COVID-19

A partnership with Orleans County may be the key that unlocks the door leading to the construction of a new $60 million Genesee County Jail to be located just east of County Building 2 on West Main Street Road.

“Here’s an opportunity for an efficient, 21^st century, state-of-the-art jail that is ready to go. We have the designs … we have willing partners to the north and in Genesee County, so we hope that it is something he (Gov. Andrew Cuomo) is willing to get behind.”

Those were the words of Assistant County Manager Matt Landers, reporting on the progress – or lack thereof due to the coronavirus – of the proposed 184-bed jail during a Genesee County Legislature “Committee of the Whole” meeting Monday via Zoom videoconferencing.

Landers said he is hopeful that state laws prohibiting a shared jail could be alleviated and that Cuomo would see the benefit of such an arrangement – one that lines up with the governor’s call to reinvent the way local government operates.

“(Cuomo) had in his budget some easing of the laws, restrictions that made it difficult to have any kind of coordination with jails in the state, but that didn’t make it to the final budget,” Landers explained. “Seeing that there are talks of a potential (federal) stimulus 4 package out there that may have a large infrastructure component to it, this could be something that could be attractive.

“It meets a lot of the benchmarks .. that you’d think the governor would be interested in. It is something that he is continually harping on – reimagining New York and how we do business.”

Along with looking at new ways to facilitate services in line with Albany’s wishes, the meeting focused on five other pertinent areas:

-- Shared jail housing opportunity;
-- Maintenance of the current jail;
-- Cost of boarding out inmates if current jail was closed;
-- Status of activity on new jail:
-- Impact of bail reform, social justice on jail population.

SHARED JAIL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

According to Landers, who is cochairing the jail steering committee with County Sheriff William Sheron, officials from Orleans County are willing to team with Genesee to explore the possibility of a joint facility.

“Building a new jail with the opportunity to do that with a partner up north – that’s where we’re focusing our energy and efforts right now,” he said. “It’s going to rely heavily what Albany allows and what kind of funding comes out of stimulus 4 on the infrastructure side and what kind of funding comes out of Albany.”

A shared jail could lead to increased efficiency in the delivery of services, with technology likely to stay in play, Landers said, noting the current use of Skype and other video and teleconferencing software.

County Public Defender Jerry Ader said he foresees legislation to allow for a greater use of electronics for proceedings, but “it may take a while and it may not be as much of a cost-savings as we’re led to believe.”

“Right now, our jail is across the street and other than maybe bringing an inmate from the prison, which is a state cost, or if we have female inmates in jails outside the county, which might be some savings, I don’t think you’re going to get the savings you’re expecting just on electronics … that’s just my opinion,” he said.

Landers mentioned that with a new jail, “there’s probably less opportunity for that (type of) savings because it’s not going to be that difficult to transport people from the jail right here in Batavia (compared to having to transport from other parts of the state as has been the case).”

MAINTENANCE OF THE CURRENT JAIL

Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said the county will be unable to avoid ongoing expenses (repairs and renovations connected to safety and mandated services) to keep the current jail in the City of Batavia going for, what could be, another three to five years.

In a discussion with the Public Service Committee last month, Hens said that $3.5 million worth of projects at the 40-year-old jail are on the punch list for the next five years if the county is forced to hold off on the new jail.

Concerning the new jail, Hens said to expect a 30-percent increase – or $50,000 -- in his facility maintenance budget to run a facility of that size, and a similar percentage add-on as the cost of doing business in New York State.

COST OF BOARDING OUT INMATES

Sheron said that the state Commission on Corrections recognizes that the county is in a “pause period” and has not indicated it would shut down the current jail.

But in case that did happen, the going rate to house out inmates is $100 per inmate, Landers said.

“It would be sizeable cost on an annual basis if we were forced to do this, if we had a population of 50 or more, but at the same time there would be the opposite cost of running a jail that would help offset that cost,” Landers said.

The assistant county manager noted the good working relationship among the COC, sheriff’s department and the architects and engineers involved with the project, so, “we would have significant lead time if there’s anything brewing that we need to be concerned about to start planning for.”

STATUS OF ACTIVITIES ON NEW JAIL

As indicated, the new jail project is in a holding pattern, but the county has closed on the land acquisition, and the schematic designs of the jail are complete, Landers said.

He said the county has two contracts in force – one with SMRT, the design firm, for about $2.3 million and one with Pike Company Inc., the construction manager, for around $1 million.

Both SMRT and Pike are aware of the county’s plight and “looking forward to getting back to work on this project, just as we are,” Landers said.

To date, the county has spent more than $1 million on the contracts, which are being funded by established jail reserves built up by proceeds of the former county nursing home sale and higher than expected sales tax receipts in 2018, Landers reported.

“We have reserves of about four to five million dollars (the number is around $8 million when considering the jail reserve fund) that are going to be used in the short term to fund these contracts until we get long-term debt financing,” he said. “Once the long-term debt financing comes in, it will cover these contracts and replenish that reserve. So, we need that full reserve to help get through what we are calling the Delta period.”

Landers said that the financing plan has been “blown out of the water by COVID-19” since it was expected to use an increase in sales tax proceeds starting in 2020 to fund the debt service payment on the new jail.

IMPACT OF BAIL REFORM ON POPULATION

Landers said recent changes to the original bail reform laws could result in an increase in jail population, but it’s too early to tell how much as courts remained closed.

Jail Superintendent William Zipfel reported that approximately 90 sentencings have been put off, and predicted that 30 to 45 percent of those people may receive jail time.

“The issue with that is, from district court, they won’t be doing sentencing for in-custody people until sometime in July, but they are starting to sentence people who are not in custody – and won’t have jail time built up,” he said. “I’m guessing our population sometime before this fall is going to come back up that 50 or so level at least.”

Landers said the county jail population in July 2019 was at the level we expected to be at in 2042,” he said. “Going back a year ago, there were concerns that we were building a jail that would be too small because our sizing had grown to what we were projecting in 2042.”

