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Two nights after unveiling its plan to the public to construct a $3.2 million station on Stringham Drive to replace Station 2 on Clinton Street Road, the Town of Batavia Fire Department presented the proposal to the Genesee County Planning Board.

Planners, on Thursday, recommended approval of the site plan as long as department officials obtain a state Department of Transportation permit pertaining to an entrance to the 10,000-square-foot substation from Clinton Street Road.

“It’s already (the application for the DOT permit) in the process; it’s already been filed,” Gary Diegelman, department building committee chairperson, said this morning.

Diegelman said he anticipated no problems getting DOT approval.

“The traffic study was done. There shouldn’t be any problem with it,” he said.

The new building will feature two drive-thru bays and entrances from both Stringham Drive and Clinton Street Road. With the drive-thru bays, the trucks will not have to back up to enter and exit the station

It also will have four dormitory-style rooms for firefighters wishing to stay there, a bunk-in program that has been gaining traction around the state.

The fire department’s site plan will be considered by the Batavia Town Planning Board for final approval on Feb. 20.

In other developments, the planning board:

-- Gave its go-ahead, with some modifications, to a proposal by Ronald Long of Springville to construct a 42-unit apartment complex to be marketed to seniors on West Main Street (Route 33) in the Village of Corfu.

Long appeared before the group for the second time in five months, this time presenting the entire plan after addressing a wetlands situation and getting clearance from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Stipulations of the board’s positive recommendation include creating a buffer between neighboring properties, installing lighting and landscaping per Village of Corfu guidelines, putting in a sidewalk from the street to the complex, and obtaining state Department of Transportation approval for the driveway.

“There was talk about a possible buffer,” Long said this morning. “I told them I would do whatever the neighbors wanted me to do.”

Long said his plan calls for the construction of seven buildings, each with six 1,155-square-foot apartments.

“It’s a cookie-cutter (design),” he said. “The biggest thing is that all are ranch style, with closed attached garages that enable the residents to get out of their cars and go right into their homes. They have private entrances and two bedrooms.”

Long, who has built large-scale apartment complexes in Clarence Center and Orchard Park, among others, said he picked up the engineer’s site drawings on Thursday and is prepared to go before the Village of Corfu Planning Board in the near future.

“The village has already given its strong endorsement,” he said, adding that he hopes to break ground this spring.

He said he already has enough (tenant) names to fill the first two buildings.

Currently, the site is being called Corfu Senior Apartments, but Long said that a permanent name has yet to be determined.

-- Recommended approval of an area variance requested by Zaremba Group Inc., to have 30 parking spaces (instead of the required 46) at a proposed Dollar General store in East Pembroke.

Town of Batavia Fire Department officials tonight outlined their plan to build a new $3.2 million, 10,000-square-foot substation – complete with a dormitory wing for “resident” firefighters -- on Stringham Drive.

“We want to be good neighbors, and give a heads-up to what we’re doing out there,” said Gary Diegelman, chair of the department’s building committee and member of its board of directors, during a public informational meeting attended by about 30 people at the Batavia Town Hall on West Main Street Road.

Many of those at the meeting were residents of the area on Stringham Drive near the proposed location of the new fire hall.

Diegelman said the new building will feature two drive-thru bays and entrances from both Stringham Drive and Clinton Street Road. With the drive-thru bays, the trucks will not have to back up to enter and exit the station.

It will replace the current Station 2 which is located on the north side of Clinton at the corner of Stringham. The department’s headquarters will continue to be Station 1 on Lewiston Road, across from Kmart.

While no one objected to fire department’s proposal – “I’ve got a fire department in my backyard, and I have no problem with that,” said Wayne Benz, owner of a four-family home next door – several homeowners said they were concerned about a retention pond on the property for water runoff and the fire hall’s proximity to their houses.

“People are afraid there will be standing water and whether it will be an eyesore or a mosquito breeding ground,” said Brian Odachowski, who purchased Dana Stringham’s home at 5017 Clinton Street Road last year. “There’s already a drainage problem for people on the lower end.”

Odachowski, who said the fire hall will be in his backyard, said his main concern is “how much of the greenspace (buffer between his property and the fire hall) will be taken away.”

He said he was hopeful that the retention pond will be “done in the right way … to stop the massive runoff that would sweep into the backyards of people living there.”

Diegelman said the fire department contracted with architect Mitchell Associates Architects of Voorheesville and with the Western New York engineering firm Clark Patterson Lee.

“All he (Robert Mitchell) does is fire departments,” Diegelman said.

He said the department purchased the property about three years ago and “got the bumps out of the road.” With that, it is ready to present its proposal to the Genesee County Planning Board (this Thursday night) and then to the Town Planning Board (on Feb. 20).

Other details of the plan include a 25-car parking lot in the back and a five-car lot in front, an electronic message sign at the main entrance off Clinton Street Road, and a decontamination room to keep firefighters’ gear separate from the rest of the building.

Diegelman called the addition of four dorm rooms a “bunk-in program,” noting that other departments in New York State are doing this.

“It’s a space for four members to live there, sort of like a college dorm,” he said. “It could be for younger guys, and there will be set rules for them, and tasks for them to earn their keep.”

