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Now that a new 40-year sales tax agreement is in place, the County Legislature is ready to move forward with designing and building a new jail on land next to County Building #2.

Assistant County Manager Matt Landers presented an anticipated budget for the new facility with an anticipated expense of $60,000,000 at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday night.

The proposed jail will hold 184 beds in four pods, giving the jail staff space to keep separate jail populations for men and women as well as threat level, mental health issues, or substance abuse issues.

The location is off West Main Street Road in Batavia. 

The actual construction costs are an estimated $49,763,323 million: with more than $2 million in expense for design; $2 million for furnishings; $1.2 million for bonds and insurance payments; $1.2 million for a construction manager; more than $1 million in additional expenses for planning and development; plus $1.8 million set aside for unexpected costs.

Construction will be funded by bonds, which will be paid back over 30 years by the sales tax revenue that has been shifted away from villages and towns as part of the new state-approved sales tax agreement.

Chairman Robert Bausch said that under this plan, there would be no need to raise property taxes to help pay for the jail.

Bausch also noted that the county's consultant initially projected, based on county inmate trends, that Genesee County would need a 215-bed facility but that a new bail reform law is expected to reduce the demand in the county for inmate beds.

However, there is room available on the proposed jail site to add two additional cell blocks if the need arises.

If sales tax revenue falls short in the coming years, Landers noted, there is other county debt that will retire and revenue now going to pay those expenses can be reallocated to the jail debt if necessary.

With the new jail, the county will be able to go from being a tenant in other agencies' facilities -- all female inmates are housed at other jails in the region -- to being a landlord for other counties, the state or the feds.

"Local counties, the federal government, the state, are all short of space right now," Bausch said.

Revenue from other jurisdictions will cover some of the jail's ongoing operating expenses.

Legislators Shelly Stein, Gary Maha, and Gregg Torrey all spoke in favor of proceeding with the proposal.

"I served on the new jail committee," Stein said. "The details were combed through, and it is my recommendation that we proceed with 184 beds ... To not hit property taxes," she added, "is a major win for what we've done together as a legislature."

The need for a jail is beyond dispute, Maha said. 

"I'm not fond of spending $60 million," Maha said but the current jail is in bad shape, is landlocked, and the state is demanding a new facility in compliance with state standards.

"This is the county's responsibility and we have to get a jail done, and we have to do it right," Maha said.

Torrey agreed with Maha and said, "we have one chance to do it right. We hired a consultant, and I think it's best to follow what they recommend we do."

Photo: Members of the legislature listen to incoming Legislator (not in frame) Christian Yunker on his thoughts about the new jail, which he also supports.

CORRECTION: The bonds will be paid back over 30 years, the maximum time period for bond payback under state law.

At 9:27 p.m. on Veterans Day, Franklin Morales-Monterroso and Taylor Henry, who met while serving in the Navy, welcomed their first child into the world, Julian Michael Morales, at 8 pounds and 28 1/2 inches.

Julian is a Veterans Day baby, born at UMMC, to parents who are veterans and several family members who are veterans, including his grandmother, Tammy Henry, who gave birth to Taylor while serving in the Air Force.

Press release:

Leaders from Batavia Downs Gaming presented a check today to Western New York Make A Wish for revenue generated from the sale of koozies during this past summer’s concert series.

“Batavia Downs is happy to partner with Make A Wish," said Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO of Batavia Downs. “We will expand on our partnership next year with a new chair rental program for our concert series where additional monies will be generated for Make A Wish.”

Revenues for koozie sales this summer were $4,000.

“We are thankful to Batavia Downs for the opportunity to sell koozies at this past year’s concert series,” said Ben Marchione, regional director of Western New York Make A Wish. “We were fortunate to meet so many families who have been touched by Make A Wish and we look forward to partnering with Batavia Downs on new projects next summer.”

The new chair rental program will begin with the first Rockin’ the Downs Concert series event slated for late June 2020.

Photo by Howard Owens. Pictured, Laura Nutty, co-coordinator, Development / Wishgranting Volunteer, Make a Wish Metro New York and Western,  Ben Marchione, regional director of Western New York Make A Wish, Henry Wojtaszek, president, and CEO of Batavia Downs.

Who knows what Stone has been up to for the past five weeks or so (we reported him missing Sept. 30) but over the weekend Stone returned home on his own. Owner Kathleen Dixson said he sure was tired when he got home but was happy to be back where he belongs.

While it's taking longer than the original estimated, work on restoring the Thomas Rocket Car continues, led by Dick McClurg at Old World Collision in Batavia.

The prototype car of the future was originally designed by Charles D. Thomas, born in Batavia in 1910, and built by Norm Richardson at a shop near Main and Oak. Once restored it will be on public display in Batavia at a location yet to be determined. It will also be available for parades and community events.

To complete the restoration, donations are still appreciated. Those wishing to make donations should contact Jeffrey Ackerman at Affordable Floor Covering, (585) 345-1108.

For previous coverage, click here.

David Begnaud, CBS Evening News, did his live remote from Ellicott Avenue in Batavia tonight. His report begins at the 1:45 mark of this segment.

