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Raven M. Spikes, 20, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful dissemination of intimate images. Spikes allegedly posted a video of sexual conduct on social media at 5 p.m., March 20. She was issued an appearance ticket.

James R. Tillery, 49, of Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief 4th. Tillery is accused of damaging property at a restaurant on East Main Street, Batavia, at 8:25 p.m., March 28. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Gary Philip Castronova, Jr., 36, of Dewitt Road, Webster, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, unlicensed driver, aggravated unlicensed driver 3rd., and insufficient turn signal. Castronova was stopped at 8:05 p.m., April 8, on East Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Ayrton Blankenberg. He was issued an appearance ticket. Also charged, Heather Nicole Holbrook, 36, of East Main Street, Batavia. She is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and driving with no seat belt. 

Justin Michael Conner, 29, of Franklin Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, speeding, and failure to yield for an emergency vehicle. Conner was stopped at 12:46 a.m., April 9, on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Morgan Ewert. He was released on appearance tickets.

Carrie L. Hensley, 44, of Batavia, is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Hensley allegedly refused to return a vehicle to its owner after borrowing it on April 2. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Jacob L. Hernandez, 27, of Batavia, is charged with obscenity 3rd. Hernandez allegedly sent lewd images of himself to another person at 8:20 a.m., March 31. He was arrested by Batavia PD on the charge after a Sheriff's deputy tried to arrest him on a bench warrant and Hernandez allegedly fled on foot into a wooded area where he was later detained. He then turned himself over to Batavia PD. He was ordered held on bail on the new charge as the charge related to the warrant.

Marie I. Frye, 57, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd and endangering the welfare of a child. Frye is accused of punching another person at 8:03 p.m., March 26, while a child was in the room. Frye was arraigned in City Court and released.

Joseph W. Freeman, 37, of Batavia, is charged with failure to stop at a stop sign and obstructing governmental administration. Freeman allegedly fled from police on his bicycle at 4:44 p.m., April 3, during an attempted traffic stop. He was released on an appearance ticket.

Dean C. Siminski, 32, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Siminski is accused of contacting a person at 3:20 p.m., March 29, he was ordered by a court not to contact. He was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $10,000 bail, $20,000 bond, or $40,000 partially secured bond.

Gina M. Olszewski, 29, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Olszewski was arrested by a Batavia patrol officer following an investigation initiated at 8:28 p.m., March 28, into a possible criminal mischief at a local business. Olszewski was released on traffic tickets.

Nancy L. Lawrence, 69, of Batavia, is charged with soliciting alms on a public street. Lawrence was arrested following a complaint of a person begging for money on Alva Place, Batavia, at 11:30 a.m., March 29. She was issued an appearance ticket.

Matthew W. Kurtz, 52, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Kurtz allegedly had a third-party contact a person he was prohibited from contacting by an order of protection. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Jolene Y. Stevens, 33, of resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration 2nd. Stevens is accused of fighting with police when officers attempted to arrest her ona warrant at 12:03 p.m., March 4. Stevens was arraigned in City Court and released.

Robert J. Ritchey, 58, of Oakfield, is charged with two counts of criminal sex act with a child less than 11 years old 1st, three counts of forcible touching, three counts of sex abuse 1st, and three counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child. Ritchey was charged following an investigation by State Police after a report was made at 1:17 p.m., April 5. He was ordered held in jail. No further information was released.

Lori A. Green, 59, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Green is accused of stealing something in the Town of Batavia at 2:21 p.m., April 9. She was issued an appearance ticket.  No further information was released by State Police.

Jared C. Kostrewa, 28, of North Tonawanda, is charged with felony DWI and felony driving with a BAC of.08 or greater. Kostrewa was stopped by State Police at 2:23 a.m., April 8, in the Town of Darien. She was released on an appearance ticket.

While the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 carries with it less risk of a serious sickness, it still is a dangerous and sometimes deadly disease, and children should be protected from it, said Dr. Steven Schulz, RRH pediatrician and medical director of RRH Pediatrics in Monroe County.

The same appears to hold true, so far, for the B2 variant of omicron.

Rochester Regional Health via Zoom hosted a press conference today for reporters from throughout the region. It was pegged to a recent study published by the American Medical Association that found that the omicron variant is six to eight times more likely to lead to infections for children less than five years old but resulted, percentage-wise, in fewer hospitalizations.

Still, with nearly two percent of infected children dying as a result of an omicron-variant COVID infection, the disease remains far more deadly than the flu.

Schultz said that based on the most recent CDC numbers he's seen, 1,300 children in the U.S. have died from COVID over the past two years.  

"If we divide that in half, that's still way, way worse than any flu season we've had in recent history," Schultz said. "You hate to ever think that your child would be the one who would have the severe complication or the severe outcome, but it does happen and kids have died and do die from COVID."

Because omicron -- and so far B2 -- is more contagious, more children under age five are getting sick but because the variants do not seem to cause as many severe outcomes, area hospitals are not seeing many young children in the hospital. 

"Kids were less likely to need to go to the ER, to be hospitalized, end up in ICU, or on mechanical ventilation in this zero to five group compared to the delta," Schultz said. "That's certainly reassuring but it also doesn't mean that it's risk-free to get omicron, especially in this age group. We definitely know that we saw kids throughout that time ending up in the hospital, even though the odds might have been a little bit less compared to delta, because more kids were getting infected, we definitely still saw lots of kids in the hospitals."

It's not just immune-compromised kids, or children with other health issues, who are getting hospitalized and dying from COVID, Schultz said.  Healthy children are at risk, too.

The good news, Schultz said, is that we have a safe and effective vaccine -- the Phizer vaccine -- available to children over the age of five. 

"We know that vaccination is still the most effective way to keep children safe," Schultz said. "The COVID vaccine is safe. It's effective. It significantly reduces the chances of ending up in the hospital. So anybody who has children five years of age and up, I definitely encourage getting the COVID vaccine right now."

Since children under age five cannot be vaccinated, the best way to protect them, Schultz said, is for everybody in a household over age five to get vaccinated.

"You're protecting the younger child as well," Schultz said. "The other thing that we know, with all of this, of course, is still that masking and social distancing works. And it's not a coincidence that, since the mask mandate has been removed in early March, we're suddenly seeing increasing rates of COVID as well as influenza. There's, there's no question about it."

He noted that the positivity rate for COVID tests in the region has jumped from a recent low of three percent to 10 percent.  That's no coincidence, he said, and tied directly to the lifting of mask mandates.

Schultz has a young son who wears a mask to school every day.  Not only does it provide an extra layer of defense for him, Schultz said, it also helps other children in the school.  There are children in his class who have moderate to severe immunosuppression.  

"I completely agree that it's a greater good for the community as a whole to wear masks," Schultz said.