He said the benefit of such an arrangement would be that the bunk-ins would be there to “respond to calls – they’ll be the first out to get on the truck and go – but obviously we’re going to take into consideration that they have jobs, too.”

Diegelman, who was joined by Fire Chief Dan Coffey and other firefighters at the meeting, said the department’s fiscal responsibility has enabled it to proceed with the venture.

“We have money in the coffers (because) we’ve been putting money into the building fund account,” he said. “We will put down a substantial amount on the building (he later indicated the down payment will be around $1 million), and we will hold some back for furnishings (including TV screens and computers for the radio room).”

He said they will borrow the rest, and that he was confident the entire project could be paid off in 10 years. He said the existing substation will not be sold or torn down “until we decide what to do -- not in the near future.”

When asked if maybe the department’s budget was too cash heavy, he quickly responded, “Not at all.”

“The Town knows very well what our budgets are,” he said. “We present our budget to the Town Board every year, so they’re very aware of what’s in our coffers. They’re very aware of the projects that we have.

“We just purchased a brand new aerial truck. We determined a long time ago that any equipment purchases – trucks, etc. – would be paid by cash. So we pay for all of our apparatus with cash, and then the buildings get financed.”

He said the original plan was to construct a 16,000-square-foot, three-bay station, but the decision was made to go smaller – “partially due to cost, partially due to necessity.”

Diegelman noted that the new substation is needed due to expansion in that area of Batavia.

“We know that that end of town is building up a lot. They just put the big fieldhouse out at the college, and Oakwood Estates out there on East Main, Mueller’s building another big warehouse there, or it’s Hood now … so we got to know that it’s building up on that end of town. So we need to be progressive enough to be up with the times.”

He said that after obtaining planning board approvals, he anticipated that construction bids for the project would go out in the spring, and groundbreaking would take place sometime this summer.

Photos at top -- Gary Diegelman, left, addresses concerns of Brian and Julie Odachowski as other Stringham Drive-area residents look on; overhead look at the location of the new Town of Batavia Fire Department substation (outlined in black). The existing substation is across Stringham Drive, facing Clinton Street Road. At bottom, architect's rendering of the building (dark shading), which has two stories on one side and is designed to last 75 to 100 years. Clinton Street Road is at the bottom of picture. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Scott Allis of Medina rolled an 806 series and Dave Emler of Rochester posted a 300 game -- his second this month -- to highlight last week's league bowling action in the Genesee Region.

Allis had games of 259-270-277 for his eighth USBC-certified 800 series over the past 17 years in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes.

Emler's perfect game came in the G&W Vending League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, where he previously shot 300 on Jan. 2.

In the County Line Stone League at Scopano's Lanes, Paul Spiotta of Batavia registered a 290 game.

For a list of high series and games for the week of Jan. 22, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Mike Pettinella's next Pin Points column will be posted on Thursday.

The prospect of keeping professional baseball at Dwyer Stadium is looking brighter after the Batavia City Council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the assignment of the Dwyer Stadium lease to the New York-Penn League and its wholly owned subsidiary, Batavia Muckdogs Inc.

The NY-P has decided to step in and run the Short Season Class A team, which had been operated by the Rochester Red Wings for the past decade. The league ended the agreement between Rochester and the Genesee County Baseball Club Inc., in November.

“We had several conversations (with NY-P officials) in late fall, and they expressed a desire to stay in Batavia for 2018,” City Attorney George Van Nest said at tonight’s meeting at City Centre Council Chambers.

Van Nest said the issue of extending the lease and sublease is time sensitive since the NY-P hopes to begin assessing Dwyer Stadium later this month. He said the all terms of the current lease will remain the same – removing the GCBC from the lease -- and the extension will be in force through April 2019.

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian noted that the Red Wings “removed their equipment,” inferring there could be additional City expense above and beyond the $25,000 it contributes to the stadium on an annual basis.

Van Nest said NY-P officials talked about improvements to the facility.

It also is believed that pre-existing agreements for local high schools to use Dwyer Stadium will continue. It is unclear if the NY-P will supply its own staff or use local employees, including longtime groundskeeper Don Rock, who attended tonight’s meeting.

In other action, Council:

-- Agreed to consider leasing three City-owned City Centre Mall parcels (known as the Dent property) to the Batavia Players theater troupe, but expressed concerns about the rent schedule, square footage and the ability to sell the parcels if desired.

Christian questioned Patrick Burk, Batavia Players president, about the number of employees, wages, volunteers and hours invested into their productions. Burk said there are 15 to 20 part-time employees throughout the year at their current location of 56 Harvester Ave., some who receive stipends that pay them “more than minimum wage in some cases.”

But Christian said she had a “problem with leasing any parts of the mall.”

“I want to totally get out of the mall,” she said. “I have a problem with nonprofits not paying property taxes.”

The lease agreement calls for monthly rent charges of $747.92 for months one through six ($1 per square foot), $1,223.86 for months seven through 12 ($3 per square foot), and $2,991.66 for months 13 through 60 ($4 per square foot). It also allows the City to sell the property, with 180 days’ notice. By multiplying the initial rent times 12, that comes to 8,975 square feet that the City would be leasing to the Batavia Players.