Today, the jail population is at 36, including one female who is housed in Wyoming County.

“This significant volatility is just another reason why -- until we have a clearer picture -- that we’re taking a pause in the timing,” he said.

Already reeling from three months of COVID-19 regulations, Genesee County government officials and law enforcement personnel now must deal with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest executive order mandating that all New York police agencies must revise their policies and procedures by next spring or risk losing state and/or federal funding.

“At this point there are no details, but all we know is that we at the county level will have to conduct public hearings and solicit public comment for, as the term was used, cadre, of local law enforcement reforms,” said County Manager Jay Gsell, speaking at today’s Genesee County Legislature Public Service Committee meeting via Zoom videoconferencing. “Everybody will be required to go through this process and adopt reforms via local law at the county level by April of 2021.”

The executive order, named the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, requires that the municipality that oversees the law enforcement agency must adopt, certify and enforce its plan by passing a local law. It also applies to the NYPD.

Cuomo, during his COVID-19 briefing on Friday, said protests taking place across the nation following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer “illustrate the loss of community confidence in our local police agencies — a reality that has been fueled by our country’s history of police-involved deaths of black and brown people.”

He said the executive order will help “rebuild that confidence and restore trust between police and the communities they serve by requiring localities to develop a new plan for policing in the community based on fact-finding and meaningful community input.”

Issues that must be addressed in the plan include use of force, community policing, community outreach, restorative justice programs such as Genesee Justice, crowd management, retraining for bias awareness and a procedure for citizens to lodge complaints against police officers.

The measure calls for municipalities to bring in representatives from a variety of community organizations (for example, in Genesee County, the Criminal Justice Advisory Council comprised of several law enforcement and judicial entities) and be receptive to public feedback after developing, presenting and ratifying their plans into law.

It also stipulates that if the local government does not certify the plan, the police force may not be eligible for future funding from New York State.

The executive order builds upon the governor’s signing of 10 police reform bills into law earlier Friday, with several Republicans joining the Democratic majority in voting for the legislation.

Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, contacted by telephone, called the reform mandate action another example of Cuomo taking a one blanket covers all approach.

“Again, he’s lumping everything into a one-size-fits-all, and I don’t think that’s appropriate with the state of the size of New York and a city the size of New York City,” he said. “We in Western New York and the Finger Lakes Region and rural counties, I believe do have strong community-minded police agencies.  And when you threaten New York State taxpayer money being withheld from those who are there to serve and protect, that’s the wrong direction to go.”

Hawley acknowledged that there are “a few bad examples in any organization,” but called it an overreaction to isolated incidents.

“I stand with the men and women in blue, unequivocally,” he said. “We need to be sure that police agencies are working in a collaborative way with the citizens they are charged with protecting. No police agency would have a problem with that.”

Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron said, by phone, that he is working with sheriffs across New York to try to get a handle on what the governor is expecting to happen.

"Our department is a New York State accredited agency, meeting all the standards, rules and regulations, and there are well over 100 of them as far as the right way to do things," he said. "All he has to do is simplify that to require that all New York State police agencies be accredited."

Sheron noted that it was the NYS Sheriff's Association that first came out with the current standards and that a few years later, those guidelines were adopted by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

He made it clear that he believes in community input -- "we do that now and that is important," he said, and rejected Cuomo's practice of "painting all agencies with one brush because of a few bad apples."

"I'm proud of our sheriff's office and it's upsetting to me that the governor doesn't stand behind our police officers," Sheron said.

In an email, Batavia City Police Chief Shawn Heubusch reserved comment until he and his leadership team learn more about the governor’s mandate.

“We are currently reviewing the executive order internally, and when I have a better understanding I’ll reach out,” he said.

Back to the Public Service Committee meeting, former Sheriff Gary Maha, now a county legislator, asked Gsell if the governor had the authority to tie police reforms to funding.

“The receipt of future state or federal funds is conditioned on the filing of the certification at the local level, and realistically, that second issue of federal funding grants for emergency management … there’s already some considerations and concerns as to whether or not he can even go to that extent,” Gsell responded.

Gsell said that although Cuomo “means business,” more legislation is likely to follow at the state level and there will be plenty of debate over the next several months.

“There will be a lot of back and forth before anyone goes diving in with both feet and potentially finds themselves, can we say, in quicksand,” he said.

Press release:

Citing a recent New York State report that details a very troubling 33-percent rise in domestic violence cases across New York amid COVID-19, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer demanded the United States Senate take up the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which passed the House with bipartisan support all the way back in April of 2019.

Schumer demanded Leader Mitch McConnell take VAWA "off the shelf" and rightfully pass it in the Senate. Specifically, the Senator revealed, in Upstate New York, domestic violence shelter occupancy rates rose to 78 percent in April 2020, up from 59 percent in April 2019, a 19-percent increase.

Schumer said that New York is not alone in worrisome statistics, either. Other states, like Texas and Illinois, according to The New York Times, have seen similar domestic violence surges and capital resources for many programs could dry up fast.

“The data from New York’s report mirrors similar statistics across other parts of the country that are also seeing a rise in domestic violence amid the coronavirus pandemic," Senator Schumer said. "It’s up to all of us to heed the warning in these numbers and not allow a pandemic to fuel an epidemic of domestic violence so many have devoted their lives to preventing.

"Since I first helped write the Violence Against Women’s Act in 1994, countless individuals have been saved. Whether the funds provided local shelters, counseling or other critical efforts, the law has given so many a second chance and we cannot rest until the Senate acts, the law is fully reauthorized and the help New York and other states need on the way.”

According to New York’s domestic violence task force, “…in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, data reported by law enforcement and domestic violence service providers pointed to an increase in domestic violence, with the New York State Domestic & Sexual Violence Hotline recording a 33 percent increase in calls for April 2020 compared to April 2019, and shelter occupancy rates upstate rising to 78 percent in April 2020, versus 59 percent in April 2019.

