genesee county

There's now a time line in place for the Center for Governmental Research to conduct its study on the future of the Genesee County Nursing Home.

It starts with meetings of key stakeholders at the nursing home and ends with a final report delivered to the County Legislature in September.

During the process, CGR consultants will meet regularly with the legislature's steering committee.

The full time line is available here (pdf).

When the interlock-device provision of Leandra's Law is implemented on Aug. 15, there may be only one local auto-service shop certified to install the devices on the cars of convicted drunken drivers.

Bill's Auto at 101 Evans St., Batavia, is an authorized service agent for Des Moines, Iowa-based Intoxalock, one of six manufacturers certified by New York to sell the devices under court-mandated penalties for DWI. So far, no other Genesee County repair shop has apparently become certified to install interlock devices for any of the other manufacturers.

Business might be booming soon for Bill Ruffino -- with an estimated 300 to 400 cars in Genesee County required to get the device in the next year -- but Ruffino isn't sure that's a good thing.

Devices must be installed on every car a convicted drunken driver might drive. Once installed, a monthly inspection is required for each device, so for some drivers that might mean multiple trips to Bill's Auto.

Ruffino also figures that some people will be just flat embarrassed that they were convicted of DWI.

At the end of the day, some convicted drunken drivers may not have a warm-and-fuzzy feeling about Bill's Auto after going through the process.

"They’re not going to be happy people coming in here if they have to have it on multiple vehicles and get it inspected," Ruffino said. "It’s going to be a hassle. I’m not sure how happy they are going to be to see me."

Leandra's Law was passed in November in a rush following the death of Leandra Rosado, an 11-year-old passenger in the car of an allegedly driven drunken driver. It stipulates that interlock devices be required for six-months or longer on the cars owned or operated by convicted drunken drivers.

Ruffino said he isn't sure how it's all going to work -- the state has yet to produce guidelines, but he does know his shop is going to be doing a lot more installations and monthly inspections.

Yes, monthly inspections. Each car with the device will be required to roll into the shop for a visual inspection, and a piece of the device that contains a data chip will be taken out, put in a box and mailed to the manufacturer. Then technicians there download the data and provide it to Genesee County officials.

Currently, Bill's Auto has only two clients with interlock devices installed, so he said he really isn't clear how his shop, the county and state will work together on the new program.

"I never actually spoke with the county when I signed up for this," Ruffino said. "It was just a rep from the manufacturer itself who got a hold of me and asked me to do it, but until this came through, I’d never spoken with anybody (from the county) about it."

Earlier this week, Genesee County officials raised concerns about the lack of details from the state on how the new program will work and who will pay for administration of the program, but a spokesman for Intoxalock said many of the county concerns are already taken care of by state law.

For example, county taxpayers will not be burdened with the cost of the devices for so-called indigent convicts.

Brad Fralick, director of government relations for Intoxalock, said that New York already requires manufactures to cover devices for convicted drunken drivers who can't afford the devices. 

While the state is working out a scheme for an assessment to be charged to convicts who can afford the devices, that sort of arrangement isn't unusual. Fralick said in other states, such assessments are used either to pay for device installations, or for administrative costs.

A press release on the Intoxalock website says that interlock devices reduce repeat offenses by 64 percent.

Even though New York's installations are expected to jump from 2,500 to 25,000 under Leandra's Law, Fralick said his company is prepared -- already ramping up production -- to handle the increased business.

The cost for a convicted drunken driver, will exceed $1,000. On each car, the convict will be required to pay $65 per month, plus $19 to Bill's Auto for monthly inspections, and $112 for the initial installations and $40 to have it removed once the monitoring period is over.

Fralick pointed out that the cost is a lot less than the $10,000 to $15,000 a second DWI conviction would cost the driver.

Fralick doesn't expect county taxpayers to take on the cost of installation and monitoring of the devices. He said it's already New York law that the manufacturers provide the devices for drivers who can't provide them. And negotiations are under way to create an assessment on those drivers who can afford the devices, to pay for those who can't.

In all, 47 states have some type of law requiring interlock devices, Fralick said.