Councilman Robert Bialkowski said he found a discrepancy in the square footage, and asked if the City would end up subsidizing part of the maintenance fees.

Van Nest said he and Interim City Manager Matt Worth would look into the fees and square footage and provide that information to Council prior to the Feb. 12 Business meeting.

Council members John Canale and Patti Pacino spoke on behalf of Batavia Players, with Canale calling the organization “a pillar of the community” that would draw much activity to downtown.

“Plus, with the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative award that the City received), part of it is to get the arts to the downtown area,” he said.

Burk said the Batavia Players are seeking more than $500,000 from the City's $10 million DRI award to fund most of the organization's relocation project.

Pacino urged her colleagues to “please put feet on the street downtown” by leasing space to Batavia Players.

In the end, Council voted to move the proposal to the Feb. 12 meeting contingent upon an accurate count of the square footage to be leased.

-- Moved resolutions concerning the 2018-19 budget, water rate changes, Business Improvement District plan and City Centre concourse user fee local law amendments (see preview story below) to the Feb. 12 Business meeting.

-- Agreed to consider a contract with In Site: Architecture LLP, of Perry, to assess the deteriorating condition of the pillars at the north entrance of Redfield Parkway, and conduct design work as required related to lighting, preparation of bid documents, construction specifications, bidding coordination and construction administration at a cost of $4,860.

Worth said In Site: Architecture has an outstanding track record of historic work, and called its bid a “soup to nuts proposal.”

Earlier, Council heard from city resident John Roach, who asked that if it was possible to create a special use taxing district – likely consisting of residents on or near Redfield Parkway -- to pay for the repairs.

“The study will cost $4,800 and it may take $17,000 to fix them (the pillars),” he said. (A special taxing district) would raise money to pay for the pillars without irritating the rest of us.”

Worth and Van Nest said they will look into that.

Batavia City Council members voiced their support of Habitat for Humanity of Genesee County tonight as they agreed to consider a proposal to back to a building project in the flood zone on the City’s south side.

“Habitat for Humanity does an outstanding job, and the best thing about this project is that it’s going to be in the Sixth Ward,” said Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian, who represents residents of that district.

Habitat for Humanity leaders are seeking a $17,395 grant from the City to cover engineering and architectural costs to design a flood-compliant home at 116 Swan St.

Mike Fahey, Habitat for Humanity board president, said the funds are needed because the property is in the 100-year flood zone – and a complete demolition of the existing home is the only way the organization can make the project work.

“Habitat, about a year ago, acquired the property and we were not aware at that time that it was actually in the flood plain,” Fahey said following the Council meeting. “Because of that, we are required to meet FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) requirements to have the property acceptable to everyone, and to make sure that flood insurance can be obtained on the property at a reasonable cost to the homeowner.”

Calling it a “unique challenge” (as it is the first Habitat project in the City’s floodplain), Fahey said it also presents an opportunity “because we’ve always been concerned that the south side of the City of Batavia has not been usable for Habitat or allowed us to go in there and look at home sites because of the floodplain problem.”

The proposal before Council calls for the City to take money from the former Vibrant Batavia fund (there is $48,000 left) – paying half to Habitat when the building permit is obtained and half when there is a certificate of occupancy.

Matt Worth, interim city manager, said that the engineering and architectural design study would become “a blueprint for future (Habitat) homes.”

Fahey said that the design work would be the “property” of Habitat for Humanity, but the group would be willing “to use those plans on any property in the City needing FEMA requirement.”

The total cost of the project is $104,000, an amount that “would be too much for a homeowner,” Fahey said.

“It would exceed any mortgage that they could comfortably handle. So we’re asking for some money to offset the cost to Habitat for the engineering,” he said.

Fahey said the property is in terrible condition and has to be demolished.

“We attempted to see if we could elevate the property, but it’s structurally unsound so that is an additional cost that Habitat, itself, is going to accrue,” he said. “That will not be handed off to the homeowner.”

He said that the structure is only about two-tenths of a foot below the floodplain, but still has to come down in order to meet FEMA regulations.

“The concrete slab has to be engineered in such a way so that if there is a flood, the water can escape from the building and not cause any future damage,” he said.

“Once we bring the building – the new build – to FEMA compliant, that reduces the cost of the flood insurance by two-thirds. Flood insurance will still have to be obtained for the property, but at a much more reasonable cost.”

City Council moved the resolution to its Business meeting on Feb. 12.

The post-Jason Molino era for the City of Batavia gets under way tonight with City Council taking on a packed agenda that includes four budget resolutions requiring public hearings, the Redfield Parkway pillars, Healthy Schools sidewalk project, Habitat for Humanity’s proposal to build a home in the flood zone, leasing City Centre Mall space to Batavia Players and a Dwyer Stadium sub-lease with the New York-Penn League to operate the Batavia Muckdogs baseball team.

The Council’s Conference meeting, which is expected to be followed by a special business meeting to address the Dwyer Stadium issue, is scheduled for 7 o’clock at the City Centre Council Board Room.