Schumer reiterated that that the coronavirus pandemic cannot be allowed to fuel an epidemic of domestic violence that so many have joined together to prevent as he made the case for new action. He said that passing the full VAWA package will unlock the full federal funding New York needs to achieve its immediate needs to help stop the violence.

Schumer detailed New York’s immediate needs given the 33-percent spike in reported violence:

1)    Local programming for survivors’ safety, including the use of new technology and mobile platforms

2)    Housing stability and navigation services

3)    Transportation

According to the report, “funding should be flexible to meet a range of needs, including housing costs, safety measures and allocations for essential needs that might present barriers to safety and housing stability, such as debt or car repair expenses. Support should have more flexible parameters, should meet survivors’ needs as quickly as possible, and should be available until survivors feel safe.

"Program outcomes should be based on survivors’ safety and housing stability over the longterm. Further, the state should continue its commitment to partnering with the philanthropic and advocacy community, collaborating to leverage support, fill in the gaps where existing funds fall short and foster further innovation.”

“Right now, because of the uncertainty around the Violence Against Women’s Act’s future reauthorization we have states preparing to turn over the couch cushions for this life-saving funding, and that cannot sustain,”Schumer added. “Philanthropy is certainly one way to 'fill in the gaps' but existing federal funding cannot be allowed to simply ‘fall short.' That’s why we need the Senate to act here, because government has a job to do and lives to save.”

Schumer cited the Finger Lakes Region to show how just one area of the state has benefited from VAWA.

Within the last five years, organizations across Rochester and the Finger Lakes received more than $8.8 million in federal funding through the Violence Against Women Act.

Specifically, $650,000 was awarded to aid law enforcement in combatting domestic violence; $299,708 was awarded to combat campus sexual assault; $425,000 was awarded to combat domestic violence among the disabled; $794,667 was awarded to provide housing for victims of domestic violence; $750,000 was awarded to improve criminal justice response (ICJR); $3,266,665 was awarded to provide legal assistance to victims (LAV); $1,222,000 was awarded to provide assistance to underserved populations; $425,000 was awarded to assist those in rural communities; and $1,000,000 was awarded to support families who have been affected by domestic violence.

Willow Domestic Violence Center in Rochester voiced their support for Senator Schumer’s efforts.

Meaghan de Chateauvieux, president & CEO of Willow Domestic Violence Center in Rochester said, “When a survivor steps forward in our community seeking safety from abuse, VAWA is what makes it possible for our local agencies to work together in a coordinated and comprehensive way to keep families safe.

"Willow serves over 7,000 survivors each year and relies on our VAWA-funded community partnerships. We appreciate Senator Schumer’s push because VAWA is the cornerstone of our local coordinated response to domestic violence and has changed the landscape for victims who once suffered in silence.”

The original 1994 VAWA bill, which was authored by Schumer when he was a member of the House, has been reauthorized three times—in 2000, 2005 and 2013— with unanimous Senate approval the first two times. Since its enactment, the bill has reduced domestic violence by more than 50 percent. Additionally, the legislation, over the course of its history, has provided more than $7 billion in federal funding towards reducing these types of violence.

Beyond reauthorizing all of the current grant programs under the original VAWA and those established by previous reauthorizations, the House-passed VAWA reauthorization also includes a number of new provisions to aid and support victims of domestic and sexual violence. Some of the most essential include:

• Establishing a survey among District and State Attorney Offices that receive funding from VAWA grant programs to track the rates of rape cases.
• Increasing funding for the Services, Training Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) grant program, which promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to enhancing advocacy and improving the criminal justice system’s response to violent crimes against women. The program encourages the development and improvement of effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to address violent crimes against women and the development and improvement of advocacy and services in cases involving violent crimes against women.
• Enhancing the Grants to Reduce Violent Crimes Against Women on Campus Program by supporting educational institutions seeking to develop and distribute educational materials to students related to prevention.
• Boosting housing protections for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Additionally, a provision in the reauthorization bill ensures that in the event of separation from a spouse, survivors retain access to housing. The bill also increases opportunities under transitional housing grant programs for organizations that operate in underserved and low-income communities.
• Promoting the economic security and stability of victims of domestic and sexual violence. One of the ways the VAWA reauthorization bill would do this would be by authorizing funding for a Government Accountability Office study on the economic implications of domestic violence and the best possible solution to these implications for victims.

Press release:

Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) today launched its new reimagined Girl Scout Summer Camp with The Summer We Camped At Home Virtual Summer Camp experience. This new exciting form of Summer Camp allows girls and their families a variety of ways to stay connected and get outdoors given the limited camp and outdoor options due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Girl Scouts and non-Girl Scouts ages 5-17 can register for Virtual Girl Scout Summer Camp.

The Summer We Camped At Home is for girls ages 5 years old (or entering kindergarten in the fall) up to 17 years of age (or a high-school senior). Virtual Camp will be held from July 6 through Aug. 15, with six weekly themes offered and led by Camp Counselors: July 6-10: Earth, July 13-17: Arts, July 20-24: Adventure, July 27-31: Friendships, August 3-7: Exploring, and August 10-14: Action.

Girls who attend will receive a special summer of 2020 camp patch. For added engagement, similar to a subscription box service, GSWNY will deliver six weekly themed, age-appropriate Camp Activity Kits to each camper’s home via mail.

The weekly cost including the home-delivered Camp Activity Kit is $60 and non-Girl Scouts will need to enroll in Girl Scouts at the time of camp registration for $25 -- financial aid is available.