In related news, the county's Ways and Means Committee passed a draft resolution Wednesday asking the State Legislature to amend Leandra's Law to give local court judges discretion on whether a convicted drunken driver would be required to install interlock devices.

Genesee County's two elected state legislators applaud the get-tough-on-drunken-driving provisions in Leandra's Law, even while saying they need to work toward making the new law less burdensome on local government.

While county officials raised a number of objections to a provision of the law that will require all drivers convicted of DWI to install an ignition interlock device, both Sen. Mike Ranzenhofer and Assemblyman Steve Hawley said that was an aspect of the new law they fully supported.

Razenhofer pointed to the county probation's chief, Julie Smith, who said interlock devices are effective at stopping drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.

"I knew it (the provision) was in there and I thought it was a good idea," said Ranzenhofer. "It's supposed to be a deterrent to keep drunks off the road. The point is to keep the person off the road so he doesn't kill, maim or harm other individuals."

Hawley said if people are going to drink and drive, when they're convicted, the need to "pay the price."

"The alternative," he said, "is to go to jail, and that is an alternative."

Both Ranzenhofer and Hawley said they are talking with Genesee County officials and trying to find ways to address their concerns, but Hawley also said of all the counties he represents, only Genesee is raising vocal objections. The other counties, he said, indicated they can find a way to accommodate the provisions of the law.

Hawley said he wants to see if it's possible to delay implimenation so counties with concerns can find ways to get them addressed.

Neither Hawley nor Ranzenhofer expressed a lot of sympathy for the spouse of a person convicted of DWI who might also be required to start blowing into a tube to start his or her car.

"My sympathies lie with the victims, the people who are hurt or killed by drunken drivers," Ranzenhofer said.

As for the cost, Hawley said the county shouldn't pay for these devices if someone convicted of DWI can't afford it.

"If they can afford the alcohol, and they can afford the insurance, and they can afford the car, then they can certainly afford the device," Hawley said. "If not, they have to get rid of their cars."

With an 82-percent return rate, Pavilion is leading Genesee County in census participation, according to figures put out today by the County Planning Department.

All told, the participation rate for Genesee County is 75 percent. That's far ahead of the State of New York, which is at 58 percent, and ahead of the rest of the nation, at 64 percent.

Right behind Pavilion in participation is Alabama, 81 percent, and the Town of Elba at 80 percent. 

The City of Batavia lags the rest of the county at 70 percent, with Ward 5 being the most behind at 61 percent. The top ward for the city is Ward 1 at 77 percent.

The number of retiring Genesee County workers over the next two years could increase county expenses by as much as $3 million.

That's according to figures released Wednesday by County Treasurer Scott German at the Ways and Means Committee meeting.

Afterward, he said the looming increase is troublesome.

"I’m very concerned about that because I’m not sure how we’re going to be able to come up with that kind of money without raising taxes," German said.

In other items German shared with the legislators:

• The recent tax foreclosure auction turned a slight profit for the county of $6,900.  Initially, German didn't think the auction was profitable -- the amount spent by auction winners compared to the amount of property taxes owed -- but the early figures included interest payments on the back taxes, which did not need to be included.
• The county has a fund balance of $9 million for 2009. This is up $397,022 from 2008. The fund balance is a measure of all money either collected or due the county from various sources, such as property taxes and state and federal sources. It doesn't necessarily mean the money is in the bank or that it has even been received.
• The county's bond rating was bumped two grades to AA-. German noted that a two-grade bump is very rare and is "reflective of financial policies being practiced by the County Legislature and Treasurer's Office."
• Interest earnings continue to decline. Earnings in 2009 dropped to $412,000, which is half the earnings of 2008, at $700,000. And 2008 was half of 2007, which was $1.4 million.
• Revenue from sales tax dropped in 2009, which is the first drop since 2003 and only the second drop since 1991. Sales tax revenue is expected to be flat in 2010.

Genesee County has been awarded an energy-efficiency grant for $500,000, the maximum amount available under the program.

The grant was awarded by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

The $500K will be used for energy efficiency projects in all 14 county facilities. No matching funds are required.

"This is the first step in a comprehensive energy efficiency program aimed at reducing our energy costs in the county," said Frank Ciaccia, assistant county manager, in a statement.

