MONTICELLO — In shambles for so long, Sullivan County’s economy now needs more help to run and Legislative chair Rusty Pomeroy on Wednesday evening planned to recommend financial incentives designed to lure new people to Sullivan.

He said the heart of his address is workforce development, but not in the traditional training mold. "In the next 12 to 18 months we’re going to be creating a minimum of 400 to 500 new jobs and I’m talking about jobs; jobs separate from the Concord, Alan Gerry’s Woodstock project, the Mamakating [resort] projects or a casino."

Without minimizing still existing economic challenges, development officials are already saying jobs are going unfilled in Sullivan. Pomeroy says the county should take an active role encouraging people to relocate here and he has identified four key areas for improvement: infrastructure, housing, education and child-care.

Sullivan in recent years has begun work on the infrastructure issues including multi-year bonding of highway construction, improvements at the county airport and its surrounding industrial park; the Emerald Corporate Park in Rock Hill and 911 service. Beyond these he is recommending an infrastructure needs survey to determine "what we have and what we need."

The survey would be funded by $25,000 from "Sullivan 2009" money.

Other areas are new ground for re-emerging Sullivan, including incentives for new housing. "Most of the housing stock is too old, World War II and older. But we have hundreds of pre-approved sites available: 400 at Emerald Green and more at Davos. We need to entice the builders," he said.

Pomeroy recommends housing and relocation stipends funded by government and the private sector to ease a move for families in addition to new tax abatements, based on occupancy rates.

More of Sullivan’s "best and brightest" need reasons to stay here, he said. Pomeroy would create a program providing $5,000 each to 20 students willing to spend two years in the county after graduating with a four-year degree. There would be higher grants for post-graduates degree holders as well as student loans and tuition reimbursements for SCCC graduates willing to stay on. Funding of some $300,000 would come from a $2 million 1999 sales tax collection surplus.

Pomeroy says Sullivan school districts must "improve test scores and be more competitive." He wants to devote a portion of Sullivan’s tobacco settlement money to assisting area school districts with new programs that education and health professionals will develop independently.

Child-care effects education and the available workforce and Sullivan already has a deficit of available child-care slots. In addition to seeking new state and federal assistance, Pomeroy says business must be challenged to make child-care a standard feature. "The [county Industrial Development Agency] must question new businesses about child-care plans, and let them know we want them thinking about it."

Pomeroy will assign the other eight legislators to planning "summit" discussions on these four issues to take place in the next 60 to 90 days. In the meantime, he plans appearances in various parts of the county to explore the issues further.

Other proposals expected Wednesday included: a citizens task force to make binding recommendations on a process for legislative salary increases; a one-night per week, six-week-pilot plan to open public transaction offices in the government center including those of the clerk, treasurer, probation, motor vehicles, real property and others; plus a plan to protect Sullivan’s family farms by state/county funded willing seller acquisition of farm land development rights.

Pomeroy said the new owners of the Concord will also be formally announcing plans for a $500-$600 million reconstruction of an 1,100-room hotel with convention facilities and improvements to the golf courses.