batavia

There’s a common presence at many businesses nowadays: help wanted postings.

A shortage of workers has enveloped most every business sector since the pandemic rubble landed, and many employers have been encountering stumbling blocks with filling vacancies ever since.

And it’s not just at restaurants and grocery stores, as the shortfall is also for county positions, law enforcement and school districts.

Few, but qualified
City of Batavia Police Department has been short-staffed due to vacancies, creating more overtime hours for full-time officers, Chief Shawn Heubusch said.

“This has caused the officers to work a lot of short-shift over time, therefore we have not been able to work as much of the OT associated with special details as we would like,” he said. “We have hired several qualified candidates that are working their way through academies or field training and will be able to fill vacancies on road patrol in the near future. This will allow us to get back to working more of the specialized details that we look forward to doing.”

He did note, however, that the department had “a significant drop in applicants” for the last exam.

“Roughly, the applicants were cut in half. It has been difficult recruiting in public safety, across the spectrum for a variety of reasons,” Heubusch said. “I will say that although the number of candidates has decreased, we have not seen a decrease in qualified candidates. In fact, I would say just the opposite. Given everything that has been going on in the nation, the current candidates are extremely dedicated to becoming law enforcement officers as demonstrated through the background and interview process. We have learned that these recruits have a very high drive to be police officers for the City of Batavia.”

That’s some good news. So how about Batavia City Schools, whose board just approved a long slate of teachers and teacher aide positions?

Creative recruiting
During her presentation at this week’s meeting, Trisha Finnigan, executive director of staff development & operations, outlined the ways in which the district is recruiting for and retaining qualified candidates. It’s not just about posting a position anymore. 

“So starting with recruitment, we've had to take a more creative approach in terms of recruiting exceptional staff to join the Blue Devils family. Instead of leaning on traditional methods, such as newspapers and our websites and our recruitment sites, for example, we've been using Indeed,” she said. “We’ve also noticed that when I was looking back at the past year, there seems to be a disconnect from when someone expresses interest in a position. Now we tell them, they, for example, have to complete a civil service application, as it seemed like that wouldn't happen. So when I looked back at that information, we decided that we would take a different approach.”

That approach involves not taking for granted that job applicants understand the steps required to apply, she said. Candidates are scheduled for an interview and given the Civil Service application for them to complete. The process has been refined, she said, to be more proactive about informing candidates about what’s next for them to do, such as getting fingerprinted or completing necessary paperwork.

“It's been awesome. We just now posted for substitute teacher aides and teachers and those are coming in. So I'm feeling positive about us having some people that could fill the need that last year we were lacking,” Finnigan said. “So we're moving in the right direction. It's my responsibility to make sure that I'm tapping into avenues where we're attracting exceptional candidates to come and work with us. And then how do we get that? Let me just see if I've missed anything here. One of the other things we did too, is that, in negotiating contracts with some of our units last year, we needed to do a better job of posting what the benefits of the positions were.

"So instead of, say, putting out teacher aide, just with a salary range, we made sure we included things like there is health insurance benefits, you can get paid for holidays, you can accrue vacation time," she said. "So those are some things when we're competing with other employers in the in the area, maybe offering a more an increase hourly wage, we can compete with some other things.”

Parents have been asking about jobs aligning with their schedules “to mirror the school calendar." That has meant more hiring of local residents, which has been nice, she said.

“Hiring is a very collaborative process. We work closely with the administrators, we’re looking at positions. Since July 1, we've hired over 35 personnel with New York State Certification, 16 new support team members, and that includes food service helpers, custodial support, as well as teacher aides,” she said. “And it should be noted that with that money we received for the preschool programs, that allowed us to add 10 positions, certificated positions … So that was something because we really did have to hustle.”

She had a quick turnaround of posting, hiring and getting those people trained for school opening in the second week of September. It worked out well, she said, and the district continues to reach out to colleges for candidates. In an effort not to “settle” for a lesser qualified candidate, the district has opted to plug in gaps with retired teachers until the best candidates are found.

She also spoke about retention: “it's one thing that we are getting people, it’s another to keep them."  And that depends on the tangible — contract terms — and the more subtle perks of a welcome package and surveys, she said.

“It’s a way of gauging their satisfaction and their perception of whether they feel valued as a Batavia Blue Devils family member,” she said. “And I also get interesting feedback on the interview process and other things that helped me plan better when we're looking for candidates.”