The county spends nearly $1 million a year on energy.

The first project will be a retrofit of the county buildings with energy efficient lighting and controls.

The project will net the county an immediate $31,000 in savings.

Previously: County planning to hire energy efficiency consultants

Of the 18 fire departments in Genesee County, 15 of them responded to grass fires on Friday and/or Saturday.

A total of 13 separate grass fires were reported over the two-day period, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger.

Over the 48-hour period, local fire departments responded to 58 emergency calls total.

No grass fires were reported Easter Sunday.

All of the fires were potential violations of the state's new ban on open burning, which prohibits residents from going through the spring ritual of piling up fallen leaves and branches and lighting a match. No open burning is allowed from March 16 through May 14 (for more on the new regulations, click here).

"While there was a high volume of grass fire calls, this happens every year time this year and it's why the DEC and New York enacted new regulations not to allow open burning," Yaeger said. "There is no green vegetation, very low humidity and just a little bit of breeze, so even just a few embers can blow off and start a very large fire."

So-called "controlled burns" this time of year create a number of problems for local fire departments, Yaeger said. Responding to the calls themselves can be dangerous, there is always a danger in fighting any kind of fire, and such fires can quickly spread to structures.

That's exactly what happened in Covington, Wyoming County, on Saturday when the Pavilion Fire Department (Covington is in the Pavilion district) responded to a barn fire at 1:34 p.m.

Byron Fire and several mutual-aid departments were tied up for a couple of hours on a rubber fire on Tower Hill Road. The Department of Environmental Conservation was called in for that blaze.

"One of the biggest concerns we have is when people out there are burning illegally," Yaeger said. "It's one thing to burn brush. It's another thing when they're out there burning tires, pesticides, tanks, things that were never allowed to be burned. That’s a real concern to us. It creates pollution and there's a bigger danger of secondary fires."

Over Friday and Saturday, Le Roy responded to four grass fires, Alexander three (all on Saturday), Darien, three, and Stafford, two. Stafford also responded to a locomotive fire (pictures here).

Stafford 2nd Asst. Chief Scott Kibler noted in comments that he and his fellow volunteers were on duty from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Batavian was with Stafford on the Roanoke Road fire, and the homeowner there seemed fairly embarrassed to have the fire department out to his house. He said he wasn't clear on the new burn regulations. DEC wasn't called to the scene and there was no apparent wllingness to ticket him.

Yaeger said he instructed fire chiefs back in October to use their discretion on whether to call out the DEC to a grass fire, at least for this first year, while people are still getting used to the change in the law.

"We want to inform the public of the new regulations and try to work with them," Yaeger said.

Yaeger said that if you see a possible controlled burn, but it's not out of control, it would be appropriate to contact DEC. If the fire seems to be spreading, witnesses should call 9-1-1.

Thirteen parcels auctioned off at Bontrager's in Batavia on Saturday morning will add nearly $78,000 to the Genesee County coffers.

But's a bit short of the more than $100,000 in unpaid taxes that caused the county to foreclose on the properties in the first place.

County Treasurer Scott German said he was disappointed at the results.

The total tax assessment value of the properties exceeded $250,000, but one winning bidder said the Village of Le Roy rental he won for $8,000 wasn't worth the $22,000 in assessed value.

Winning bidders won't be responsible for the back taxes, but they may owe other fees and taxes to the towns and villages with jurisdiction over their winning properties.

Two of the properties auctioned off have been in the news in the past couple of years.

One of the first properties up for auction this morning was 789 Lewiston Road, a one-acre parcel where an alleged meth lab was found in November. It went for $3,000 (sorry, I'll need to follow up on the assessed value ... didn't write this one down for some reason).

The other property that was in the news was 7881 Lewiston Road, where a fire claimed the life of 17-year-old Erik Mooney on May 30, 2008. This Lewiston Road parcel went for the highest auction price at $29,000. There were $890 in taxes owed on the land, which was valued at $25,000.

One of biggest bargains of the day may have been out of the Village of Alexander, where a house and 1.28 acres at 3438 Telephone Road valued at $42,100 went for $8,000. There were $1,784 in taxes owed on the property, which led to its foreclosure.