Weekly Camp Activity Kits will include: 

• Materials for three themed activities and invitations for three live virtual sessions (M,W,F) to go through the activities with Camp Counselors and the other girls in their group.
• An Invitation to a virtual “Dining Hall” experience on Tuesdays. The traditional camp Dining Hall experience is filled with songs, laughter and more. Girls will be able to pull up a chair and join in on the fun.
• Automatic invitations to the live Virtual Campfires on Thursday nights with a mini song book (new songs every week)!
• Younger girls will have the opportunity to write “pen-pal” letters to GSWNY Camp Mascots (Molly the Whale, Rosie the Rabbit and Bernadette the Turtle).
• Junior Girl Scouts and up will have facilitated virtual bunk chats to help girls stay connected with their camp friends.
• There will also be instructions for self-led activities including: three outdoor activities, a weekly camp tradition and outdoor cooking recipe.
• And no camp experience would be complete without a friendship bracelet!

Girl Scout Summer Camp is an important part of the Girl Scout experience and we are happy to offer Summer Camp reimaged for girls and their families this summer,” said Girl Scouts of Western New York CEO Alison Wilcox. “Girl Scout Camp At Home allows us the ability to put the safety of girls, families, volunteers, and staff first, while still providing some fun alternatives to in-person camping.”

GSWNY made the decision in May to cancel in-person day and resident camps this summer due to safety concerns about the COVID-19 virus.

Other thrilling virtual events will include:

• Virtual Campfires at 7 p.m. every Thursday from July 9 - Aug. 13
• Family Outdoor Challenge each Monday from July 6 - Aug. 10
• Virtual Sleepout on Aug. 15
• Three national GSUSA virtual events in June, July, and August on topics surrounding:

1. Engaging Responsibility in the Outdoors in collaboration with The North Face
2. Space Exploration: Mars to the Stars in collaboration with subject matter experts from our NASA-funded -- Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts’ program,
3. A virtual campout at the Girl Scout Birthplace.

To learn more and register visit www.gswny.org or call 1-888-837-6410.

Press release:

Regional Transit Service (RTS) announced today that on July 15, it will launch the new RTS Go contactless fare payment system in Monroe County and reinstate the collection of fares across the eight county region it serves, including Genesee County.

“While the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred changes to ensure the safety of our employees and customers, what didn’t change is the role of public transit as a critical component of our infrastructure that connects people to jobs and essential destinations in our community,” RTS CEO Bill Carpenter said.

“With Phase Three of the New York Forward reopening process underway, it is the right time to reinstate the collection of fares and implement our new fare payment system. The new system – RTS Go – offers new ways to manage and pay fares, and provides a new layer of safety on the bus for employees and customers through contactless fare payment.”

The RTS Go fare payment system is included in the Transit app, which is RTS’ new real-time trip planning app. While the features of RTS Go will be available starting July 15, the Transit app is available for download today.

Additional changes going into effect on July 15 include reinstating the boarding of the bus from the front door, fare media changes, and the implementation of all-day reduced fares for senior citizens that are 65 and older, persons with disabilities, and children ages 6-11.

The RTS Go Fare Payment System

In addition to modernizing our fare payment system and providing new options for customers to purchase and pay their fares, RTS Go will offer contactless fare payment. This will add an important layer of safety on the bus for employees and customers as we support the reopening of our community and the continued fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The contactless fare payment feature of RTS Go means that customers will simply tap their mobile phone or smartcard on the onboard validation unit when boarding the bus.

Another key benefit of RTS Go is “fare capping.” This means customers who use RTS Go will pay $1 per ride, but never more than $3 a day nor $56 a month, no matter how much they ride. The technology behind the system, which is delivered by Fare Payments-as-a-Service provider Masabi, will know when a customer has reached those limits and stop charging them for the rest of that day or month.

Customers with a smartphone will be able to take advantage of RTS Go by downloading the Transit app from the App Store or Google Play. Customers who don’t have a smartphone will be able to purchase an RTS Go reloadable smartcard from ticket vending machines (TVMs) at the RTS Transit Center or online at myRTS.com.

Customers will be encouraged to register their accounts with Customer Service or on myRTS.com. This will help protect the money they put on their account in case their RTS Go cards are lost or stolen.

The Transit app will also serve as our new trip planning app and will replace the Where’s My Bus? app. Customers will still be able to text 20105 for Where’s My Bus? arrival information after the launch of RTS Go.

Important dates for the implementation of RTS Go:

June 15:

• Customers can start learning about RTS Go and the Transit app on the RTS website at myRTS.com/transit-appand myRTS.com/rts-go.
• The Transit app is available to download from the App Store or Google Play.

July 6:

• Customers can set up their accounts and start purchasing fares through RTS Go by following the link in theTransit app.

July 13:

• Customers can start purchasing RTS Go smartcards from the ticket vending machines at the RTS Transit Center.

July 15:

• Customers can start using RTS Go via the Transit app or RTS Go smartcards to pay their fares on RTS buses in Monroe County.

Videos are available on the RTS website for customers to learn about RTS Go and how to use the Transit app.

RTS Go and the Transit app will play an important role in the successful implementation and operation of RTS On Demand when we launch Reimagine RTS. The new date for the launch of Reimagine RTS has not yet been determined.

Reinstating Fare Collection and Front Door Boarding, Resuming Regular Service Outside Monroe County

RTS will start collecting fares again for all RTS operations and implement a new policy for getting on and off our 40- and 60-foot buses in Monroe County. Under the new policy, customers will board the bus from the front door and exit the bus from the rear door. Customers with mobility limitations will be able to exit the bus from the front door.

To keep employees and customers safe during the pandemic and promote the use of transit for essential trips, we switched to dial-a-ride service only in Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne and Wyoming counties. Starting on July 15, we will resume regular service for RTS Genesee, RTS Orleans and RTS Wyoming.

Plans are currently being developed to resume regular service for RTS Livingston, RTS Ontario, RTS Seneca and RTS Wayne. We will share those details once the plans are finalized.