He disagrees with those who say masks harm children's interpersonal development.

"There have been lots of studies that actually show that it's not the case, that kids are still able to read facial expressions, that kids are still learning those interactions," Schultz said.

The other way to protect children, and others,, Schultz noted, is for parents of symptomatic young ones is to keep them home.

"There's not really any way to tell COVID from any other viral illness, based on symptoms alone," Schultz said. "A runny nose, congestion, cough, fever, even GI symptoms, they can happen with a variety of viral illnesses. Sometimes we can test to name those viruses, whether it's COVID, whether it's flu, but sometimes it's one of the other of hundreds of viruses that are out there. So if there's a suspicion or a question, especially if you have a child going to school, or daycare, or a large family gathering coming up, where there's a higher risk of transmission between people, it's really important to have your child seen and evaluated by a healthcare provider to make sure that it's not COVID In those situations."

Press release:

On April 11th, the Genesee County Health Department Weights and Measures Department received a complaint from a customer that purchased fuel from the TA Travel Center (8420 Alleghany Road) in Corfu, NY on April 6, 2022. After purchasing fuel, the car sustained damaged due to a high level of water in the fuel.  

After further investigation by Weights and Measures, the TA Travel Center received a similar complaint on April 6, 2022 and completed an investigation. They found that there was water in the fuel tank above the New York State limit and the establishment immediately discontinued pulling fuel from the problem tank on April 7, 2022.

Customers are asked to contact the TA Travel Center at 585-599-4577 and to select option 4 if they purchased regular (87 octane) or mid-grade (89 octane) fuel at this station from April 6-7, 2022 and your vehicle required repairs. Proof of purchase and vehicle repair is needed to file the claim.

Just as in a dance recital or musical, executing all the “steps” properly are vital in the process of redeveloping existing space into an attractive public venue.

Patrick Burk, president, executive and artistic director of the Batavia Players, today said he understands the significance of the Main Street 56 Theater project reaching the planning board stage over the next week.

The Genesee County Planning Board will be considering the Downtown Revitalization Initiative site plan on Thursday night, and the City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee is on track to do the same on April 19.

“It's wonderful that we have a lot of people working on the project that, I guess I could say, know what they're doing,” Burk said. “I'm learning as we go and making sure that we keep putting one foot in front of the other, whether it's a big step or a small step. It looks like over the next week or so, we're going to be making some pretty big steps – moving forward to getting more of the construction work done.”

Batavia Players, Inc., was awarded more than $700,000 from New York State’s DRI and another $400,000 from the NY Main Street Grant program to transform space at the City Centre into a contemporary theater to showcase its productions.

“And we raised about $210,000 ourselves, and we're continually working to raise that that dollar amount even higher as we need it for the work that we're doing,” Burk said, noting that the project will cost in the $1.5 million range.

For the past 20 months or so, the troupe has been performing in a temporary space at the City Centre.

“We call it our backstage theater because we have so much space there that we're using right now,” Burk said. “We're performing in that space while the construction is going on.”

The Batavia Players presented Shakespeare in Springtime: Love’s Labour’s Lost in March, and will be presenting The Springtime Music Spectacular: Back on the Boards Again, a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, on April 22-24.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 30

A special craft/vendor show, including a hotdog stand operated by the Batavia Lions Club, is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30.

“That’s when we will have our open house in the temporary theater space and in our dance academy,” Burk said. “We’re also going to be showing the space as it stands right now -- wherever they're at on April 30 -- so that people can see the development of the space. So, yes, we will be going into the construction space as well.”

As far as when the new facility will be ready, Burk said he hopes construction will be done by the Batavia Players’ Christmas show – Meredith Willson’s Miracle on 34^th Street: The Musical – in early December.

For now, he said he’s excited that the project is in the hands of the two planning boards.

“I'm so thrilled that we're going to the county planning board because that's a big step. We have to have approval for that because we sit on a state highway. And our frontage is on a state highway and we're making quote, unquote, significant changes to that frontage,” he said.

Burk said the site plans and architectural drawings are “sitting there at City Hall, all set and ready to go.”

“We’re just waiting for these approvals, and we’re hoping that it moves forward as quickly as possible,” he said. “Once that step is done, it will be gangbusters, since we’ve been assured by our construction manager that it’s going to go pretty solidly and pretty quickly.”

More information about the Batavia Players can be found at www.bataviaplayers.org

Top: Architect's rendering of the facade of Main Street 56 Theater, the new home of the Batavia Players, which is under construction at the City Centre. Bottom: The way it looks now -- unfinished -- next to Genesee Dental along Main Street. Bottom photo by Mike Pettinella.

City Assessor Rhonda Saulsbury says she feels the pain of the many City of Batavia property owners who have been hit with higher assessments for several years in a row.

However, she’s not in a position to change what is happening due to New York State’s requirement that assessments are reviewed on a yearly basis and her office’s goal of achieving a 100 percent sale price-to-assessment ratio.

Saulsbury (photo at right) was at City Council’s Business Meeting tonight seeking to explain the inner workings of the assessment process in light of the numerous complaints she – and Council members – have received from city residents about the preliminary assessment notices that were mailed out last week.

Following up a comment by Council member Paul Viele, who called the state’s real property tax law “a disgrace,” Saulsbury acknowledged that the timing for yet another increase is not good.

“People are suffering; people are struggling with the pandemic, their finances, maybe their job, their children being home for so long – there’s so many things feeding into it, and I'm the one person that they can get a hold of and talk to,” she said.

“I do my best to explain it. We have New York State real property tax law for a reason. And unfortunately, New York State, as everybody in this room knows, is a heavy homeowner tax burden state. So, we have to follow those guidelines … It's kind of a vicious cycle for sure.”

In her 12^th year as the city assessor, Saulsbury (who also handles the same duties for the Town of Batavia) said assessments change for only two reasons – equalization, meaning sale price-to-assessment ratios are growing apart, and for physical reasons, meaning something’s changed with the property, taken away or added.

“The culmination of a yearlong project is, of course, an assessment update,” she said. “And this year, we're in the thankless position to be in our fourth year in a row with really high increases across the board throughout the county, including the city.”

Saulsbury said the city started out at plus 4 – “meaning that our ratios were off 4 percent and above, four years ago,” she said – and it increased to plus 6 and eventually to plus 11.

“Just to kind of put that in perspective, in years’ past, the city was either zero or plus one,” she said. “The city's growth has grown exponentially over the last four years, which in itself is a good thing, but in my position, not a good thing.”

She said if property owners whose assessments have gone up decide to seek an informal review or appear at Grievance Day (May 26), she will explain, with current data, how she came to the assessment figure.

