council-at-large

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batavia City Council-at-large incumbents Bob Bialkowski, Jeremy Karas and Eugene Jankowski Jr. celebrate their unofficial win Tuesday night at O'Lacy's in Batavia. Photo by Jim Burns

About 15 people sat chatting at Republican headquarters while repeatedly checking their phones and awaiting the final election results Tuesday night. Unofficial results were posted online a few minutes past 10:30 p.m., declaring the three incumbent councilmen-at-large the re-elected winners.

Eugene Jankowski Jr. was on top with 1,143 votes, Jeremy Karas received 1,118 and Bob Bialkowski had 1,032.

Pointing out that they were only unofficial results, Jankowski was cautiously happy.

“I’m really relieved right now. I’m pleased that what we’ve been doing on council has been approved by the people of Batavia,” he said at O’lacy’s, the designated spot for Republicans to gather. “It’s important as a council member to get that feedback. We’re on the right track. I work for everyone from Batavia, no matter what affiliation they are.”

The turnout was “disappointing,” Jankowski said, although incumbent Bob Bialkowski had a different view.

“I’m surprised; I think there was quite a healthy turnout,” he said. “The message is to keep up the hard work. I am very happy, I will be happy to serve another term. It was a lot of hard work and lot of campaigning.”

Having someone new run for the seat gave him pause for reflection, he said.

“It makes you sharpen your pencil a little bit,” he said.

Karas was equally in good spirits.

“I was very pleasantly surprised at the outcome,” Karas said, looking ahead to planning projects without a pandemic. “It’s going to be nice to get back to normal … we have a budget coming up and some other irons in the fire, and the new police station. I can’t wait to get out there and move forward on these things.”

Democrat Erica O’Donnell, a newcomer to the election, received 609 votes. She congratulated Jankowski, Karas and Bialkowski in her comments to the Batavian. She spoke by phone from her home, as the Democrats had no designated meeting place Tuesday night.

“I’m feeling all right,” she said. “I’m proud of the campaign we ran. It’s on to the next one.”

Jankowski said he would like feedback from residents about “various issues” and if they have questions or concerns.

He encourages city residents to call him at 585-343-3337.

Erica O’Donnell is a newcomer to the race, but not to having particular goals for the city, she says. She has a vision for Batavia and how City Council can improve upon some of the many things she believes are going well right now. She is the lone Democrat seeking a council-at-large seat on the Republican-heavy council and thinks that her presence would add some fresh thinking to the nine-member group.

Erica and her husband Patrick purchased their home on Batavia’s southside in 2012, and soon after welcomed a dog named Gatsby, followed a few years later by a daughter Lila, 7, and a son Connor, 4.  Both children attend City Schools. She has been involved with the local Democratic Committee, helped out with her grandfather’s campaigns for Alabama Town Board and clerk, and Genesee County Legislature, and has since volunteered for and organized campaigns for races at every level of government. She served as secretary of the Genesee County Democratic Committee in 2016 and Second Vice Chair in 2017 and was elected Chair of the City of Batavia Democratic Committee in late 2017. 

Q: What do you feel is your responsibility as a council person-at-large?
A: In my mind, the biggest job, and definitely the main responsibility as a city council member, is to represent the city of Batavia You’re at large, so you represent the entire city, so it’s my responsibility to take the concerns, questions, desires, hopes, and dreams, all of that, of the residents of the city of Batavia to council and to city officials and try and execute that to the best of my ability.

Q: What’s going right in Batavia?
A: We’re definitely seeing great growth downtown, with new restaurants and businesses opening, it’s super exciting, just different activities for families and kids. I’m raising my two kids here, I think it’s a wonderful place to raise a family. We get a bad rap sometimes … that’s not been my experience at all. And we’re not perfect, certainly, there are challenges in the city, but the best way to remedy those is to get involved in and around your community. So I’ve seen great things growing for kids, for families to do something. Usually, when I wanted to do something with my kids you have to go to Buffalo or you have to go to Rochester, and now there are places to go and things to do almost every week in Batavia, and I think that’s awesome.

Q: What could use some improvement?

A: We can definitely do better with those things as well. I grew up in Alabama, and my husband grew up in Oakfield and works in Rochester, and we could have shortened his commute by quite a bit by living in Monroe County, but to be perfectly honest it was way more affordable to live in Batavia. The home that we bought on the south side would be triple what we paid for in Henrietta, Brighton, Penfield … it gives us a lot of freedom to be able to stay home with my kids. During COVID I was able to stay home with them. When you talk to people my age, they maybe don’t think of Batavia as a great place to purchase a home and raise a family, and I think just promoting what a great place this is, and geared toward families to come in. And restaurants and bars are great, but you can only do that so many times. I love going to Eli Fish and O’Lacy’s, but it’s probably not the best place for my 5- and 7-year-old.