Summaries of the planned discussions are as follows:

Budget resolutions with public hearings

Interim City Manager Matthew Worth is introducing resolutions that deal with the proposed budget ordinance, water rate changes, Business Improvement District plan and City Centre concourse user fee local law amendments. His proposal requests that these topics be acted upon at the Feb. 12 Business Meeting, with public hearings set for Feb. 26.

The 2018-19 budget calls for $5,249,947 to be raised by taxes, with previous reports indicating that the tax rate is expected to decrease by 3 percent – to $8.99 per $1,000 of assessed value. Total expenditures are $24.3 million (an increase of 1.9 percent).

Water rates will go up by 3.5 percent, with slightly higher increases in meter and capital improvement fees. There is no increase proposed for the sewer rate.

Since the BID plan has not been updated since 2005, the City proposes amendments that include a change in the district assessment charge to properly reflect operations, capital accounting for surplus funds, compliance with Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law, and other budgetary compliance reporting.

The City Centre Concourse user fee proposal sets costs to Mall business owners at $2 per square foot, effective April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2021, and going up to $2.04 in 2021-22 and $2.06 in 2022-23.

Redfield Parkway pillars

City officials reached out to In Site: Architecture LLP, of Perry, to address the deteriorating condition of the pillars at the north entrance of Redfield Parkway.

The firm came back with a proposal to investigate the existing conditions, conduct design work as required related to lighting, preparation of bid documents, construction specifications, bidding coordination and construction administration at a cost of $4,860.

Council will be asked to appropriate the funds, contingent upon receiving a construction cost estimate prior to bidding the project.

Healthy Schools sidewalk project

Worth is reporting that Roman Construction Development Corp. of North Tonawanda has offered the low bid of $721,566 to complete construction of 12,300 linear feet of sideway in the City as part of the Healthy Schools Corridor Project.

Seventy-five percent of the project cost will be paid by the Federal Highway Administration and 25 percent will be paid from City sidewalk reserves and Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), Worth said.

Habitat for Humanity’s proposal

Habitat for Humanity is looking to renovate and restore a home at 116 Swan St., property that was transferred by the City to the organization. However, this is the first property to be transferred that is in the 100-year flood zone, resulting in additional costs.

According to Lauren Casey, Habitat for Humanity executive director, the cost to demolish the existing structure and build a new home is $104,000, including $17,395 for engineering and architectural costs to design a flood-compliant home.

In a memo from Molino dated Jan. 11 (the day before his last day on the job), Council will be asked to cover the $17,395, utilizing some of the $48,000 remaining from the former Vibrant Batavia initiative. Molino said that the engineering/architectural information could be used for future new builds in the City.

Batavia Players lease

A lease agreement with Batavia Players Inc. to utilize three City Centre parcels for their productions calls for monthly rent charges of $747.92 for months one through six ($1 per square foot), $1,223.86 for months seven through 12 ($3 per square foot), and $2,991.66 for months 13 through 60 ($4 per square foot).

In a memo, Worth writes that relocation of the theater to the downtown area has been identified in the City’s 2012 Community Improvement Plan and 2017 Comprehensive Plan, and is under consideration in the City’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative application.

The lease agreement gives the City the right to terminate it upon 180 days’ notice and allows the City to sell the property as it sees fit.

Sublease of Dwyer Stadium to NY-P

With the Rochester Community Baseball organization (Rochester Red Wings) out of the picture, the New York-Penn League has assumed ownership of the Batavia Muckdogs.

According to Worth, the NY-P is agreeable to operating the team at Dwyer Stadium under the terms and conditions of the previous sublease to the Batavia Regional Recreation Corporation and Genesee County Baseball Club Inc. and declaration to the Rochester Community Baseball for the coming season.

Worth, in a memo dated Jan. 19, said that the league has been made aware of the proposed budget and funds that may be available for improvements and “have an understanding of these limitations.”

Perfect games by Brandon Marshall of Churchville and Curtis Foss of Medina highlighted last week's league bowling action in the Genesee Region.

Marshall, 28, fired his 300 game in a 704 series in the G&W Vending League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, while Foss, 30, posted his en route to a 761 series in the Friday Night Mixers League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

For a long list of high scores and to read Mike Pettinella's Pin Points column, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

Realizing that future commercial and industrial development will require increased wastewater capacity and treatment, the Batavia Town Board tonight passed a pair of resolutions that seek to address the Town’s short-term and long-term needs.

The board, at its regular monthly meeting, authorized:

-- Acceptance of a $30,000 Engineering Planning Grant Award, which would pay most of the estimated $36,000 cost of a wastewater treatment assessment and planning study;

-- A contract with Clark Patterson Lee for engineering and grant assistance support services related to the study.

The EPG grant comes with the stipulation that the Town would be responsible for a 20 percent local match, up to $6,000.

The contract with Clark Patterson Lee is for $24,750.

“The grant is one of many that we have received, and helps support our strategic studies and needs assessment model that I have embraced,” said Town Supervisor Gregory Post. “We have a good handle on the collection (of wastewater) and this study will lead to upgrades to the pump station and gravity lines, as well as provide us with the design and construction of a permanent solution.”