“For anyone who got an assessment increase, we can show you the five sales that we actually use for your home or your business,” she said. “It's not throwing darts at a dartboard as some people may think. It's actually quite a science and it's all based on our assessment-to-sale price ratio throughout the year.

“So, when you have 300 or 400 residential sales, in particular, and the sale price is 40, 50, 60, 80,000 dollars above the assessment, we then have to do an assessment project.”

Council member Robert Bialkowski asked that if sale prices dropped by 8 percent, for example, would that trigger another reassessment.

“It’s the same state guideline; we have to hit the same thing,” Saulsbury replied. “We have to maintain assessments at market value. We're at 100 percent market value, so if the sales actually were to dip – and most people don’t believe me – we would have to adjust to those, also. In our case, it has been up and we want it to be up or to be flat. I've never experienced anything where we had to reduce.”

Saulsbury said the state rewards the city periodically for achieving assessments based on 100 percent of market value, and expects to receive around $18,000 this year to help offset costs of conducting assessment projects.

Council member John Canale, who says he follows the real estate market on a daily basis, remarked that he’s not convinced that homes went up so much in value in one year.

“… people are calling me this year and saying, ‘I thought last year, you were up to 100 percent market value. I’m an intelligent man, you can't tell me that the housing market is going up that much more since 2021.’”

Still, he said he knows that Saulsbury isn’t the one to blame.

“You’re walking around with a target on your back right now. And I wouldn't want to be you. Unfortunately, a lot of people think you're the one that's making these decisions,” he said. “It’s very important that the public realize that no, you're basically the messenger. You’re hired to do a job and you're conducting the way you do your job by state requirements.”

Bialkowski said it comes down to “people don't trust the government anymore.”

“I have a friend, and on Saturday I met with him and he spent about 10 minutes just screaming at me,” he said. “He said, I’ll bet you $100 right now that you people don't reduce your budget enough that my taxes stay the same.’ And I said, ‘Well, there's three entities in here (Genesee County and the Batavia City School District being the others), you know, and I said we set our budget -- we're very conservative in the city and all that.’

“But I suppose there's other entities I'm not going to speak for, but they just lost trust in their government. And they've seen it and heard it before, and yet their individual tax bills keep increasing.

“And their homes. They need to do more work on them. And they need furnaces and new windows and all that. And they're starting to say, the guy the other day, it's starting to look really good (about leaving the state). He's going to move down south. He’s just fed up with the whole state and I can’t blame him.”

Previously: With property values rising, City prepares for annual assessments.

(This article provides information on how residents can challenge their assessments).

Updated: April 12, 10 a.m., with names of previous historians:

City of Batavia Historian Larry Barnes is going beyond the written word to illustrate the significance of the Brisbane family and the mansion at 10 West Main St. that has served as the community’s City Hall and, currently, as its police station.

Speaking at tonight’s City Council Business Meeting at the City Centre Council Board Room, Barnes (photo at right) said he realizes that Council members will want to hear from residents about the future of the Brisbane Mansion, which was completed in April 1855 at a cost of $25,000 (equivalent to $750,000 in purchasing power today).

“I know you will want them to be fully informed as you seek their input in the decision-making process,” Barnes said. “To help inform the public, I am working with the Landmark Society to present a play on the Brisbanes and their mansion. This play will be presented on three occasions in June and I encourage everyone to go see it.”

He said the Derek Maxfield, as associate professor of History at Genesee Community College and noted playwright, wrote the script. The cost of production is being underwritten by a grant through the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

Dates, times and locations of the play will be announced, he said.

Barnes said the Brisbane Mansion is a building that deserves preservation.

“The mansion … was erected as the home of George and Sarah Brisbane. This structure is historically signficant both in terms of the building, itself, and in terms of the Brisbanes who occupied it,” he said. “When the police department moves to its new facilities (on the Alva Place parking lot), you will be responsible for deciding the future of the mansion. Will it be saved and, if so, what function will it serve?”

Last year, Barnes updated his brief history of the building – a six-page document that provides details of the mansion as published in The Daily News in 1917-18, its use as City Hall and of the key members of the Brisbane family.

Following Barnes’ five-minute address, Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. reiterated the board’s support of “repurposing” the building due to its historical value.

Barnes said he “totally agrees” with that stance, but reminded Council that “we’ve lost some pretty incredible buildings” over the years.

In a related development, Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to compensate Barnes with a $5,000 annual stipend.

Over the past 13 years, he has done the job on a volunteer basis, just as the previous historians for the city have done since 1919. The one exception occurred in 1962 when the city historian received a $100 stipend, payable in two equal, semiannual installments.

A list of previous City of Batavia historians, as provided by Barnes:

-- William C. Coon, 1919-1953;
-- Georgia Northrup Foote, 1954-1967;
-- Mary McCulley (later Mary McCulley Henry), 1969-1970;
-- Ruth M. McEvoy, 1971-1985;
-- Mary McCulley Henry, 1986-1995;
-- Corinne Johnson Iwanicki, 1995-2007.

Ellen C. Ruffino served as an assistant historian from 1966-1968.

Other resolutions passed tonight:

• Extending a contract for a School Resource Officer with the Batavia City School District for two more years, through June 30, 2024. Officer Miah Stevens currently has that position, which is paid for by the school district.

• Creating a temporary full-time detective position in anticipation of the retirement of a detective this summer. The temporary post carries an increase in pay of $15,000 to cover the promotion.

• Extending a contract with Client First Technology Consulting for six months at a cost not to exceed $44,600 for continued assistance with the city’s Enterprise Resource Planning system. The ERP integrates functions to ensure best practices, automated workflow and project management efficiency.

Photo of Larry Barnes by Mike Pettinella.

If Yong Guang Ye gets his wish, the California businessman will more than double his investment at 40 Batavia City Centre.

Better known as the former JC Penney store in downtown Batavia, the property was purchased by Ye in February 2021. The price tag was $500,000. He has asked his realtor, Jonathan Maurer of Pyramid Brokerage Co. in Fairport, to list the site for sale at a cool $1.3 million.

Maurer has spoken with Genesee County Chamber of Commerce President Eric Fix and Business Improvement District Executive Director Shannon Maute about prospects for the site.

“I’m trying to understand what the community would want,” Maurer said Monday to The Batavian. “A hotel would be amazing … we’re pursuing a hotel; we don’t have any strong leads yet, it’s too soon to tell. The priority is to find the best use for the space.”

The selling price is not out of range given the open floor space, “which I think is a value, given the size of the building,” he said, plus a roof repair in progress.

The buyer is a commercial real estate developer, and does not own any other property in New York State, Maurer said.

Based on his talks with the county and downtown representatives, the first goal would be to renovate it for an event space, with the second goal being a downtown hotel. It has been “difficult to find the right user” so far, he said, due to the site’s limited visibility and entrance/exit set-up.

