By Jake Palmateer
A shared-administrative services agreement between Otsego County Cooperative Extension and its counterpart in Schoharie County may set the stage for future cooperation _ and possibly a merger.
The boards of directors of Otsego County CCE and the Schoharie County Cornell Cooperative Extension recently approved an agreement to share the services of Schoharie County's Executive Director Don Smyers for a seven-month period beginning Sept. 1, according to a media release.
Dan Palm, acting executive director of Otsego County CCE, said he would stay on in a one-day-a-week, part-time role to help Smyers examine three options: leave the two extensions the way they are, share services under one administrator or merge into one organization.
"This kind of discussion is going on all over the state," Palm said Monday.
Their recommendations are due at the end of December, Palm said.
CCEs serve to support agricultural and other pursuits at the county level.
"The small Cornell Cooperative Extensions across the state are all having difficulties," Palm said, adding that the cost of administering a district can be a burden.
County extensions have always perceived themselves to be autonomous organizations, and this is a difficult step for them to take, Palm said.
"It's not easy," he said.
Under the terms of the agreement, both extensions would pay an equal share of Smyers' salary. Palm said he did not immediately have the amount of that salary available.
Palm has served as acting executive director of the Otsego County CCE after Dinnie Sloman left last year to take a job with the statewide CCE system in Ithaca.
"People of both counties share many similarities, and their agricultural pursuits are no exception. The potential for synergy between the two counties is very significant, and I am enthused to support it," said Doug Geertgens, president of the Otsego CCE board, in a media release.
A possible future for county extensions is to organize into regional entities, Palm said.
"(It's) an exciting opportunity to examine how we can better provide programs that are responsive to county residents by leveraging the resources of both organizations," he said.
"Cornell Cooperative Extension's mission of providing timely, relevant know-how for agricultural and natural-resource enterprises, families and 4-H youth programming is critical in our changing world," Palm said.