Use of Cash and Current Fare Media

Customers in Monroe County who pay with cash will still be able to do so. They will be able to use exact change on the bus for a one ride or all-day pass, and they will be able to use cash to purchase a one ride or all-day pass from TVMs. Customers using RTS Go will be able to reload their accounts through the Transit app or RTS Go cards by using cash at the TVMs, as well as with debit or credit cards. Our 40- and 60-foot buses will no longer be able to accept bills larger than $1. This means customers paying with cash will need to have their exact fare ready or pay $3 for an all-day pass. We will no longer be able to provide change cards starting on July 15.

Our current fare media – magnetic stripe, Tap & Go! cards, on-board issue change cards – will no longer be available for purchase once RTS Go is in place. While we will neither issue change cards on the bus nor sell magnetic stripe and Tap & Go! Cards, customers who currently have them will still be able to use them to pay their fares through the end of 2020.

All-Day Reduced Fares for Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities and Children Ages 6-11

Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and children ages 6-11 will be eligible for the reduced (half-price) fare. The reduced fare is currently only valid during non-peak times. Starting July 15, the reduced fare, which is $0.50/ride, $1.50/day and $28/month, will be available all day. These customers will still be able to use Magnetic Stripe, Tap & Go! and previously issued change cards to pay their fares.

Promoting Safe and Sustainable Public Transportation

To ensure the continued safety of employees and customers, we will continue our enhanced cleaning program for RTS buses and facilities. We are providing employees with the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to safely carry out their duties and we are helping customers comply with face mask/covering requirements by providing masks at the RTS Transit Center, on RTS Access buses and buses at the regional counties we serve.

“We thank our customers for their support and encourage them to help us win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by wearing a face mask or face covering in public, and practicing social distancing on the bus, at the RTS Transit Center and RTS bus stops,” added Carpenter.

For all other information, visit www.myRTS.com.

Press release:

Beginning today and for a limited time, the American Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies, providing donors insight into whether they have been exposed to this coronavirus. At the same time, there continues to be an urgent need for blood donations as hospitals resume surgeries and treatments that require blood products.

Antibody testing will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether they developed symptoms.

Donations will be tested using samples pulled at the time of donation and sent to a testing laboratory where they will also undergo routine infectious disease testing. A positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity.

COVID-19 antibody test results will be available within 7-10 days in the Red Cross Blood Donor App or donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. The test has been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“As an organization dedicated to helping others, the Red Cross is pleased to provide more information about COVID-19 to our valued donors,” said Dr. Erin Goodhue, executive medical director of direct patient care with the Red Cross Biomedical Services. “If you are feeling healthy and well, please schedule an appointment to not only help saves lives but also learn about your potential exposure to COVID-19.”

The Red Cross is not testing donors to diagnose illness, referred to as a diagnostic test.

The Red Cross will be in and around the Genesee County area and appointments are preferred to cut back on waiting times.

Local upcoming blood drives in our area:

• American Legion Le Roy – Thursday, June 18 – 12 – 5 p.m.
• City Church – Wednesday, June 24 – 2 – 6 p.m.
• Darien Town Hall – Friday, June 26 – 1 – 6 p.m.
• Bergen Evangelical Presbyterian Church – Saturday, June 27 – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Donation appointments can be made by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Thanks to Amazon, all those who come to give June 1-30 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email.* 

* Restrictions apply. Additional information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.

Yesterday evening, we visited Le Roy to check in on three restaurants that are now serving dine-in customers as part of the Phase Three reopening.

CORRECTION: I forgot to include the lower thirds in the video identifying the speakers. They are in order of appearance, Monique Mottler, a server and front-of-house supervisor at Farmer's Creekside Inn; Sean Valdes, co-owner, D&R Depot; Racheal Olear, general operations supervisor, Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew. My apologies to all.

A look at Batavia restaurants who, with the arrival of Phase Three of the pandemic recovery, were able to open on Friday.

Genesee County Public Health COVID-19 briefing for June 12, 2020.

Press release:

•    Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 201 positive cases.
  • One of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Zero of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received 1 new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 247 positive cases.
  • We are very saddened to report the loss of another county resident to COVID-19. This person was a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. Our deepest condolences to this individual’s family and friends during this very sad time.
  • Fourteen of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.
  • Two of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • The new positive case was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • The individual is in their 60s.
  • The positive individual resides in Carlton.

We encourage everyone to remember to be polite and respect individual privacy. If you have a complaint about someone or a business use the appropriate channels provided by the state. Using social media to air your complaints and accusing individuals / businesses of wrongdoing generally does nothing to fix the problem. Be compassionate of other people and spread kindness.

Press release:

Genesee County Clerk Michael T. Cianfrini announces that the Genesee County DMV will resume in-person learner’s permits and CDL permits on June 17^th by appointment only.

Commencing on June 22^nd certain additional transactions listed below will be processed in-office by appointment only.

Please be advised that in-office appointments will be reserved for Genesee County residents only until further notice. Proof of Genesee County residency will be requested prior to entering the DMV.

Accepted license transactions to be conducted in-office include:

• Standard, REAL ID and Enhanced License renewals and transfers from out of state 

• First time applications to upgrade to REAL ID or Enhanced licenses or non-driver ID cards 

• First time applications for non-driver Identification Cards 

• Applications for Passenger, motorcycle or CDL permits 

• Conditional or Restricted Licenses 

• Vehicle registration reciprocity from another state

Appointments may be made starting on Monday, June 15^th by calling (585) 344-2550 and follow the prompts between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Any transaction that can be done via drop box or mail will not be processed in-office, and we encourage everyone to continue to utilize those drop box services whenever possible. 

Drop boxes are located on Court Street outside of the DMV in Batavia, as well as near the Town Office in the Village of Le Roy. 

Acceptable transactions for the drop boxes are license plate surrenders, new registrations and registration renewals, title replacements and driver’s license renewals with an eye test. 