BID Executive Director Shannon Maute said she could easily see a boutiquey micro-hotel situated within the 38,584 square-foot building. This area is lacking a venue for conferences and special events, she said, and the property is zoned for all of that, including building on two additional floors.

It has often been said that Batavia is a perfect location for being in between Buffalo and Rochester, and Maute would like to capitalize on that. "If you had family in Buffalo and Rochester, Batavia would be the perfect place to have a wedding or an event," she said.

“There definitely is a need for that,” she said Monday. “We’re still open to any ideas, but the goal is for (Maurer) to have an idea of what the need is. We try to work closely together, and Eric agreed on what should and should not go in there. The city would have to weigh in on an idea.”

She would not elaborate on what they felt should not go into the site.

Fix was not available for comment. 

Previously: Vacant Penney building purchased by West Coast businessman

Photo by Howard Owens

New York State lawmakers are close to an agreement to suspend a portion of gasoline taxes for the last seven months of this year, but similar action by most county governments doesn’t seem to be in the works.

“I know the state is looking at doing it, and they're doing it, but I don't anticipate too many county governments doing this,” County Manager Matt Landers said today. “I don’t know where Erie and Monroe (counties) stand on this.”

News out of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office signals that the state will drop the price of a gallon of gas by about 4 percent -- approximately 16 cents per gallon of gas -- from June 1 through Dec. 31. On a 15-gallon fill-up, the savings to the consumer would be $2.40.

Landers said a recent informal poll of county administrators revealed that most were not looking at suspending their 4 percent (or so) sales tax from the price of gasoline.

“I don’t remember, specifically, which counties responded but all the ones that did said that was not something currently on their radar,” he said, while adding that a "discussion" about this subject with Genesee County legislators is likely to occur.

Sales tax accounts for a significant portion of county budgets. In Genesee’s case, sales tax proceeds are being earmarked for large capital projects, such as the construction of a new county jail.

The state tax break will reduce its revenue by about $600 million this year, but Hochul said that money received for pandemic relief and higher than anticipated tax revenue would enable it to handle the loss.

Reports indicate the state would suspend the 8-cent per gallon motor fuel tax and the 8-cent per gallon sales tax on gasoline.

State Assemblyman Stephen Hawley today said Republicans supported legislation to remove 33 cents from the cost of a gallon of gas, as well as state sales tax breaks on home cleaning supplies, clothing and food.

“With a $220.4 billion budget, we’ve got plenty of cash in a rainy day fund,” he said. “Some of what we proposed didn’t fall on deaf ears, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not enough. We’ve got all kinds of surpluses, apparently, according to the governor.”

Hawley said he’s always been in favor of “giving that back to people so they can spend it in their communities, as opposed to sending it to the state where they can fritter it away.”

He added that the federal government is “going to be doing something as well – so, stay tuned on that.”

When asked if county governments should follow suit, he said they were given the opportunity, but understands municipalities’ reliance on sales tax to balance their budgets.

“That’s a large source of their revenue, so that’s not surprising at all,” he said.



As the former JC Penney’s site, tucked on the northeast side of Batavia City Centre, has rested from its 44-year existence, a West Coast businessman purchased the building in February 2021. 

JC Penney closed its doors locally in the fall of 2020, in an onslaught of closings due to corporate bankruptcy proceedings. Batavia’s site then sat quietly as local shoppers mourned the loss of another department store. 

Meanwhile, Yong Guang Ye of San Jose, Calif., purchased the 38,524 square-foot site. According to Genesee County assessment records, Ye bought the building for $500,000 on Feb. 2, 2021. The property has been assessed at $400,000. 

Ye was contacted Sunday for comment by The Batavian. A representative of Ye’s from California returned the call inquiring if The Batavian was interested in purchasing the property, and it was explained that the call was for comment about the purchase. Ye has a local realtor whose name was to be provided to The Batavian but was not provided by the time of publication. 
 
JC Penney was built in 1978 along Alva Place and remained a strong anchor for the former Genesee Country Mall-turned-Batavia City Centre until its doors were permanently closed in late 2020.

Top photo: File photo of JC Penney during its going-out-of-business sale in late 2020. Photo by Howard Owens.

Imagine a place where Genesee County families could find a clearinghouse of details about summer activities for students. It would be a one-stop-shop for locating camps, dance classes, and various other activities with the dates, times, target age group, and registration information. 

Imagine no more, Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers says. Partnership Task Force — a collective offshoot of the Community Schools program — worked last summer to develop a list of priorities for the Community Schools Advisory Board. A key goal was to answer what would help to break down barriers for children and families, Rogers says.

“So as part of that work, it came out that we really needed a calendar for that, for families to see what was out there so that they could become engaged and see the opportunities that were in the community,” she said during an interview Friday with The Batavian.

The initiative began by reaching out to “anyone we could think of,” Rogers said, and casting a wide net to catch as many local camps as possible. Families were always having to go to all of the different sites — GLOW YMCA, Business Education Alliance, the City of Batavia as a few examples — and without a solid direction for where to go, they may have missed a registration deadline for a summer camp, she said. 

“So that was one of the things from the advisory board that they said would really help,” she said. “There's no one main housing place for all of the camps to be listed for parents to have easy access to. So the partnership task force looked at it and we started building it and reached out to anyone we could think of that had summer camps. There’s never been one of these in my lifetime.“

The calendar has all of the pertinent information and a link to access the organization directly for registration and class details. This is to reduce the steps parents have had to take in the past, she said and will have a larger, more inclusive offering of the myriad activities happening in the county.

Once families began responding to the summer calendar idea, the task force expanded that to include year-round activities, such as GO ART’s creative camp for April break, which for city students begins Monday. 

“So we've expanded it even before we could publicize it that it's going to be for all days of the year,” Rogers said.

Not only will this clearinghouse help families with their future planning, but it can also assist organizations with scheduling events by being able to have a big picture of what’s going on throughout the year, she said. So if July seems particularly flush with camps, an agency may opt to schedule something for August or another time of the year when there isn’t as much going on. 

She urges parents not to print out the calendar, as it’s a fluid document that is constantly changing with updates of added events. The task force will eventually conduct a needs assessment to find out if all of the bases are covered, or if there’s still something that students and families would like, she said. 

“We want to know what can we do to help kids be successful,” she said. “And we’re working with the health department for its community needs assessment.”

Community Schools is already planning an upcoming event to help meet the financial, physical, social, mental, and emotional needs of city school district families. A wellness fair has been scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30 at the Robert Morris building at Union Street and Richmond Avenue. More information will be provided as details are confirmed, Rogers said.

