Mayor Mike Hembury is in the process of creating The New York Forward Local Planning Committee (LPC) for the Village of Montgomery.

Now the real work and exciting work begins, according to Brian Fitzpatrick, member of the local Planning Committee. In the next few weeks, the committee will launch the community information, communication and public engagement part of the plan in May.

The committee will be co-chaired by Hembury and SUNY Orange President Dr. Kris Young.

LPC Members selected and approved by the NY State Office of Planning, Development & Community Infrastructure include:

• Marc Devitt, President of Devitt Hospitality.

• Dr. Susan Dean, Director of Operations for McKesson’s Distribution Center, Board Member, Business Council of Greater Montgomery.

• Amy Frisbie, Village of Montgomery Planning Board Chair, Co-Chair Montgomery Community Fund.

• Jose Hernandez, Village of Montgomery, Board of Ethics, Town of Montgomery IDA.

• Bob Reynolds, Village Community Leader, Past President of the Montgomery Fire Department.

• Sylvie Rainaldi, Member, Residents Protecting Montgomery, Trustee Town of Montgomery EMS.

The committee is task to come up with a plan to use the $4.5 million state grant awarded to the village earlier this year. Montgomery and the Village of Highland Falls were among the honorees, each on the receiving end of grants administered by the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC). Governor Kathy Hochul created the NY Forward program to invigorate and enliven downtowns in New York’s smaller and rural communities — the type of downtowns found in villages, hamlets and other small, neighborhood-scale municipal centers. It is modeled after the stat’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) which awards grants to larger cities.

Projects can include park development, streetscapes, public art and other public improvement projects.

The grant process includes public engagement. At a village board meeting last month, a state grant consultant outlined the process that includes the creation of a local committee and a a minimum of two public workshops in which residents are invited to come and share their vision for downtown. A heavy period of public engagement is expected to begin in late May.

LPC members will provide input and feedback on the community vision for downtown, goals, and revitalization strategies. They will also provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and help identify, evaluate, and select proposed projects for the State’s consideration for funding. LPC members will also assist with broad community engagement by guiding the public engagement approach and helping reach out to various constituencies about public engagement opportunities.