notify

Press release:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced new COVID-19 restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms and residential gatherings in New York State.

Effective Friday at 10 p.m., bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, will be required to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

Restaurants will still be allowed to provide curbside, food-only pick up or delivery after 10 p.m., but will not be permitted to serve alcohol to go. The State Liquor Authority will issue further guidance for licensees as to what sales are continued to be permitted.

The Governor also announced that indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people. The limit will be implemented due to the recent prevalence of COVID spread resulting from small indoor gatherings including Halloween parties.

These gatherings have become a major cause of cluster activity across the state. Further, this public health measure brings New York State in line with neighboring states including Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This new rule is also effective Friday at 10 p.m.

"If you look at where the cases are coming from, if you do the contact tracing, you'll see they're coming from three main areas: establishments where alcohol is served, gyms, and indoor gatherings at private homes," Governor Cuomo said. "The reason we have been successful in reducing the spread in New York is we have been a step ahead of COVID.

"You know where it's going; stop it before it gets there. And you know where it's going by following the science. This is the calibration that we've talked about: increase economic activity, watch the positivity rate -- if the positivity rate starts to go up, back off on the economic activity. It was never binary -- economic activity or public health -- it was always both."

Governor Cuomo continued: "The rules are only as good as the enforcement. Local governments are in charge of enforcement. There are only two fundamental truths in this situation: it's individual discipline and it's government enforcement. Period. End of sentence. I need the local governments to enforce this."

The Governor took these actions amid a widespread increase in cases throughout the nation and an increase in New York, which was expected moving into the fall and winter seasons.

New York Restaurant Association responded:

The statement below can be attributed to Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA).

“Today’s news is a huge blow to the restaurant industry that is desperately trying to stay afloat. Our members have put in place procedures and protocols to mitigate the spread, and we’ll continue to do so to ensure the safety of our employees and patrons. We understand the logic behind micro-cluster restrictions, but at this time we have concerns about blanket statewide restrictions like this.”

Press release:

Due to the Veterans’ Day holiday tomorrow, both Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be closed. We will not be updating numbers or the map until Thursday afternoon. A very special thank you to those who have served in any of the Armed Forces. We appreciate your service and the sacrifices you and your families have endured to keep our country safe.

New Cases – As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received seven new positive cases of COVID-19.
• The data below includes the 43 reported cases since Friday, Nov. 6.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Darien, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, and Stafford.  
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.
  • Fourteen of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Seventee of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Two of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  •  
• Orleans County received 13 new positives case of COVID-19.
• The new positive cases reside in Albion, Shelby, Carlton, Murray, Kendall and Ridgeway.
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 70s.
• Two of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at Holley High School. The student was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The individual is on mandatory isolation until they recover. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.

One of the positive individuals is hospitalized.

Jamie A. Dutton is indicted for the crime of attempted murder in the second degree, a Class B violent felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 25 Dutton, while outside the city water filtration plant at 480 Lehigh Ave., intended to cause the death of a person, and tried to do so by stabbing the intended victim with a knife. In count two, Dutton is accused of first-degree assault, a Class B violent felony, for allegedly causing serious physical injury to a person by means of a dangerous instrument -- a knife. In count three, Dutton is accused of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony, for allegedly knowingly possessing a dangerous knife. In Special Information filed by District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Dutton is accused of having been convicted by criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor. That conviction forms the basis for count three of the current indictment.

