genesee county

If you don’t think there’s fun to be had in Batavia, then look no further than the name of a company being considered for DeWitt Recreation Area on Cedar Street.

Genesee County legislators that make up the Public Service Committee reviewed a move Monday to obtain Rent.Fun LLC to set up a self-service kayak rental kiosk at DeWitt. Kayaking was identified in the county’s comprehensive recreation plan as a “need to be made available to the community.”

Genesee County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens and the deputy superintendent recommended that the committee approve the proposal for the county to enter into an agreement with Rent.Fun, LLC, located in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“There would be four (kayaks) available to rent from spring to fall,” Hens said to The Batavian. “The financial model is that the county would pay itself back on the investment, but we are looking at this as an opportunity to provide a recreational service to the community that also generates residual income and requires no county maintenance.”

The agreement would be for a period of five years, at a total cost of $16,000 for the installation and activation of smart lockers, fully equipped with kayaks/lifejackets and locker signage. Kayak users would then pay a rental fee through use of the kiosk that would go back to the county.

This park amenity expense will come out of the Capital Project DeWitt Improvements Phase IV, with $6,000 of this cost offset by a donation from the Association for the Conservation of Recreational and Natural Spaces (ACORNS), for a total cost of $10,000 to the county.

A final vote will go before the county Legislature in the next couple of weeks.

“If approved, the kayaks will be in place by mid-June,” Hens said.

In 2020-21, the county’s Chamber of Commerce Batavia Rotary Club and Youth Bureau worked together to put a $6,000 grant toward a new kayak launch at DeWitt and purchase kayaks for the Youth Bureau.

Millions of dollars are on the line in all eight Genesee County public school districts this week as district residents will be asked to vote for 2023-24 budgets, related tax levies, school board member candidates, and other propositions for capital or other designated reserves and purchases of equipment, school buses, security systems, or additional personnel.

Each district’s budget and propositions are listed below, per each district's website, along with hours for the vote on Tuesday.

Alexander Central School:
District residents will be asked to vote on:

Proposition 1 of the total budget, $20,847,995.

Proposition 2 of bus purchases for two 64-passenger buses $338,425, and one traverse (small vehicle) $37,700.

Proposition 3 of equipment purchases of a mower-ventrac $63,800; a truck (plow blade - dump body) $67,9l9; and two wide view printers $8,900.

Proposition 4 seeks to establish a capital reserve of $975,000.

Proposition 5 seeks to establish a bus reserve of $5OO,OOO.

Other parts of the budget include selling a Suburban, plow truck, lawn mower, and two buses; a capital outlay of $100,000; and a security/warning system for $350,000.

Hours: 1 to 8 p.m. in Room 112 of the Middle-High School

Batavia City School District
This year's budget is about $4 million more than this past year, with a correlating 1 percent tax levy increase. Superintendent Jason Smith previously gave his rationale for shoring up now in anticipation of what's down the road.

“For context, our allowable tax cap is 8.42 percent, and the preliminary budget presented last week had just over a 3 percent levy increase.  Based on Board feedback, the proposed levy has now been reduced to just over 1 percent.  There were a few factors driving this decision.  First, this budget calls for the addition of three school buses from our transportation contractor, which, if drivers can be hired, will reduce the time for our students (to be) on buses, which has been a source of community and family concerns and one which we have listened to,” Smith said.  “Second, our transportation contract will not be renewed at the end of next year, which means the entire contract is up for renewal and is subject to price increases.  We also fully expect the state mandate of electric buses and the related costs with this requirement to be passed down to districts by our future transportation contractor, further increasing costs. The District needs to plan carefully both now and for the future for these increased costs.”

“Additionally, we expect our tax cap for the 2024-25 budget to be negative, which would yield a tax decrease and reduced revenue, and the Board and I are not interested in asking our voters to override the tax cap, which would require a 60 percent approval of voters, as opposed to a simple majority,” he said. “Seeking a just over 1 percent levy increase for the 23-24 budget will provide revenue for both the current and future needs of the district.

District residents will be asked to vote on:

Proposition 1 of the total budget of $58.9 million. 

Proposition 2 seeks to establish a new capital reserve of $10 million for 10 years.

Proposition 3 seeks to  continue having a student ex-officio member on the board.

Election of two Board of Education members to fill two seats, with incumbents Alice Benedict and Barbara Bowman running.

Hours: Voting will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at residents’ designated polling site. 

Byron Bergen Central School
District residents are asked to vote on:

Proposition 1 2023-24 Proposed Budget For the purpose of adopting a budget of $25,972,402 for the 2023-24 school year, which includes a 1.76 percent increase in expenditures and a 0.44 percent increase in the 2023-24 tax levy. 

The budget was balanced utilizing a 2.5 percent increase in State Aid, a 0.44% increase in the tax levy, and interest income as a result of increased interest rates, school reserves and fund balance.

Proposition 2 Bus Purchase Proposition to authorize the purchase of two minibusses and three minivans at a total cost not to exceed $283,421. The estimated average cost for the bus proposition is less than $2.00 per year on a house valued at $100,000.

Proposition 3 To authorize the creation of a new Capital Reserve Fund – 2023 and to dissolve the old Capital Reserve–2019. All monies in the old Capital Reserve-2019 will be transferred into the new Capital Reserve Fund-2023.

In October 2021, District voters authorized the 2021 Capital Project and the use of $2 million in the Capital Reserve-2019 to be used towards the cost of the 2021 Capital Project. With this approval, going forward, the Capital Reserve-2019 can no longer be funded with any excess monies remaining at the end of each school year for future capital projects.

In order to start saving excess monies for a capital project in future years, we are asking the voters to approve the creation of a new Capital Reserve fund titled “ Capital Reserve Fund-2023”. The life of this reserve is 15 years and the reserve cannot be funded more than $4 million over that same time frame. One future potential use of such a capital reserve may be to purchase and install infrastructure to meet the NYS-mandated zero-emission vehicle requirement.

Proposition 4 To authorize the creation of a Technology and Equipment Reserve–2023

A few years ago, the District received and used SMART Bond monies from NYS to purchase and install mass notification, and security cameras and enhance secure entryways at both the Elementary and Jr/Sr High Schools for safety and security. It is anticipated that this technology may need updating or replacing within the next 7 to 10 years. The creation and ability to fund a Technology and Equipment reserve fund over the same time period, would provide the District with a savings account that could be used to replace and upgrade this technology when needed.

Selection of three (3) Board of Education candidates. The two (2) candidates with the highest number of votes will serve a three (3) year term beginning July 1, 2023. The third candidate with the third highest number of votes will fill the vacant seat of William Forsyth, whose term will end on June 30, 2024.

We have four (4) candidates running for three open seats this year, they are: Lisa Forsyth, Amy Phillips, Lynn Smith and Cindy Matthews.

Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior High School gym (This is a new location). Absentee Ballot voting Ballot must be received in the District Office by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Elba Central School
Proposition 1 is the Annual School budget in the amount of $11,708,369.

Proposition 2 is to Authorize an Energy Performance Contract project to improve the utility efficiency of the buildings and maximize cost savings; this is funded entirely through utility companies. The Board of Education may authorize this project without voter approval. However, we are seeking voter approval for this proposal which will increase the State aid to the school by 10% and will allow us to improve and repair the facilities without an impact to the taxpayers.

Proposition 3 is to authorize to appropriate and expend for the purchase of one 65-passenger bus to maintain a well-running fleet and maximize State aid funding.

Election for one 5-year term on the School Board. Incumbent Dean Norton is running for the one open seat.

Hours: Voting will be from 12 until 8 p.m. in the school auditorium lobby. A secure entryway vestibule has been designed to allow limited access to our buildings. This improvement will provide a convenient drop-off location in the current bus loop for students and their belongings, as well as streamline our attendance protocols and early dismissal procedures.