The Town received EPGs in 2013 and 2014 for the development of long-term sanitary sewer collection system plans for the east and west sides of the Town. This current project is set up to address the wastewater treatment needs for the Town.

In a letter dated Jan. 12 to Town Engineer Steve Mountain, Eric Wies of Clark Patterson Lee wrote that the “primary alternative will be the upgrade of the joint City/Town Wastewater Treatment Facility … and the report will be a tool that can be used to guide the Town through potential treatment upgrades at each phase of future development.”

Post said the study will “give us a better timeline in order to complete the work that is imperative for us.”

“We’re looking for a design for needed improvements that enhance our score for getting grants and loans,” he said. “Agencies tend to support ready-to-go projects, not those where no plan is in place. Our purpose is to be ahead of every potential failure by 20 years.”

Post noted that developers are more apt to choose locations where strategic planning is evident, and that those new businesses will, in turn, help fund the cost of increased wastewater collection and treatment capacity.

In other action, the board voted to contract with Wendel Consulting Services LLC for a total of $9,500 for Geographical Information System (GIS) programming, maintenance, consulting and training for one year, and voted in favor of the installation of a 96-watt LED street light at the corner of Barrett Drive and Route 5 (the location of the new East Pembroke Fire Hall) at an annual cost of $153.33.

Rich Wagner's 300 game and Scott Kern's 299 were among the highlights in Genesee Region league bowling action for the week of Jan. 8-14.

Wagner, a 35-year-old left-hander from Batavia, finished with a perfect game to post a 761 series in The North Pole league on Thursday night at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Kern, 62, of Basom, started with a 299 (leaving a 5-pin on the last ball) en route to a 652 series in the Wednesday County Line Stone league at Scopano's Lanes in Oakfield.

Other highlights ilncluded 700 series by two women in the G&W Vending League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen -- Caycee Landers' 706 and Laurie Morgante's 703. The 700 series is the first USBC-certified 700 series for Morgante.

Kim Williams posted a 647 series in the Monday Night Ladies league at Mancuso's.

For a list of high scores from the area, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

An Erie County Supreme Court justice on Wednesday ruled in favor of the City of Batavia in a legal dispute with a Batavia orthodontist over the parking situation at his City Centre mall location.

“The City went before the judge (Catherine Nugent-Panepinto) with an order to show cause consistent with the settlement agreement between the City and the Mall Merchants Association, both parties were heard and the judge ‘so ordered’ the settlement agreement,” City Manager Jason Molino said today.

“This is the last piece of litigation for the City to take over operation of the mall on April 1.”

Dr. Marlin Salmon, owner of Salmon Orthodontics, brought the matter to court, seeking easement relief for parking spaces in proximity to his office.

A phone call to Dr. Salmon was not returned at the time of this story’s posting.

The settlement agreement calls for the city to retain ownership of the downtown facility's concourse, pay 100 percent of capital improvements, and take care of mall maintenance and operations.

Jason Molino and Lisa Casey at City Hall this morning.

Over a quarter century of work as an executive assistant, Lisa Casey has had the opportunity to evaluate the performance of organizational leaders.

In her opinion, Jason Molino, who is in his last week as Batavia’s city manager, has earned a high ranking.

“He’s a wonderful manager, through and through. I’ve worked for a lot of executives over the past 25 years and, by far, Jason is one of the best,” said Casey, the City’s confidential secretary and Molino’s assistant, following Monday night’s City Council meeting. “It is very hard to see him go, but I’m very happy for him.”

Molino begins his new job as Tompkins County administrator on Jan. 29. A farewell gathering (open to the public) is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday at T.F. Brown’s in Batavia.

Casey credited Molino for being a hard worker, “having a great heart” and possessing a memory that his served him well during his tenure in Batavia.

“He doesn’t ever forget; he remembers everything,” she said. “Even like from 10 years ago, he will pull out of his head a resolution that he did 10 years ago.”

She said that she will miss him and believes the community will, too.

“I know I’m going to miss him. I would like to think that Batavia is going to miss him as well. It’s going to be hard. It’s definitely a loss for Batavia,” she said. “I did not grow up here, but I know enough people who have said that so much has changed for the positive in this city.”

Casey said she is encouraged by Molino’s assertion that the right person will come along to take his place.

“It’s going to hurt us for a little bit, but as Jason has told me, he is very confident that we will find someone that will be just as good as him, if not better … which I don’t believe.”

Update: Tuesday, Jan. 9

Concerning negotiations between the City of Batavia and the Mall Merchants Association, Dr. Marlin Salmon this morning said that he is concerned over the parking situation in proximity to his dental practice located at the City Centre Mall, calling it a "significant issue" that has prevented him from signing the proposed agreement.

"I have talked with Jason (Molino) in the past and expressed my concerns," said Salmon, who is seeking consideration for parking spaces near his business. "The initial agreement gives us a pedestrian easement, but really what does that do?"

Molino said that the City has offered to restripe a portion of the east lot to have two-hour parking instead of all-day parking for "quicker turnover," but added that "there are only so many parking spaces close to his storefront."