Resolving to address the issue
Earlier this year Genesee County Legislature agreed to waive all Civil Service fees to remove a potential barrier for applicants, and this week approved a resolution to extend the residency territory for corrections officer positions in hopes of gaining more interested candidates for openings.

Mental Health Department Director Lynda Battaglia previously spoke of the difficulty in filling four vacancies for wide-ranging clinical and finance positions to a psychiatrist role. The county has had trouble finding a full-time psychiatrist and revised the position to provide a hybrid of in-person and remote counseling services to better accommodate someone not able to be local on a full-time basis.

Many, but inexperienced
Although some employers are being more creative to attract job candidates, it may not be about the job at all. At least that’s what Chris Van Dusen of Empire Hemp Company has discovered. He and wife Shelly were at a recent job fair and did quite nicely, they said.

“We had over 300 applications,” Shelly said.

What they soon learned was that applicants weren’t so interested in the job as they were the product. And when that misunderstanding was cleared up (no, there’s no smoking marijuana on the job), the 300 potentials dropped to about three or four viable candidates, the couple said.

State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon visited Batavia Tuesday and acknowledged the lack of qualified candidates for some fields while she encouraged students to pursue education, training and labor skills to fill the many jobs available in manufacturing, food chain and other trades fields.

Maybe when all is said and done, it might just be that there aren’t the bodies out there to fill vacancies. According to the most recent state data, there were 30,500 Genesee County residents reported to be in the labor force, up from 29,400 a year ago. The state’s unemployment rate of 4.8 percent is a few points lower than 7.1 percent a year ago, and 900 people were listed as unemployed, compared to 1,300 a year ago.

Photo by Howard Owens.

About a year and a half ago, Game of Throws opened in the Harvester Center on Harvester Avenue, Batavia, and to celebrate, owners Eric and Sarah Jones hosted the Chamber of Commerce for a Business After Hours.

The event was more than a month ago and The Batavian was there to make a video, but there were technical difficulties with the interview.  Then it took some weeks to arrange schedules to reshoot the interview.  Finally, here's the video.

For more information about Game of Throws, click HERE.

Press Release:

The Batavia Police Department is investigating a robbery at McDonald's, located at 573 East Main St., which occurred at approximately 5:36 a.m.

A white male, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a mask, walked up to the drive-through window and demanded money.

The suspect stole the cash drawer from the register and fled the scene. The suspect was last seen on foot, running westbound behind 555 East Main St.

No one was injured and the suspect got away with an undetermined amount of money.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Matthew Wojtaszczyk at 585-345-6357, the Batavia Police Department's confidential tip line at 585-345-6370.

Due to the ongoing investigation, no further details will be released.

Getting a jump start on October, Genesee County legislators presented a proclamation Wednesday to Michael Burns in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which begins on Saturday.

The Information Technology director, who was hired in May 2021, was grateful for the acknowledgment but advised folks not to be lulled into complacency the other 11 months of the year.

“I’d like to thank the legislators for understanding the importance in terms of security in general, not only within the county but also within referral support … it’s a reminder to everyone that cybersecurity is not just something that we have. This is something that we have to actively practice, and we are more wired than ever before,” Burns said during Legislature’s meeting at the Old Courthouse. “It's all devices that we carry … they're in our everyday life. The data that we use every day is valuable, and people know it. Some may want to get their hands on that. So we have to oversee and understand that cyber security is not just October, it's every month of every year.”

Legislator Chad Klotzbach read a proclamation regarding how the world has become all things cyber, and people are more "interconnected than ever before but also more susceptible to increased risk of cyber theft, fraud and abuse."

“The county’s IT Department is responsible for delivering secure, accurate timely information and services to county departments, municipalities, residents and visitors effectively and efficiently,” Klotzbach said, reading the proclamation. “Cybersecurity Month provides an opportunity to increase public awareness and understanding of cyber threats while empowering employees and citizens to be safer and more secure online.”

The City of Batavia just received a similar warning during City Council’s audit report earlier this week. That message included being diligent with technology processes, protocols and preventative measures to avoid cyber attacks.

Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, as a way to help individuals protect themselves online as threats to technology and confidential data become more frequent.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) lead a collaborative effort between government and industry to raise cybersecurity awareness nationally and internationally. 

This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber” to enable people to recognize and understand how prevalent the world of cyber is, whether at work, home or school. The CISA.gov website encourages folks to take four personal action steps to help prevent cyber crimes:

• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
• Use Strong Passwords
• Recognize and Report Phishing
• Update Your Software

Photo: Genesee County Legislator Chad Klotzbach presents a proclamation this week to IT Director Michael Burns as a prelude to Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. Photo by Joanne Beck.