Le Roy Central School
The total budget for the 2023-2024 school year will be $30,227,508, which is an increase of 9.1 percent or $2,518,520.

A good portion of this increase is due to the addition of 2.5 FTE positions (2 FTE special education positions and a 0.5 FTE instructional support position (at the Wolcott Street School), rising costs associated with contractual requirements, student programming, and healthcare.

District residents will be voting for:

Proposition 1 That the Board of Education of the Le Roy Central School District in the Counties of Genesee and Livingston be authorized to expend the sum of $30,227,508.00 for the 2023-24 school year and to accumulate no planned balance and levy the necessary tax therefor. 

Proposition 2 That the Trustees of the Woodward Memorial Library in the Counties of Genesee and Livingston be authorized to expend the sum of $360,000.00 to support the Woodward Memorial Library for the 2023-24 school year. 

Election of Board of Education candidates TWO THREE (3) YEAR TERMS (7/1/23 - 6/30/26) Vote for Any Two (2) Jacalyn Whiting Denise Duthe WOODWARD MEMORIAL LIBRARY Vote for One (1) Lynda Lowe Laura Williams

Hours: The vote is set for 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Library Media Center at the Wolcott Street School. The Trigon Gym and triple doors by Memorial Auditorium will be open for entry/exit to vote. Parking will be available on Main Street, in Trigon Park, and in the Lapp parking lot.

Oakfield-Alabama Central School
Proposed Budget: $24,094,600 Proposed Increase: $504,994 (2.14 percent) Tax Levy Increase: 0 percent

District residents will be voting for:

Proposition 1 Shall the budget for the school year 2023‐2024, as submitted by the Board of Education of the Oakfield‐Alabama Central School District #1, be approved in the amount of $24,094,600 and shall taxes be levied on the taxable property of the District to meet the requirements of such budget?

Proposition 2 Shall the Haxton Public Library be permanently established as a school public library for the benefit and free use of all residents of the Oakfield‐Alabama Central School District and be authorized to raise $156,280 to support and maintain such library?

BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTIONS: There are 3 open Board Seats each for a 3-year term. Qualified voters will select from the following candidates on the Ballot: Kyle O’Connor, Jackie Yunker‐Davis, Pete Zeliff, and Natalie Emerson

Pavilion Central School
District residents will be voting on:

Proposition 1 Annual Budget Referendum 2023 - 2024 The Board of Education has approved, for your consideration, a budget for the 2023-2024 school year in the amount of $18,869,393. Overall, this reflects a year-to-year spending increase of $582,042 or 3.18 percent. The tax levy will increase by $85,396 or 1.5 percent to $5,778,383.

Proposition 2 School Board Member Election. We are asking voters to vote for a Board of Education candidate. We have one seat open on the Board this year. The seat is for a five-year term. We have three candidates running for the position. Our first candidate, Chris Jeffres, currently holds the position and is seeking re-election. Also running are Lana Flint and Roxanne Holthaus. To learn more about each candidate, please visit our website www.pavilioncsd.org.

Proposition 3 Hollwedel Memorial Public Library Trustees. The Hollwedel Memorial Library is asking the public to vote for two trustees. The candidates are Kelly Harris and Joan Gray. Joan Gray is currently a trustee and is seeking re-election.

Additional Items of Note: Included in this budget are funds for another $100,000 capital outlay project. This project will include improvements to the front entrance access, restoration and improvements to flooring, and replacement of the electronic message board at the Middle/High School building. Capital outlay projects qualify for building aid the following year which is approximately 87.6 percent for our district.

Pembroke Central School
For the 2023-2024 school year, the Board of Education proposes a budget of $26,732,685, which includes a cap compliant tax levy and other revenue funds

Projected State Aid = $15,534,910 

Appropriation of $1,500,000 of fund balance 

Use of $466,000 from reserve funds 

Tax levy increase of $264,721 (Under the tax cap for the 12th year in a row.)

Based on current assessed values, the full-value tax rate is projected to be $17.29. For a home assessed at $150,000, this projected tax rate represents a total increase of $28.80 for the year, assuming the basic STAR and excluding special tax exemptions to our honored veterans.

District residents will be voting on:

Proposition 1  “Shall the Board of Education of the Pembroke Central School District be authorized to expend the amount of $26,732,685 for general fund appropriations during the 2023-2024 school year and to levy the necessary tax upon real property in said district?

Proposition 2 “Shall the Board of Education of the Pembroke Central School District, Genesee County, New York, be authorized to purchase school buses, including incidental equipment and expenses in connection therewith, at a maximum estimated cost of $438,776.38, and said amount (less any trade-in allowance) or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be raised by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of said School District and collected in annual installments as provided by Section 416 of the Educational Law; and, in anticipation of such tax, obligations of said School District shall be issued?”

Proposition 3 “Shall the sum of $96,900 be raised by annual levy of a tax upon the taxable real property within the Pembroke Central School District for the purpose of funding the operating budget of the Corfu Public Library?”

Elect one (1) member of the Board of Education for a five-year term, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring June 30, 2028. (Vote for ONE): John Cima 

Elect up to three (3) members of the Board of Trustees of the Corfu Public Library, for three-year terms, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring on June 30, 2026. (Vote for THREE): Michael Plitt ___________ (Write In) ___________ (Write In) 

Elect one (1) member of the Board of Education for a two-year unexpired term, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring June 30, 2025. (Vote for ONE): ___________ (Write In)

Elect one (1) member of the Board of Trustees of the Corfu Public Library, for a two-year unexpired term, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring on June 30, 2025. (Vote for ONE): ___________ (Write In)

Hours: 12 to 8 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School gymnasium.

Genesee County’s Legislature recognized Older Americans Month this week, though locally it will be hard to ignore the needs and importance of older folks with estimates of remaining Baby Boomers turning 65 during the next seven years.

And why should we? The file photo above displays a group of senior citizens who put their skills to use as volunteer tax preparers, bringing back a cumulative $1 million to the county in state and federal tax refunds. 

Projections of an aging population mean that the number of 16,000 people ages 60 and older living here in Genesee County are expected to rise to 20,000 by 2035, and ages 65 will reach 16,000 to 17,000 by that same time period, according to Office For the Aging statistics.

While those age groups are prime candidates for OFA services, they are also veterans, experienced workers, people who have garnered a lifetime of wisdom and abilities to share, which is all part of why Older Americans Month was celebrated on Wednesday.

A proclamation was read that stated:

“Whereas, Genesee County includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their time, wisdom, and experience to our community, and

Whereas, communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds have the opportunity to participate and live independently, and

Whereas, Genesee County recognizes the need to create a community that offers the services and supports older adults may need to make choice about how they age, and 

Whereas, the community also recognizes the key role older Americans play in sharing the wisdom and experience that inform today’s decisions and actions, and fostering the connection and engagement that builds strong, resilient communities, and 

Whereas, in this year of peril and promise, older Americans have suffered through economic constraints while demonstrating inspirational strength. 

During Older Americans Month, we honor these citizens and their continued contributions.  Genesee County commits to learning from them, and supports their knowledge and experience that they bring to our community, and  

Whereas, the community can work to build an even better community for our older residents by ensuring every citizen has the opportunity to age with independence, proper care, and dignity. Not limiting our thinking about aging, exploring and combating stereotypes, emphasizing the many positive aspects of aging, inspiring older adults to push past traditional boundaries, and embracing our community’s diversity.

Now, therefore be it resolved, that the Genesee County Legislature does hereby proclaim the month of May as Older Americans Month.  We call upon Americans of all ages to celebrate older Americans during this month and throughout the year.”