Press release:

Nate McMurray, running in the Special Election in NY-27, has received additional endorsements from local leaders today, including Genesee County Democratic Committee Vice-Chair Nikki Calhoun and Batavia Democratic Committee Chair Erica O’Donnell. They join six Democratic County Chairs in endorsing McMurray.

"Last year showed us that local Democrats and Republicans can work together for the common good of our communities. Nate McMurry brought people together by listening and adjusting his ideas for the future of NY27. He has shown us that he has what it takes to Fight Like Hell and I am proud to say I stand behind him!" said Nikki Calhoun.

“Democrats in The City of Batavia are used to being written off when it comes to national politics, but Nate McMurray embraced our grassroots enthusiasm, showed up here, and actually won the City of Batavia by nearly 500 votes. That’s why I will stand behind Nate in our upcoming special election in New York’s 27th Congressional District,” said Erica O'Donnell.

“I am proud to have Nikki and Erica’s support as I run for Congress. Genesee and Batavia were tremendously important in 2018, and I will be working hard to build on our support there in 2020. I am ready to be a leader this region can count on in Congress,” said McMurray.

Genesee Democratic County Committee Chair Michael Plitt endorsed McMurray over the weekend, saying, “Genesee County Democrats are excited to help Nate McMurray finish the job he started last year. Our volunteers worked tirelessly and will do so again because they believe in Nate and his message. Voters in Batavia crossed party lines for him and the city went blue for the first time in years. We believe our government should work for all people, not just the elite; and we are confident Nate will be the representative we all deserve.”

For more than 13 years, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and other members of the state Assembly have been pushing to get New York to do what many other states have done and build a state-run veterans' cemetery.

Yesterday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he's ready to back such an effort. Hawley is co-sponsor of Assembly Bill 5347, which would establish a cemetery, and AB 887, which would help secure funding for a cemetery.

Today's Veteran's Day ceremonies:

Press release:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.62, up 1 cent since last week. One year ago, the price was $2.70. The New York State average is $2.70 – up 1 cent from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.91. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.65 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.64 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.67 (no change since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.67 (no change since last week)
• Rome -- $2.64 (down 3 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.59 (down 1 cent since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.65 (down 1 cent since last week)

The latest data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals that total domestic stocks of gasoline decreased for the sixth consecutive week pushing stocks 10.8 million barrels lower than last year’s level at this time.

Reduced stock levels, amid robust demand, have helped to push the national gas price average higher. Although demand took a significant step back week over week, it remains higher than last year’s rate in early November. The national average could increase further if demand continues to remain robust as stocks decline.

Press release:

Amada Tool America celebrated the completion of a 19,000 square-foot addition to its existing Batavia-based facility. Leadership from Amada North America and Amada Tool America convened with local leaders at the facility to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Amada Tool America has been manufacturing punch press tooling for 54 years," said Edward Dries, chief operating officer of Amada Tool America. "Today we are starting a new chapter with an expansion into the manufacturing of press brake tooling.

“This expansion will supply tooling for the new press brake machines being built in Amada’s brand-new facility in North Carolina. To meet this need, Amada Tool America’s employee number will be increasing to 87 employees, bringing 17 new jobs to this facility. We are proud to be a part of the Amada team.”

Amada is a leading international tool manufacturer and boasts 8,000 employees worldwide. Its Genesee County location first opened its doors in 1965 and specializes in precision sheet metal tooling.

The project featured $8.8 million in capital investment, which includes $6.5 million of new equipment and supports Amada’s growth to 80 workers in Genesee County.

The expansion was supported by Empire State Development’s Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit and the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) incentives.

“Amada has been a staple of Genesee County for more than 50 years and its continued success is what led to this exciting addition to its current facility,” said GCEDC’s Vice President of Workforce Development Chris Suozzi.

“When you consider the sustained success and investment into our community, Amada is the blueprint for the kind of companies that we are looking to attract and grow in Genesee County.”

Amada has been at the forefront of local workforce development efforts, engaging with students from the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, participating in the inaugural GLOW With Your Hands hands-on careers festival, and will soon debut a series of career profiles on the EdgeFactor.com career exposure platform.

Press release:

Nate McMurray, running in the Special Election in NY-27, has been endorsed by Genesee County Democratic Chair Michael Plitt. He has also been endorsed by the Democratic chairs of Niagara, Wyoming, and Monroe counties.

"Genesee County Democrats are excited to help Nate McMurray finish the job he started last year," Plitt said. "Our volunteers worked tirelessly and will do so again because they believe in Nate and his message.

"Voters in Batavia crossed party lines for him and the city went blue for the first time in years. We believe our government should work for all people, not just the elite; and we are confident Nate will be the representative we all deserve."

“I am proud to have the support of Michael Plitt and the Genesee County Democrats as I run for Congress," McMurray said. "Across Genesee, and across Western New York as a whole, families are struggling to make ends meet and our lack of representation in Washington is not helping. I will fight for the healthcare access and jobs our region needs."

Genesee County is outperforming many other municipalities in New York when it comes to getting the highest possible return on tax dollars, a financial consultant told members of the Legislature this week. 