There’s only one problem with creating a law to restrict weapons from would-be criminals, Gary Maha says.

Law-abiding citizens will be the only ones to follow it.

“If they want a gun, they’re gonna get a gun,” the legislator said during Genesee County Legislature’s meeting Wednesday. “If you’ve got a shooting somewhere, do you want the good guy without a gun? You don’t just want the bad guy with a gun.”

Maha first proposed that Legislature sign a letter of opposition to the newly adopted Concealed Carry Improvement Act, and send it to Albany for Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Legislature members to see.

He had no idea that about 10 people would show up for the vote, with two of them there to speak during a public hearing about issues other than Concealed Carry.

Glen Adams represented the Genesee County Federation of Sportsman's Clubs, which consists of about 12 clubs throughout the county. He stood at the podium alone, but spoke for some 1,200 members, he said.

Adams voiced his concern that the Concealed Carry act was not for the average gun owner and hunter, and was, therefore “unconstitutional.”

Likewise, Jim Tuttle, chairman of SCOPE — Shooters Committee on Political Education — appealed to Legislature members to join Maha and fellow legislator John Deleo, both of who have been most vocal about the act’s flaws.

“We all took an oath to support the constitution of the United States, which is the Second Amendment,” Deleo said.

He added his full disclosure that he was a member of the National Rifle Association and SCOPE and pointed to the ill-conceived bail reform problem.

“A criminal charged with having a gun … is let go,” he said. “We’re the salt of the earth here.”

During a prior meeting, legislators discussed Maha’s proposal to send the letter and underscored the prominence of the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms, and how the Concealed Carry act is no improvement for the typical gun user.

The Second Amendment states that “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

The legislators’ resolution states that the act “presents procedural roadblocks in the form of privacy violation, subjective standards, financial burdens, and overt restrictions on individuals seeking to exercise a fundamental right.”

A subdivision of the law was added to state that no license shall be issued or renewed pursuant to this section except by the licensing officer, and then only after investigation and finding that all statements in a proper application for a license are true.

It further states that no license shall be issued or renewed except for an applicant 21 years or older (military veterans honorably discharged are exempt from the age requirement), and be of good moral character, which means having the essential character, temperament and judgment necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself or others.

Legislators Shelley Stein, Gordon Dibble, Brooks Hawley, Christian Yunker, Chad Klotzbach, Gregg Torrey, Delo and Maha voted for the resolution to send the letter. Legislator Marianne Clattenburg was absent.

Will it make a difference? Maha wasn’t sure.

“Well, at least we want to make our voices known in Albany that we oppose this,” he said. “You know, we're a Second Amendment community out here in Genesee County and many of us grew up hunting and carrying guns. It's a lot different downstate around New York, and we think these laws are unconstitutional.”

Top Photo of SCOPE Chairman James Tuttle, and Glen Adams, Vice Chairman of Genesee County Federation of Sportsman's Clubs, as they appeal to Genesee County Legislature to approve a move to send a letter opposing the Concealed Carry act Wednesday at the Old Courthouse. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Alone one night in a car in the Target parking lot with a teenage girl, Shawn D. Myers made a decision that he and the girl will have to deal with for the rest of their lives, Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini told Myers before sentencing him to five years in prison this afternoon.

In July, a jury convicted Myers of first-degree criminal sexual act, a Class B violent felony.  

By all accounts in Court this afternoon, except for that one decision, the Byron resident had led a pretty exemplary life up to that point -- a volunteer in his community, including a volunteer firefighter.

On Jan. 28, 2021, Myers forced the girl to have sex with him, the jury said.

His attorney, Jeremy Schwartz, argued that the evidence in the case, despite the jury's verdict, didn't really support the assertion of forcible compulsion, though Myers, now 21, admitted that he had sex with a person less than 17 years of age.

First Assistant District Attorney Joseph Robinson said the victim suffered physical injury as a result of what Myers did and is still dealing with the emotional fallout of the sexual abuse. 

More than two dozen community and family members attended the hearing in support of Myers.  

The victim and her mother were also at the hearing.

In his statement, Myers said he knew he made a mistake but expressed concern about being sent to prison because he is being treated for PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and during his time in the criminal justice system, he and his attorney said, he's already suffered one disruption to his medication regime. 