There are programs and resources available for seniors that offer recreational and social activities and outings, exercise classes, group gatherings, card games, volunteer opportunities, insurance guidance, educational and research resources and many other amenities at OFA, YMCA GLOW, Richmond Memorial Library, AARP, Alzheimer’s Association, Genesee Community College, RSVP (volunteer program), and your medical practitioner for maintaining one’s mental, financial, social and physical health.

For more information from OFA, call 585-343-1611.

A walkability task force has tentatively put one foot in front of the other and landed at the Bank Street crosswalk between Main Street and Washington Avenue.

The task force, made up of six members of the county that include public health, planning, transportation, Office for the Aging, the Youth Bureau and an elected official, were given an assignment to take photos of various “walkability/rollability” successes, challenges and surprises in Batavia — one of the largest areas for pedestrians — and one spot popped up most frequently, participants Paul Pettit, director of the Public Health Department, and Kaitlin Pettine, communications rep for the department.

“Based on this assignment, one area that we believed walkability/rollability could be improved was Bank Street between Washington Avenue and East Main Street,” Pettine said to The Batavian on behalf of both. 

Backing up to the beginning of this project: It stems from a $10,000 grant to fund a walkability virtual academy for communities to explore and solve issues of poor walkability for pedestrians. 

This involved a training seminar and a photo assignment. Another step is likely to be some type of demonstration, perhaps at the site of the crosswalk, for the potential dangers and safety measures that can be taken, OFA Director and task force member Diana Fox said.

“It would be a pop-up demonstration,” she said. 

One of the problems with that section, with Bank Street itself, is that it is quite wide, and the city may be involved by narrowing the width and “shrinking the distance of the crosswalk,” she said.

“And so the pop-up is being able to do some demonstrations and purchase materials to create different crosswalks and designs to make some green space so that the edge of the curb comes out more so that you have to slow things down,” Fox said during this week’s Human Services meeting. “So that's one of the things that we're looking at doing with that, and creating a whole demonstration. We’ll probably do it by the end of the summer and in September.”

A video was made in May 2019 to promote that very crosswalk and how to ensure safety when crossing. Former City Manager Martin Moore and Former County Manager Jay Gsell assisted folks across the walk, offering advice in a campaign for safety awareness and education, Gsell said.

"We find this intersection is a heavily-used pedestrian traffic area, and there has been too many pedestrians 'near misses' between vehicles and pedestrians," Gsell said. "We said, 'let's make an effort to heighten awareness, and to also start the process to put signs up."

People park across the street, "like they're supposed to," he said, and then proceed to use the crosswalk, as they hope it's safe -- but that isn't always the case. Motorists sometimes blow through the walk without stopping or even slowing down. 

As for the task force's vision, this is all in the conceptual phases right now.

The Batavian asked if members of Healthy Living and GLOW YMCA would be part of this effort, given the brand new campus being built adjacent to the crosswalk.

“Healthy Living/YMCA folks were not involved in the academy, but will be invited to the table along with other interested stakeholders as the process moves forward,” Pettine said.  

Will the entire grant amount go towards the demonstration to be done in downtown Batavia or to be used for various walkability efforts?  
“The goal of the Walkability Virtual Academy (WVA) was to bring stakeholders together to participate in this academy so that we have the foundation for future planning around walkability/movability in our county. We hope that we can bring the knowledge learned to towns, hamlets, and villages to improve the collaboration among partners regarding future designs and plans that relate to walkability and movability,” Pettine said.  “Having this baseline work completed will also position us to be more competitive in future grants to address initiatives throughout the county."

How do you see the money being spent, and is there a chance that some of it could actually go to implement ideas that the task force comes up with?
“The WVA Taskforce is still in the planning process for how the $10,000 will be used. We just completed the academy classes and are in the process of developing an action plan,” she said. “What is written in the action plan will determine what the $10,000 will be used for. The funding could be used for pop-up demonstrations as well as walkability improvements.”

Since this is a federal grant, the task force must meet compliance obligations to receive the funding.

The Batavian reached out to Chief Shawn Heubusch for information related to the Bank Street crosswalk, and this story will be updated when those answers are received. 

To watch the entire video recorded in 2019, go HERE.

Are you a pedestrian in the city of Batavia? What do you think is the most dangerous “walkability” section here? Let us know at joanne@thebatavian.com.

Toxicology reports for overdoses can take a long time — a year or more — to complete, and Public Health Director Paul Pettit would like to expedite the process, he says.

Pettit proposed the purchase of a $44,500 multistage analyzer, which would provide much faster toxicology results from autopsies for any of 21 different drug types, including fentanyl and other types of fentanyl derivatives, he said. 

Other newer drugs are continuously being added to the list, such as the latest one to hit the streets, the xylazine profile, he said.

“Essentially, this is a piece of equipment that allows us to have somewhat real-time toxicology reports from overdose deaths. So when we send folks to the (medical examiner’s) office, as you guys are all well aware, we get them back a year later, 18 months, we still have one outstanding from 2021 that we're waiting on the toxicology reports and the final autopsy from,” Pettit said Monday during the Human Services meeting. “So what this analyzer does is allows us to essentially get that real-time toxicology, and it can be done either through your analysis of blood or saliva sample, where we'll be able to run that sample as soon as we get it from the M.E.’s when they go in for an autopsy. 

"And that allows us to see exactly what was in the profile, kind of similar to a toxicology report," he said. "It will give us a better snapshot of what, unfortunately, led to their death, potentially the overdose.”

The analysis is for internal use only, he said, and is not for public knowledge.  As opioid use and its related effects draw more of the Public Health Department’s attention, the picture has become more clear that Pettit and his staff are homing in on the who, what and why more than ever. 

And instead of having to wait a year or more to learn about what types of drugs are out there, “we can get a better idea what’s going on potentially on our streets, if we’re seeing a cluster of overdose deaths and what is actually in the water in the system,” he said.

Pettit and the purchasing director reviewed the only bid that was submitted. They recommended accepting a bid of $44,500 for the analyzer from Random Laboratories-US. This expense is within the budget, according to the resolution, and is funded by The Healing Communities grant.

Members of the Human Services Committee asked various questions about how this equipment would be used and for what purpose. The bottom line is that it would offer a more immediate answer as to what drugs were involved in the overdose that led to the person’s death.

The committee approved the resolution, which will go onto the Ways & Means Committee and finally to the full Legislature for a vote.

Photo: File photo by Joanne Beck of Paul Pettit and Legislator Gregg Torrey.

Voices of crime victims need to be heard, though they’re often relegated to darkened silence, Theresa Roth says.

“I think that the theme is here, centering on elevating voices, is very, very important because crime often happens in private, behind closed doors,” said Roth, program coordinator for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center, during a recent Genesee County meeting.

The meeting of legislators was to recognize various efforts throughout the county and across the country in April, and this week shines a light on crime victims’ rights.

Legislator Gary Maha read a related  proclamation that states:

WHEREAS, the term victim is more than just a label and has legal standing and protections that go along with it; and

WHEREAS, crime victims’ rights acts passed here in New York and at the federal level guarantee victims the right to meaningfully participate in the criminal justice process; and

WHEREAS, victim service providers, advocates, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and other allied professionals can help survivors find their justice by enforcing these rights; and

WHEREAS, victim service providers and allied professionals can reach more victims through innovative, trauma-informed programs, such as telehealth services and multidisciplinary teams; and

WHEREAS, victim service providers and allied professionals can increase access to victim services and compensation in areas that have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by inequality by implementing culturally responsive services; and

WHEREAS, equity and inclusion are fundamental prerequisites to survivor care, and survivor-led services that provide victims with opportunities to share their experiences are essential blueprints for support; and

WHEREAS, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week provides an opportunity to recommit to ensuring that accessible, appropriate, and trauma-informed services are offered to all victims of crime; and

WHEREAS, Genesee County is hereby dedicated to helping crime survivors find their justice by enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all. Now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Genesee County Legislature proclaims the week of April 23-29, 2023 Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Genesee County.