Q: What would be your top priority for 2022 if elected?
A: I have a couple of pet projects and an overarching vision. My overarching vision is to bring a fresh perspective and new thinking to the council. I’ve been told many times ‘this is the way it’s always been done,’ and I think there are ways we can come to compromises, and things can be difficult and still be achievable. You might not get 100 percent of what you want all the time, but you can make progress, and you can try your very best, and get there little by little. A couple of my little pet things, parking in city lots and city streets overnight. Right now, if I were to go to one of our establishments downtown, have a couple of drinks, and decide, you know what? I need to take Uber home, I need to catch a ride with a friend, I need to walk and do the responsible thing and leave my car overnight with a parking ticket. Yeah, and that's one of those things that I think there could be a compromise.

Obviously, we need to remove snow. Well, is it possible that snow removal can happen on a Tuesday or Wednesday and then Thursday through Sunday it's ok to leave your cars overnight in certain lots? I think there's a solution there. I think there's something that can be done. Same thing for parking overnight … if you're having family functions and if you're doing work on your house. I know at one point our neighbors were siding their house and it was right on our driveway. Well, it took a couple of days. I didn't want to get a nail in my tire, so we parked on the street and had to make a special arrangement with the city so we didn't get a ticket. I still think it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, you know, and that can be fixed easily. It's something that doesn't cost much. And you know, we can find a solution.

The other thing is the city website. That's something that we could walk in, and in a week, fairly cheaply have it fixed. I was looking for someone for the city manager and they'd ask for the city manager's email address and they couldn't find it. It's got to be on the website. And I found Jason Molino's address. And this list, you know, was earlier on in the summer. It can be hard to find the information that you need to either get a hold of someone in the city or just to, you know, maybe you just have a quick question and it should be easier to find on the city website. I just think that that's something that would be an easy fix.

Q: How will you contribute to city operations?
A: I think that I have a different perspective than most City Council members right now. I call myself an older millennial … I just think I'll bring a fresh perspective. I think I would come at things from a different angle than other City Council members. I would also, if elected, be the only Democrat on City Council. And that might not make a huge difference in day-to-day operations. I don't think that matters much too, you know, average citizens when it comes to, you know, they want the streets plowed down, the leaves picked up, the whole spectrum. But I do think it makes a difference to have people who are cut from a different cloth to at least have a different side of things.

I'm not a stranger to City Council. I don't have a problem reaching out. I mean, for as long, really, for as long as I've lived in Batavia, if there's something bothering me, I'll call my City Councilperson. And 99.9 percent of the time, I'm treated with the utmost respect and I get a response.  I don't think it would be a hindrance at all being a Democrat in Genesee County, we're in the minority and I wouldn't get real far if I wasn't willing to work with people who are from the other political parties.

Q: Why should you get a resident’s vote for this position?
A:  Well, I mean, everything that we've discussed already. I think I'd bring a fresh perspective to the city. I think that I'm a hard worker and a creative thinker. I also believe in doing things proactively. I think we've got a bad habit of kicking the can down the road and, even just the police station. That's something that's been going on and been discussed and drawn out for ages, and we still haven’t broken ground. So I think we need to deal with things head-on, and before it becomes a bigger issue.

Just to bring new ideas, creative ideas, thinking outside the box. I'm involved in a lot of different community organizations. I volunteer all the time and I think just by talking to people and just listening to what people have to say, I'm putting it into action. Being involved and hearing from different groups, I think, is something that's needed.

Q: Does there need to be more housing in Batavia?
A: I think there needs to be more affordable housing. I think that. We own our home. But the two houses to either side of us, which are almost identical in square footage, happen to be single-family rentals. And I know the rent of both homes is double my mortgage. OK, so not everyone is able to get a mortgage. Not everyone is in a position to buy a home and maybe doesn't want to buy a home. Maybe they know they need to be mobile for their job, or they're only here temporarily. But they shouldn't be punished with such a huge burden for their rent, so I don't know what the answer to that is. But I do think there needs to be more affordable housing and affordable rentals in the city.

Q: Do you think there should be more downtown businesses, and if so, what types?
A: Absolutely. I think there should be more downtown businesses. And I hope that in the near future, there will be more of a variety of downtown businesses. I mean, restaurants are great. Barbershops are great. You know, I would love to see more retail on the street.

Q: City Council already voted for a new police station. How do you feel about a new police station and its location?
A: I think it’s absolutely necessary for everyone involved. The location they chose wasn't my favorite location, but we spent a long time researching. They put together the task force and this was what they chose. So I think that, you know, you don't ask people's opinions and ignore them if that's what they think is best. And that's, you know, where it should be done.