Cianfrini, who could have sentenced Myers to up to 25 years in prison, said that she would note in documents that will go with Myers to the Department of Corrections, that Myers has prescription medication he must take.

She encouraged Myers to use his time in prison to learn that he can't force people to do things against their will and to learn a trade.

Myers said during his statement that he loved being a volunteer firefighter and regretted that he had ruined his firefighting career by his decision.  He promised Cianfrini that never again will he make a mistake that lands him back in jail.

Although there were no “reportable findings” from the city’s 2021-22 audit, that doesn’t mean the municipality is out of reach from a dangerous situation, Matt Montalbo says.

Cyber security — or a lack thereof — is a “pretty substantial” item for the city’s checklist, Montalbo said during an audit presentation Monday at City Hall.

The world is rife with Internet scams, and no one is immune, he said.

“I want to highlight some pretty substantial challenges that governments are seeing right now, one being related to cyber security risks and the risks of being subjected to a cyber attack,” he said. "So A lot of the associations related to government entities … they partnered together and put out a cybersecurity primer back in February of 2022, just to highlight how significant government entities are being targeted in cyber attacks. They put out a lot of statistics just to educate those charged with governance.

“So we have that in our management letter, as it’s just an additional precaution to look at cyber security risks, and almost kind of do a mock scenario where, if you were subjected to a cyber attack, what processes do you have in place? You know, how prepared are we because, really, the statistics are pretty staggering,” he said. “It’s not a matter of if it's going to happen, it's a matter of when, so be as prepared as possible is what we would recommend.”

That is perhaps no startling news, as cyber attacks have been fairly ubiquitous to our high-tech times.

Still, Montalbo, a certified public accountant with the city’s new auditing company Drescher & Malecki, strongly suggested that the city needs to assess its own cyber risks, related processes, and what measures may need to be taken to bolster the cyber fence to keep predators out.

Batavia may be a small city, but according to governing.com, the amount of data that municipalities deal with has grown exponentially, but smaller entities often operate on a shoestring budget, meaning they rarely have dedicated cybersecurity experts and instead rely on their IT team to ensure security. Not having and investing the required funds to prevent cyber attacks can often leave local municipalities more vulnerable, the site states.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski was not surprised by the warning and auditor’s findings, she said. The city has an ongoing process that includes a system in place for safeguards against cyber crimes, she said.

“The City has NYS training in place for cyber security for employees, and works hard to remain diligent to constant email threats of phishing and other scams,” she said to The Batavian Tuesday. “We work with our independent IT consultant, Alternative Information Systems, for a variety of security functions and monitoring to help keep city assets safe. We are always looking to add new security measures to our IT systems to better protect the city.”

A second area for caution was the influx of pandemic-related monies being given to municipalities, especially “a lot through the stimulus plans out there,” he said.

“So the American Rescue Plan, the Cares Act, there are a lot of new opportunities, but with that comes a lot of challenges, in not only understanding the compliance requirements for these funds, but also tracking and monitoring the statements,” he said. “Just looking at how you're set up to do that, whether you have a grant administration function or the ability to monitor those new fundings as well as the current funding going on.”

City Council previously agreed to add the position of a grant administrator, and the city is in progress with seeking candidates for the job.

Montalbo, who was with senior accountant Erica Handley, shared the city’s financial picture, which included a $1.3 million fund balance increase. For once, the word COVID carried a positive connotation.

“Your fund balance went from about $808 million at this point in 2021 to $9.4 million at the end of 2022. You did have, and we've been seeing these trends across the state, your sales tax come in a little bit higher than anticipated. We saw a little bit of the economic recovery after the COVID years,” he said. “So that bump is pretty consistent with the trends we're seeing statewide. You also were able to have some budgetary savings within your public safety and transportation areas … So that was the main reason for the increase, and your total fund balance being that $9.4 million.”

Photo: New city auditors Matt Montalbo and Erica Handley of Drescher & Malecki present the city's 2021-22 audit report during Monday's conference session at City Hall. Photo by Joanne Beck.

As promised, Genesee County Fairgrounds was overrun with kids — more than 1,000 of them — for most of Tuesday.

But instead of it being some kind of free-for-all riot, the students from 30 school districts were there to focus on work. As part of a GLOW With Your Hands initiative, the event offered several stations where kids could not only see and hear about various careers in the work world but also get hands-on experience to get a real feel for what the different fields are like.

This was the fourth such event, and with an ever-growing attendance, Co-Chairman Chris Suozzi said.