Diana Prinzi of Genesee Justice said that the most important thing her agency can do first is to “let their voices be heard.” And then to take the crucial steps to help victims begin to heal.

“We work with all of our community members trying to make them whole again. And let them know that we care and provide the services they need to repair the harm that was done to them,” she said. “And we appreciate all the community members that assist with that, our other agencies we partner with, multidisciplinary teams we work with. We couldn’t do it alone.”

County Legislator Gary Maha and Diana Prinzi flank Theresa Roth as she talks about the importance of elevating victims' voices during a recent meeting that recognized Crime Victims Rights Week and other efforts that are part of April. Photo by Joanne Beck.

There have been a lot of proclamations handed out this week, and all of them involve important issues, from public health and safety to emergency communications and the rights of crime victims.

However, one of them may tug at the heartstrings just a little bit stronger, and it’s not even because of a dire threat to humanity. At least not physically. But ask any animal lover how important it is to protect the welfare of pets, and it can become an emotional topic rather quickly. In short, most folks would say don’t come between me and Fido, thank you.

Fortunately, there are laws and personnel to ensure those protections, and the Genesee County Legislature acknowledged them with National Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week, which ran this week ending on Saturday.

This week is a way to recognize all officers for the invaluable roles they play in their communities, Legislator Christian Yunker said during the Legislature’s meeting this week.

"It's my honor to present this very underrated but very critically important service that we provide the county, National Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week," he said, reading the proclamation:

 Whereas, national animal control officer Appreciation Week was started by the National Animal Care and Control Association as a way to recognize all officers so  they're invaluable roles they play in the communities and

Whereas, Genesee County dog control officers are compassionate and committed to individuals who serve to protect the animals everyday by enforcing laws pertaining to their treatment.

And whereas, our dog patrol officers are tasked with picking up stray or dangerous animals to ensure the protection of our communities residents in addition to the operation of a county animal shelter, and

Whereas, they exhibit continuous compassion and understanding and professionalism during the performance of their job.

Now therefore be it resolved, the Genesee County Legislature hereby declared a week of April 9 to 15th 2023 National Animal Control Appreciation Week in Genesee County, and takes great pride in honoring the officers whose dedication and professionalism protect the welfare of helpless animals and pets within our county.

 

Catherine Seward is a dog control officer at Genesee County Animal Shelter. She said a few words in response.

“On behalf of myself and Sarah Fountain, the other dog control officer, I want to thank the sheriff and the Sheriff's Department, and all of you volunteers for stray animals, and really, our whole community,” she said. “We're very proud of serving our community and all the good that we're able to do for both the animals and the people that we're helping every day. Thank you.”

Even though the official week is done by Saturday, feel free to show appreciation for those that rescue, clean, feed, treat, care for and protect animals. There’s no time limit on that, and they deserve it.

Photo of county Legislator Christian Yunker, Catherine Seward, and Sheriff William Sheron, by Joanne Beck.

Genesee County’s outdated emergency dispatch center certainly was cheaper to be removed than the new one replacing it.

Genesee County Legislature approved an additional expense of $23,094 during its meeting Wednesday for unexpected costs related to the capital project for dispatch center console furniture. The project initially was for $320,000 in February 2022 and was adopted on July 27 of that year for $380,000.

The director of Emergency Communications requested the latest additional funding to complete the project, which was estimated to be 95 percent finished.  Sheriff William Sheron said that individual monitors are to be installed within the next week or so. The outdated communications monitor that was several years old was removed at no charge. 

The $23,094 will be offset with a 1 percent sales tax, which county legislators also approved — to extend an extra 1 percent sales tax through Nov. 30, 2025.

Another resolution had to do with a tablet for every jail inmate.

No, it’s not exactly what it sounds like, Sheriff William Sheron says. The Sheriff’s Office finalized an agreement with Securus Technologies LLC for inmate communication services, which provides tablets and phones for inmates at the county jail.

Out of three bids, it was determined by the Sheriff, purchasing director and jail superintendent, “that our current provider Securus Technologies, LLC provided the best combination of competitive pricing and services,” the resolution states.

The county doesn’t buy anything for the inmates, and they aren’t free to access anything they want to online, Sheron said.

“The company supplies the tablets and the phones. And the inmates are charged for usage of it. And then the county receives a percentage of that from the company. So there is no cost to the county. The cost is all incurred by the inmates,” he said after the meeting. “The company comes in and sets everything up, supplies all the tablets, supplies the phone system, and then the inmates, through their usage, they pay for it. It's one for each inmate if they want it, or just right now, our population is running somewhere between 50 and 60, low 60s, and the new facility capacity will be 184, which will mean usually at 85 percent of that. So somewhere around 140ish, they have them in their possession.

“There's a lot of good programs that are associated. Obviously, they can't get anything that we don't authorize, but they can get educational programs, and they can get reentry programs on there. They can get Law Library on there. So they've been very popular,” Sheron said. “And I think the miscommunication sometimes with the public is that we're giving them free entertainment that, no, they're actually paying for their usage of it.”

The contract includes an 84 percent commission paid on inmate telephone calls to Genesee County, for the period of May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2025, with the option to renew for three (3) additional one-year periods upon mutual, written consent of both parties under the same terms and conditions as the original Agreement.

Given the number of proclamations handed out to recognize the various groups and efforts in Genesee County Wednesday, it seemed like Proclamation Day during the county’s Legislature meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

Since the beginning of this month through to the end, there will be recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week, Crime Victims Rights Week, Fair Housing Month, Public Health Week and County Government Month.

As several representatives of public health, law enforcement, mental health, legal, human resources, criminal justice, and the various other county departments gathered behind Legislator Marianne Clattenburg, she introduced the focus for this fourth month of the year.

“I can see all right behind me. This is a perfect metaphor for county government. The Legislature does the public face, but the people behind us are what really gets the job done. And we appreciate them. So it's my privilege to proclaim National County Government Month April 2023, Counties Rise!,” she said.

On behalf of the Legislature and Chairwoman Rochelle Stein, Clattenburg read the proclamation:

WHEREAS, the nation’s 3,069 counties serving more than 330 million Americans provide essential services to create healthy, safe and vibrant communities, and WHEREAS, counties fulfill a vast range of responsibilities and deliver services that touch

nearly every aspect of our residents’ lives, and WHEREAS, Genesee Counties and all counties take pride in our responsibility to protect and enhance the health, wellbeing and safety of our residents in efficient and cost- effective ways, and

WHEREAS, under the leadership of National Association of Counties President Denise Winfrey, NACo is highlighting how “Counties RISE!,” demonstrating exemplary Resiliency, Inclusion, Solvency, and Empowerment, and  WHEREAS, each year since 1991 the National Association of Counties has encouraged counties across the country to elevate awareness of county responsibilities, programs and services, and WHEREAS, Genesee County takes pride in their talented and dedicated staff by

delivering excellent services to its citizens which makes Genesee County a great place to live and raise a family. Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that The Genesee County Legislature hereby proclaims April 2023 as National County Government Month and encourage all county officials, employees, schools and residents to participate in county government celebration activities.

“(The proclamation) is attested to by Rochelle Stein and myself. Thank you very much for all you do,” Clattenburg said.

Mental Health Director Lynda Battaglia spoke in response to the citation and acknowledgment of the work performed by county employees.

“I want to say thank you for this proclamation. And for recognizing county governments, at least on behalf of mental health and all of my county employees and conversations with them recently,” Battaglia said. “They are excited in the direction the county's going. And they have felt unsure over the last few years the pandemic is behind us, but I think we are forward thinking and we are definitely becoming more progressive, and I know that they appreciate that, and I do as well, thank you.”