Q: Do you think the police department needs more, less, or the same funding for what it needs to do?
A: I think things are going well with our police department. Personally, I haven't heard a lot of complaints. I know all of my interactions with the police, and I know I'm saying that a huge amount of privilege as a white woman, has been positive. That being said, I mean, nobody gets a blank check, right? So you need to be responsible for the funding of all of our departments and the police department. No exception.

Q: Do you feel that city taxes are fair for the amenities that taxpayers receive?
A:  I do. Maybe this is going to be an unpopular answer for some people. No, I mean, nobody likes to pay taxes, let's be honest. Yeah, but that's the price we pay to be a part of society. I know that we have a bad snowstorm. I've got to dig out my driveway, but my street's going to get clear. I've got a big pile of leaves out front that my husband dragged out there, that the city can come to pick up. It's my responsibility to pay my fair share. It's the price we pay to be a part of society.

Q: Have you said everything you wanted to about running for council-at-large?
A: Yes.

Elba native Jeremy Karas and his wife Andrea have two boys, Timothy, 14, and 12-year-old Steven. Karas was appointed to serve out the remaining year term when Adam Tabelski resigned from the position, and then Karas served another two-year term. The demands of his service manager position for Temp-Press prevents Karas from participating in a lot of civic organizations, he says, but, aside from giving quality time to his family, he would like to devote himself to serving again on City Council.

Q: What do you feel is your responsibility as a councilman-at-at large?
A: I mean, obviously, we can be responsible for all of the wards throughout the city, not just one single one. So many voters, any constituents within the city of Batavia, can come to us with any concerns or if they have anything that they'd like to see changed with the city. Or, you know, once in a great while we get to hear what we're doing well. But yeah, usually, for the most part, it's something wrong. But, you know, occasionally we get some pats on the back here or there, which is nice. But yeah, I mean, we're just here to listen to anybody and everybody that's willing to talk to us. And I've got some friends and family throughout the city that, you know what? We have some things coming up or, you know, I'll just I'll reach out to them or just when I'm walking my dog in the neighborhood, just say, Hey, you know, what do you think about, you know this or that, that they've been talking about? Or what direction would you like to see us go? And basically, I view their role as just, we have to kind of use your best judgment based on the input you get from the people around you and Batavia. And, you know, help advise city management in a direction to go based on that, then just stay as objective as possible and reach out to as many people as you can.

Q: What's going right with Batavia?
A: I believe a lot of things are OK.  I definitely got in on an interesting time, with the pandemic hitting, and yeah, seeing a lot of the financial restraints that we have and question marks and even uncertainties with, you know, some of the downtown revitalization. I mean, a lot of developers and everybody, everyone just kind of hunkered down and nobody really knew what was going to go on. And it really is nice to see. I mean, Savarino definitely looks like they're finally moving forward on the station there. You know, I mean, it's really great to see some of these projects taking form and moving forward. And we were able to keep baseball on the table as well.

You know, we're looking at options for the ice rink long-term too. I really think the city's got a lot going for it. They just said that, just on the outside of the city, HP Hood is putting up their new facility, upstate Niagara building on the old Alpina plant, Graham is still doing well, Chapins is still here. O-At-Ka is still here. I mean, we have the jobs here to give and support the community as well. You know, it's not just where people have to go to Buffalo and Rochester … we have the jobs, we've got the downtown that's growing and there really is a lot this area has going for it.

Q: What could use some improvement in Batavia?
A: Oh, as far as improvement? Oh, that's a tough one. I mean, nothing is perfect, right? I would like to see more of a focus start heading down towards like the Ellicott Street area for the revitalization, and not just downtown. I think it's great that Main Street is doing what they're doing, but I think that's another area that, you know, once these get taking off, that needs to be another area of focus. I haven't been on long enough to see in the past, but I would like to see some of the facilities being kept up better, more being replaced. And like I said, I just know there's some aging equipment that the fire department has that need to be repaired or replaced, the police department as well. I mean, the fact that they've been in that building, as long as they have, is shameful as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, it really is. I mean, I'd really like to see us stay ahead of stuff a lot more rather than getting to the point where everything's crumbling down around you and you have to move on it, you know? Yeah. And I mean, that's something I like to do, you know, with my job or to help customers with that. We're trying to stay ahead with staying on a replacement plan and keeping things running smoothly. So, yeah, I mean, I would like to see that as far as something I think that could be improved upon. It's just trying to get better, better replacements in line and possibly or even just better purchasing.