Devon A. Wright is indicted for the crime of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on March 2 Wright knowingly unlawfully entered the Valero Gas Station / Convenience Store on West Main Street in Batavia with the intent to commit a crime inside. In count two, Wright is accused of third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly entering the gas station that day with the intent to cause physical injury to another person. In count three, Wright is accused of fourth-degree criminal mischief, A Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly entering the gas station and intentionally damaging another person's property -- vaping oil and snack donuts. In count four, Wright is accused of resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly preventing or attempting to prevent a police officer from arresting him on March 12 on Central Avenue in the City of Batavia. In count five, he is accused of obstructing governmental administration, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly intentionally obstructing, impairing or perverting the administration of law March 12 on Central Avenue by means of intimidation, physical force or an unlawful act. In count six, Wright is accused of first-degree attempted assault, a Class C violent felony, for allegedly intentionally trying to cause serious physical injury to another person by means of a dangerous instrument -- a motor vehicle -- on April 8 on Highland Park in Batavia In counts seven and eight, Wright is accused of two more counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief for allegedly intentionally damaging the property of another person on April 21 at the Batavia Police Department -- a spit hood, and a drop ceiling, respectively. In count nine, Wright is again accused of resisting arrest, on April 21 on Holland Avenue in the City of Batavia. In count 11, Wright is accused of second-degree harassment. It is alleged in count 11 that on April 21 on West Main Street that he subjected a Batavia police officer to physical contact or threatened to do so by saying "I got something for you bro." In count 12, Wright is accused of criminal sexual act in the second degree, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged in count 12 that on Nov. 26, that in the area of Montclair Avenue in the City of Batavia, that he -- being age 18 or older -- engaged in oral sexual conduct with a person under the age of 15. In count 13, Wright is accused of endangering the welfare of child, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly knowingly acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of child less than 17 -- the child who is the subject of count 12, who is 13 years old. In count 14, Wright is again accused of resisting arrest on Nov. 29 at the Batavia Police Department. In count 15, the defendant is again accused of obstructing governmental administration on April 29 at the Batavia Police Department.

Nateeka M. Gibson is indicted for the crime of second-degree burglary, a Class C violent felony. It is alleged that on Feb. 15 that she knowingly entered a building -- a residence on Washington Avenue in the City of Batavia --unlawfully with the intent to commit a crime. In count two, Gibson is accused of third-degree robbery for allegedly forcibly stealing cash from a resident. In count three, Gibson is accused of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony, for allegedly stealing cash from a resident. In count four, the defendant is accused of second-degree harassment, for allegedly striking a person or subjecting a person to physical contact or threatening to do so. In count five, Gibson is accused of another count of second-degree burglary, for allegedly knowingly entering the same building unlawfully on Oct. 3 with the intent to commit a crime. In count six, Gibson is accused of tampering with a witness in the fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count six that she knew a person was to be called as a witness in a legal proceeding and she attempted to get the person to avoid testifying. In count seven, Gibson is accused of criminal contempt in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly intentionally disobeying an order of protection issued Feb. 21 by Batavia City Court. It is alleged this was done Oct. 3 on Washington Avenue. In count eight, Gibson is accused of second-degree criminal contempt, again for allegedly entering a building unlawfully on Washington Avenue on Oct. 4. In count nine, Gibson is accused of criminal contempt in the second degree for allegedly intentionally disobeying a court order of protection on Washington Avenue on Oct. 4.