Top Photo show county Legislator Marianne Clattenburg reading a proclamation as county department leaders surround her; below are department leaders, including Lynda Battaglia with the proclamation, and Clattenburg. Photos by Joanne Beck.

There are two things that Gino DeMino knows about tomato sauce: taste and price.

When locally produced Guglielmo’s sauce came onto Batavia Tops shelves, DeMino, the store manager, knew another good one had arrived.

“I’ve had it, it’s fantastic. It has great flavor, and it’s not watered down. It has a more homemade taste,” DeMino said. “His sauce is a premium. They’re starting to do better with inflation.”

Premium equals higher quality and also means a higher price. Since inflation has been driving up prices of most everything, that has helped sales of those more expensive items, he said.

DeMino has the qualifications to know products, he said: he’s been in the business for more than 20 years and “I’m Italian.”

“I tend to eat more pasta than most people,” he said.

Guglielmo’s, a generational sauce made at Craft Cannery in Bergen, is sold at a long list of stores in neighboring counties, including Tops Friendly Markets. The sauce arrived at Batavia Tops about six months ago, but DeMinio had discovered it before then, at a Rochester store.

Several small businesses bring their recipes to Craft, which manufactures their products as a safe, reliable end result. Red Osier of Stafford is another local client that has marinades and sauces in Tops and Wegmans, and more distant places, such as Hotdog Charlie’s from the Albany area, is a hot seller, Tom Riggio said.

The ever-expanding vendor list is just one sign of Craft Cannery’s robust health, said Riggio, Guglielmo’s business partner. They have more than 75 clients.

“We’re growing,” Riggio said. “As far as the size of the expansion, we’re not exactly sure of the exact size at this point in time, but anywhere between 3 and 5,000 square feet. It’ll allow us to build a separate warehouse behind our building for storage purposes and allow us to put in a second kitchen, essentially a second bottling line facility.

“Our sweet spot is the local restauranteur that says they think they've got the best pasta sauce. And it was actually very, very helpful during COVID when these restaurants weren't open,” he said. “They would come to us with their pasta sauce recipe, we would make it food safe and bottle it for them. And then they get it on shelves.”

Craft Cannery is one of six USDA-certified manufacturing canneries in New York State that allows the company to produce meat-based products. It’s a good opportunity to continue to grow the business, he said. Based at 7100 Appletree Ave. in Bergen, the site on the east end of Genesee County continues to update its products and hire new personnel, especially after the expansion is completed by the first half of 2024.

One of its more recent products has been the EZ cap using new technology “which allows people that struggle to open jars to essentially push a button and be able to open a jar with a lot less force,” he said.

“Our business continues to grow, we’re experiencing growth,” Riggio said. “We’re looking to add more people. We’re up to eight, we’re adding one new this Monday. Two more next week. And seven to eight to run the second line.”

With all of the good, there have been a few bumps along the way since purchasing the company in May 2020. Craft lost a client they had been producing six varieties of sauces for, which meant taking a financial hit. They had purchased raw materials, made product and shipped it out before learning that Real Eats out of Geneva had gone out of business. It was a loss of “tens of thousands of dollars,” Riggio said.

“It stings. It’s the cost of doing business for us. Thankfully, you know, we plan for these situations,” he said. “Our business will be fine; it hasn’t impacted our business. Our employees will be able to use some of the raw materials.”

Contrary to how some news articles made it seem, Craft Cannery is alive and well, he said. If anything, he will take a page from that other company’s last chapter and learn to move carefully with Craft Cannery. The site is big enough for options.

“We’ve got land that we could expand even further. But what we don’t want to do is, we don’t want to over-expand. We’re going to take the steps that we need to do to keep up and grow the business,” he said. “I don’t want to overstep it and put the business at risk, which is exactly what happened with Real Eats. I’ve got a background in building businesses and brands. And obviously, Paul is the face of the company. So the two of us make a good one-two punch.”

Top Photo: Paul Guglielmo shows some of his sauce that's locally made at Craft Cannery in Bergen and now available at Batavia Tops on Lewiston Road. Photos by Howard Owens.

Dark times, they are a-coming.

For three minutes and 42 seconds, reportedly one of the rarest and most spectacular events in nature, the sky will become dark as deep twilight, as bright stars and planets take over the sky stage, and the sun’s fiery outer atmosphere plays lead character against the moon’s silhouette.

And Genesee County officials — planning a full year out, to the day — want to make sure that nobody misses a moment of it. So do be sure to GeneSEE the Eclipse. The Chamber of Commerce has organized a team to ensure that all points are covered, and members launched an event logo and outline for the total solar eclipse set to pass through this county on April 8, 2024.

“Rest assured, Genesee County governments and local municipalities are also going to be preparing. I want to make sure that I emphasize that there will be safety considerations taken into account,” County Manager Matt Landers said Tuesday at chamber headquarters on Park Road in Batavia. “As (County Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein and Chamber President Brian Cousine) were saying, there's going to be hundreds of thousands of individuals coming into our community in the GLOW region around the time of the next eclipse, and that can be a little daunting.

“But the planning efforts are in place, the local law enforcement from all levels will be taking part. This is also a great opportunity for our local schools and educators to take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime event. So I'm glad that we've reached out and have some communications with some of the local school districts. And I've spoken to some local school administrators, and I know that they are already reaching out to their science departments and making sure that we take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “Things like extending spring break one extra day to ensure that there aren't school buses down the roads during the event was a great idea. And I'm glad that it looks like all of our schools are going to be closed so that the kids can fully enjoy this day and not be on the roads at the same time.”

County management, Emergency Management, highway departments and local municipalities are already having kickoff planning meetings to ensure that the roads are safe, Landers said. They all, of course, want to make sure that “we make this as fun of an experience as possible” while keeping public safety in mind.

Speaking of fun, team consultant Glenn Clark reached out to artist and high school art teacher Andy Reddout to create the visual for the campaign. He knew that agriculture is huge in Genesee County and that this was for the total solar eclipse. The final creation is a smiling black-and-white Holstein cow named Genny, standing in front of the outer frame of a large orange eclipsed sun, with a row of small businesses lined up in front of it. No worries, Genny is wearing ISO-certified solar glasses to be able to enjoy the view.

Tuesday’s event included a commemorative poster, the branded solar glasses, custom decorated cake, a champagne toast, and an unveiling of the artist's illustration, paired with the tagline “See it where the skies are darker.”

It is believed that Genesee County, with all of its quaint and rural trappings, will be a draw for spectators, given its low volume of tall buildings, bright lights and obstructions to the phenomenon that won’t return for another 126 years.

Glenn Clark, a consultant with Crafting a Brand from Mendon, wanted to build momentum, so he asked audience members to close their eyes. He then name-dropped three iconic brands: Smokey the Bear, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Tony the Tiger.

“I’ll bet if I asked each and every one of you to tell me what you thought of, you'd all come up with the same thing. That's how branding works. And we've created a visual brand that we're going to unveil here in just a moment that people are going to remember, now through April 8, and beyond,” Clark said. “And it's fun. It's iconic. Most of all, it's memorable. People are going to talk about this. And they're going to say one thing over and over again … So this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something that people will remember that we're going to be able to use for the next year. But more importantly, for decades to come. I think that this will show up for decades.”

Katy Hobbs, a Chamber staff member part of the teams for Genesee the Eclipse, said that plans are in place to provide activities for a three-day weekend before and up to the actual big event. Beginning April 5, there are to be special events, celebrations and eclipse-themed foods for residents and visitors alike, she said.

This isn’t just a Chamber event, but something that can involve businesses and residents, she said.