For information on vehicle registrations, please visit https://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/dmv/drop­_box_instructions.php

The following guidelines apply for access to the County Office Building:

• All visitors must enter the building via the door on the West side of County Building #1, between the County Building and the Old Courthouse; 
• All visitors must exit the building out of the Court Street door on the East side of the building;
• All visitors must check-in at the Information Desk upon entering the DMV;
• Visitors are required to wear a face covering in order to enter the building and continue to wear it within the building unless directed otherwise by staff. Visitors who will not wear a face covering may be refused service and asked to make an appointment for a later date;
• Visitors and staff are to maintain six feet of social distance when appropriate, and are to obey the floor markings when waiting in line;
• Proof of Genesee County residency will be required prior to entering the DMV.

*As the situation and state mandates relating to the COVID-19 crisis are ever changing, please understand that it may become necessary to modify or change any guideline or procedure in the office.

For more information, please click here.

Submitted photo and press release:

Responding to community needs, the Batavia Rotary Club is contributing a $20,000 donation from its Foundation to assure Genesee County residents have access to food and other essential items during this time of increased needs.

"We want to make sure the families and individuals are not suffering during this time of financial uncertainty and increased health concerns," said club President Bob Knipe.

The Rotary Club tapped its endowment that was created by various fundraisers conducted throughout the years, he explained.

The contributions will be made in two waves. The first $10,000 is being donated now, primarily focused on assuring food supplies for needy families and for emotional support for senior citizens. 

"One-hundred percent of the contributions are going to provide support directly to people, not for administration," said Rotarian Ed Leising, who has served on a special COVID Relief committee for the club.

The Salvation Army in Batavia will receive $7,000 for its emergency food distribution.

The United Way of Genesee County will receive $2,400 for its backpack program that provides food to families with school-age children.

Genesee County Office for the Aging will receive $600 toward emotional support for local senior citizens who have been isolated during this period of stay-at-home social distancing.  

A second round of $10,000 funding will be released in about a month.

"At that point in time, we anticipate having more of an understanding on the economic impact of layoffs and joblessness caused by the pandemic," said Rotarian Sharon Kubiniec. 

Rotary is an international service club whose motto is "Service Above Self."  The Batavia Club has been in existence for more than 100 years and provides regular financial support to community organizations such as Crossroads House, the YWCA Domestic Violence Safe House, college scholarships to local students, youth sports and capital improvements to United Memorial Medical Center. 

"We are working to continue supporting the organizations that we have been sustaining for many years, but club members were adamant to respond during this unprecedented time of need for our neighbors," said President Knipe. 

For more information about Batavia Rotary, visit its website at www.bataviarotary.com.

Photo, from left: Rotarian Donna Saskowski, Rotarian Ed Leising, Tony Condello from the Genesee Senior Foundation, associated with the Office for the Aging, Diana Fox of the Office for the Aging, Rotary President Bob Knipe, Rotarian Sharon Kubiniec, Tammy Hathaway, executive director of the United Way of Genesee County. All the Rotarians are members of a special COVID Relief Committee.

Press release:

Officials at Batavia Downs today announced that with the expectation that Phase Three reopening is implemented in the Finger Lakes Region on today, June 12th -- the Fortune's restaurant will be open for dine in or take out from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The gaming facility remains closed at this time.

There will be a limited menu to choose from. That menu is available on the Batavia Downs website as well as their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

New safety regulations will be put into place for those visiting the facility. All patrons must park in the south parking lot (Valet Lot) and come through the valet entrance. The valet is not operating at this time.

To ensure the safety of our guests and employees, upon entry into the facility guests are required to wear a mask up until the time that they are seated at their table. Please note that the restaurant will operate at a limited capacity. All persons within a dining party must also adhere to safe social distancing while waiting in the lobby.

If coming for take out, you must wear a mask for the entirety of your visit as you check-in at the hostess station for your food.

Fortune's will also be open on Friday, June 19th.

“We look forward to opening up our restaurants on these next two Fridays,” said Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO. “We’re working hard on a plan for reopening the entire facility and will do so once we get the go-ahead from New York State.”

To make an order for take out or to make reservations, please call (585) FORTUNE (367-8863) after 11 a.m. on Friday, June 12th.

Submitted image and press release:

The Batavia High School Class of 2020 will hold a Senior Parade beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.

This was originally the date scheduled for their senior prom, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Students wanted to mark the occasion with a fun event that will provide a drive down “memory lane” and a chance for them to see former teachers and supportive family, friends, and community members.

They will begin their parade at Batavia High School, assembling there at 3:45 p.m., then loop around the city to pass by each school building (Robert Morris, Jackson Primary, Batavia Middle School, John Kennedy Intermediate, then back to BHS).

Seniors are strongly encouraged decorate their car, dress up for the occasion, and/or display plans for next year.

The community is highly encouraged to cheer them on and make signs congratulating along the route!

Here's the route*:

• From the BHS Loop, left on State Street, right onto Richmond Avenue, left onto Union Street;
• Pass Robert Morris School, turn left onto West Main Street, veer right at the Upton Monument onto Ellicott Street, turn right onto Jackson Street, then left onto South Jackson Street;
• Pass Jackson Elementary, turn left onto South Swan Street, which becomes Swan Street, then changes into Ross Street;
• Pass Batavia Middle School, turn right onto East Avenue, then left onto Elm Street;
• Drive through loop at John Kennedy School, get back onto Elm, southbound, and turn right onto North Street, then right onto Ross Street, left onto Bank Street Road, then right onto Denio Street, and right onto State Street.
• Finish by rounding the Batavia High School loop.

*Editor's note: The map and written directives sent June 11 by BCSD had a couple of errors. The information has been updated and corrected as of June 12.

With so many moving parts and so little direction, it’s no wonder the Genesee County Legislature is pulling its collective hair out trying to assemble a concrete financial plan.

Legislators engaged in a Committee of the Whole discussion via Zoom on Wednesday night following their regular meeting. Seventy minutes later they came away with updated information from high-level county employees regarding the government’s current status -- including the bad news that sales tax receipts for the month of May were down by nearly 36 percent.