“In 2019 we had over 800 students, and this year we had over 1,000. Then we had 50 vendors, today we have 65 vendors,” Suozzi said. “Students can start exploring careers that work with your hands, and by the way, all of these careers are local. It’s a whole day of getting out of the classroom … and exploring different careers, especially for kids who are career-focused. It’s all about getting kids to focus on these great careers that we have locally.”

School districts represented the four counties of GLOW — Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming. Organizers consider it the region’s largest hands-on career exploration fair that provided interactive experiences with skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, construction and agriculture fields.

Another plus was that kids also met with professionals in those fields, and potential future employers, organizers said.

“While the record participation of our students and businesses is welcome, the true success of GLOW With Your Hands is the having a youth arrive at our event and discover a passion for a career that they may have never considered before,” Co-Chairman Jay Lazarony said in a press release. “Our exhibitors, volunteers, sponsors and organizers are dedicated to supporting students today, and throughout their path to success.”

Students rotated through stations where they were able to operate backhoes and excavators, compete in nail driving and construction competitions, and test their skills on dairy farming and welding simulators.

Chris Suozzi

“It’s incredible to see so many students that are excited about careers right in their own backyard,” Suozzi said. “Our companies are growing, and today demonstrates that the national workforce challenge can be solved locally.”

Students weren’t the only ones to enjoy the fun of digging in the dirt, as state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon visited the fairgrounds and acknowledged her fascination with excavators. She encouraged the young participants to pursue one of the many careers they glimpsed during the day.

“This is an opportunity for young people to come into a career fair and really experience things with their hands I was over at megatronic station, they can do the circuitry, the air pressure, there’s all kinds of animal husbandry on one side, moving excavators, bucket trucks for young people not to just read about a skill, or have somebody talk about it, but doing it themselves,” Reardon said. “They’re petting the cows and calves, and doing all the megatronic set-up. It’s great to watch them interact with each other and interact with these skill sets. They’re really excited. We need these kinds of career fairs so these young people can make a really smart career path that will sustain their lives.”

She thanked event organizers for hosting the career fair, and reminded the public of the 96 career centers throughout New York that have online training and job resources.

Click here for more information about GLOW WithYour Hands. 

Roberta Reardon

Top Photo: A student takes control of an excavator after getting some hands-on lessons during Tuesday's GLOW With Your Hands event; students from 30 school districts within Genesee, Orleans, Livingston and Wyoming counties learn about everything from milking a cow and performing utility work on a pole to mechanical repairs, food chain occupations and laying bricks during the fourth GLOW event at Genesee County Fairgrounds. Photos by Stephen Ognibene.

A Batavia man who disappeared for seven months after being released from custody following a weapons conviction had his scheduled sentencing delayed for three weeks today so his new attorney can get up to speed on his case.

Nathan Pace, who is now assigned council for Devon Wright, asked for an adjournment.  

County Court Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini granted the request. The new sentencing time and date is 3 p.m. Oct. 18.

Wright was a co-defendant in November in a case involving a gun deal gone bad at the Days Inn six months earlier when he entered a surprise guilty plea to counts of attempted criminal possession of a weapon 2nd, and attempted criminal possession of a weapon 3rd. He also entered guilty pleas to assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, attempted assault 1st, a Class C Violent Felony, and criminal sexual act, also a felony.

The pleas satisfied charges from multiple arrests over the previous 12 months and came with a 10-year sentence cap. When he failed to appear for his initial sentencing date and became a wanted man, he jeopardized his sentencing cap.

Wright was located in Lockport in July and has been held in the Genesee County Jail since his arrest. 

In the November trial Wright's co-defendant, Jacob Sponaugle, was found guilty by the jury of:

• Attempted Murder 2nd, a Class B violent felony
• Assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony
• Criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C violent felony
• Aggravated criminal possession of a weapon, a Class C violent felony
• Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony
• Criminal using a firearm in the first degree, a Class B violent felony
• Criminal using a firearm in the first degree, a Class B violent felony

Sponaugle was sentenced in December to 15 years in prison.

Press Release

The bike path located at endpoints of Evans and Jackson streets, South of Route 63, Ellicott Street and North of Salvation Army Family Store in Batavia will be closed to pedestrian and bike traffic for ground and civil construction activities from approximately Oct. 3, 2022 to May 31, 2023.

Traffic will be detoured around the area for the scheduled duration of the project. Local access to businesses will be maintained. Please see the attached reference map for more information.