“We are thrilled to see the tremendous local enthusiasm thus far, our team has been actively brainstorming ways to make this experience unforgettable. The chamber will host monthly stakeholder Zoom meetings on the third Tuesday beginning April 18. Each month will focus on a different topic related to the Eclipse, such as finding the best viewing spot and brainstorming ideas for local businesses to promote the total eclipse,” she said. “We’ll be collaborating with local businesses, event organizers and club organizations. Some local businesses have already started initial Eclipse plans, which may include science and nature programming, viewing parties and art historical events. Apart from our Zoom meetings, we also will be establishing a Facebook event as a hub for updates and sharing. Please join us and be a part of the excitement.”

For more information, go to Geneseetheeclipse.com.

Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and government officials, sporting their certified solar eclipse glasses, launched the kick off for a 2024 total solar eclipse Tuesday at chamber headquarters in Batavia. Top Photo shows County Legislature Chairwoman Shelley Stein holding the custom decorated cake with chamber staff Kelly Rapone and President Brian Cousins in front; artist Andy Reddout, left, and  consultant Glenn Clark unveil the artwork for the three-day celebration next year featuring Genny the cow and GeneSEE the Eclipse tagline; Shelley Stein cuts the cake for visitors that attended the kickoff as County Manager Matt Landers and Chamber President Brian Cousins watch; and above, Katy Hobbs, chamber membership and marketing director, shares initiatives the team will be working on in the coming months. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Genesee County sold foreclosed properties that netted the county just under $81,500.

County Treasurer Scott German reviewed the latest online property auction during Wednesday’s Ways & Means meeting.

The event was expected to conclude more quickly but was drawn out by continuous bidding for some properties, German said. Overall, it “was very successful,” he said.

The total sale for five properties was $119,000, minus taxes owed, for a net sum of $81,477.50. The following people were the top bidders for parcels in three different areas of the county:

• Benjamin Klotzbach bid $20,000 on Parcel #1, 7.-1-26 on the tax map in Alexander
• Jason Sando bid $11,000 on Parcel #2, 14.-1-42 on the tax map in Alexander
• Austin Kenmet-Phillips bid $17,500 on Parcel #3 for 14.-1-10.2 on tax map in Bergen
• Andrew Young bid $41,000 on Parcel #4, 1.-3-97 on the tax map in Oakfield
• Ryan Macdonald bid $30,000 on Parcel #5 for 2.-1-76.2 on tax map in Oakfield

Bontrager Real Estate and Auction Services Inc. conducted the online sale on behalf of Genesee County. It ended at 7 p.m. on March 28. At that time, the property was sold to the highest bidder, German said.

Ways & Means members approved the bids, and the county Legislature is to ratify and confirm the sale of properties during its next meeting.

There’s the smuggling, dealing, buying and using of drugs, and then there’s a whole other end of it, quite literally.

And Genesee County officials — including from law enforcement, emergency management, health and mental health departments, Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, and administration — are looking into a way that measures just what types and the amounts of drugs being consumed in the largest areas here.

To do that, they're going to test wastewater flowing through treatment plants in Le Roy and Batavia.

The cost to test at the two sites is $1,000 per month per site, and Public Health Director Paul Pettit said it's a worthy investment to collect the data on a weekly basis.

“And essentially, this is a little different than the wastewater analysis we're doing in-house. This is for chemicals. So this is looking at fentanyl, methamphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, they're also in the process of adding xylazine into the analysis that they could do. So when you look at the different types of drugs out there, it's kind of an expansive list that they're able to track and monitor on a weekly basis, we'd be able to see the different trends,” Pettit said during the county’s Human Services meeting Monday. “So, you know, again, in the wastewater, if there's an increase, that would show that we'd be able to track and see what's going on within the communities that we're looking at, and be able to use that information within the health department, within different agencies that are addressing these issues in our community.”

The committee had tabled a prior vote on the $1,000 bid from Biobot Analytics Inc. until legislators had more details about the wastewater analysis program and what data it would provide to help decrease drug use. The money would come from opioid settlement funds (See related story) that were awarded to the county. The Human Services and Public Safety committees each delved into ways the funding could be used to evaluate municipal wastewater plants, Pettit said.

Legislative Chairwoman Shelley Stein asked if there’s a plan to expand this program into other areas.

In a word, yes.

“So we looked at our two larger population centers as the way of that focus and start to see how it goes. This type of approach is new, it's not really been used at all to track these types of things at this point. So the idea was to start with (Batavia and Le Roy) to see what kind of information we're getting out of it, see how valuable it is, and then decide from there about extending it further, and expanding into some of our other municipal wastewater plants,” he said. “What else do we have here, Darien, Elba? We could also do Attica too because it's right on the border. So I think it could be another four potentially.”

Xylazine, typically used as a horse tranquilizer, is the latest drug out there, known to be in Philadelphia, with the threat of moving closer to New York and Genesee County, he said. Drug dealers cut that into drugs as is done with fentanyl, but it reacts differently, “so Narcan doesn’t touch it,” he said.

“So even if you were overdosing and having issues, Narcan would work with the opioid itself, the fentanyl, but it would not touch the xylazine,” he said. “And then maybe we have a fatality; unfortunately, that may result. This is a passive way where we can monitor, obviously through wastewater, because we don't see really the true scope of what's going on when we just look at overdoses per se. Unfortunately, this is the amount of drugs we're seeing in the system at any given time, but then you start seeing spikes, we can use that for public information.”

The $1,000 a month times two sites for up to three years with this first contract is “a lot of resources,” Legislator Marianne Clattenburg said. Especially when it’s “to look for a problem we know is already here.” Her central question has been more focused on students than on wastewater.

“When will we see education back in schools?” she said. “For a while, I think it used to be much more rigorous.”

Pettit agreed and said there should be more education on the topic. Part of the Opioid Task Force’s job has been to have school representation at its meetings, he said.

The Batavian asked Pettit after the meeting if a one-year trial would be long enough to capture trends, given variables such as holidays, weekends, and changing seasons. He agreed that certain factors can play a role in changing data and that the contract is for three years, which should be helpful to collect at least enough data to begin to spot trends and see if it’s a worthwhile effort. However, if the program leaders believe it’s not leading anywhere, they have options.

“We’ve got to start collecting some data, and they start to build what that looks like. And then, once we get enough, we can start seeing the trends. So we'll establish a baseline,” he said. “We can stop at any point within the three-year period.”

If xylazine begins to show up in the county’s wastewater, health department officials can issue public notices to alert people that the drug is here and to be cautious, he said.

The committee agreed to pass the resolution on for the full Legislature’s vote for Biobot Analytics Inc. to provide wastewater analysis for the city of Batavia and the village of Le Roy on a weekly basis at the fee of $1,000 per month.

Photo of Paul Pettit.

When former Genesee County Attorney Kevin Earl spoke about the county’s lawsuit against some powerful pharmaceutical companies, he said it could be several years before the matter was settled.

That was in 2017. A case about the opioid addiction crisis — so expansive in size and scope that it involved several counties throughout New York State as plaintiffs — against defendants McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, Amerisource Bergen, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Allergan.

The county retained Napoli Shkolnik PLLC to obtain compensation for the money that the county had spent combatting the opioid crisis. Opioids have become such an issue that law firms, including Napoli Shkolnik, specialize in the topic.

The county argued that its social services department had borne the brunt of opioid and addiction-related costs. These professionals must “spend a great deal of time and effort on trying to, first of all, rehabilitate parents because of the drug problem and then terminating parental rights when it becomes necessary,” Earl had said at the time. They alleged that opioid manufacturers deceptively marketed their products and created thousands of addicts in the process.

Earl predicted that the case was going to be “a long process,” and he was right. The case was settled five years later. Genesee County received its first payment late last year, County Manager Matt Landers said. The defendants are paying the state, which in turn is forwarding payments to the counties involved in the lawsuit, he said.

How much has the county received, and what do you intend to do with it? Is the money designated for a specific purpose?
“The county has approximately $370,000 in the bank today,” he said. “A portion of the funding is restricted, and a portion is unrestricted. Genesee County intends to use all of the money towards combatting the effects of opioids in the community and education/prevention measures.”

