Statement of the Honorable Rebecca N. Brumagin
Supervisor, Town of Mina
Findley Lake, New York

Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight
of the House Committee on Ways and Means

Hearing on Tax Incentives to Assist Distressed Communities

March 21, 2000

Chairman Houghton and members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to testify before you regarding the success in recent years of revitalizing the hamlet of Findley Lake in the Town of Mina, New York State.

This is a great honor for our community and I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you my perspective on how our small town, through hard work and the cooperative efforts of many, has become energized and revitalized.

Background:

Findley Lake is located in the Town of Mina and County of Chautauqua in western New York State. With 1100 permanent residents in the town, it is the first community you enter when traveling east on Interstate 86 from Pennsylvania and it is the Southern Tier Gateway to New York State.

Findley Lake was founded in the early 1800s by a Scottish pioneer, Alexander Findley, who out of necessity to power his sawmill created the lake by constructing a dam at the north end of two ponds. The lake has four small islands and covers an area of approximately 300 acres with a distance of 5 miles to walk or ride around it. The lake is used for recreational activities in the summer such as swimming, boating, water skiing and fishing as well as in the winter with ice fishing and snowmobiling.

Findley Lake is uniquely situated in close proximity to some important regional assets. Four miles from the town is Peek'n Peak, a four-season resort. Fifteen minutes away on Chautauqua Lake is the internationally renowned cultural center, Chautauqua Institution. Lake Erie is 15 minutes away and Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania is 30 minutes from the hamlet. Findley Lake is easily accessible from Interstate 90, Interstate 79 and the newly designated Interstate 86.

Findley Lake along with other nearby towns experienced a significant decline in retail business in the last few decades. We are part of America's rustbelt, and with family farms disappearing over the years, we have been struggling to find our place in the service economy. In the early 1990s, the downtown area of Findley Lake was run down and many of the buildings were in disrepair. One of the former storefronts was converted into slum apartments and there were trashed sofas and chairs on Findley Lake's Main Street. It was an embarrassment to the community yet no plan was developed to improve and reinvigorate downtown. There was little retail trade to keep local shoppers in the community and it seemed a pipe dream to think that the hamlet could one day attract tourists and visitors into quaint specialty shops.

The Renaissance Story:

There were dreamers. There were individuals who saw that Findley Lake could become a small jewel for the region.

One couple owned a small restaurant in town and they decided to move the restaurant into their Victorian home and upscale the menu and the décor. Over time, through their creativity and hard work, they developed a regional following and the restaurant's excellent reputation put Findley Lake on the map. The same couple purchased the slum apartment house downtown and began renovating the building. They opened a Victorian gift shop and encouraged others to come to Findley Lake and start a retail business.

Others followed and experienced success. One by one, new entrepreneurs developed an idea, invested their savings, and started a business from scratch or relocated their existing business to Findley Lake. After a few years, the enthusiasm became contagious, new ideas sprouted and creative individuals with dreams became willing to invest in Findley Lake. An example of the continued interest in Findley Lake is evidenced by three new businesses that have within the past two months expressed a serious desire to open in Findley Lake.

Findley Lake has become a source of pride for the region.

The downtown Findley Lake merchants represent one segment of a whole community. Revitalization must be in keeping with the character of the community and preserving the rural nature of the Town of Mina is very important to our residents. Long term success takes sustained effort and it takes cooperation among the various segments of the community. Growth and change do not come along harmoniously unless the majority of the community is in agreement with that growth and change. Leadership can make an enormous difference in assisting a community with identifying and attaining its goals.

Developing a Sense of Community:

The hamlet of Findley Lake and the Town of Mina is a community. Community is about people, their dreams and their desire to live in a place where they have an opportunity to be successful and to enjoy life. It is said, "If you don't work where you live, you eventually will live where you work." It is important to look beyond economic success and think in terms of quality of life when assessing the success of a community.

The renaissance of Findley Lake over the past few years is a story about more than economic success. It is about people coming together and truly appreciating one another. Visitors to Findley Lake regularly ask questions such as, "Who did all this? It wasn't like this when I was here 5 years ago." The answer is, we all did it - it is truly a community accomplishment.

I attribute our current success to the efforts of many individual citizens as well as to three groups (many individuals participate in more than one group). Business leaders, local government officials, community organizations and civic-minded individuals have worked cooperatively to achieve community success and have identified additional needs to develop Findley Lake in a cohesive manner consistent with our recently developed comprehensive plan. At a recent appreciation dinner for individuals who support our town, almost 10% of our population attended. This illustrates that in a small town, it takes a high percentage of its people to make the community work.

Business Leaders:

The evolution of Findley Lake to a retail shopping and tourist destination can be traced back to those individuals who had a vision of Findley Lake as a diamond in the rough and individually promoted it to others. The businesses that came to Findley Lake did so with no support other than their own initiative. The promotion of Findley Lake took place by word of mouth from business owner to potential business owner, and it eventually became an articulated and shared vision for the community.

The Findley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce was formed and this was a catalyst for further development and promotion of the area. Utilizing the advertising and public relations resources from the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau, the downtown merchants in the chamber began promoting Findley Lake through events. Merchants work together cooperatively and duties are divided among the members who take turns chairing and organizing the events. They have developed signature events such as entertainment every Wednesday night in the summer entitled "Live at the Gazebo," a Harvest Festival, May Day, First Sundays and more. They assess what works and build on it and they are flexible enough to change what doesn't work well and improve on it for the future. An annual brochure is prepared and events for the year are listed. Community organizations are invited to include their fundraising and other events in the brochure.