All construction areas will be marked by barricades and road closure signs. Please abide by all signage and follow designated traffic routes. This scope of work is scheduled to start on Oct. 3 and will be completed by May 31, 2023. The typical hours of construction will be 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Press release:

Batavia First United Methodist Church, 8221 Lewiston Rd., Batavia, will be holding a Rummage & Estate Sale on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

There will be many estate and household items for sale, in addition to toys, furniture, holiday items, books & fresh produce. 

A bag sale begins at 1 p.m. 

Submitted photo. Pictured are rummage sale helpers Jackie Wilson, Judy Humphrey, Grace West, Gia Mangino and Kathy McAllister.

The Carr’s Reborn project for the former C.L. Carr Department Store on Main Street has met another goal to get the project moving.

Approved by the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Committee earlier this month, the project received City Council’s blessing Monday to be part of a Restore NY grant application for $2 million.

No one spoke during a public hearing about the application, and City Council later voted to pursue the grant. Cities with a population less than 40,000 can apply or up to $2 million, and it is available for projects to “demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitate/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/ore condemned residential, commercial and/or mixed-use buildings.”

The former Carr’s site is expected to accommodate several upper floor apartments and business/office use on the ground floor.

Consultant David Ciurzynski previously described the site’s future: renovating the upper two floors for apartments, installing arched windows in the front overlooking Main Street, preparing the lower levels for commercial space by removing asbestos and making them more enticing for prospective businesses to invest in the site.

Ciurzynski also included a vision for the project, aptly titled Carr's Reborn.

“We can restore the former landmark to its former glory,” he said during the DRI Committee’s Sept. 13 meeting.

The project would take $1 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant funding and $4 million from property owner Ken Mistler. Possible uses for the main floor have not been determined, and it’s about “what does downtown Batavia need?” Ciurzynski had said.

During the prior meeting, DRI Committee members approved a motion to move the project forward. They were: City Council President Eugene Jankowski, Steve Hyde, Dr. James Sunser,  Craig Yunker, Tammy Hathaway,  Erik Fix, Tom Turnbull, Susie Ott, Paul Battaglia, Marty Macdonald and Nathan Varland.

After Monday’s conference session, City Council voted to submit an application for this sixth round of the Restore NY Communities Initiative Municipal Grant Program.

File Photo of the former C.L. Carr Department Store on Main Street in downtown, Batavia. 

Sometimes remarks have to be said even though they might upset people.

City Councilwoman Patti Pacino gave that warning during Monday’s conference session as the council discussed using leftover event money for a proposed Wing Ding. What she was going to say would probably anger her colleagues, Pacino said.

“While I think the Wing Ding is fabulous and it is an event open to everyone, we used to fund the Picnic in the Park, which is also for everyone,” she said in the Council Board Room of City Hall. “GO Art! had to cancel the picnic.”

Proposed by Assistant Manager Erik Fix, the amount of $9,188 remaining from the city’s Centennial Celebration in 2015 could be transferred into a Wing Ding account if council approved the move. Former Centennial Committee members Krysia Mager and Chairman Paul Battaglia had agreed to the use of funds in addition to others Fix had spoken to, he said, and some members of the resurrected air show had said they would help with the city’s event.

The city used to contribute money — about $2,500 — to the annual Picnic in the Park, but began to cut back over the last few years, and did not fund it in 2019, 2021 or 2022. The Original Red Osier Landmark restaurant presented the event in 2019, and a virtual picnic -- sponsored by several entities including the city --  was shown on YouTube in 2020. The picnic was canceled in 2021 due to COVID protocols and lack of sponsorship, and canceled again in 2022 due to lack of sponsorships.

Pacino said she would vote for the Wing Ding and transfer of money, but expected support when a request for Picnic in the Park funding came around again.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski explained that “we realized that if we were ever to use those funds, it had to be run by the city,” she said.

The $9,000 and change came from corporate donations for the Centennial shindig on Dec. 31, 2014. Although some council members suggested getting the Business Improvement District involved, those unexpended funds need to be spent by the city during an event under the city’s authorization, Tabelski said.

Why not do it? said Councilman John Canale. He saw no reason not to move forward with a Wing Ding to coincide with the air show next fall.

“People loved it,” Canale said.

Councilman Bob Bialkowski questioned the input from a couple of former committee members as being a major reason for moving forward. Canale rebutted that it’s “only common courtesy” to include them since they worked on the former event. Both Battaglia and Mager gave their blessings to the Wing Ding receiving $9,188.