Another bargain was 1 Pleasant St., Le Roy, which is valued at $48,600 and sold for $8,000. The back taxes on the parcel were $32,866.

Bidders said they were there for a variety of reasons, from representatives of Habitat for Humanity to landlords to people just looking for a bargain on a good piece of property.

The Foss's, pictured below, purchased a small parcel just because it adjoins their current property.

The video under the picture contains pictures from the auction. It's important to note that the audio has no relation to the bidders you see in the video. Just because you see a picture of a bidder doesn't mean he or she is bidding on the property in the audio or at the price mentioned. The audio is for bidding on 7881 Lewiston Road.

If you haven't filled out your census yet, go ahead and do it now, says Jill M. Babinski, a senior planner with the Genesee County Planning Department.

She acknowledges that the form is confusing because it says Census Day is April 1, yet it also says to send it in right away. But mailing the form now will ensure it gets delivered in time and that's the best approach to take, she said.

"I know some people who aren't sending it in until April 1, because they say that's 'Census Day,' but they should go ahead and send it in now," Babinski said.

So far, 30 percent of Genesee County has been counted, though the actual return rate may be higher. Babinski said the Census Bureau may not have all the data entered yet.

The county's goal is 90-percent participation.

In 2000, it was 86 percent.

Residents who don't answer the census -- which takes 10 minutes -- will receive a visit from a canvass worker sometime in late spring or early summer.

Workers will also visit residents who get their mail through P.O. boxes. Those people will not receive a postal mailed census form.

She thinks the 90-percent goal is realistic because of all the marketing the Census Bureau has done this year. A high participation rate is really important to the local community.

"I understand there is some anti-government sentiment out there, but why wouldn't you fill it out," Babinski said. "You're only hurting yourself and your community. It's how our government figures aid and reapportionment. It's really important, and you become a part of history."

County taxpayers will save more than $1 million in interest payments, thanks to an effort by County Treasurer Scott D. German to refinance four old bond issues.

German got permission from the County Legislature in January to try to refinance the bonds, and closed on all four issues -- from 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2001 -- on March 16.

The total savings turned out to be $1,113,632.50 over the next six years.

"We did better in the market place than we anticipated, we did about 10% better than expected,” German said in a press release today. "I couldn’t be happier to help provide these savings to the taxpayers.

The $10.7 million in bonds helped build the court facility, make improvements to the county building and old courthouse, build the GCC technology center and renovate the county nursing home.

From the press release:

Since we are experiencing low rates of interest in the bond market, German asked Fiscal Advisors, the county’s financial advisor, to take a look at refinancing  to see if it was worth while, “as it turned out it was a gigantic savings to the taxpayers,” German said.  “It is not often that I can save taxpayers over a million dollars, I am so glad I asked the question,” German said. “Bottom line, this is a great savings to Genesee County taxpayers."

Often times, according to Emergency Communications Director Steven Sharpe, when people call 9-1-1 looking for help in a hurry, they don't understand why the dispatcher starts asking a lot of questions.

A father has fallen from a ladder, a grandmother has had a stroke, or a child is seriously ill. The caller has one thought: Get an ambulance here fast!

And some dispatcher on the other end of the phone starts asking questions and seems to be taking up a lot of time talking. The caller is thinking: Why can't you just send help now instead of gabbing on the phone?

What the caller may not realize, is that the dispatch center is staffed by three or more people who can share information quickly and easily through their computers. While one dispatcher is gathering vital information that will assist emergency responders when they arrive on scene, another dispatcher is already putting out the call to the appropriate agency.

Sharpe sent a press release to local media explaining procedures in detail. The full release is available after the jump:

Your family member falls off a ladder and is howling in pain, you call 9-1-1 and the dispatcher starts asking you a series of questions. Aren’t these questions just wasting time? You’re frustrated; you just want help as fast as possible.

When you call 9-1-1 and get the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center, there are a number of things happening simultaneously that are designed to help you.

A majority of the time, while you are being questioned by a 9-1-1 dispatcher, the dispatcher’s partner is listening and often is already in the process of sending first responders to your location, as long as the location has already been provided. 