Q: What is your top priority for 2022 if you are re-elected?
A: Should I be fortunate enough to get re-elected, I would like to just continue with what we're doing, honestly, like I said, with moving forward with some of the projects downtown. This year's budget should be much easier for management to do. As I said, I know last year we had to make some really hard choices on some cuts and things that we had to push off reserves that didn't get nearly as much as they probably should have. And, I mean, some of the tax revenues and what we've been looking at so far, for all intents and purposes, it looks like the same for this year’s coming budget. Next year, we should be getting back on track where you could start building towards those things and putting a little bit more away. That's really the big thing that I would like to see coming through next year.

Q: How would you personally contribute to city operations?
A: I think all of us on the council, we all come from a little bit different walk of life and we've all got definitely different professional backgrounds that we come from. And I think there have been some instances where I've been able to lend some of my background and expertise with some of the businesses that I deal with where, you know, some of them may have not been exposed to some of that stuff, unfortunately. But yeah, there definitely have been a few issues here. And there were things that were right up my alley.

Q: Why should you get a resident’s vote in this election?
A: I've proven to be a good member of the council. I've had, you know, a handful of residents who have contacted me for some things throughout the time I've been on council, and have helped them to find resolutions to their issues. You know, I know I'm not the loudest one there. I don't jump up and scream and shout out a lot of things. But you know, I'm always willing to listen. Always willing to help out anyone that stops and talks to me or calls me. I always try to make myself available as much as I can, and I really do enjoy the time I spend on council and trying to help make the city a better place.

Q: Do you feel that the city of Batavia needs more housing?
A: I believe it does. I mean, I like to look at, like, a couple of the Realtors’ websites every once in a while just to see. And it seems to me, just from what I've heard from people around my age group, and that it is fairly difficult to find something. And once you know, like if the average family size home does go on the market, it seems like they don't last long. I've seen some in my neighborhood over on Union Street. I mean, they'll only be there a week or two weeks and it's already gone. Sometimes they don't even make it to market. And I know, like when we purchased our house back 15 years ago, it had been on the market for, I think, six or eight months somewhere in there and it was just sitting there. Nobody seemed like anybody was buying that. But yeah, I mean, just from how quickly I see some of them selling now. I believe, yes, the city could benefit from more housing or either maybe some sort of incentive to repair some of the older properties that are here.

Q: Do you feel that downtown needs more businesses, and if so, why types?
A: Oh, absolutely. There's still plenty of empty storefronts there. You know, places for, you know, expansion and places to be repaired and fixed up. I'd definitely love to see more business downtown. As to what they are, that's yet to be seen, but I would absolutely love to see more downtown. I mean, we've already got some very nice restaurants downtown. I don't know if more shops would be feasible. I know some of them to seem to struggle this day and age with the coming out of Amazon and all the online sales. I know it's very tough for those types of businesses. Yeah, it is. I would love to see more of those types of stores. I just I don't know realistically, you know, at this day and age, it's tough to open those kinds of places. It is. I get it. I'm realistic about that. As much as I would love to see more of them down

Q: How do you feel about a new police station and where it’s to be located?
A: It's very shameful that they've been stuck in that building as long as they have. That was when I first came on council. I was able to tour all the departments in that and I did. I spent about half a day with (Chief) Shawn (Heubusch) and he took me through the whole station and showed me everything, and I just I couldn't believe the condition of it. I couldn't. I felt very bad that they are there. I, without a doubt, believe that we need to build them a new station.

As far as the location, I do like talking to Rachel and talking to other members of council and previous studies that they have. They have another one going through, apparently, because of course, those ones were years ago when it was on the plate then and for whatever reasons, that didn't move forward. Yeah. You know it does look like the best location. The utilities are already there. It's city-owned property, which reduces our costs. We don't have to buy property. It's got a lot of checkmarks and positives for it.

The only concern that I mentioned, you know, when we were looking at that and they had some rough sketches, is I just I don't want it to hamper the businesses that are already in that area by taking up too much of that parking lot. The way they had it drawn out, you know, that was the one concern they did raise. I just want to make sure all those buildings along Washington, you know, whether or not you get the movie theater up and going again, depending on what happens with the old Penneys in there, even though they've kind of got their own parking, you know, I think we need to look long term as well once we start to finalize plans for that and just make sure everyone's going to have enough breathing room if they're able to function. And especially when it snows.

Q: Do you feel that the police department could use more, less, or the same funding for what it needs to do?
A:  I believe, you know, that the status quo is ok. As far as the feedback we have received from the chief they are, they're finally up to the full staff, which I know when I first came on council, I believe they were maybe four or five officers short. And that, of course, was causing additional overtime. But yeah, they definitely need the station. But I think once you get them in there, get out of the old building and that, yeah, they seem to have a fairly good replacement plan for the vehicles. I believe they're pretty well set from what we’ve been told.