Landers is part of an opioid task force that meets quarterly. The task force involves county law enforcement, the mental and public health departments, GCASA, Emergency Management and administration.

Updates are provided to the county Legislature, which will be voting on a resolution to contract with a lab to analyze wastewater for various types and volumes of drugs in the system. A portion of the opioid settlement money will be used for that purpose — $1,000 a month for each of two sites. (See related story.)

Public Health Director Paul Pettit said that once the Legislature approves the contract, the lab will begin its work. He expects that to happen by May 1, he said.

The analysis is on a yearly basis, and the contract is for up to three years.

“The hope is to continue on for a number of years to measure the impacts that different initiatives are having in the community,” Landers said.”

File Photo of County Manager Matt Landers by Joanne Beck.

Genesee County will sell at Public Online Auction 6 parcels of real estate which have been conveyed to the County by final judgment under tax foreclosure proceedings. This sale is ordered by the Genesee County Legislature and is in accordance with the appropriate provisions of the Real Property Tax Law. Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service is pleased to host this internet auction at bontragerauction.com. Potential bidders may call Todd Jantzi at Bontrager Real Estate & Auction Service (585-343-4529) with any questions. 

 

If you want to know about recycling and solid waste management, Peggy Grayson is your go-to in Genesee County.

Just ask her a question. But be prepared because Grayson’s enthusiasm on the topic can take a while. And it’s that zeal that’s kept her in place as the county’s recycling administrator for the GLOW Region Solid Waste Management Committee for nearly two dozen years.

“It's been interesting, there are good times. The state is not as fun to deal with, but, you know, it's been fun. I'll miss the talking to people and things like that. I'm sure I'll still get stopped in the grocery stores, which is fine. It's kind of a hard habit to break,” she said of preparing for her impending retirement on June 30. “I'll still have my little sculptures made out of spoons and forks and stuff, and used clothing is a big thing with me.”

During her interview Friday at County Building 2 with The Batavian, the more she thought about interesting moments on the job, the more of them came flooding back. There's a recycling hotline that comes into her department, and Grayson takes -- and remembers -- the calls.

Like the time, right around the end of a school day, when someone called to ask if dental floss was recyclable. She gathered it wasn’t a serious question and that she was being pranked, so it made for a giggle.

Or the more serious time when a mom called wondering what to do with a bottle of some type of sodium material in oil that could explode if it came in contact with water. Her now-deceased son obtained it from a teacher and had kept it in the family refrigerator. So what should the mom do with it now? Grayson had to call a couple of resources to find the safest answer.

Or when a man called to say that he had all of the chemical ingredients to make fireworks and wanted to dispose of them. Grayson had to provide instructions to him for where to take them and follow up to ensure they were properly taken care of at an equipped county disposal site.

And then there were calls about cooking oil. And used paint. Box-style televisions. K-cups. Vaping cartridges, which is a newer item. Calls from Texas to a credit union with a phone number that’s just one number off the county’s, which sometimes ends up in a conversation about the weather “up there.”

Or calls about the items that folks just throw in those blue recycling boxes, thinking that anything will get recycled, including takeout containers with food inside. Or bags filled with dog poop (yes, true story, Grayson swears).

And when it’s not about matters legitimately pertaining to her department, it’s about something that’s a close second.

“I take calls every day, they think we’re a waste management company,” she said. “People constantly call. I was asked about cow mats. They are filled with tire chips, I’ve never heard of them. They wanted to know how to dispose of them. I tell people, ‘well, we use this stuff, but then we don’t want to get rid of it.’”

Apparently, that caller wasn’t so keen on having to pay for the disposal of his cow mats. Grayson said that, yes, there are items that you just can’t recycle and may have to pay to get rid of.

One may have thought that the recyclable and solid waste management field was a dry and boring one, right? Not for Grayson, who has plenty to tell her successor once hired. Applications are due April 7, and funds have been approved for her to train that person until she leaves.

A former teacher at the now-defunct St Anthony’s School in Batavia, Grayson has enjoyed the Conservation Field Days and Kinder Farming of her current job since they involve students. That allowed her “to teach and didn’t have to do the discipline,” she said. It put her bachelor’s in English from Geneseo State College to good use for two years before she opted to move on to selling real estate before pursuing a solid waste management tech and education degree at Rochester Institute of Technology.

“I originally thought I’d work for the DEC,” she said. “This job came open in August 1996. I got out of teaching, but I have used a lot of the teaching skills.”

Grayson sat at a table with plastic composters stacked beneath, waiting for an upcoming event. On top of the table sat a box for recycling phones and batteries, and walls were lined with posters about events and information regarding, you guessed it, recycling.

The department wasn’t expected to survive six months, she said, and “here it’s been 34 years.” If you’re a regular at recycling events — household hazardous waste collections, for one, you probably have seen or spoken to Grayson, who has been a regular at such events. In fact, she has already committed to volunteering for this year’s collection and has arranged the paint collection, electronics and composting events.

Margaret "Peggy" Grayson lives in Stafford. She raises sunflowers and gardens in grow boxes, planting cucumbers, beans, red peppers, small pumpkins and other veggies that pique her interest. She uses technology at work but has resisted it at home, she said. That means no Internet.

What does she have ready for her new trainee? Some apt advice.

“Treat your volunteers good. We feed them,” Grayson said. “I make cookies, they’ll have to take over my cooking duties, and attend the fairs … you’ll see people there you’ll never see the rest of the year.”

Top Photo of Peggy Grayson with a piece of artwork made by a Boy Scout troop depicting a recycling scene, and above, Grayson with a composter. Photos by Joanne Beck.

In an effort to rally young people’s interest in the election process and voting and build a future base of voters, Genesee County Board of Elections is sprinkling a little fun into what can otherwise be a dry topic.

The “I Voted” sticker contest is being promoted to students in grades five through 12 in art or in government classes throughout county school districts and home schools. They are being encouraged to create original artwork used with the words “I Voted” to celebrate that American privilege, and a grand winner, plus prizes for first, second and third will be awarded to the top selected entries.

Democratic Election Commissioner Lorie Longhany became a lead organizer of the project after a staff member brought the idea forward in December, she said. Other counties have begun similar contests, and Longhany looks forward to the end results locally after the April 21 deadline.

“We are beginning to set up demonstrations in the schools so that young people will feel comfortable with the process. We also hope to bring in some young people as poll workers. We had several train and help us during and after the pandemic,” Longhany said. “Our bi-partisan staff will be the judges for the contest. We plan on having a staff meeting after all designs have been submitted and spreading all the submissions out on our conference room table.

“As a former art teacher, this is very exciting for me. I had my students participate in the STOP DWI campaign and was a huge fan of the 4th grade Landmark Society contest, as well as the GCASA poster contests,” she said.

The grand prize winner’s design will be made into stickers for voters during the Primary and General elections, including Early Voting, Longhany said. First, second and third place entries will be used in social media content and for other voting-related outreaches, she said.

“We will also send out a press release after the submissions are judged,” she said. "We usually order several thousand stickers each year. Voters look forward to receiving their stickers after they sign in to vote. We want this to be a yearly project and are hoping it will grow in popularity.”

For a list of the rules and more information, go to I VOTED.

If Genesee County legislators approve a law to allow firefighters to opt-in to tax exemptions, it could mean an average yearly savings of $134 for every volunteer firefighter, Deputy Treasurer Kevin Andrews says.

There are a few caveats to the law, however. Firefighters must choose between taking the current tax credit or the new option of a property tax exemption. These may be offered in towns, villages, schools, fire districts and counties, but those taxing entities don’t have to participate.

City of Batavia firefighters and city residents cannot take part in the exemption, even if they’re a volunteer at another fire department, he said. And if someone rents, that’s disqualified as well.

