Batavia's police officers have a new four-year contract after the City Council approved the pact last night that gives officers a 2.75-percent annual pay increase.
The new contract reduces sick days for new hires and new officers won't receive city-paid healthcare upon retirement.
The council also approved a pay raise of 1.5 percent for City Manager Jason Molino. Molino will make $87,299 per year.
Four council members balked at the idea of using $10,000 of video lottery terminal (VLT) money to help pay for a new Dumpster enclosure on School Street, near Center Street.
The project would have cost $35,000.
Council members Rose Mary Christian, Kathy Briggs, Jim Russell and Brooks Hawley favored requiring the four businesses that would use the Dumpsters to pay the $10,000.
The first $25,000 in costs would be covered by various state grants.
The council will reconsider the proposal at a future meeting.
Finally, Zoladz Construction out of Alden will receive a $2.5-million contract for reconstruction of Cedar Street.
(Information from The Batavian's official news partner, WBTA).
My understanding from the
My understanding from the discussion at the Council meeting yesterday is that local businesses pay a 100 dollar permit fee in order to place dumpsters on city property. However, as they don't own the property, businesses don't have a voting voice in decisions regarding the cost of construction for dumpster enclosures. Enclosures are in place in other locations and used by local businesses for the 100 dollar permit fee. The three or four businesses currently paying permit fees to use the Center Street parking lot could be required to absorb the cost (10,000 dollars) of a new dumpster enclosure at that location. That doesn't seem to be very business friendly. The other side of this coin revolves around the question of why the city should incur costs to beautify privately owned dumpsters. Both positions have merit. As we search for a solution here, perhaps a portion of local business tax dollars and permit fees should be earmarked for future dumpster enclosure construction and repair.
If business X generates
If business X generates trash, business X should be responsible for disposing of trash and for meeting all codes regarding trash storage and removal.
If business X cannot or does not want to have a big ugly stinking dumpster next to its establishment, and the city provides a space for a fee then that space should be covered by the same trash code that applies to all dumpsters in the city and the responsibility for meeting the code should fall on business x who is using the dumpster, not the owner of the property, whether it is the city or a private entity.
However, business X should be allowed to freely select who they want to hire to meet the code.
If we insist on the property owner holding responsibility for meeting dumpster code, then the property owner (in this case the city) should charge appropriate fees to cover the requisite beautification and repair, and those costs can be reasonably spread out over a number of years until the base cost is covered then continue with some perpetual and proportional fee for service.
There should not be a single taxpayer funding any of this whether it be from grants or out of our local taxes. Use the grants for projects that substantially improve the look and feel of downtown along the main thoroughfares and keep the trash business directly with the trash producers.
There should be no City of
There should be no City of Batavia taxpayer money used. The code does not say there can be exceptions (true, it does not say thee can not be either), but the code has been there since 1995 and nobody has asked it to be changed, so enforce it.
The 4 businesses are using City property and pay a yearly fee. Increase the fee for them to pay for this, over a period of years as suggested by Robert Brown. I have no problem with using the $25,000 in grant money to help out, but not the other $10,000.
And why has this code not been enforced before now? The dumpsters have been there for years and other businesses in the area have complained about the appearance of the area.
I have a problem with $25,000
I have a problem with $25,000 in grant money being used for beautification or code compliance for a select set of businesses when other businesses have had to address their beautification and code compliance issues with their own dollars.
Grant money is our collective tax money and should not be used to subsidize the few. The few should not be beneficiary to assistance to avoid fines or otherwise improve the visual appeal of their businesses at the expense of all the other businesses and citizens.
If this is a city grant, count the dumpsters in the city, divide up the pot, send a check and a letter to each dumpster owner and give them 30 days to get up to code. If they need to spend more to meet code, so be it. If they already took measures to meet code, great - enjoy your rebate! Any new dumpsters coming into the city get no grant money and are allowed to be placed ONLY if they meet the established code.
And for goodness sake, if we have a code, enforce it and apply the rules to everyone. If it's a bad code change it. If it's an unnecessary code, delete it.
Batavia Downs is easily the biggest draw in the city. When the new valet parking drop off is finished on the south end of the building, patrons will have a clear scenic view of the backs of Subway, Mark's Piiza, etc... complete with their gauntlet of rusty, stinking, open, misaligned dumpsters. Welcome to Batavia!
If the City is intent on wrapping dumpsters in parking lots not visible from Main St., our fearless leaders better address the entire city and get EVERYONE in compliance and looking good!
Robert, Just for the record,
Robert,
Just for the record, this code applies only to dumpsters on public (City) land, not on private property like you point out near the Downs (which are in the Town, not the City).