Q: Do you believe that city taxes are fair for the city amenities that taxpayers receive?
A: Yes, I do believe they are. I mean, they’re only around, I think it's $9.25 per thousand of assessments. I believe that is pretty fair for I mean, considering public safety when you're talking about paying for the fire department and police department and then your DPW as well as all the roads and sidewalks, parks, and that's a lot that's taken care of for that little bit of money.

Q: Why should residents give you a vote?
A: I guess I'm not somebody to jump up and down and scream and shout and I don't like, you know, I'm not one of those people that's going to go up to, you know, to start patting myself on the back, telling you all the great things that I did. But no, I mean, not always open to anybody coming to talk to me, and I'm going to try to stay as objective as possible with anything and everything. We all come from different walks of life. And, you know, I think we can all find a good path forward for the city. You know, if we're all just willing to work together at it, keep a level head.

Q: Have you said everything you wanted to say about running for council-at-large?
A: Yes, I think so.

Eugene Jankowski has served two terms as councilman-at-large and president of Batavia City Council. A firm believer in fiscal responsibility, Jankowski wants to serve as a guardian of the taxpayer’s money to ensure the city gets the best bang for its buck. A former officer and K-9 officer with Batavia City Police Department, Jankowski earned the 2013 Kiwanis Club Criminal Justice Award, is an active member of National Tactical Officers Association, New York Tactical Officers Association, FBI National Academy Association, International Defensive Pistol Association, US Practical Shooting Association, 3 Gun Nation (semi-pro), and a NRA Endowment member. He lives with his wife Leanne.

Q: What do you feel is your responsibility as a councilman-at-large?
A: It is the council at large. I can tell you, what I have done is I've made myself available to assist other ward council members when they need help with a project or are concerned about their neighborhood. I'm available citywide to any person who lives here or has a problem and needs help with something. I'm available, so I'm not limited to one ward where, if they contacted me and I said, I'm sorry, that's not my ward, you have to contact such and such. I can, you know, I jump in and assist wherever I can. And in my role, it’s also as council president. I run the meetings and I take care of the paperwork and some of the other council business so that, you know, I'm available during the day to sign paperwork and get that stuff done and set the agenda. So that's an additional responsibility that's only given to a council member-at-large. Council-at-large is one of three people that can be elected council president by the City Council. That's what I believe my role is, to assist, where necessary, pay attention to the larger picture and, you know, assist any constituent that needs it and also be involved at the meeting and be informed and help to make decisions and help to vote properly so that everyone's represented.

Q: What do you think is going right in Batavia?
A: What's going right is we have a good city manager in place and projects are starting to move forward. The DRI was delayed … A lot of our small businesses took a hit during COVID and everybody and City government and City Hall have worked really hard to get that back on track, and that seems to be working well.

Our income is improving, our tax income is improving, our revenue sources are improving and the city employees and the government departments are working together to provide the services that people expect, and our police department is actively involved in public safety. Our DPW is keeping the roads repaired within reason within our budget because we have to keep our budget low because of COVID. So we're still cautiously optimistic. And roads are getting repaired and grants are getting approved, and hopefully, the Savarino properties will be constructed soon and the City View apartments, that went off good.

So I would say the investment in our downtown and our community. Our economic development is coming back. Our economy is coming back. Still more work to do to keep small businesses involved and make it easy for them to do business in our community. So I think there's a lot, there's so much going on. I could spend the whole hour just talking about all the good things that are going on in youth services that have been improved. Parks program has been improved, although the time is cut back a little bit due to COVID, we've improved. Using the Y has definitely made an improvement in the services to our youth. The mall is getting cleaned up and we got a roof on it, and we're working on the next phase of that project. So there's a lot of, I think there's a lot of good things going on in the community.

Q: What could use some improvement in Batavia?
A: Well, whenever you put a lot of focus on one section, then you know, something else might suffer a little bit due to the budget and COVID, and all the requirements that are involved with city employees, the health department, and so on. That's sucked a lot of energy out of our other projects and the other day-to-day activities that we normally need to pay attention to, like code enforcement and things like that. The court system, which wasn't even handling cases for the longest time unless there were very serious cases. And all that had weight, whether we like it or not. So all that, I think, needs to get restarted back up.

I want to see more attention in the neighborhoods. And help the Elliott Street businesses, Main Street has gotten all the attention. I think it's time to start directing some attention towards our streets, and it's not going wrong, I’m just saying it's been delayed because of circumstances beyond our control. And I'd like to get that accelerated.

