Erie County Legislator Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R-Clarence) announced, on the steps of Erie Community College's Downtown Campus Thursday afternoon, a series of upcoming Stakeholders' Meetings to discuss the future of the college.

     "Erie Community College has been an integral and important part of our community for more than 50 years," said Legislator Ranzenhofer. "In order to ensure a bright and successful future for ECC we need to make smart decisions that are well informed. These meetings will give the residents of Erie County a chance to share their opinions about the future of the college, and help us choose the direction that we're going to take."

     The announcement of the meetings follows the release of consultant Barton Hovey Nardini & Tries P.C.'s Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS), which evaluated possible configurations for ECC, as the college prepares to create a master plan for its future. The DGEIS offered no recommendations as to the path Erie County should take with its community college, but documented the specifics of the implementation of different scenarios.

     The three options evaluated in the DGEIS are:

1. Enhance and improve the three current campuses in their present set-up
2. Consolidate Erie Community College into one downtown campus
3. Continue to maintain three campuses, but reconfigure the suburban campuses to allow for public-private partnerships

     The GEIS is now in the hands of Erie Community College's Board of Trustees. Following the Board's review of the report, ECC will hold its own formal public hearings.

     Legislator Ranzenhofer says that he hopes the Legislature's Stakeholders' Meetings, which will precede the Public Hearings, will lay the groundwork for the GEIS review. "Although we are only in the preliminary stages of this process, and there are many details that have yet to be examined, I want to ensure that public input remains a top priority every step along the way," concluded Legislator Ranzenhofer.

     The schedule of meetings is as follows:

• Amherst/Cheektowaga - Monday, February 23, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Harlem Road Community Center, 4255 Harlem Road, Amherst
• Southtowns - Monday, February 23, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Orchard Park Town Hall Basement, S-4295 South Buffalo Street, Orchard Park
• City - Monday, March 1, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., ECC Downtown Campus Auditorium, 121 Ellicott Street, Buffalo
• Amherst/Clarence - Wednesday, March 3, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Transit Middle School, 8730 Transit Road, East Amherst

     For more information on the Legislature's stakeholder meetings, please contact Legislator Ranzenhofer's District Office at 631-8695.