As to how to proceed, however, uncertainty over another federal stimulus bill and the amount of reduction (if any) in state aid continues to thwart lawmakers committed to doing what is best for their constituents.

“Our financial situation is unclear, yet we have partners to be mindful of,” Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein said, emphasizing that the county intends to share revenue with municipalities once vital details come into view.

County Manager Jay Gsell, Assistant Manager Matt Landers, County Attorney Kevin Earl, Highway Superintendent Tim Hens and County Treasurer Scott German provided updates of various segments of the government.

Gsell set the stage by reporting that the June payment from Tax & Finance reflected a 35.95 percent reduction in revenue generated by May sales and, overall, county sales tax revenues are down 5.47 percent this year as compared to the same time in 2019.

Noting the 40-year sales tax agreement with the City of Batavia, Gsell said “whatever hit we take, they’ll take the same.”

He said that the county has incurred significant revenue losses thus far in 2020, data that prompted the legislature last month to rescind the treasurer’s authority to release revenue distribution payments to towns and villages.

Still, Gsell said he is optimistic that a new federal stimulus package (Fed Stim 4) will come to fruition. Another stimulus is supported by Congressman Tom Reed of the 23^rd District and New York’s U.S. senators.

“We’re hopeful that sometime within the next seven to 10 days, Washington will finally coalesce around some part of a federal stimulus package … for direct assistance to local governments across the entire spectrum of counties, cities, towns and villages in regard to the impacts upon the economy and COVID-19 expenses,” he said.

Gsell reported that the county has saved approximately $1.4 million in its 2020 operating budget by cutting programs and expenses, deferring capital projects and implementing furloughs and strategic job freezes – bracing for losses in sales tax (which already has happened) and a potential 20 percent cut in state aid.

A recap of the Committee of the Whole meeting follows:

REVENUE SHARING

Gsell and Landers proposed a revised revenue distribution sharing agreement with the towns and villages, possibly a document that sets what is shared in proportion to the amount the county receives. They said they were asked by legislators to craft something to indicate the county’s willingness to share revenue in the future.

Calling it a “balancing act,” Landers said he was open to drafting something for a second-quarter distribution, one that would be based on 2020 sales tax projections, not 2018 as was the case with the previous agreement, and one that would include wording to protect the county.

“It could be structured so that it would go down at the same level that the county goes down, but then allow for all the additional wording – reduction of AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities), cost shifts, water surcharge, equalization,” he said.

“Structure it so it is fluid enough to weather the currently known problems that are facing us – sales tax, state aid reductions, potential Medicaid cap implications.”

At that point, Andrew Young cut in, acting surprised that the idea would even be brought up.

“Why would we even be considering this at this point? The whole reason that we put ourselves in this position is because we knew nothing. We know a little more, but we still know nothing,” Young said.

“… Let’s move forward, when we do know more, whether that’s a month or two months or five months down the road, then we’ll figure it out from there.”

Marianne Clattenburg agreed with Young, while John Deleo said that since he didn’t trust the governor, “we could put ourselves in a predicament” with a revised agreement now.

Gordon Dibble also acted surprised by the proposal.

“All I ever asked for is to see a draft – I’m not even talking about voting on anything – but I’ve asked to see a draft of a potential document or something like that,” he said. “Something that we could look at, and we can run best-case, worst-case scenarios, and see what the results would be. That’s all I was ever asking for.”

Gsell replied, “We can do whatever you guys want.”

Christian Yunker and Gregg Torrey offered that the exercise would be a good faith effort to the towns and villages, but stopped short of a committing themselves to something they couldn’t pay.

Stein closed this segment by advising the board to wait a bit longer.

“What I’m hearing right now that there is still more to be learned, more to understand before any type of decision can be made,” she said. “Mandated services (county obligations) have not been relaxed. We have taken incredible steps in our government to reduce our spending, to pause and halt our capital projects, to freeze and furlough positions in the county – and those are not easy things to do.”

“I believe that we cannot make a decision, but it is a conversation that we have pledged ourselves to that there will be an intent to share and we need to continue to have this conversation in public so that our partners understand that it is occurring and it is happening,” she said.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

Hens said that he has deferred or eliminated close to $1 million capital projects for 2020, with only two fire alarm system projects moving forward at a total cost of $113,000. For 2021, an additional $600,000 in work has been deferred.

“At this point, we’ve got it scaled back about as far as I really am comfortable scaling back,” he said. “Anything further puts us in a bad spot as far as exposure or liability problems.”

He also reported a significant savings on the replacement of decking on the McLernon Road bridge in the Town of Bethany by using beams in stock to replace the entire superstructure of the bridge at a cost of only $50,000.

The bridge was scheduled to be replaced in a couple years as part of a $1.6 million project, but Hens said he decided to return the federal aid portion.

“We should be able to replace the entire superstructure of that bridge with our local share and that will buy us 20-30 years of life on that bridge,” he said, noting that the bridge will be closed only for the month of July.

Hens also said he submitted a $4.7 million reimbursement request to Monroe County (Water Authority) “to make us whole on the money we spent – that we set aside from our infrastructure reserve – so hopefully we will have that back in the next week or two.”

HIGHWAY FUNDING

Hens said that although he has received a guarantee of 80 percent of the federal Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), Extreme Weather and Pave New York funding, his current capital plan is at the 85 percent level – which means he won’t have to make a lot of cuts.

If a federal stimulus does arrive, he said he would use the extra $350,000 to Chipseal (oil and stone) county roads “to get the biggest bank for our back in regards to road maintenance.”

He also said Town of Bethany laid off its highway department for June, July and August. That means county crews may have to provide mowing services there during the summer months.

FURLOUGHS & FREEZES

Gsell said the county is saving $99,000 per month as a result of its job freeze and another $75,000 a month through furloughs.