Over the past year, the county has earned almost $1.6 million by adroitly managing cash flows and placing cash reserves in investments with the best returns while minimizing risk and complying with state regulations.

With a $32 million tax levy, that return is about 4.77 percent, which means lawmakers can keep the property tax rate lower. If they wanted to generate an additional $1.6 million in property tax revenue, they couldn't do that without violating the state's tax cap.

The reason: "The county treasurer is willing to step out of the box and do whatever it takes to help the taxpayers," said Garrett Macdonald, a Genesee County resident who is vice president of Three+1, a financial consulting firm based in Pittsford.

Also, Macdonald said the county is "looking at data more intuitively and making sure that we're really looking under every stone to earn more. A lot of times (with) public entities, it's not the first priority to earn more on taxpayer dollars.

"The first priority is to make sure it's safe, to make sure that it's in deposit, that the money gets somewhere that it's recorded. And then budgeting is important. Treasury always is kind of a second priority.

"But in Genesee County's case, they're able to accomplish all the above. So looking at data, working with their banks, really putting treasury and earnings at the top of the priority list, along with safety, legality, liquidity."

Because there is money coming in before it's needed for public services, and because the county is required to maintain a cash reserve, there is always cash on hand.

What a government agency can do with it is regulated by the state, and among the things the county can do is buy treasury bills -- place it in money market accounts or certificate of account registries, or other safe and liquid investment vehicles. There are about seven options in total.

Treasurer Scott German spends time every week looking at the data and working with Macdonald on what the county's portfolio should look like based on market conditions and cash flow needs. 

"I want to get the biggest return I can for the taxpayer," German said. "Therefore, using his information that he is able to provide, his negotiations with other banks, we are able to maximize the returns for the taxpayers.

"I mean, you compare me to probably any other county in the State of New York, I'm probably doing probably double or triple in interest rates, percentage-wise."

Macdonald said the county's return is well above the 1.5-percent benchmark local agencies should try to achieve, and that most municipalities struggle to get a 1-percent return.

There's one government agency, he said, that has a tax levy $26 million higher than Genesee County's and is generating $600,000 in investment income, less than half of what Genesee County is generating. And that's the next largest total dollar return in the comparison group.

"The biggest point that I will hone in on again and just reiterate: our goal is to maximize the value that the public creates through tax dollars," Macdonald said. "If we can do that through generating new revenues, that doesn't include increasing taxes, that's a big win."

Among economists, there has been a lot of talk about the inverted yield curve (a graph tracking returns on long-term and short-term bonds; when the economic outlook is good, long-term rates are higher than short-term rates; when the curve inverts, it's a sign investors have lost confidence in long-term returns). The curve inverted last quarter, which is a possible sign of a coming recession.

Macdonald believes the bond markets are correcting and he doesn't see a recession on the two-year horizon (in the past, when the yield curve has inverted, there has been a recession within 18 months). That said, if there is a recession in the next year, because of the money management practices of German, Genesee County's funds should be protected.  

Financial markets are always cyclical, Macdonald noted, which is why it's important to stay on top of what is going on every week.

"If we have a recession in two years, I think the impact is yet to be known because we don't have money invested for two years," Macdonald said. "The longest we have money invested for the county's about one year.

"But when I can tell you is, looking into 2020, even though rates have gone down three times -- once in July, once in September and then once in October -- it's because we've been proactive and because Scott's been proactive at investing early before those decreases.

"We're still going to beat benchmarks going into 2020. So, where most counties are being reactive, Genesee County is proactive."

Get ready, here it comes, maybe, the first significant snowfall of the season.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Monday morning through late Monday night.

Snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches are possible.

The worst travel conditions, the period of the heaviest snowfall, is expected from late Monday afternoon through Monday night.

The Oatkan Knights went into their Class C sectional title matchup with Letchworth/Warsaw ranked #1 and on the hunt for a record-setting 16th title in program history.

They had beat L/W earlier this year but as the saying goes, it's hard to beat the same team twice in a season.

L/W grabbed the title with a 26-6 win.

Andrew Englerth (top photo) carried the ball 23 times for 114 yards and scored Le Roy's lone touchdown. Kyler LaCarte rushed for 109 yards on 24 carries.

Photos by Jim Burns. The Batavian's sideline coverage authorized by Section V Athletics.

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies racked up 514 yards on their way to a 55-0 victory at Van Detta Stadium in the eight-man football Section V semifinal game against Frewsburg.

OA/Elba plays Mercy Grove at Van Detta at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday (Nov. 16) for the sectional championship.

QB Colton Dillon ran for 193 yards and scored three touchdowns. Ty Mott ran for 155 yards and scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

Ty Kornow scored on a 59-yard run and Gaige Armbrewster scored on a 30-yard run. Nick Munger had a TD reception.

Peyton Yasses was involved in 18 tackles, Jayden Hughes and Dylan Rykert, 14 each, Alex Hoy, 13. Rykert had four sacks, CJ Gottler, three, and Yasses, Hughes, Dillon had one apiece. Joey Burdick had two interceptions.

The Batavian's sideline coverage is authorized by Section V Athletics.

Photos below by Kristin Smith. More photos available here and here.