Council members discussed how future Wing Dings would be paid for, and agreed with Tabelski’s assessment that this would be a “one-time” transfer and that nearly $10,000 for the Wing Ding wasn’t going to be a yearly budget item.

After reiterating her stance that she is looking for future support on the Fourth of July picnic, Pacino summarized how important it is to her.

“I’ve been waiting four years to say that,” she said.

Council members agreed to move the matter to a vote during a future business meeting.

Top Photo: City Councilwoman Patti Pacino expresses concerns Monday evening about the city not funding Picnic in the Park while considering an infusion of $9,188 of leftover centennial event money into a future Wing Ding event. Above, Council President Eugene Jankowski, Paul Viele and Patti Pacino discuss the issue with remaining council members not pictured during a conference session at City Hall. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Ronald M. Washburn, 62, of Stafford, is charged with Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child Less than 13, 2nd. Washburn is accused of having sexual conduct with a child on two or more occasions while babysitting the child in the City of Batavia between July 2008 and July 2012. The case was investigated by Det. Jason Ivison. Washburn was arraigned in City Court and released under supervision.

Samantha M. Kent, 29 of Le Roy, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation 3rd, following too closely, failure to stop for a school bus, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. Kent was reportedly the driver involved in a school bus accident on Sept. 13 at 6:59 a.m. on Ellicott Street, Batavia. She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Kevin D. Wolff, 51, of Sweetland Road, Stafford, and Cherie L. Bender, 52, of Sweetland Road, Stafford, are both charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Deputies responded to a call of a disturbance on Aug. 25 and as a result of an investigation Wolff and Bender were arrested on Sept. 22.  Both were released on appearance tickets.

Jessica B. Eschenlauer, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, assault 3rd, and unlawful imprisonment 2nd. Eschenlauer is accused of violating an order of protection and punching another person during a disturbance reported on  Sept. 16 at 10:30 a.m. at a location on Eleanor Place, Batavia. She was arraigned in City Court and ordered to return at a later date.

George J. Horner, 33, of Batavia, is charged with burglary 2nd and criminal contempt 2nd. Horner is accused of entering a residence on Bank Street on Sept. 21 at 7:10 a.m. in violation of an order of protection. Horner was arraigned in City Court and ordered jailed on $2,500 bail, $5,000 bond, or $10,000 partially secured bond.

Matthew R. Taylor, 39, no permanent address, is charged with burglary 3rd and petit larceny. Taylor is accused of stealing property from a business on Oak Street, Batavia, on Sept. 11 at 11:11 p.m. Taylor was arraigned in City Court and ordered held pending his next court appearance. 

Albert G. Platton, 76, of Batavia, is charged with forcible touching. Platton is accused of touching a staff member of a facility on Richmond Avenue, Batavia, in a sexual manner.  He was issued an appearance ticket.

Nancy E. Chatt, 77, of Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Chatt was allegedly driving a vehicle that struck a utility pole on Jackson Street on Sept. 18 at 8:52 p.m. She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Brittanee J. Hooten, 33, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Hooten is accused of shoplifting from a business in the City of Batavia on Sept. 17 at 11:30 a.m. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Rachel S. Wright, 18, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd and criminal trespass 2nd. Wright is accused of trying to fight with another person on Sept. 18 at 4:54 p.m. at a location on North Street, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Christine M. Caplis, 42, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 18 at 12:30 p.m. She was released with an order to appear in City Court on Sept. 22.

Shyanna M. Williams, 19, of Hamburg is charged with aggravated harassment 2nd. Williams was arrested on a warrant based on a complaint filed on May 6. She was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance. 

Amanda L. Huber, 40, of Batavia, is charged with failure to appear. Huber was arrested on a warrant following a police investigation into an incident on West Main Street, Batavia. She was issued an appearance ticket ordering her to appear on Sept. 15.

Jamie S. Schlonski, 50, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Schlonski was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident reported at 5 p.m. Sept. 22, in the Town of Batavia. Schlonksi was released on an appearance ticket. No further information was released.

Diane Burroughs took this photo this morning of what looked like a curtain of clouds coming down on Call Parkway in Batavia.

Market rate housing, the resurrection of Wing Ding, a craft beer festival and Alzheimer’s awareness walk, the Jackson Square redesign and a public hearing are all on tap for City Council’s conference meeting this week.

And that is to be followed by a special business meeting for several votes and an executive session to discuss “employment matters and real estate.”