That is why the first question asked is always, “Genesee County 9-1-1, what is the address of your emergency?” The dispatcher needs to know your exact location so help can get to you as quickly as possible. Although there have been a great deal of improvements in location technologies, cellular companies only have to provide 9-1-1 location information within 300 meters. Three hundred meters could mean up to a couple of blocks radius within the city. That is why it is necessary to confirm your exact location. 

Next, the dispatcher will ask your name and call-back number so it is known who to call in case the line gets cut off. This is especially important if you are calling from a school or business where all the outgoing lines go through a PBX (Private Branch Exchange).  Calls have been received where the 9-1-1 screen shows an address from one building, but the person in need is at a branch office miles away. Having your name and direct call-back number can be the difference between saving a life and sending help to the wrong location.

At this point, if you haven’t already explained what your emergency is, you will be prompted to "tell me exactly what happened.” For medical calls, an Emergency Medical Dispatch Protocol is followed, in accordance with NYS 9-1-1 Board Adopted Standards.  This protocol is a series of questions and instructions designed to help the dispatcher send the right response, provide life-saving instructions, and help a caller remain calm during this time of crisis. You will then be asked additional questions about the patient’s status (age, awake, breathing, etc.). These are the very basic questions that help the dispatcher determine if it is appropriate to stop asking questions and dispatch responders.

Depending on the situation, additional questions may be asked; and based on your answers, either an Advanced Life Support Ambulance or a Basic Life Support Ambulance will be sent. For Basic Life Support, the information you provide will determine the urgency of the medical care needed and whether the ambulance travels with lights and sirens. Which agencies respond is determined by your location. 

After the call is dispatched, the 9-1-1 dispatcher will stay on the line to give you instructions to help the patient and the emergency medical professionals. Instructions may include: do not let the patient have anything to eat or drink, unlock the door, etc. For more serious emergencies, the dispatcher may have you send someone to get an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), provide step-by-step instructions on how to deliver a baby (this has been done four times to date), or help you perform rescue breathing or CPR.

The Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center is here to help when you are potentially having the worst day of your life. Although it may seem like time is being wasted when dispatchers initially ask a series of questions; they are, in fact, sending responders your way while providing you the appropriate assistance. There have been a number of cases where following the dispatcher’s instructions have helped to save a patient’s life.

If you have further questions about the processes involved when a 9-1-1 call is received, how to contact agencies for non-emergencies, or if you would like a tour of the Genesee County 9-1-1 Center, please feel free to contact Director Sharpe at 585-343-5000.

Remember to call 9-1-1 for all police, fire, or medical emergencies!

(Updated 8:17 a.m., Tuesday)

Charles Zambito -- currently the county legislator serving District 2 (Elba, Byron and Bergen) -- would very much like to be the new county attorney.

With the retirement of John Rizzo this month, Zambito has let his fellow legislators -- who will pick the new county attorney -- know that he would like the job.

"It’s something that I had my eye on if there was an opening, but who knew if there would be an opening?" Zambito said Monday afternoon. "This is the opportunity and I’m interested."

Inarguably, the Elba resident is qualified. He's clerked for two local judges, worked as a public defender in Monroe County and spent 11 years in the local district attorney's office. He's also got decades of experience in insurance liability and litigation, not to mention the more than eight years he's served as a county legislator.

"Obviously, my experience with the county legislature got me interested in it, but it’s the kind of job that sort of fits with what I’ve been doing for the past almost 30 years," Zambito said.

The legislature will meet in closed session on Wednesday morning to discuss the county attorney position. Zambito's application for the job is likely to be considered. The topic is also on the Ways and Means Committee agenda for Wednesday afternoon.

County Legislature Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock said since the legislature has not yet discussed the issue as a group, she couldn't say how Zambito's application will be received, but she said Zambito certainly seems qualified for the job.

"He has the experience," she said. "He's a good attorney and he has experience in insurance and risk management."

She added that his experience as a county legislator also helps.

In talking with Chuck on Monday afternoon, he clearly has an enthusiasm for the job and is hoping that the other legislators will support his application. He isn't applying for the job just because it seems like the thing to do -- he sees it as the right thing for him to do at this point in his career.