To qualify, volunteer firefighters have to live within the fire district that they serve. They also need at least two to five years of service to participate or can apply for a lifetime exemption with more than 20 years of service. They cannot claim both the tax credit and exemption. The higher the property assessment, the more the savings, Andrews said.

Ideally, one would want to stack a town, school and the county for the maximum 10 percent exemption, he said.

“On average, just the county by itself isn’t enough to receive it,” he said.

He estimated that if every volunteer firefighter took advantage of the exemption, it would mean a two-cent increase on the tax rate, and every taxpayer would pay $3.30 more in yearly taxes.

“The levy would stay the same, but it would get shifted to others,” he said.

That didn’t sit well with Legislator Marianne Clattenburg.

“I'm very concerned about this cost shift because, you know, we have mutual aid. And I'm going to speak for the city constituents. Again, we pay a hefty price for professional fire service, which we want in the city of Batavia. This exemption is gonna get shifted onto an already burdened city resident. So I want to know what this shift is."

With 585 volunteers saving an average of $134, that adds up to $78,000 a year, Andrews said.

"So if we're willing to talk about taking x amount of sales tax money or something along that line to close the hole in the budget to compensate for that, then I would be okay with that. But I don't want it shifted to others," Clattenburg said.

Legislator Christian Yunker asked if this is a real recruiting tool.

“I think it's more every day, we're looking at it as a retention tool. How do you take care of the people that have been here and done the service for so many years, to keep those people engaged because every organization has got such a small group of people that are working there. And there's really nothing to incentivize them for staying, so like this, New York State Fire is talking about incentive programs for new recruits taking training, if you complete your first basic level, you're going to get $1,000. If you go to the next level, it's $1,000. But they're not doing anything for any of the people that are already in the system,” Emergency Management Services Deputy Coordinator Gary Patnode said.

He added, “You know, for a young firefighter that doesn't own their home, this isn't going to benefit them. But for me, being a taxpayer in town, this would certainly be attractive. Right now, they didn't really want to entertain this unless all parties were going to be involved. They wanted to get to school districts, fire districts, villages, you know, town, county, anybody that can go in, so they're getting the best bang for their buck. Otherwise, right now, it's, it's better for everybody to take the $200 tax credit."

He wasn’t sure if schools have even been part of the conversation yet, and pointed to the aspect of involving all volunteers, no matter their job duties. Some go out in the field to combat a blaze, while others maintain headquarters, answer phones, and do the bookkeeping.

“The nonactive is just as important as the active firefighters,” he said.

Clattenburg wants to see more active volunteers, which are those that go out when the bell rings.

“That’s the problem, there are not enough people to go out,” she said.

If the law passes, the earliest it would be adopted is in 2024. Volunteers would then have to apply by March 1.

“There are a lot of questions,” Legislator Gary Maha said. “Thanks for the information, there’s a lot more work to go through.”

Firefighters will have to understand which municipalities and schools are involved before signing up for either the exemption or tax credit, County Manager Matt Landers said.

"Right now, Tim Yaeger is going to be going to GAM and trying to get an understanding between the towns and the villages, getting an understanding from fire districts, and also probably the school districts, to be able to report back to the Legislature: What's the consensus out there? Is there a willingness from our local municipalities and schools to sign up for these exemptions?” Landers said. “Because if the county doesn't have this willingness from our municipalities, then from what I listened to today, it sounds like our legislature would not want to go it alone, it's not worthwhile for our firefighters just to have the county go along on this.”

File Photo of volunteer firefighters during training in 2021, by Howard Owens.

Resiliency is a great attribute for anyone or any place, however, there’s a difference between concept and reality.

New York State and Genesee County officials announced this week a plan to boost the county and its multiple municipalities, including the city’s Centennial Park, with a 454-page resiliency plan. The three-phase strategy for Centennial Park is estimated to cost more than $300,00 once fully completed, plus ongoing maintenance.

“Like with all planning documents, funding is key,” City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. “Otherwise, they sit on a shelf and collect dust.”

The Batavian asked Tabelski about details for the plan, which was unveiled by the state and nonprofit NY Green, and paid for with a $250,000 grant, this week at the base of Centennial Park.

City officials were present but not part of the news conference, though “we did provide information to the consultants about the flood plain and gave permission to Genesee County Planning for the Centennial Park proposed concept, with input from the parkside neighborhood,” Tabelski said.

The proposed concept is a lofty one, aiming to tear out 60 trees, mostly silver maples, and plant 400 new trees and shrubs of more compatible species for a warming environment. Depending on the species, it can take new trees from 15 to 30 years to fully mature.

State Deputy Secretary Kisha Santiago-Martinez said the plan presents a “comprehensive, holistic approach to addressing and preparing for the many challenges we confront in the face of more frequent and severe storm events.”

“By developing and implementing this plan, you are proactively helping to ensure that the county, its municipalities, residents and businesses are better prepared to confront and recover from natural disasters,” she said.

The plan for Centennial, situated in the heart of the city between Ellicott Avenue and State Street, also calls for regrooved pathways and raking autumn leaves up around trees instead of mulching them with a mower. The idea was to reinforce the historic patterns of the park through the use of vegetation, pathways and tree species more akin to this area able to withstand future warming, said David Beatty, an integrally involved Batavia resident who was on the committee to flesh out a park plan.

While Tabelski had no critiques of the plan itself, it comes down to the question, as with most everything: how is it going to be paid for?

Back up to about six years ago, when former City Manager Jason Molino led the formation of a City of Batavia Tree Master Plan in 2017. Consultant Urban Forest Analytics LLC performed the study after several meetings with Public Works, the Bureau of Maintenance, and parks staff. Extensive fieldwork was completed to identify and locate trees as part of the master plan, then-DPW Director Matt Worth said in a memo to Molino.

It was a project of years in the making that included training for proper tree care techniques, risk assessments, maintaining a database, detailed forecasts and strategies, Worth had said.

That plan is followed as funding allows each year for tree removal, planting and pruning throughout the city, including in parks, Tabelski said.

“Trees are an integral part of our city landscape, and fabric of our neighborhoods, not to mention the positive emotional and recreation enhancement trees offer,” she said. “Over the past several years, I have fielded more requests for increased tree planting than any other single request from citizens of the city.”

Highlights of the Tree Master Plan include:

• The number of street trees could increase by 50 percent
• 7 percent of street trees are ash and need to come down (250 trees)
• 15 percent of park trees are in poor condition 
• 8 percent of park trees are ash and need to come down (54 trees)
• 38 percent of Batavia has canopy cover

Even though this week’s debuted plan may have seemed to be a given, it is not a mandate, Tabelski said.

“The Genesee County Resiliency Plan includes towns, villages and the city and is purely a road map that communities can choose to follow to make improvements and access grant funds if they so choose,” she said.

As for who will pay for that road map, “the plan that included Centennial Park could be used to apply to grant funds for tree removal and planting, along with the city’s Tree Management Plan.”

“It is a tool to help make informed decisions,” she said. “It is my understanding that the DEC does, periodically, have these types of grants available.  The other options are fundraising in the community, corporate sponsors, or through the city’s operating funds. 

“This is a planning tool that can help City Council and City Management make future decisions, just like the Tree Management Plan,” she said.  “We consult these plans during grant review and budgeting.”

This year’s pending 2023-24 budget for the City of Batavia includes annual tree removal (20 trees) for $26,000, stump removal for $5,500 and tree purchase and replanting (one for one) for $11,600.

 Projected costs of future maintenance, if the park plan is completed per the resiliency plan, have not yet been reviewed or evaluated, Tabelski said.

Go here for prior Resiliency Plan coverage.

File Photos of spring, top, and summer, at Centennial Park in Batavia, by Howard Owens.