Q: What's your what's your top priority for 2022 should you get re-elected?
A: Our biggest priority is to make sure we're going to be doing our first budget like we should have done. So we did a budget and we had a COVID budget that had to get totally mangled, and now we'll be into our normal tight budget. So we don't, nobody has any idea what that's going to look like. They're still trying to put that together. So that's going to be our biggest challenge, is to keep taxes low and spending low and live within our means as a city, and provide the services we can provide within our means and keep the taxes as low as possible. So that's going to be all done during the next budget process. It's going to be very important and it's going to take a lot of effort on all our parts to make sure that we make sure we cover all the bases and make sure we leave no stone unturned to make sure that we're giving the best services to our community for the lowest cost.

Q: Why should you get a resident’s vote?
A:  Because I don't know, that's a good question. I don't know. I'm not really a narcissistic person that would think about why I would need the vote. I just would look at getting supported by the people that I serve. So in my mind, I'd like the opportunity to serve another term. I've done it for 33 years as a police officer, and the city was very good to me, helped me, you know, live in a nice home and feed my family all those years. And now it's time for me to give something back and I'd like to keep serving and to help improve my community wherever I can.

Q: How will you contribute to city operations if you get re-elected?
A: I would do my due diligence by paying attention to city operations and making sure that the budget is done properly and efficiently, and that any citizen problems or concerns are addressed by city staff. They shouldn't have to go to a council member to file a complaint. They should be able to go right to the city staff, and there's a mechanism in place for them to handle those complaints, just like a police officer answering a complaint if there's a sewer problem or a sidewalk problem, city staff is well trained and well able to resolve those situations. So as a council member, it's my job to pay attention to make sure that is being done and keep their due diligence. Make sure that everyone is on the same page, communicating among themselves and … getting things done for the people that live here.

Q: Do you feel that Batavia needs more housing? 
A: Yes Batavia needs more houses and apartments. There is presently more demand than housing available.

Q: Does Batavia need more downtown businesses? And if so, what types would you like to see?
A: Yes, the downtown revitalization projects are underway and I think it’s important to maintain opportunities for all businesses to be successful.

Q: I know a decision has already been made about a new police station, but how do you feel about it and the location?
A: The police station has been under serious discussion for many years. The site has been chosen and plans are in place to construct a new building, as well as preserve the old building with private investment.

Q: Regarding the police department itself, do you feel that the police could use more, less, or status quo as far as funding for what they need to do?
A: The same. They are fully funded and staffed. And there’s a system in place for the department to ask for more money.

Q: Do you think city taxes are fair for the amenities that city residents receive?
A: Yes. We can always do better, but for the services they provide: the pandemic emergency, police, fire, DPW, city staff, yes they’re fair.

Q: Do you feel that you said what you wanted to say as far as running for council? 
A: I've served the community for two terms now. I think my past behavior would be indicative of what my future behavior would be. And so I ask the tough questions. I make sure that we constantly are paying attention to what's going on so that, you know, nothing gets out of whack and everything stays going forward. Progress moving forward. Getting these projects done. Keeping the city in proper repair. You know, keeping the citizens in the right services that they expect and treating them with respect. So, you know, that's all-important, to stay attentive to what's going on. Stay involved.

I’ve learned, you know, long ago is if you want to get good at public speaking, become the expert in what you're talking about, right? So that way, you never have to worry about being up there at a loss for words. So that's important for me if I'm going to do this job. I take it seriously and I represent the people of the city and I want to do my best and put my best foot forward and do my absolute best job because 15,000 people are counting on it. It's important to them. It's important to me. So oftentimes we really pay attention and try to really make sure I know what's going on so that nothing gets by us. So we don't make a major mistake with a lot of money, that would be catastrophic. So, not on my watch.

Next week’s election includes a race for three vacant council-at-large seats on Batavia’s City Council.

Newcomer Erica O’Donnell is vying to be the only Democrat in the group come 2022, as she and Republican incumbents Bob Bialkowski, Eugene Jankowski Jr. and Jeremy Karas run for three open seats.

Organized alphabetically, Bob Bialkowski’s interview with the Batavian is first up to cover everything from city businesses and police funding to taxes and why he deserves a vote. Bialkowski is running for his second term and believes he knows how to be successful as a member of the City Council: Represent all of the people in the city of Batavia.

F. Robert “Bob” Bialkowski has served nine years on City Council, with stints from 2008 to 2011, was appointed to fill a vacancy for a year in 2017 and 2018 to present. A Batavia native, Bialkowski has served in the New York Army National Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, which he presently serves as an aircraft commander. His business ventures include as the founder of Inland Aero Service, Inc. and Great Lakes Aviation, Inc. He has served on the Solid Waste and Recycling Committee, Neighborhood Improvement Committee, and the Zoning Board of Appeals. Bob and Madeline, his wife of 53 years, have one son, Robert.