For more information about the calendar, go to: https://www.bataviacsd.org/page/community-schools-home-page

For questions or additions to the calendar, email Rogers at: jrogers@bataviacsd.org

Photo: Partnership Task Force members Kelly March of Richmond Memorial Library, Julia Rogers of Community Schools, and Jaylene Smith-Kilner of Habitat for Humanity get ready for summer with a newly launched online activities calendar. Other members not pictured are Bill Schutt of Genesee-Orleans Youth Bureau, Shellye Dale-Hall of GCASA and Charitie Bruning of YMCA. Photo submitted by Batavia City School District.
 

Genesee County is turning to a familiar face, so to speak, to help in its quest to attract outside funding for Phase 3 of the Countywide Water Program.

At its meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Old Courthouse, the county legislature will consider a resolution to contract with Sheridan Hohman & Associates of Albany to provide strategic counsel and governmental relation assistance at the state level for the remainder of the year at a cost of $2,000 per month.

County Manager Matt Landers said the expenses, totaling $18,000, will be covered by the Water Fund.

“We believe the assistance of a lobbyist that will focus on relationships with the state (agencies and leaders) will be helpful,” Landers said. “This firm has worked with us in the past through NYSAC (New York State Association of Counties).”

Landers and County Engineer Tim Hens, at a Feb. 23 meeting with Congressman Chris Jacobs, reported that it will cost around $85 million for Phase 3, which would bring another six million gallons of water per day into the county and eliminate the need for the aging City of Batavia water plant.

The county already has spent $20 million for Phase 1 and $23 million for Phase 2. The price tag of a fourth phase, down the road, is estimated at $50 to $60 million.

At that time, Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein asked Jacobs and his staff to explore federal funding options, noting, “We’re at a point now where we can’t manage it on our own.”

In a related development, the legislature also will consider rescinding an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Alexander regarding improvements of that community’s Water District No. 6.

Apparently, Hens and County Compliance Officer Pamela LaGrou agree that changes need to be made in the pact that calls upon the county to use part of the American Rescue Plan Act funding it has received in order to comply with ARPA regulations.

Hens said a new resolution will be drafted and presented to the Public Service Committee on April 18. The county will save $3.3 million in interest on this Phase 3 project by utilizing ARPA money.

The project focuses on increasing storage capacity, with construction starting next spring, Hens added.

Other resolutions of note on Wednesday’s legislative agenda:

• Per an unfunded mandate from New York State Board of Elections, the purchase of a $40,000 ballot scanner to tabulate scannable absentee ballots and merge those results with early voting and election day results, as well as spending $2,500 for staff training. Deputy Republican Commissioner Melissa Gaebler said the equipment has to be operational by the June primary.

• A request from the Rotary Club of Batavia to conduct its Fly-In Breakfast at June 19 at the Genesee County Airport on Saile Drive. The service organization would be using the facility from June 17-21 for preparation and clean-up.

• A public hearing for 5:30 p.m. April 27 at the Old Courthouse on the county’s submission of a Community Development Block Grant application from the state Office of Community Renewal to assist La Fermiere Inc. in the development of a yogurt and dessert production facility at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park on East Main Street Road.

Press release:

“Medicated-Assisted-Treatment in Our Communities” is the topic of the GOW Opioid Task Force quarterly meeting scheduled for 10-11 a.m. April 21 at The Recovery Station, 5256 Clinton St. Rd., Batavia.

The hybrid-style meeting – both in person and via Zoom videoconferencing – is open to the public at no charge.

“We are excited to offer this hybrid option and, more importantly, to provide information on M-A-T to the community,” said Christen Ferraro, GOW Opioid Task Force coordinator.

Discussion will center around what M-A-T is, how it is used in substance use disorder treatment and recovery and its effectiveness, as well as sharing their experiences working with M-A-T services in various settings.

Speakers are:

• Ann Bowback, clinical director at Spectrum Health & Human Services in Warsaw. She is the project director of the Medicated-Assisted-Treatment program in collaboration with Evergreen Health.

• Melissa Weingarten, Wyoming County Jail nurse. In November 2021, she joined the Wyoming County Health Department in a full-time capacity as the nurse for jail medical services, administering medication to the inmates.

• Kathy Hodgins, chief clinical officer at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. She oversees the M-A-T services and Opioid Treatment Program clinic in Genesee and Orleans counties.

For more details and how to register, visit www.gowopioidtaskforce.com or contact Ferraro at cferraro@gcasa.org.

Business owners on the receiving end of the Genesee CARES Business Recovery Fund grant program say they are thankful and appreciative of the opportunity to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.

The Batavian reached out today to several of the 22 for-profit businesses that will share $875,000 from the initial round of the program, which is supported by a New York State Community Development Block Grant and facilitated by the Genesee County Economic Development Center and The Harrison Studio.

The complete list of recipients was published first by The Batavian yesterday. Another round of funding is possible, according to GCEDC Marketing Director Jim Krencik.

Two business owners and a manager of a third company responded to requests for comments about the program, and what has been and what is to come at their locations.

MARIAN PAUTLER
THE SPA AT ARTEMIS
206 EAST MAIN ST., BATAVIA

The $65,000 grant awarded to The Spa at Artemis will enable the full service spa to keep growing, Pautler said.

“I have quite a big vision for what I want this business to turn into and this is going to help propel us in that direction,” she said.

When she purchased the spa in June 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had just taken hold and many businesses were forced to close or drastically reduce hours and services.

“They (the previous owners) were considering closing and at the time, I was pregnant and was nervous about finding a new job,” said Pautler, a licensed massage therapist. “I kind of figured if there was ever a time to take a leap like this, that was it.”

Pautler said 2020 was a rough year, mentioning that exposure to the virus forced a two-week shutdown and left her as the only employee available to work (since she was away from the office to give birth).

“After that, we had a partial ceiling collapse, which has been fixed. So, 2020 was really just kind of wild,” she offered. “Since then, we have done a lot of cosmetic updates. And with this grant, we're hoping to replace some existing equipment and really just kind of like elevate the culture of the spa. And we plan to bring on some new staff members.”

Pautler said she doesn’t foresee any problems filling new positions due to “an unmet demand for services.”

SANDY CHAPPIUS
CHAP’S ELBA DINER
5 SOUTH MAIN ST., ELBA

With 18 to 20 employees and even more in the summer, Chappius said she will follow the guidelines of the grant – she received $50,000 – by hiring more people with the goal of expanding the diner’s healthy meals program in conjunction with www.macyparadisefit/meals.

“We have been working with a nutritionist to provide healthy meals, and after starting with 20 or 30 a week, right now we’re up to 300 to 350 a week,” she said. “It’s home-cooked good food that we normally do here, we just portion it and make sure all the micros are correct.”

Chappius said that was one of the criteria she used on her application for the grant – that she would be adding employees to grow the healthy meals venture.