Luis A. Ramos-Mercado is indicted for the crime of second-degree menacing, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged that on Jan. 30, 2019, on East Main Street in the City of Batavia, that Ramos-Mercado intentionally placed a person in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death, or attempted to do so, by displaying a dangerous instrument -- a knife. In count two, Ramos-Mercado is accused of first-degree attempted burglary, a Class C violent felony. It is alleged in count two that the defendant on the same day knowingly attempted to enter a dwelling on East Main Street with the intent to commit a crime and did so when using or threatening to use a dangerous instrument -- a knife. In count three, Ramos-Mercado is accused of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony. It is alleged in count three that the defendant on that day possessed a dangerous instrument -- a knife -- intending to use it against a person. In count four, the defendant is accused of second-degree assault, a Class D violent felony.  It is alleged in count four that Ramos-Mercado, on June 6 on Ellicott Avenue in the City of Batavia, in the course of commiting a felony, caused physical injury to the same victim. In count five, he is accused of second-degree strangulation, a Class D violent felony, during the June 6 incident on Ellicott Avenue. In count six, he is accused of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count six that on June 6th he acted in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less that 17 years old. In count seven, the defendant is accused of first-degree burglary, a Class B violent felony, for allegedly intentionally entering a dwelling June 6 to commit a crime and causing physical injury to the same victim. In count eight, he is accused of criminal contempt in the first degree, a Class E felony, for intentionally violating an order of protection by allegedly harassing, annoying, threatening or alarming the same victim and subjecting the victim to physical contact. In count nine, Ramos-Mercado is accused of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony, for allegedly stealing property from the victim that had a value exceeding $1,000. In count 10, he is accused of second-degree attempted assault, a Class E felony, for allegedly intentionally causing serious physical injury to the victim. In Special Information filed by District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Ramos-Mercado is accused of having been convicted of the crime of falsifying business records in the first degree, a Class E felony. The conviction on Sept. 12, 2019 forms the basis for count three of the current indictment.

Isaac C. Floyd Jr. is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D violent felony. It is alleged that on July 26 on State Street in the City of Batavia that Floyd possessed a dangerous instrument with the intent to use it against another -- a folding pocket knife. In count two, Floyd is accused of second-degree menacing, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two that Floyd intentionally placed a person in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death or attempted to do so by displaying a dangerous instrument -- a pocket folding knife. In count three, Floyd is accused of obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count three that Floyd intentionally obstructed or impaired the administration of law or a public servant from performing an official function, or tried to do so, by means of intimidation, physical force or an unlawful act. In Special Information filed by District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Floyd is accused of having been convicted of second-degree criminal contempt, a Class A misdemeanor, on Oct. 30, 2008 in City of Batavia Court. That conviction forms the basis for count one of the current indictment.

Jeffrey M. Johnson is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on April 29 on North Spruce Street in the City of Batavia that Johnson possessed a dangerous instrument -- a knife, with the intent of using it against a person. In count two, Johnson is accused of second-degree menacing, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two that on that day, he intentionally placed a victim in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death by displaying a dangerous instrument -- a knife. In count three, he is accused of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, by applying pressure that day to the neck or throat of the victim. In count four, Johnson is accused of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly knowingly acting in a manner likely to by injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than 17 years old. In Special Information filed by District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, the defendant is accused of having been convicted of the crime of possession of contraband in prison in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. That conviction forms the basis for count one of the current indictment.

Laytefa A. Franklin is indicted for the crime of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person in the first degree, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Jan. 4 Franklin knowingly acted in a manner likely to  be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a person who was unable to care for themselves. In count two, Franklin is accused of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two that on Jan. 4 Franklin intentionally blocked the nose or mouth of a person who was unable to care for themselves.

Arielle S. Bevel is indicted for the crime of aggravated driving while ability impaired by drugs, as a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Feb. 10 on Route 33 in Bergen that Bevel drove a 2019 Nissan while her ability to do so was impaired by drug use and while she had a child age 15 or less in the vehicle.

Matthew I. Diers is indicted for the crime of failure to register, a Class D felony. It is alleged that in March, as a convicted sex offender, he failed to register with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services any change of address, internet accounts, internet access providers, etc. In this case, it is an email account. In Special Information filed by District Attorney Lawrence Friedman, Diers is accused of having been convicted of failure to register, as a Class E felony, on Aug. 28, 2018.

Joey A. Evans is indicted for the crime of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on Dec. 3, 2017 in the City of Batavia that Evans stole a shotgun -- a Remington 870 shotgun.

Amanda A. Howard is indicted for the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, Class E felony. It is alleged that on Sept. 1, 2019, while at an RV resort in Byron, Howard knowingly possessed stolen property -- a credit card belonging to another person. In count two, Howard is accused of the same crime -- possessing a credit card belonging to a second victim.