Q: What do you feel is your responsibility as a councilman-at-large?
A: We represent all the citizens. It's sort of a check and balance function because you have council members that represent their communities; council-at-large represents the entire city.

Q: What is going right with Batavia?
A: Oh, I think it's going well. I mean, there's, you know, the bottom line, and we have an administration that's working pretty hard. The administration has been pretty streamlined because we've had retirements and everything else. People aren't jumping out of the woodwork to apply for jobs right now. But I think our administration is really, really going the extra mile, and I think it's all working as is demonstrated. We just got through the pandemic and we didn't bankrupt the city, and thanks to the city that we didn’t come to a grinding halt. We got through it pretty well when we had our council meetings, so we actually had a couple of meetings, but we had, basically, meetings continued on. So I think we have a pretty, pretty good government, pretty functional government, that's for sure. And you know, we don't always agree on everything and we don't always disagree on everything. But we hammered it out, got through it.

Q: What could use some improvement in the city?
A: Well, a lot of things could use improvement, but this starts out with earnings, like saying what could use some improvement on your home and office? We all need improvements. And you know, there’s our core staff for finances to infrastructure, where you have a lot of infrastructure issues, but a lot of them were on top of it, you know …  we spent a lot of money on sidewalks every year and on-street repairs.

We're doing a lot of upgrading right now. I mean, we have a lot of things in the works for next year to be upgraded. And so those are all going on now, and a new police station’s in the works and that'll be happening long overdue by about 50 years. And you know, it's too bad that existing buildings are in such disrepair. But it is what it is, it’s something we can't go back in history. You can only learn from history. You can't go back and change it.

Q:  What would be your top priority for 2022 if you're re-elected?
A: My top priorities are the same priorities I've had for the last nine years of being on councils: to represent the people, be a voice for the people. And one of the things that I've been quoted on, I've done it many, many times. Some people call, they have concerns, but that's a bigger concern. I ask them to please come and speak to our council, take five minutes out of your life. I respect the council and to make all this work make us aware of your feelings, your thoughts. And also the media will be there. The media will pick up on it and you will get action if you come and speak to the council. That's the best way to get action. I mean, as far as just calling your individual councilperson, they will resolve it. But the only reason I'm in this is to represent the members of the committee, and I have no personal gain by doing any of this.



Q: How do you feel that you personally will contribute to city operations? 
A: I tell you, I'm quite outspoken as you know. So, you know, I get the message out there. I represent the people that are out there. I do my homework. I always research everything. I'm not afraid to make phone calls. I call state agencies. We recently had an issue come up here earlier in the year, and those people came and spoke at the council meeting and they expressed their concerns. It was about disc golf at Centennial Park. And after they spoke, I contacted the state Parks Commission and spoke to the state park managers for Western New York. I contacted each one individually … about the cost, hazards, everything else, and I did contact and could speak with the western New York Regional Parks Commissioner about the issue. And you know, for sure, for all our neighbors had concerns and we should know this isn't for Centennial Park. And I think it's kind of, we haven't heard it back since it was handed off to them to see what kind of potential there is to do it in another park. But this is typical, just the way I operate. I guess I just do the work involved.

Q: Why should you get a resident’s vote?
A: Why should I get a vote? They want somebody that's going to work hard for them. I don't care about party affiliation, political views or whatever. I work for the residents. It's that simple. If you want somebody that's going to work for you, I'm curious. I'm not in there for my own personal agenda. I'm not in there to promote walking on the Moon or anything like that. I'm just standing there to represent the community, the citizens of the city, I’m trying to improve our community. And I feel people really need representation.

Q: Do you feel that Batavia needs more housing? 
A: You know, I'm going to answer that with one of the questions that I always return with. I've heard about homeless veterans. My question is where are they living now? I don't see homeless people walking the streets of Batavia, living under trees, or living in the parks. When we say well, you need more housing for the homeless, who do we need housing for? I mean, if I saw a whole bunch of people living in the city that don't have housing, or are there people that want better housing at a lower price? Are there people from other counties that want to move here or are being asked to move here? So I don't know. I mean, do we need more housing? I think housing is a commodity like anything else. I mean, I remember when I first got married, apartments were very scarce. I don't think there were like 10 apartments available in the community. Well, Madeline and I went out and looked at several apartments and found an apartment. But I hear this. We need more housing or we need housing for homeless people. I think that's not a simple yes or no answer.