The matter is on the docket in Erie County Supreme Court at 10 a.m. Wednesday with Judge Catherine Nugent-Panepinto presiding.

------------------------

No one questioned his suggestions and no one shot down his recommendations. Jason Molino's final meeting as Batavia city manager was a smooth one.

At tonight's special conference meeting at City Centre Council Chambers, Batavia City Council members unanimously signed off on Molino’s advice to appoint Department of Public Works Director Matthew Worth as the interim city manager and to contract with a recruiting firm to find Molino’s long-term replacement.

The meeting culminated a nearly 12-year association with the City for Molino, whose last day on the job is this Friday. He starts his new position as Tompkins County administrator on Jan. 29.

Council members -- after re-electing Eugene Jankowski as president and Paul Viele as president pro tempore for 2018 -- thanked Molino for his service through an official proclamation, which pointed to his budgeting and strategic planning expertise and his “leadership and creativity,” while also acknowledging his “integral” role in Batavia receiving a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award from the state.

Molino accepted the proclamation from Jankowski, quipping that “I bet you would have never predicted 12 years ago that you’d be giving me this,” referring to a situation where Jankowski’s position on the police force was eliminated midway through Molino’s tenure.

“It has been a fun time … quite the roller-coaster ride, with a lot of ups and downs,” Molino said. “The staff has been remarkable to work with, and you’re in good hands as you look for your next leader.”

The reins, at least temporarily (it could take up to six months to hire a new manager), are being handed over to Worth, who along with Ray Tourt, maintenance superintendent; James Ficarella, water and wastewater superintendent; and Lisa Neary, deputy director of finance, will be taking on additional responsibilities.

Council approved these appointments, which will come with additional stipends of $1,000 per month for Worth, and $750 per month each for Tourt, Ficarella and Neary.

Worth said he's ready to do what's needed to keep the City running efficiently.

"It’s really just a matter of need," he said. "There’s a gap and they felt that I could help to move forward until they could get that permanent solution for the city manager. The City has been awful good to me over the years, and if I can help them get through this interim area, I was happy to do it."

Molino’s departure means that both key leadership positions in the City will be vacant as Batavia also has been without an assistant city manager for some time.

As reported previously on The Batavian, Molino suggested that due to several major infrastructure projects on the table, Council would be wise to postpone a water line replacement project and a sanitary sewer design project on several streets until 2019 and 2020, respectively.

“From a construction perspective, it would be best to postpone them to next year because you won’t have the manpower available,” Molino said.

Worth said there will be plenty of construction work in the months ahead.

"The priorities, of course, are first and foremost are to assist Council in getting the new city manager search started, and get that moving forward," he said. "After that, the big tickets items that are outstanding are the few capital projects that were discussed – the TIP project and TAP project, which are sidewalk and large resurfacing. Hopefully, (there will be) a resolution to the mall issues and the sales tax/water agreement with the county are the big items that need all of our attention."

When asked if he was onboard with putting off the water line replacements projects on Union Street, Brooklyn Avenue and South Main Street, Worth said a year delay won't make much of a difference.

"Well, I can say I dug more holes in Union Street that I care to think about over my career, so I very much am looking forward to replacing that water main, but then again, that water main’s close to 100 years old -- so one more year, it seems that it’s a reasonable step to take," he said. "We want to do it once, and do it right. Those projects are projects that will be in place for 100 years ... so let’s make sure we spend the time and do it right."

Molino said he was confident that Worth, Ficarella, Tourt and Neary would be able to navigate through the projects, which include an overhaul of the city’s entire software system, sidewalk construction, street resurfacing, facilities capital plan, City Centre concourse improvements and the Ellicott Trail bicycle and pedestrian pathway.

“The budget probably will be one of the easiest things to get through since the department heads are involved in this,” he said.

As far as the search for the new manager is concerned, Council agreed with Molino’s contention that hiring an executive search firm – which could cost up to $20,000 – would be the best way to “recruit the best talent with a fresh perspective and not placing a huge responsibility on the staff.”

He made a point of stating that candidates at this level “are interviewing you (City Council),” not the other way around.”

“The reality is that they are interviewing you to see what you have to offer,” he said.

After some discussion, Council formed a committee of Jankowski, Robert Bialkowski and Adam Tabelski, which will reach out to three or four recruiting firms and get proposals prior to its Jan. 22 meeting.

Jankowski said he liked the idea of “formulating a hybrid committee” of Council members, business people, citizens and department heads to conduct the initial screening, but Kathleen Briggs said she was in favor of department heads and council members.

“No business leaders at this point,” she said, adding that Council was responsible for the hire.

It was agreed that the committee of three would work with human resources specialist Dawn Fairbanks to contact search firms and report back as soon as possible.

“I’ll make sure everyone is informed every step of the way,” Jankowski said. “We want to act on this as quickly as possible.”

In other action, Council:

-- Voted in favor of two resolutions dealing with the JC Penney store at the City Centre Mall, continuing the practice of having unique agreements with the department store – the mall’s anchor tenant.

