NORWICH – The prospect of accomplishing anything at a public meeting may be going by the wayside.

That was the sentiment of at least two of Chenango County’s most prominent leaders following an economic development discussion Thursday that turned into a protest of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

Job creating and investment strategies for the Southern Tier - and competition for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s promise of millions of dollars in incentives - were to take center stage, but the still subterranean Marcellus Shale kept spewing its natural gas.

Referring to last Thursday night’s gathering and government board meetings held throughout the county over the past two years, Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker, R-N. Norwich, had this to say:

“There used to be a time when you could get together for a public program and get things done, work together. Unfortunately, we get interrupted, so we don’t deal with real problems like mandates and taxes.”

Decker was one of about 40 government and business leaders who attended an Empire State Development Office “Open for Business” presentation at Commerce Chenango. The public session in Norwich was designed to harness local expertise and ideas for the Governor’s regional, five-year economic development strategy. It was one of five planned throughout the seven counties within the newly created Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council.

As one of 10 regions, the STREDC has the opportunity to compete for $120 million in capital and $80 million in New York State Excelsior tax credits, said the session’s moderator, ESD Regional Director and Southern Tier Council Executive Director Kevin McLoughlin.

“The $1 billion will be divided over 10 regions, but the top four plans will get the most. Everybody will get some,” he said.

McLoughlin stressed that Gov. Cuomo had expedited the timetable for completing the grant process as well as the final distribution of funds, with the latter scheduled to be announced in December.

But before the facilitator could break down the audience into previously determined work groups, he fielded a barage of questions about the environmental safety of hydraulic fracturing and the state’s renewable energy efforts.

Peter A. Hudiburg, a candidate for Plymouth Town Council, said any state plan for economic development should focus on “the humongous potential” of renewable energy sources, like solar, wind and biomass instead of natural gas. He objected to the ESD plan that listed natural gas in the same category as renewable energy opportunities.

Guilford’s Ken Fogarty, president of Chenango Alternatives for Renewable Energy, said economic development that comes from drilling natural gas reserves should be balanced by sustaining the serene beauty, tourism and natural resources offered in the Southern Tier.

Others warned that developing natural gas should be seen as a barrier to progress, and that clean water should be listed as the number one asset.