Q: Does Batavia need more downtown businesses? And if so, what types would you like to see?
A: Well, I think the best thing government can do is stay out of the private sector. First of all, just because you're in a position as an official, that does not make you an expert in business or an expert on anything. You should just be there to represent the people. I think the one thing downtown businesses need is more of a streamlined process to remodel buildings. You know, they're stressed and have so many regulations and laws and zoning and code and building permits. It can take a year of planning. I think we need to do some streamlining there. But you know, I would like to see more retail and all that. But the reality is one small retail store downtown would only be one aisle in a big box store. Yeah. So there's a competition, and we knew that years ago and there is nothing we can do about this. American people have opportunities.

Q: I know a decision has already been made about a new police station, but how do you feel about it and the location?
A: Well, we put out a request for proposals for engineering contracts. A couple of things we have to look at. We didn't want to build in a flood zone because that would jump the cost substantially by a 25 to 35 percent increase in costs. So do we want to do that to the taxpayers? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. We don't want to spend any more taxpayers’ money than we have to. If we don't do something soon, we're going to have to move the police out of there. And I don't know where that would be, put them in a big tent or something? The building is no longer usable because it needs to be redone. And you know, if we start construction right now, it will be two years before they can move in any way. So there's the timeframe. We're looking at the location, it's a great downtown location. It's downtown, it's right up from the Main Street central Area. I mean, it has everything going for it. It's in a parking lot that the city already owns, so we don't have to procure land and there's a lot of flexibility involved with that. So yeah, I just think it's a win for the taxpayers, a win-win for everybody. As far as financially, we can afford it and we were able to say OK. 



Q: Regarding the police department itself, do you feel that the police could use more, less, or status quo as far as funding for what they need to do?
A: Well, we are not defunding the police. I don't know of any single person who wants our police department defunded. Yeah. We're not going to play that game. We're not going to go down that road. At least I'm not. I don't think most of the council does. It's like any of our services. Sure, fire, police, DPW, they can always use more funding. But you know, we're getting by. We have strict limits on overtime. We have limits on the number of policemen. So yeah, they can always use more funding, but more funding means raising the taxes. So people want more police or more of DPW or more sidewalks or whatever. OK. How much do you want your taxes to go up? Oh, it'll be a different story. So we're doing the best we can.

Q: Do you think city taxes are fair for the amenities that city residents receive?
A: Oh, yes, absolutely. I mean, the city has more park area per population than almost all the cities where you have plenty of parks. We have a pretty darn decent infrastructure. We're putting in new water lines, we're putting in handicapped, accessible sidewalks, which is very important to me, and it's up to sustainability and walkability where our streets are. Most of our streets are in excellent shape. There are sidewalks that are on the schedule to be built or making it to some streets. But it's expensive infrastructure, very expensive today, as I’ve pointed this out to many people, to replace. One block costs $350 and that's for one sidewalk block. Like, that's why we don't replace individual blocks anymore. We do it all by contract. We just put out a contract to replace 2000 feet of sidewalks at a time or whatever it takes. We have some aging trees. We have trees that should have never been planted in the city that happened. So that means now we have trees that are dead and they have to be cut down. So to cut one tree down in front of a home cost about $3,700. So, big money. Everything is big money and there's no way around it. So, you know, our DPW and our administration are doing the best they can to keep everything in check and keep costs down.

Q: Do you feel that you said what you wanted to say as far as running for council?
A:  You know, I just want to add that one of the things I think I'd like to see is for the citizens to communicate more freely, to talk to their neighbors … nobody talks to each other. Yeah, the first person people call is the police. That guy who walked across my front lawn, and they say ‘I don't want to do it.’ Sometimes you just have to be able to communicate. People are reluctant to do it, to me, because, you know, we still have some communication problems.

And another one is a consideration. Don't park your car over the sidewalk so we’re walking down the street.  You should go out into the street. Number one, it's against the law. Number two, you are liable when you do that. And number three, it’s just darn rude to do to your neighbors, your friends. That's part of living in the city. Part of living in the city is getting along.

You know, take care of your property to make sure your home is maintained the best you can. So I think it's very important.

And you know, there are those people out there that are campaigning and promising to do everything in the world, so people need to remember it’s City Council; there's nine of us. Yeah, any individual is only one person on council. A lot of people don't even understand how local government works. You have to get it on an agenda, bring it to a conference meeting and hammer it out in public. Oh, we don't discourage anyone from speaking at a council meeting. Sign up to speak, and a lot of times it really does get results. I always encourage people to come to a meeting and speak and give some examples. And then, after all that, for the vetting process, you know, it goes to our business meeting, and then it gets voted out. No single person can really do anything. Government has a very good reason to move very slowly because God help us if an individual can just make a request, that can be dangerous and reckless.