The resolutions granted an easement for JC Penney, formally known as 40 Batavia Centre LLC, for its use of the loading dock which actually sits on city property. Last week, Black Equities transferred ownership of the property to 40 Batavia Centre LLC.

This latest action is “one of the final pieces of the settlement documents in getting them passed by Penney’s and their new property owner.”

Molino said just one property owner – Dr. Marlin Salmon, DDS, Salmon Orthodontics  – has refused to sign the settlement agreement that calls for the city to retain ownership of the downtown facility's concourse, pay 100 percent of capital improvements, and take care of mall maintenance and operations.

Dr. Salmon’s business is located on the north side of the mall, next to Batavia Family Dental.

Molino said that Dr. Salmon’s case will be reviewed by a judge in court on Wednesday.

Molino said JC Penney owners have “given their affirmation of wanting to stay in this community, which is good for our dialogue with them. They confirmed they want to be here; having that good anchor tenant is always a good thing.”

In photo at top, Jason Molino receives a farewell hug from Council member Rose Mary Christian. "You're the best manager we've ever had," Christian said, adding that she promised to "be good to these guys (his interim replacements) for the next six months."

Photos by Howard Owens.

Scott Culp of Lima put on a dominating performance over the weekend to capture his second straight Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial Tournament title.

The high-revving 39-year-old right-hander posted a wire-to-wire victory – leading both the qualifying and semifinal rounds and capping it with a 215-180 win over Jerry Blair of Le Roy in the championship match of the stepladder finals on Sunday at Letchworth Pines in Portageville.

Using a Storm Crux, Culp, a 240-plus average bowler at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo, rolled 900 to place first in the four-game qualifying round and added 873 in the four-game semifinals to earn the top seed for the stepladder finals with a 1,773 total (221 average).

Both rounds were contested on “Sport” oil patterns (considerably more difficult than “house” shots) – with the qualifying round rolled on Kegel Middle Road (39 feet) and the semifinals and finals on Kegel Route 66 (45 feet).

The event drew 46 entries – down from the 69 that bowled when Culp won the title last year at Medina Lanes.

The victory was worth $600 for Culp, while Blair earned $350.

Blair moved up the ladder by defeating Brady Weber of Perry in a 10^th frame roll-off, 20-9, after the bowlers had tied at 212-212; stopping Don Parrott of Warsaw, 215-176, and edging Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw, 220-214. In the semifinal match against Gray, Blair struck on the first ball in the 10^th to secure the win.

Gray won $260 for his third-place finish, while Parrott earned $210 and Weber $160.

The five other finalists were Dana Freeman of Silver Springs ($150), Dean Cadieux Jr. of Oakfield ($140), Mike Pettinella of Batavia ($130), Ron Bacon of Warsaw ($120) and Brian Green of Batavia ($110).

Parrott had the tournament’s high game (279), followed by Culp (278).

The GRUSBC contributed $400 to the prize fund.

Photo -- Scott Culp, left, and Jerry Blair.

Update: A gathering to thank Jason Molino on his service to the City of Batavia and to wish him well in his new endeavor is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at T.F. Brown's in Batavia.

• Contract with an executive search firm.
• Offer a salary and benefits to attract top candidates.
• Seek the opinions of existing staff members.
• Don’t rush to hire someone just to fill the vacancy.

These are the primary suggestions from Batavia City Manager Jason Molino in a memo to City Council as the municipality’s governing body begins its search for a new chief executive.

The memo, dated Jan. 3, will be considered at Monday night’s City Council meeting (7 o’clock, City Centre Council Chambers).

Council also is expected to discuss another memo from Molino that recommends the appointment of Matthew Worth, Department of Public Works director, as the interim city manager, and the postponement of water and sewer projects on several city streets until 2019 and 2020.

Molino resigned his position last month, and will be starting his new job – as Tompkins County administrator – on Jan. 29. His last day in Batavia is Jan. 12.

In his city manager search memo, Molino places much stock in the benefit of an executive search firm.

“Executive search firms will most likely meet with City Council and staff to understand the culture of the organization and what type of leader you are looking for,” he wrote. “From there they would develop a recruitment profile that can be used to assist in advertising and recruiting for the position. Once the position is formally advertised, they will also have a network of existing managers and assistant managers that they know may be a good fit for Batavia.”

Molino indicated that he puts Batavia ahead of the City of Geneva, which also is seeking a new manager -- “This may be bias, but I think Batavia has much more to offer. Right now, Batavia has a great brand,” he wrote – but he also wrote that he believes Batavia’s pay scale is about $15,000 to $20,000 behind the “pay scale of comparable communities.”

He recommends that Council should form a search committee of “a few Council members, department heads and maybe a few community leaders” and to solicit feedback from the staff “that will be working closest to the city manager.”

All told, he wrote that he expects the search to cost around $20,000.

In closing, he advised Council to not hire someone just to fill the vacancy if “no candidate is appealing or appears to be a good fit … Do another search until you find the right leader for your organization.”