She said she has benefitted both financially and physically, mentioning that she has lost 83 pounds on the nutritional program since November.

Furthermore, Chappius said some of the grant will be used for advertising to increase sales and get the word out to her “loyal customers.”

“We’re very lucky here at the diner because we have a lot of loyal customers that got us through COVID,” she said. “The month that we were closed, we sold hundreds of chicken (barbecue) dinners through the window … and we were so blessed.”

“We’re just so blessed here in this small town. I’m just so glad to have landed here because the customers have been terrific in how they have supported us.”

Chappius also had kind words for Michael Zimmerman of The Harrison Studio, coordinator of the grant program,

“Mr. Zimmerman was just wonderful to work with after I applied, and the application was very clear to read,” she said. “And when I had some questions, I emailed him and he immediately -- the same day -- turned my questions into answers.”

CHRISTINA FETZER
OPERATIONS MANAGER
ALLEGHANY FARM SERVICES, ALABAMA

Finding the best employees is key for Alleghany Services, a leader in the farm drainage industry for more than 30 years.

“For us, training is a huge investment, especially because the drainage work that we do is such a specialty,” Fetzer said. “With the ($60,000) grant, we’re going to use it for new hires.”

She explained that some of the pieces of equipment used by the company can take six months for a new employee to learn how to operate it.

“So, we're going to use all the funds to invest in new operators and get some fresh talent as we grow our number of drainage crews,” Fetzer said. “Hopefully, the grant will come right around the same time when the high schools are letting out. And we've had great luck in the past getting fresh, young talent right out of high school.

“Some of our best hires, we've actually hired right out of high school and they’re going on year five or six now. They started green and they’ve worked their way up in the company since.”

Fetzer said Alleghany’s customers will benefit from the grant as well.

“We’re very excited. Our customers have already seen an increase through COVID. With the price of pipe gong up over 40 percent since the beginning, this will allow us to hire more employees and with that we can keep the costs down for farmers.”

As part of the grassroots effort that opposed the 280-megawatt Excelsior Solar Project in the Town of Byron, Caswell Road resident Gayla Starowitz understandably is disappointed over Wednesday’s approval of the $345 million venture by the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment.

“I’m very disappointed, but I think we knew the answer because money talks,” Starowitz said this morning. “We tried our hardest. I felt that the judges’ statements were pretty much what Excelsior (Energy Center LLC) said at the last meeting and (as a result) we didn't have a chance to beat this money and beat this politics.”

Starowitz was a member of the Byron Association Against Solar organization that presented its arguments to the Siting Board over the past 2 ½ years, contending that the 1,700-acre project would negatively affect future farming and the rural character of the community, and that it was inconsistent with town and Genesee County comprehensive plans.

The Siting Board, at a hearing yesterday in Albany, voted 5-1 in favor of the project.

“I’m going to be looking at solar panels on all three sides of my house, for as far as I can see – and I’m not the only one in town in this situation,” Starowitz said. “Several acres across from my house; that’s all we’ll see, and there’s going to be a battery storage to the south of me.”

She said BAAS was in it to protect the farm land, but she also acknowledged that landowners have the right to lease their property to the solar developer.

“We don’t own the land,” she said. “So, right from the beginning, we understood that and we're not against solar, we're against massive placement in people’s front yards. It could have been put on poorer land and it could have been put way in the back where the houses aren’t going to be affected.”

Starowitz said she was proud of the grassroots effort.

“We gave it our best. The outcome wasn't what we had hoped for, but I'm proud that we took on this fight, well, that's not the right word. We took it on to be vocal and spoke up, but with all the politics, we just couldn’t stop this.”

The Batavian also reached out this morning to Ivison Road resident Jim Lamkin, who served as spokesperson for BAAS.

Byron Town Supervisor Peter Yasses called yesterday’s ruling “just a step in the process,” adding that he expects construction to start later this year.

When asked about the financial benefits to the town (as well as the Byron-Bergen Central School District and Genesee County), Yasses said the host agreement and payment in lieu of taxes settlement will start when construction starts.

The town is in line to receive $24 million over 20 years, beginning with an initial annual payment of $1.066 million and escalating by 2 percent each year.

According to figures provided by the Genesee County Economic Development Center, the solar farm will receive approximately $32.7 million in property and sales tax incentives. It will provide enhanced property tax payments via the 20-year PILOT by contributing $6,500 per megawatt/AC annually plus the 2 percent escalator.

Resulting property tax-type benefits of the project in the Town of Byron, Byron-Bergen Central Schools and Genesee County are estimated at more than $45.2 million.

Concerning the attempt by BAAS to stop, delay or modify the project, Yasses said, “They did the best they could, and I respect their thoughts and their efforts.”

Twenty-two small businesses in Genesee County will be splitting a pool of $875,000 through the first round of the Genesee CARES Business Recovery Fund initiative set up to help for-profit ventures with 25 or fewer employees recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Batavian obtained the list of businesses today in advance of a press release scheduled to go out on Thursday from the Genesee County Economic Development Center. The GCEDC, in conjunction with Michael Zimmerman of The Harrison Studio, is facilitating the program that is bolstered by a Community Development Block Grant of up to $1 million.

“The project applications were considered on a first-come, first-served, so we had a tremendous response in the business community,” said Jim Krencik, GCEDC marketing director. “There was definitely a need -- based on the negative impacts we had from COVID in 2020.

“It was encouraging to see that many businesses did pick up in 2021. But as we look towards 2022 and hopefully a strong overall recovery this summer, helping these business accelerate their plans is a very rewarding experience. Most critically, it’s about the impact it will have on these businesses.”

Awards range from $10,000 to $75,000, and are predicated upon adding full-time equivalent jobs and/or meeting established income guidelines, Krencik said.

“Basically, if you're able to have one FTE (full-time equivalent job), you are eligible for up to $25,000; two, you are eligible for up to $50,000 and three, you are eligible for up to $75,000,” Krencik explained. “But there were also cases where a company had under five employees, and the owners of the company could get up to $25,000 without directly having to add a job because they were supporting a workforce and meeting income guidelines.”

