become a multi-discipline design firm offering a full range of architectural, engineering, land surveying, and construction inspection services, as well as construction administration and LEED certification assistance. Aubertine and Currier is a NYS Certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), and a US SBA Registered Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Business (ED/WOSB).
 
Located in Watertown, Aubertine and Currier has developed outstanding relationships with Municipal, Local, State and Federal Agencies as well as residential clients. Projects range in size from a simple onsite evaluation with one employee, to multi-million-dollar projects involving the coordination of numerous disciplines over the course of several months.