Increased Duties for Worth, Others

During the transition, Molino wrote that Worth has agreed to serve as interim city manager until a new leader is appointed, and also suggests additional roles for Ray Tourt, maintenance superintendent; James Ficarella, water and wastewater superintendent, and Lisa Near, deputy director of finance.

His suggestions come with $1,000 per month additional stipends for Worth, and $750 each for Tourt, Ficarella and Neary. All would be effective Jan. 13, contingent upon Council’s approval.

“Originally, the City had proposed a $2 million water line replacement for Union Street, Brooklyn Avenue and South Main Street, in addition to starting the design for a $1.5 million sanitary sewer replacement for Franklin Street, and a Maple & Mill Street sanitary sewer realignment,” Molino wrote. “While this capital work is important, it is recommended that it be pushed back to 2019 and 2020, respectively, when a new City leadership is on board.”

Molino noted that negotiations are continuing with Genesee County regarding water and sales tax agreements – calling it the “single most impactful and important issue facing the interim city manager and City Council over the next six months.”

Because Worth will be required to handle pressing issues, more responsibility will fall upon the other three department heads, particularly several capital projects representing $7 million of infrastructure investment, and the fiscal duties that accompany them.

Click here to read the entire memos on the Batavia City Council page (Organizational Meeting Agenda and Special Conference Agenda -- Jan. 8, 2018). Both meetings are open to the public.

The process of compiling the final list of the City of Batavia’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative award projects enters another phase next week when the 20-member Local Planning Committee reconvenes.

“We’re at a point where outlines (of prospective projects) will be given to the LPC, evaluation of the criteria will take place and summaries of project submissions will be reviewed,” said Steve Hyde, Genesee County Economic Development Center president and co-chair of the committee.

Hyde is serving as co-chair of the LPC along with Eugene Jankowski, City Council president, and Maria Figurele, executive director of CDC of Rochester,

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 9 at City Centre Council Chambers.

The LPC will consider projects submitted by developers as part of the $10 million DRI award that was granted to Batavia by New York State Department of State in coordination with the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal.

Jankowski said the future of the City Centre Mall has entered into the discussions, but he considers that to be “separate and on its own track” due to a pending agreement between the City and the Mall Merchants Association.

“What we’re primarily looking for are more private projects which will go on the tax rolls,” Jankowski said.

Hyde said the mall is “a big part of the conversation, but not the only thing.”

“It’s an important one, but there is a mix of projects,” he added.

Hyde said he expects that the LPC will meet again before the end of January for a “final review” and that the “vetted list will become the crux” of recommendations that will be forwarded to the State Department.

“We make recommendations, but ultimately, the state makes the decisions,” he said, adding that final submissions are due in March.

Jankowski urged the public to take in next week’s discussion, and then share their thoughts with the LPC members afterwards.

“We need the public to get involved – both with the DRI and with the city manager search process,” he said. “There are 15,000 people here and I’m only hearing from about five or six who claim they represent the people. This is your money; we need your input.”

Members of the LPC are as follows:

-- James Sunser, Ed.D., Genesee Community College president;
-- Pier Cipollone, Batavia Development Corporation president;
-- Craig Yunker, managing member, CY Farms LLC;
-- Tammy Hathaway, president, Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council;
-- Patrick Burk, Batavia City School Board president;
-- Erik Fix, United Way of Genesee County executive director;
-- Marianne Clattenburg, Genesee County legislator;
-- Tom Turnbull, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce president;
-- John McKenna, president and CEO, Tompkins Bank of Castile;
-- Susie Ott, Commercial Insurance Team Leader, Lawley Insurance;
 -- Julia Garver, Genesee YMCA director;
-- John Riter, resident director, Merrill Lynch;
-- Peter Casey, attorney, Del Plato Casey Law Firm;
-- Matt Gray, Eli Fish Brewing Company restaurant entrepreneur;
-- Nathan Varlan, executive director, Batavia Housing Authority;
-- Paul Battaglia, Genesee County Economic Development Center chair;
-- Mary Valle, owner, Valle Jewelers;
-- Rev. Marty Macdonald, City Church;
-- John Bookmiller, owner, Java Farm Supply;
-- Dan Ireland, president, United Memorial Medical Center.

Stating that “we’re not willing to sign it in its present form,” Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post said this morning that the Batavia Town Board did not take any action in connection with an amended and restated water agreement with Genesee County.

The board met on Thursday afternoon but decided not to sign off on the document, a 40-year agreement for water supply between the county and the town.

Post would not say what aspects of the agreement were deemed unacceptable.

“It is a complex issue; a work in progress,” he said.

County Manager Jay Gsell also would not elaborate, saying only that county legislators will discuss the situation next week and “continue our conversation with the Town of Batavia.”

As reported Wednesday on The Batavian, amendments to the water agreement focus on making sure municipalities are aware there is no unlimited supply of water and giving the county the flexibility it needs to increase the surcharge that municipalities pay as the demand for water increases.

Per County Attorney Kevin Earl, the restated agreement includes a provision that the county has to give 120 days prior notice to towns and villages of a price increase and, as part of the master plan, explain why an increase is warranted.

Phone calls to Earl and Batavia Town Attorney Andrew Meier were not returned as of the posting of this story.