Local Government:

Local government became actively involved in the renaissance of Findley Lake when an opportunity arose out of the controversial closing of the community's elementary school in 1997. The community rallied around the concept of purchasing the building and developing a community center. Negotiations with the school district were very cordial and the voters in the Town of Mina agreed to the purchase effective June 1998. That decision led to the development of various community initiatives in the past two years which continue to enhance and support the broader view of community success.

In November 1999, the Town Board of the Town of Mina adopted a mission statement. The essence of the statement is that the town will support efforts that enhance the quality of life while preserving a rural way of life; that diverse interests of the community will be taken into consideration when making decisions; and that all parties will approach issues in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation.

In January 2000, the Town of Mina adopted a Comprehensive Plan that lays out the priorities for the community including lake quality and infrastructure as well as the need to further improve the downtown with signage, public restrooms, parking and community beautification efforts. The Planning Board for the town is actively rewriting the zoning law and the town board has stepped up enforcement of the current zoning law. These are important steps in preparing for our future.

Community Organizations:

The community has some long standing and supportive community organizations such as the Findley Lake Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary, Girl Scouts, the Findley Lake Property Owners, and the Findley Lake and Mina Historical Society. These active groups have consistently supported the community in numerous ways over the years.

Findley Lake is very energetic and there are many initiatives on the horizon that are being pursued and supported by the community. In the past two years, the following organizations have been developed to further enhance the Findley Lake and Mina region:

Findley Lake Early Childhood Center (a service of the Achievement Center) - An Erie, Pennsylvania non-profit organization with over 75 years of service to children with disabilities agreed to develop services for children in Findley Lake. They are running a preschool and are pursuing state approval for an integrated preschool for children with and without disabilities as well as providing various types of supportive therapies for children.

Young at Heart - A local senior citizens group formed in the fall of 1998 and they meet weekly. Besides social and leisure activities, they are a county congregate meals site and they work on beautification projects at the community center.

Alexander Findley Community Library - After two years of effort, this group recently received their charter from New York State to open a public library in the Town of Mina. The library will have its grand opening on Memorial Day, May 29, 2000.

Findley Lake Nature Center - This group has recently filed for incorporation. Their goal is to promote the natural resources of the area. Findley Lake is the beginning of the west branch of French Creek, the most ecologically diverse stream in North America. The group will develop nature trails behind the community center and is working with local universities to prepare a bio-diversity study.

Quality Findley - A group of enthusiastic individuals formed Quality Findley in May 1999 to fundraise and promote the long-term viability of Findley Lake. They are establishing an endowment fund with a local community foundation and have an ambitious goal of $1 million dollars to be raised in 5 years. Within their first year they have pledges totaling $175,000.

Civic-minded Individuals:

Listed below are three examples of the commitment that individuals have shown to improving the quality of life in the Findley Lake area:

A "Community Challenge" started with one individual offering $5 to start a fundraising effort for a memorial flagpole. It resulted in the completion of a flagpole, the development of a community flag and the donation of a United States flag by our U. S. Congressman, the Honorable Amo Houghton. A flag that flew over the Capitol Building now proudly flies over Findley Lake each Memorial Day.

Water Wheel Committee - After the completion of the memorial flagpole, the symbolic $5 was turned over to the community this time with the challenge to build a water wheel at the same location where our founder, Alexander Findley built his water wheel. The challenge was accepted and in August 1999, as part of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the town, a water wheel was built with volunteer labor. The water wheel is an attraction to the community and a source of pride for the area.

Tapestry Newsletter - Part of the glue that binds our community is a biweekly newsletter that was developed by two individuals in September 1998. The purpose of the newsletter is to promote a sense of community by informing readers about the various activities that take place throughout the town and the region. The byline for the Tapestry is "Our Lives Are Interwoven." The Tapestry is free and there are no paid advertisements in the newsletter, it is completely supported by individuals who offer a small contribution to cover the cost of printing. About 400 copies are distributed of each issue.

People in Findley Lake are friendly, welcoming and eager to work together. They rise above political and personal undercurrents. They truly have a sense of community and they promote the town through their warm enthusiasm.

Community Needs:

Findley Lake is a unique community currently experiencing a small amount of economic and community success. I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in my hometown of Findley Lake in various capacities and to work with the many individuals who take pride in our town and are committed to its success.

However, even with our success to date, we have significant needs that if go unmet will limit our ability to sustain our success into the future. Tax incentives could make a significant difference to us. We have immediate and long term needs including:

We have worked diligently as a community and we have tapped our individual and collective resources and need support to further advance our town.

In Closing:

Small town America conjures up thoughts of simplicity, pureness and beauty that can touch the heart and soul and rejuvenate the spirit. Rural America can inspire freedom, creativity and independence. However, there is often a shortage of resources in small towns. Without adequate resources and incentives, many of America's small communities have stagnated and they are really struggling.

Financial assistance through tax incentives can help a distressed community that is attempting to address the challenges of turning itself around. Communities can become energized and revitalized if they work collaboratively to assess their strengths, are realistic about their needs, and articulate and work diligently toward a common vision. Improvement in a community is the result of one small success followed by another. Vital ingredients in the process are mutual respect, cooperation and perseverance. They also need financial incentives to help pull themselves up by the bootstraps so they eventually can become economically self-sufficient.

For those communities who are struggling, tax incentives may be the catalyst to bring people together to develop a common goal and to begin to experience success. Without incentives, those towns may continue to deteriorate as business leaders, local government officials and community organizations do not have the tools to implement positive change. It can be frustrating to live in a depressed community where there is very little hope of change.

I applaud the subcommittee for your interest in developing tax incentives that will help rural communities. I wholeheartedly support tax incentives for small businesses and communities. I recommend that you also consider developing or expanding pilot projects that can assist small rural communities in their desire to succeed.

Thank you again for allowing me to share the story of one small American community.