"I think I can fit in fairly well," Zambito said. "John’s been there a long time – over 30 years – I don’t know that anybody can just step in and replace him, but I think I can probably do as good a job as anybody with my background."

A spokeswoman for the union that represents most county workers issued a statement this afternoon asking the County Legislature to table a resolution on tonight's agenda to freeze county employee pay.

Lynn Miller writes:

The legislature is expected to vote on the terms and conditions of the contract tonight following failed mediation and a fact-finding recommendation rejected, in part, by the union. CSEA had asked the county to return to the table to fine tune the fact-finding report. In addition, the union provided several alternatives for the county’s consideration.

“The fact-finding decision brought the two parties a bit closer, and with further talks an acceptable agreement may have been reached,” said CSEA Genesee County Unit President Debby Long. “We are disappointed the county manager turned down both our request to negotiate and the alternatives we offered."

Throughout negotiations, the county’s negotiator has asked for CSEA to agree to a “second tier” wage scale. The new scale would cut 10 percent from the salaries of newly hired county workers. CSEA considers that to be the major sticking point.

“Creating a second tier wage scale does little more than drive a wedge between employees,” Long said. “The county didn’t suggest any other union agree to the second tier. We do not believe it is in the best interest of the membership.”

The properties listed below were reportedly foreclosed on by Genesee County for non-payment of taxes.  They will be auctioned off March 27 at Bontrager's.

The properties listed as owned by Genesee County are properties that were not sold at the last auction.

TOWN OF ALABAMA 15.-1-42 SHAMROCK FRANK C KENYON AVE. TOWN OF ALABAMA 6.-1-79 COUNTY OF GENESEE 789 LEWISTON ROAD TOWN OF ALEXANDER 11.-1-40.12 UNKNOWN GENESEE STREET TOWN OF ALEXANDER 15.-1-29 CAPWELL THOMAS 4011 COOKSON ROAD TOWN OF BATAVIA 13.-1-107.1 COUNTY OF GENESEE EAST MAIN STREET ROAD TOWN OF BATAVIA 3.-1-114 MOONEY JUDY L 7881 LEWISTON ROAD TOWN OF BERGEN 6.-1-19.1 CONTE RICHARD E 6567 NORTH LAKE ROAD TOWN OF BERGEN 11.-1-26 DURRANT SHARON & DAVID J 6422 WEST SWEDEN ROAD TOWN OF BYRON 5.-2-44 TEAMCO CORPORATION 6657 COLE ROAD TOWN OF BYRON 7.-1-13.12 STANTON BONNIE 6902 ROUTE 237 TOWN OF LEROY 30.-1-94 FIX JOHN AND LORIE WARSAW ROAD TOWN OF PAVILION 15.-1-9.21 THE ESTATE OF GERALICE RAE BURGH STARR ROAD TOWN OF PEMBROKE 18.-1-52 CAPWELL THOMAS J SCRIBNER ROAD VILLAGE OF ALEXANDER 2.-3-20.1 FULLER JEREMY J 3438 TELEPHONE ROAD VILLAGE OF LEROY 7.-1-65 NORSTRAND DANIEL 1 PLEASANT STREET VILLAGE OF LEROY 7.-2-11 NORSTRAND DANIEL 8 PLEASANT STREET

The State Department of Taxation and Finance notified Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) earlier this month of a “cost-recovery tax" on revenues, included in the 2009-10 budget, to cover costs of state government services; even though the state statute required the notification by Nov. 1, 2009.

In regard to this, Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer has issued the following statement:

“The most recent development in New York’s tax epic is to punish development agencies for helping businesses locate in our community and create jobs. The 'cost-recovery tax' is nothing but a tax on job creation, effectively hurting efforts of community business leaders to bring jobs to Western New York.

Revenues generated by IDAs are reinvested. The 'cost-recovery tax' steals economic development dollars from our community. Even worse, the tax is based on revenues for 2008, most of which have already been reinvested.

Local industrial development agencies already pay a Bond Issuance Charge to the state for government services. The 'cost-recovery tax' forces local agencies to pay double and this is excessive. After the Authority Budget Office collects the job-creation tax, its budget will increase by 300 percent.