The initial grantees and their awards are as follows:

• First Wave Technology, Batavia, $25,000;
• Sweet Betty’s, Le Roy, $20,000.
• Pro Construction, Bergen, $25,000;
• Red Roof Inn, Batavia, $25,000;
• Terry Hills Restaurant, Batavia, $75,000;
• LaQuinta, Batavia, $25,000;
• Hodgins Engraving, Batavia, $60,000;
• Rivers Performance, Batavia, $10,000;
• Chap’s Elba Diner, Elba, $50,000;
• Craft Cannery, Bergen, $60,000;
• Sikes Enterprises, Batavia, $25,000;
• Caryville Inn, Oakfield, $25,000;
• Center Street Smokehouse, Batavia, $25,000;
• Smokin’ Eagle BBQ, Le Roy, $50,000;
• John’s Service, Batavia, $25,000;
• Alleghany Services, Alabama, $60,000;
• Eden Café, Batavia, $25,000;
• Copperhead Creek Bar, Batavia, $75,000;
• Byron Hotel & Trailhouse, Byron, $50,000;
• Empire Hemp, Batavia, $15,000;
• Fava Brothers Lawn Care, Byron, $60,000;
• The Spa at Artemis, Batavia, $65,000.

Contacted tonight, Genesee County Manager Matt Landers said he is pleased that his office and the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce were able to work with the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corp. (an arm of the GCEDC) to provide capital to these businesses.

“This is a great example of local officials working together to develop a program that delivers resources to local businesses,” Landers said. “Working collaboratively, we were able to identify outside funding, develop a program that qualifies for said funding and implement a program that delivers resources while complying with the various funding rules and regulations.”

Krencik said seven other projects were deemed eligible but came in too late for this round. He said those seven businesses are at the top of the list “for any additional or unexpended funds that would be coming, either from projects that aren’t expending the entirety of their grant or if we are successful in getting additional funding for this program.

“However, we are aware that it'll be very competitive as many communities are pursuing second rounds of funding as well.”

Previously: Genesee CARES officials report that 12 businesses have applied for pandemic-related relief thus far

Leslie Harold Michael, Jr., 52, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with unlawful imprisonment 2nd and harassment 2nd. Michael is accused of being involved in a dispute with another person at 2 p.m., March 30, at a location on West Main Street, Le Roy, and preventing the person from leaving the scene and holding the person to the ground.  He was released on an appearance ticket.

Kasondra Lynn Hubbard, 36, of Myrtle Street, Le Roy, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Hubbard was charged following a disturbance reported at 8:11 p.m., March 24, at a residence on Myrtle Street, Le Roy. She was ordered to appear in Town of Le Roy Court on April 21 to answer to the charge.

Earl Benson, 33, no address provided, of Byron, is charged with felony DWI, unlicensed driver, no distinctive plate, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, and aggravated unlicensed operation 1st. Benson was stopped at 9:33 p.m., March 25, on Bank Street, Le Roy, by Officer John Ceneviva. He was released on traffic tickets.

John Andrew Sprague, 43, address redacted by Sheriff's Office, Oakfield, is charged with sex offender failure to register. Deputy Alexander Hadsall investigated following a complaint that Sprague failed to register email accounts with the Sex Offender Registry. Sprague was arraigned in Town of Oakfield Court and ordered held in jail. The Probation Department assisted in the investigation.

 

The director of the Genesee County Business/Education Alliance compares the ramping up of economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic to getting back to one’s workout routine after a long layoff.

“In a post-COVID world, it’s like turning on the treadmill and trying to jump on at full speed,” Karyn Winters said on Monday as she updated the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee on BEA activities before receiving word that the committee is approving more than $9,000 in funding for the agency in 2022.

Although the coronavirus barriers are gone, “challenges are still there,” Winters said, speaking of the BEA’s quest to attract local businesses to support its mission of connecting employers with students proficient in the skilled trades.

A program of Genesee Valley BOCES, the BEA is housed at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce office. It coordinates numerous programs and events focused on workforce development opportunities, including career days, job fairs, Junior Achievement, career exploration field trips and summer career exploration camps.

Winters pointed out that annual membership dues are based on the number of employees at a company and she is finding that it is difficult for many of those businesses “to continue as they normally do.”

As a result, she said the BEA “is leaning on our larger employers” – businesses that have sustained strong financial positions – through its Genesee County Premier Workforce Membership.

She reported that the BEA has partnered with the Genesee County Economic Development Center and GLOW with Your Hands to continue the premier option where members pay $2,500 to $5,000 annually to invest in the future workforce and grow their pool of applicants.

In 2022, new premier members include Batavia Downs Gaming, Bonduelle USA, GCEDC, Liberty Pumps and Oxbo International. Each premier member receives sponsorship status and access to camps and recruitment events.

Winters said the BEA intends to resume the summer career exploration camps that provide middle school students a chance to look at five different industries, such as culinary arts, skilled trades, animal sciences, engineering/technology and medicine.

Through financial support from the legislature and BEA members, she said she expects to hold the cost per student to $95 for the weeklong camp, but acknowledged that costs are going up and finding more funding is an issue.

Toward that end, the Human Services Committee voted in favor of (subject to full legislature approval) a one-time $6,000 payment for summer camp activities along with its yearly appropriation of $3,107.

Winters thanked the committee for the additional money, noting that it will enable her to hire someone to help with the summer programming.

Coming events on the BEA calendar include:

• Graduating Seniors Job Fair, May 10, 9-11 a.m., noon-2 p.m., Genesee Valley BOCES, State Street Road, Batavia. Premier Workforce Membership employers will be represented at the job fair.

• Annual BEA Breakfast, May 6, 7:15 a.m., Terry Hills Restaurant, Clinton Street Road, Batavia. Focus is on Batavia High School’s Introduction to Education class that trained high school students to deliver Junior Achievement's financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs to Jackson Primary School students.

• Fourth Annual GLOW with Your Hands career exploration day, Sept. 27, details to be announced. A GLOW with Your Hands Healthcare event is being planned for the spring of 2023.

For more information about the BEA, contact Winters at 585-343-7440 or kwinters@geneseeny.com.

By contracting with GLOW OUT, an organization dedicated to providing services for those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (questioning), Genesee County is opening the door to “a friendly place” for youth -- free from bullying and discrimination.

That’s the view of Lynda Battaglia, director of Mental Health & Community Services, and William Schutt, Youth Bureau director, who presented a resolution this afternoon to the County Legislature’s Human Services Committee seeking $4,000 in start-up funding.

Schutt informed the committee that the idea for a support group in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming county) region – similar to the established GLYS, WNY, Inc. in Buffalo – started after he learned about a student who was being bullied at school “for a perception of being LGBTQ.”

“That student was told that he could go to the (school’s) GSA (Gay Straight Alliance group), but he said, ‘Then I would out myself for sure in a place where I don’t really feel comfortable in.’”

That set the wheels in motion for Schutt to contact GLOW OUT President Gregory Hallock, who also is executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council in Batavia. GLOW OUT rents space from GO Art!

Following a presentation by Hallock and board members’ training with GLYS personnel, Schutt said everyone had a better idea of how the organization could make a positive difference in the lives of youth (ages 12-21) in that specific population.

“It’s giving somebody a friendly place to go for a couple hours, a couple times of month, for them to be themselves,” Schutt said.