The conference meeting is set for 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Board Room, second floor of City Hall.

Assistant City Manager Erik Fix is expected to outline a plan to create single-family homes and market-rate rentals to help supply Genesee County’s future housing needs of more than 4,800 units, according to a memo from Fix to City Council. The demand for housing is anticipated in correlation with the WNY STAMP project in the western part of the county.

“With low vacancy rates and free houses available for sale, if a surge of development attracted employment into the region, workers would need to look outside of the county for housing,” Fix said.

He is proposing that the Batavia Home Fund be established to capitalize Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) payments from project investors and land sales to plump up the fund.

The city will also be exploring a Core Housing Owner Incentive Exemption program based on a similar program in Rochester that provides exemptions for multi-family homes to convert to single-family homes, and for construction of new housing stock, Fix said.

As Genesee County, via a related committee, pursues hosting an air show once again, the city is considering resurrecting the Wing Ding that ran in conjunction with the former Wings of Eagles air show at Genesee County Airport. Fix is also expected to review the potential for a Wing Ding weekend, and transfer a leftover amount of $9,188 from the Centennial Celebration and move it into a Wing Ding account.

Air show committee leader and county highway superintendent Tim Hens has said that several people have asked that the air show be brought back, and many folks have shared fond memories from each event on opposite sides of the county -- at Genesee County Airport on Saile Drive and in downtown Batavia.

After years of committee meetings, investigation and talk about the potential for Creek Park, situated behind the ice arena, city officials are also expected to discuss the option of performing an environmental review for it to house a future business operation.

Eli Fish apparently doesn't want the fun to stop and has applied for a craft beer festival in Jackson Square later next month. That event, and an Alzheimer's awareness walk on Oct. 1 are up for review by council during its conference session. 

File photo of a previous air show. 

Batavia City School District residents are invited to offer comments and/or ask questions regarding the district’s proposition to use $95,000 from the Repair Reserve Fund.

A public hearing about expending the funds has been set for 6 p.m. Monday in the Superintendent’s Conference Room at Batavia High School, 260 State St., Batavia.

There will be a presentation about the emergency replacement of two water boilers, and the related contract for the $95,000 cost of repair. Business Administrator Scott Rozanski is to be on hand to answer questions and review the scope of work and contract award.

If approved by the board, the cost will be transferred out of the reserve fund to pay for the high school work.

Other agenda items include presentations from Trisha Finnigan, Dr. Molly Corey and board member Barbara Bowman; votes on several faculty appointments; contracts with groups and individuals related to transportation, personal day approval for the Custodial Association, an administrator’s retreat, clarifying payment eligibility for Batavia Teachers’ Association, and tuition for children with disabilities.

There are to be public hearings in each the city and county this week on the application and use of a $2 million Restore NY grant.

The city's hearing is during a conference session at 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Board Room, second floor, City Hall.

City Council's intended use for the grant is for the Carrs Reborn project in downtown Batavia. Cities with a population less than 40,000 can apply for up to $2 million, and it is available for projects to “demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitate/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial and/or mixed-use buildings.”

The former C.L. Carr's site, with an expansive footprint within Main and Jackson streets and is owned by Ken Mistler, is expected to accommodate several upper-floor apartments and business/office use on the ground floor.

City Council is expected to vote on the grant submission during its business meeting to follow. The group is also to vote for support of a county-led Restore NY grant application to offset the $33.5 million Healthy Living campus project on Main Street, downtown Batavia. Work has begun to construct a new Healthy Living campus alongside GLOW YMCA, and the fitness facility at 207-209 East Main St. will eventually be demolished to make way for green and parking spaces.

It will take much investment for the entire plan to unfold, and Genesee County’s Ways & Means Committee has agreed to proceed with an application for a $2 million Restore NY grant to help with the costs.

Before anything else can happen, a public hearing must be conducted about the project to demolish 207-209 and 211 1/2 (rear) on East Main Street. Led by the county, the grant is available for “projects to demolish/deconstruct and/or rehabilitation/reconstruct vacant, abandoned, surplus and/or condemned residential, commercial, and/or mixed-use buildings.”

The county has set two public hearings for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia. In addition to one about the Restore NY grant, there is a hearing about a local law to expand the residency limit beyond Genesee County to open the pool of candidates for Genesee County Sheriff's Office correction officer vacancies.

Rendering of future Healthy Living campus in downtown Batavia, submitted by Rochester Regional Health.