Over the next few days and weeks, I plan to work with my colleagues in state government to defeat yet another job-killing tax.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C—Batavia) released the following Tuesday in response to the 2010-11 New York Executive Budget:

According to the Executive Budget, there would be reductions in the operation budget of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation (OPRHP), resulting in the closure of 57 State Parks and Historic Sites throughout the state, including the Oak Orchard State Marine Park.

"The planned closing of the Oak Orchard State Marine Park, and other state parks, as part of the state’s budget reduction proposal is the wrong approach and just another one of Albany’s budgetary gimmicks,” Hawley said. “Once again Albany is forcing Upstate residents to make unfair sacrifices because the special interests in New York City won't give up their demands.

"At a ratio of 33 to 1, these closures will overwhelmingly damage Upstate communities that depend on their state parks not only for local recreation and ‘staycations,’ but for support of their local economies through job creation and tourism. Additionally, many parks charge admission and parking fees, which with longer hours and a longer season could help cover their operating costs.

"Closing parks and restricting operating hours is unwise at a time when the slow recovery from the recession and higher gas prices will lead many families to spend their vacation dollars in local state parks and historic sites,” Hawley continued.

"Despite the announced closures, the State Assembly and Senate can allocate an additional $5 million from the Environmental Protection Fund (through a 21-Day Amendment to the executive budget) to help pay for operational costs at selected parks throughout the state. However, to date the Orchard State Marine Park is not listed among the selected parks that would be eligible for the funds.

“If the state is serious about closing the impending budget deficits then real budget cuts should be made, not cuts to our parks and historic sites. Earlier this month, I joined many of my colleagues, from both sides of the aisle, in sending a letter in opposition to these closures to Speaker Silver. It is my hope that the legislature will find a bipartisan solution that properly allocates the $5 million from the Environmental Protection Fund in a way that prevents any state park closures this year,” Hawley concluded.

It's time for Genesee County to update its emergency preparedness plans, and today the Public Safety Committee approved spending $89,355 of Homeland Security grants on a consultant to help get the job done.

Emergency Response and Global Security Solutions, out of Cadillac, Mich., has been selected to help Genesee County's emergency management team get local preparedness plans in order.

Emergency Management Coordinator Tim Yaeger said bringing in a consultant is necessary because of the time involved in preparing the plans, and to ensure that the written documents meet state and federal specifications.

"Completing a thorough plan that complies with state and federal regulations is very time consuming," Yaeger said.

The series of plans will cover responses from emergency personnel ranging from pandemic disease outbreaks to airplane crashes to extreme weather events.

The plans include ones on dealing with mass fatalities, special needs sheltering (for people, for example, with disabilities), animal rescue (dealing with pets when whole areas need to be evacuated and people don't want to leave their pets behind) and a comprehensive county plan.

"Once the plan is developed, that plan identifies needs, gaps to be filled and we start addressing them through training and exercises," Yaeger said.

Among the most likely scenarios emergency personnel need to be ready to deal with are ice storms or blizzards, Yaeger said.

After natural disasters, emergency personnel need to be ready to handle hazardous material spills, either because such materials are stored in the county or often get transported through the county on trains or in trucks.

Genesee County isn't a likely to be a priority area for a terrorist attack, Yaeger noted, but deadly diseases can strike anywhere, and officials and volunteers need to be be ready to deal with any such outbreak.

County officials are at looking ways to save taxpayer money by eliminating energy waste.

When the Genesee County Legislature meets at 7 tonight in the Old Courthouse, it will vote on a pair of resolutions aimed at greater energy efficiency.

The county has an opportunity to apply for up to $500,000 in federal stimulus funds to upgrade energy infrastructure. The county must also identify what changes can be made in its facilities to achieve the greatest energy savings.

To get help in applying for stimulus funds and to study the county's energy needs, the legislature will vote on whether to approve a pair of contracts with Wendel Energy Services, which has offices in Buffalo, Long Island and Washington, D.C..

"From past experience, I can say we might spend $100,000 to $1 million, but we'll get back more than $1 million over the course of 10 years in savings," said Assistant County Manager Frank Ciaccia.

