BATH, N.Y. (WETM) – The Steuben County Legislature has approved the allocation of $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds towards the creation of a new Comprehensive Plan for the county.

The money was formally allocated to the County Planning Department during a legislature meeting on Monday.

Steuben County Planning Director Matt Sousa formally requested the funding towards a new Comprehensive Plan during the Dec. 1 County Agriculture, Industry And Planning Committee meeting.

According to the meeting minutes, Sousa plans to use the money as part of a proposed $115,000 Climate-smart Communities Grant in collaboration with STC to form the community-generated plan.

The Climate Smart Communities Grant would “help with the development of a bicycle and pedestrian master plan which will supplement the Comprehensive Plan and check off some Climate Smart Communities action items.”

Funding would be used to hire a consultant to handle outreach, workshops, public meetings, and advertising for the plan, which could be a two year project to develop the 30 year Comprehensive Plan.

Portions of the Comprehensive Plan may include economic development, progressing toward being a Climate Smart Community, and creating a document local communities can work off of to form their own plans.

Steuben County received more than $18.5 million from the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. Previously the county allocated $6,700 to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben for a new printer and $320,000 to the Soil & Water Conservation District “to ensure the services they provide are able to continue in the County.”

AIM Independent Living was approved earlier this year to receive $30,000 for their peer to peer recovery program to provide assistance to individuals struggling with opioid addiction. The Legislature also previously approved $100,000 for the Steuben County IDA to support transportation access improvements and promote public safety at the intersection of State Route 54 and Industrial Park Road in the Town of Bath.