Press release:

Genesee County Legislature Chair Shelley Stein and Genesee County Public Health Director Paul Pettit are urging county residents and businesses to step up in taking precautions to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Their call is the result of an increase of infections in Genesee County and the GLOW region and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement earlier today about parts of Erie and Monroe counties being placed in Yellow zones.  

The Governor and his health experts have created three zones to manage the spread of the virus: 

• Yellow Zone designates an area as being in a precautionary phase;
• Orange Zone designation denotes a community is in a warning phase;
• Red Zone means the community is in a cluster zone which imposes the strictest rules and regulations.

You can learn more about the zoning designation by clicking here. 

“We don’t want restrictions that will negatively impact businesses and the local economy, but if we continue to see increases and spikes, New York State is going to come in and create the zones that were announced today in Erie and Monroe counties,” Stein said. “Unfortunately, that is where we are trending if we don’t take action fast and become more vigilant to fight the spread of the virus.”

Among the restrictions in a Yellow Zone includes that:

• Houses of worship can have no more than 50-percent capacity.
• The maximum number of people at nonessential indoor or outdoor gatherings is limited to 25 people maximum.
• Businesses can remain open but for restaurants there is a maximum of four people per table for both an indoor and outdoor dining.
• Schools can remain open but there must be mandatory weekly testing of students and teachers/staff for in-person settings.

Stein said that Genesee County will be reaching out to various government agencies and business partners to urge the community to step up their vigilance in wearing masks, maintaining appropriate social distancing, hand washing and other common sense things to prevent further spread of the virus. The County is asking these partners to spread the message through email and social media channels.

“The key thing at the moment is similar to what we experience with the cold and flu season and that is people feeling compelled to go out if they are not feeling well,” Pettit said. “If you feel ill in the slightest, then please do not go out or to work and contact your physician immediately in order to schedule a test.”

With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays right around the corner, the temptation of larger gatherings particularly of family and friends who travel from outside the region poses another way of how the infection rate can spread.

“Cold and flu season is here, and eventually bad weather will force people to gather inside which is a recipe for the spread of the virus and this becomes even more concerning with the holidays right around the corner,” Stein said. 

Testing locations in Genesee County can be found here.

Now that the Batavia City Council has passed a resolution amending the city’s municipal code to allow public garages in I-1 (Industrial) zones, the catalyst of what turned out to be a drawn-out process says his plan to place an auto repair shop on his property is on hold.

“I lost my tenant, so at this point, we’ll see what happens. But at least it is all set so that somebody could do it and I may very well do it,” said Eric Biscaro, owner of Classic Home Improvements and Armor Building Supply at 653 Ellicott St., in reaction to a development from Monday night’s City Council meeting.

Biscaro approached City Council on Jan. 27 – nine months and 14 days ago – after the Genesee County Planning Board recommended disapproval of his request for a use variance to put up a small two-bay garage behind the Armor side of the facility.

Unfortunately for him at the time, city zoning permitted service stations only in areas zoned Commercial.

He was advised that a zoning modification may be the only way for his wish to come true, and that it would take several months to adopt a Local Law, which would happen only after a series of referrals to city and county planning boards, a public hearing and environmental review.

At that time, Biscaro had someone interested in running a repair shop on the site, but that isn’t the case anymore. But, he’s not ruling it out in the future.

“Now that it is approved, I might start marketing it again to see what I get,” he said. “Still, in any industrial zone now you can do that. I was very surprised that you couldn’t do it in the first place.”

Council’s action last night included the issuing of a negative declaration in accordance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act and passage of an ordinance amending Chapter 190 entitled “zoning” of the City of Batavia Municipal Code to amend I-1 to include public garage businesses by a special use permit.

Batavia City Councilperson-at-Large Robert Bialkowski and Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski engaged in several minutes of Q & A on Monday night over the particulars of the city’s acceptance of a Batavia Rotary Club/Rotary Foundation grant. It would be used purchase kayaks and related equipment, which then would be “gifted” to Genesee County for use as a youth outdoor recreation activity.