He said it's impossible right now to put a precise figure on possible savings. "That's what the study will tell us," he said, but it's clear the potential is there.

The study will cost $58,800, but half of that will be paid by a New York energy agency. Applying for the stimulus grants will cost $2,500.

Every building the county owns -- from the fairly new courts facility and the Sheriff's Park Road office, to the Holland Land Office Museum and the Old Courthouse -- would be evaluated by Wendel Energy Services.

The firm has already identified several areas of concern in Genesee County, from inefficient lighting (perhaps too much lighting for a particular room, or a lack of timers and motion detectors to automatically turn off lights) to outdated heating/air-conditioning units. The jail, for example, had its boiler installed in 1984. The county is interested in investigating the cost and return-on-investment of installing a modern boiler.

A key part of the study would be determining which energy projects to fund. Obviously, one consideration is whether the county plans to keep the building. For example, if the county decided it would need a new jail facility within 20 years, replacing the boiler may not be a priority.

"One of our goals is to look at the payback over 10 years and how long we expect to stay in a building," Ciaccia said. "If we decide we won't be in those buildings, that will influence our decision not to select those projects."

The Genesee County Nursing Home is not included in the study package since the county's continued ownership of that facility is currently in doubt. The nursing home could be re-included at some point, Ciaccia said, if a decision is made to keep it.

County officials knew at the start of the journey that 2009 would be a rocky road, and there were many valleys to pass through, but the county managed to ride it out without raising taxes or severely cutting services.

That's the state of the county, according to Mary Pat Hancock, chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature.

Hancock reviewed 2009 and looked ahead some during her annual address in the Legislature chambers Wednesday night.

"In addition to the known and announced reduction in state aid, we had many fiscal surprises, none of them good," said Hanckock. "They ranged from delayed payment for mandated and already provided services, to lower sales-tax revenues and to retroactive cuts in reimbursements. These continue to plague us. I am not an alarmist, this county has good and varied resources and will survive, but not by hiding its head in the sand -- the fiscal crisis is far from over."

Key points from tonight's address:

• The rising cost of operating the Genesee County Nursing Home. General Fund contributions to its operation are expected to exceed $4.4 million by 2014.
• GCEDC participated in 23 projects with an investment in the county of $50 million.
• The number of Genesee County families turning to the Department of Social Services for Medicaid, Food Stamps and Home Energy Assistance continues to grow. Also up are reports to Child Protective Services for investigation. "It’s not an easy task to raise children in the best of circumstances, and the job becomes even harder when so many of our residents are struggling with their financial difficulties," Hancock said.
• More than 6,000 residents have received seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines.
• The downturn in the county has contributed to an ever-increasing caseload for the Office of the Public Defender.
• Federal stimulus money has meant the Job Development Bureau has seen its budget double. The number of clients in job training has increased 93 percent.
• Genesee Community College’s enrollment hit an all-time record during the fall 2009 semester with 7,208 credit students.

After listing these and other departmental challenges and accomplishments, Hancock said:

"It is impossible for me to end this address without acknowledging the impact of this difficult year on our constituents. We relate to the high level of frustration and fear experienced as jobs were lost, retirement funds shrank and healthcare costs soared. Change was promised in good faith, but no one anticipated the type of change. It is said that the economy is back on track. Genesee County’s unemployment is the lowest in the area, but it is still too high. Small and large businesses are still struggling. Folks are having a hard time meeting their financial obligations. We hear you and will continue to do everything possible to contain the costs and support and attract and retain 'economy builders.'"

Hancock then called on the State Legislature to clean up its act and start governing with greater fiscal responsibility.

"It is all about jobs," Hancock said. "All efforts should focus on a new and improved economic development plan for New York State. Is it impossible? No. Empower local governments, regional governments like counties, individually or acting in groups, to attract and maintain jobs to turn the state around. Counties should have a say about what industries contribute to their communities."

Hancock closed with a call for all county residents to participate in the 2010 Census.

"It is crucial to return your form," Hancock said. "Take the 10 minutes to be counted. So much depends on the data received from this one effort. Do what you can to make this an accurate count."