He said that there are 41 vacant positions – 30 of them full-time – that aren’t being filled at this time and there are 40 employees who have been furloughed and currently collecting unemployment benefits as well as the extra $600 per week in enhanced benefits.

“Upon three days’ notice, if we need them back, they will come back,” he said. “We’re looking to take some all the way through the 90 days.”

The county is in its third month of the furlough and freeze, resulting in more than $500,000 in savings thus far.

COUNTY JAIL

Landers said discussion on the proposed new $60 million county jail is scheduled for next Monday's Public Service Committee meeting.

“It is paused right now and probably will be paused for a while now,” he said, acknowledging that there also are expenses involved with keeping current jail on West Main Street open for any length of time.

Clattenburg said she is concerned about funding a new jail in light of the May sales tax figures.

“We were going to build on sales tax growth and we were counting on growth level of 2 percent a year and now we have a 36 percent drop,” she said. “I think we need to fundamentally ask the question of how we’re going to fund the jail and stay within a property tax cap before we work on a framework for sales tax or revenue sharing distribution.”

MEDICAID MONEY

Legislators, in a resolution, are looking to the governor to release $469,000 in Medicaid funds stemming from the pandemic response to Genesee County to provide some partial fiscal relief.

“This would be a reduction over the balance of this calendar year in our weekly shares of Medicaid,” Gsell said. "Keep up the pressure. That money has our name on it and should be put to our use in our ability to start even just treading water with regard to the 2020 budget."

OUTSIDE AGENCIES

Legislators concluded the discussion by reviewing contracts with outside agencies.

Gsell said that $279,000 in commitments have yet to be paid this year, with the largest amounts being owed to Genesee County Economic Development Center and to Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Earl said any changes in these agreements that have no “out clause” can be made only if both parties agree.

Other agencies discussed were GO ART!, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Business Education Alliance, Mercy Flight and Genesee County Agricultural Society.

After several minutes of debate, legislators could not come to a consensus as to whether to stop funding these agencies or to put pending payments on hold.

German was advised that the final payment to Genesee Community College – more than $1 million – has to go out per state education law.

Legislators also learned that, as of March, there will be little or no more bed tax distribution for the rest of this year to the Chamber of Commerce, with both parties acknowledging such. The county did make a $110,000 payment to the tourism agency in bed tax proceeds generated from Dec. 2019 through Feb. 2020. (Also, the entire Chamber of Commerce staff is currently furloughed at 50 percent through the shared work program).

Clattenburg and Young said they were against withholding funds to these agencies.

“The big dollars have already gone out – we’re going to be hurting the small ones like the Holland Land Office that we fund …,” she said. “I was of the opinion that if we were going to cut everybody by 20 percent across the board, but this was my fear – that some people were going to get all their money and some people would get none of their money. So, I would not support it.”

Young said he felt it would be “more destructive to these agencies than any benefit that we’ll see out of it.”

In other developments:

-- The legislature officially welcomed Chad Klotzbach, of Basom, as the new District No. 1 representative (Alabama and Oakfield).  Klotzbach, 31, replaces John Hilchey, who resigned in May. County Attorney Earl performed the swearing in ceremony. Klotzbach’s term runs through Dec. 31, but he is eligible to run for election in November.

-- Stein, reporting as a member of the Finger Lakes Region control room, credited residents for “doing a great job … following those guidelines and we ask you as our citizens to continue to model terrific behavior … and we look forward to better days ahead.”

Phase Three of the state’s reopening plan is scheduled to begin on Friday. Business and services include indoor food and drink consumption at restaurants and bars, with 50-percent maximum occupancy, exclusive of employees, and social distancing measures in place. Also, included are spas, nail salons, tattoo piercing facilities, appearance enhancement practitioners, massage therapy, cosmetology, tanning salons and waxing services.

Press release:

• Genesee County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 201 positive cases.
  • The individual that was reported to have been at the March for Justice tested positive earlier in the week. (See note below.) 
  • Zero of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Zero of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
• Orleans County received zero new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 246 positive cases.
  • One of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
  • Fifteen of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.

NOTE: Regarding the seeming contradiction between no-new cases and the person at the march, a spokeswoman for Public Health said, "Because the positive case was counted earlier this week and through an interview with the case we found out about the attendance at the March."

Public Notice

Though the City of Batavia Planning and Development Committee will be holding its June meeting, as per executive orders regarding COVID-19, face-to-face public hearings are still not allowed. It meets at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16.

Here a PDF link of the agenda.

Any person wishing to comment on the following proposals, should submit an email to:   drandall@batavianewyork.com, or call (585) 345-6327 prior to June 16. Comments may also be placed in the drop box hanging on the wall to the right of the outside doors at City Hall.

1. DePaul Apartments -- 555 E. Main St., Paul Schreiner, PE, agent for DePaul Apartments – Special Use Permit for the construction of a 20,100-square-foot, two story, 20 dwelling-unit addition to an existing 49,786-square-foot 42 dwelling-unit “large-scale multifamily development” building.

2. Clinton Gardens Subdivision -- 387 Garden Drive Rear, Robert Pidanick, senior project manager for Nussbaumer & Clarke – Major subdivision of this property into six separate parcels.

For questions, please call the Bureau of Inspection at (585) 345-6345.

Chamber of Commerce Seminar with Public Health Director Paul Pettit on Phase 3 reopening

Press release:

• As of 2 p.m.
  • Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 201 positive cases.
    • The positive individuals reside in Batavia.
    • One of the new positive individuals is in their 20s and one of the new positive individuals is in their 30s.
    • The new positive cases were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Two of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Zero of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.
  • Orleans County received two new positive cases of COVID-19, for a total of 246 positive cases.
    • One of the new positive individuals lives in Carlton and one of the new positive individuals lives in Murray
    • One of the new positive individuals is in their 20s and one of the new positive individuals is in their 50s.
    • Neither of the new positive cases were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
    • Two of the previous community positive cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation.
    • Fifteen of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. We do not separate them out to protect their privacy.