Local Access Policy (1-25) FINAL
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LOCAL ACCESS POLICY
In absence of a waiver permitting otherwise, every project seeking the assistance of the
Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (Agency) must use local general
contractors, sub-contractors and labor for one-hundred percent (100%) of the construction of
new, expanded, or renovated facilities. The project’s construction or project manager need not
be a local company.
All projects of the Agency will be subject to monitoring by the Agency. Noncompliance may
result in the revoking and/or recapture of all benefits extended to the project by the Agency.
Definitions
Local Labor is defined as laborers permanently residing in the State of New York counties of
Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Tompkins and
Wayne.
Local (Sub) Contractor is defined as a contractor operating a permanent office in the State of
New York counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga,
Oswego, Tompkins and Wayne.

Waivers
The Agency may determine on a case-by-case basis to waive the local access policy for a project
or for a portion of a project where consideration of warranty issues, necessity of specialized
skills, significant cost differentials between local and non-local services or other compelling
circumstances exist. Should a company require a waiver of the local access policy, the Board
requests that the company make good faith efforts to use New York based companies prior to
reaching outside the state for services.
Waiver Process
The project Applicant will submit in writing a request for a waiver to the Executive Director of
the Agency. Said request will clearly and comprehensively explain and reliably verify the need
for the waiver. The company shall then provide proof to the Executive Director of diligent
efforts to secure labor within the local labor area. The company must provide proof directly
from local companies that the labor is not available in the local labor area. The Executive
Director will submit the verified waiver request to the Board Chair and the agency attorney for
review and shall approve or disapprove waivers.
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Local Access Policy – Revised January 2025