Battaglia said she, as director of community services, has the responsibility “to identify gaps or holes and services in the community for all populations that fall under health services – mental health, substance abuse and developmental disabilities.”

“It is a service that’s needed,” she said. “To put it in … context, if you think of what social determinants of health are -- so you are in the center and you can think about these positive determinants that you need in order to live a healthy and whole life.

“So, like education, at school, maybe community supports, family supports, access to medical care, access to mental health care -- all of these things that encompass you, as a person, and what LGBT youth are faced with is a very difficult and challenging ability to acquire these positive social determinants of health.”

Battaglia said LGBTQ youth face a significant amount of stigma and shame, and are at a high risk of bullying in school and in their families.

“They're at high risk for substance abuse. They're at high risk of becoming a runaway, becoming homeless, which leads to a whole host of other negative aspects, including medical and mental health,” she added. “And when we think about suicide, in general, for individuals ages 10 to 24, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for youth that identify as LGBTQ. They contemplate suicide three to four times more so than their peers.”

GLOW OUT will offer mentors, allies and a safe space to talk about life issues, she said, noting that the $4,000 already had been budgeted for special projects.

Referrals from school personnel and families are high right now, Battaglia said, making it doubly important to establish a support group outside of the school setting.

She said if a student is being bullied at his or her school because he or she identifies as LGBTQ, the likelihood of that person wanting to get additional supports within that school is minimal.

“They face further shame, stigmatization and bullying, so they’re not going to the GSAs,” she said. “And when a student gets to our mental health agency, and if this is an area that they need assistance with, we don't have anywhere to refer them to. So, this is a vital service that’s essentially non-existent right now in the county.”

Battaglia said she will be contacting her counterparts in the other three counties to see if they would also provide funding. She also said grants are available for these types of programs.

The Human Services Committee approved the request to appropriate $4,000 for the rest of the calendar year, moving the resolution to the full legislature for consideration.

Daniel W. Knauss is indicated on counts of assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony, assault in the second degree, a Class D violent felony, criminal contempt in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, criminal contempt in the first degree, a Class E felony, resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor, and two counts of harassment in the second degree. Knauss is accused of assaulting and causing serious physical injury to Trooper Mark Catanzaro while the trooper was attempting to perform his lawful duties during an incident on Sept. 29, in the Town of Pavilion. Knauss is accused of violating an order of protection on Sept. 29 by striking a football out of the hands of a protected person. He is accused of intentionally attempting to prevent his arrest. 

Tarrence Y. Williams is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony. Williams is accused of possession of cocaine with the intent to sell on Dec. 16 in the City of Batavia. He is accused of possessing preparations, compounds, mixtures or substances containing a narcotic drug, cocaine, with a weight of an eighth of an ounce or more.

Tamaneek T. Perez-Smith is indicted on counts of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, felony DWI, felony driving while ability impaired by drugs, resisting arrest, harassment in the second degree, and circumvention of an interlock device. Perez-Smith is accused of driving a 2010 Dodge on Park Road in the Town of Batavia on Sept. 30, while knowing her license was revoked and of driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. She is accused of intentionally trying to prevent her arrest. He is accused of kicking Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush. She is accused of driving a vehicle without an interlock device as previously ordered by a court.

Update: 7 p.m. with legislators' insurance premium information

Time is money – and during 2022-23 budget talks, members of the Batavia City Council emphasized that it was about time for them to get more money for their public service.

The nine members of the lawmaking body voted healthy pay increases for themselves, effective April 1, noting that they hadn’t received a salary hike for about nine years.

The new salary for eight of the Council people is $5,000 – a jump of 43 percent from the $3,500 in the previous budget – while the new salary for City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. is $7,000 – also up 43 percent from his previous stipend of $4,900.

Section 3-4 of the City Charter stipulates that “Council Members shall receive compensation with the Council President receiving 40 percent above the rate for the other Council Members.”

The combined total of the increases is $14,100.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski, when asked about the impact on the budget, said, “Since the introduction of the budget, the proposed tax rate of $8.94 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value has not changed.”

Contacted by The Batavia, Jankowski and Council member Robert Bialkowski said the increases are justified when considering how long it has been since the last raise and the amount of time and effort put into running city government.

“There’s a lot of work involved in being on Council -- from keeping up with all of the business on the agenda and addressing the concerns of our residents, who have put their trust in us,” Jankowski said. “I know that in my case, I have many more obligations beyond the monthly meetings.”

Bialkowski said he takes the job “very seriously” and believes that the pay should be even more than it is when compared to the Town of Batavia and Genesee County Legislature.

“If you do the job correctly, there’s a lot of hours involved,” he said. “I am averaging 20 hours a week on City of Batavia business and put in 40 hours alone just on organizing the Memorial Day parade.”

Bialkowski also pointed out that Council members receive no additional reimbursement for their cell phones, mileage or office expenses, such as copying documents.

Jankowski said he understood that some people believe it should be voluntary, but stands firm to his belief that “if people do a good job, there should be some compensation.”

“Plus, the fact that it is getting harder and harder to find people to serve on boards and committees,” he said.

GENESEE COUNTY LEGISLATURE PAY

The nine members of the Genesee County Legislature received a 2 percent increase for 2022, said County Manager Matt Landers.

All of them will earn $14,225, except Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein, who is paid $19,890 in consideration of her additional responsibilities. Each one also receives full health insurance (their share of the premium is 15 percent) or can take a “buy-back” of $2,600 if not accepting the insurance.

Legislators are required to attend about a half-dozen regular and committee meetings per month, plus all of them are county liaisons to “special assignment” committees.

Those special assignments include the Office for the Aging, Ag & Farmland Protection Board, Audit, Board of Health, Community Services Board/Mental Health, Cooperative Extension, County Park. County Planning Board, E911, Fish & Wildlife Management, Genesee Community College, Holland Land Office, STOP-DWI, Youth Board and Water Resources Agency.

“The legislators spend a considerable amount of time outside of legislature meetings at these at these committee assignments, and then there's also volumes of information that they have to prepare and read and review before meetings,” Landers said. “Beyond that, they are very involved (in day-to-day matters). I poll legislators on a variety of different RFPs (request for proposals) that we send out and they are involved in the hiring process, in many cases.”

Landers mentioned several task forces that are meeting now, such as fire protection, the new county jail and broadband.

“They are putting in plenty of time. They’re definitely not getting rich with the hours they put in,” he added.

TOWN OF BATAVIA BOARD PAY

Pay for Town of Batavia government officials is at the following levels:

Supervisor -- $40,000, same as in 2021.

Deputy Supervisor -- $18,000, same as in 2021.

Three Council members -- $12,000, an increase of $2,000 from 2021.