Council, at its Business Meeting at the City Centre Council Board Room, was preparing to vote on the resolution to receive the $6,000 in what Tabelski termed “a pass-through” transaction since the Rotary Club wished to donate the funds directly to the City Youth Bureau.

When Paul Viele, who was running the meeting in place of City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr., asked for discussion, Bialkowski was ready with a series of questions.

Bialkowski said he was concerned by recent discussions with a couple of county legislators who said they knew nothing about owning anything, stating that “they will just store it for us.”

City Council learned about the resolution at its Oct. 26 Conference Meeting.

At that time, Jocelyn Sikorski, City and Genesee County Youth Bureau executive director, advised Council that the city would “gift” all equipment from the grant – kayaks, kayak launch, paddles and vests – to Genesee County, which will maintain and store it at the DeWitt Recreation Area on Cedar Street.

She also said that county workers will build a trailer for hauling the equipment back and forth.

The resolution stipulates that the city would accept the grant from Rotary for the period of Oct. 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021 “to provide assistance to expand outdoor recreation and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education.”

Fast forwarding to last night, following is the back-and-forth between Bialkowski and Tabelski -- with Viele interjecting his thoughts toward the end of the mini-debate:

Q. Who will be purchasing the kayaks?

A. It will be purchased through the city and then it will be gifted to the county, so we have no liability for the kayaks or the docking.

Q. Why are we giving the county money?

A. When Mrs. Sikorski was here at the last meeting, she discussed that because it is the city Rotary, they wanted to do the grant with the city. But after myself and the county manager looked at it, it will be housed in a county park.

Q. Why are we … transferring the actual funds to the county if we’re buying the kayaks?

A. We’re not transferring the funds, we’re transferring the material after purchase – the kayaks and the docking.

Q. Because the resolution implies we are transferring the funds.

A. No, it will be purchased through the city’s procurement policy. The city will gift the equipment from this grant to Genesee County Parks who will assist with the maintenance and the storage of program equipment once purchased, and they will be responsible for the insurance for that as well.

Q. Then who will own the kayaks?

A. Genesee County. We will not own them.

Q. There seems to be some gray areas here. Who will be instructing in the use of the kayaks?

A. I know the YMCA was a partner in it and when we have youth programming, again through whatever means we do, I think it would be incumbent upon that person to have an instructor there when they bring children out there.

Viele jumped in at that point, stating that “we’re going to buy the kayaks and gift them to the county, very simple.”

Bialkowski pressed on, however, saying that “the county doesn’t know anything about us donating kayaks, and they’ll probably be plastic throwaway kayaks … the inexpensive ones, and the longer they’re in the sun, the shorter the shelf life.”

To which Tabelski replied that Paul Osborn, county parks supervisor/forester, was building a shed and a place to store them.

Q. Who will be responsible to replace them?

A. The city would not be responsible moving forward. We’re basically acting as a pass-through … (for the kayaks) to be housed at the county park, along with the docking system that we discussed at the last meeting that has the handicap accessibility.

Bialkowski said he was surprised the county doesn’t know about this, and Tabelski reemphasized that the vote on the table was to accept the grant, purchase the equipment and give it to the county.

Viele said he was sure the county knows about it.

“They have to know about it, if we’re doing this. They have to know about it, if we’re voting on it,” he said. “Maybe the legislator hasn’t read his email to see what is going on.”

Bialkowski said he didn’t think a couple of legislators would do this, but Viele said since the city is not liable, “don’t worry about it.”

After Bialkowski signified his concern about the status of an instructional program for youth, Viele remarked, “It would be a good job for you. You could teach them.”

In the end, Council voted in favor of the resolution, with Bialkowski casting the lone "no" vote.

Legislature Chair Weighs In

The Batavian contacted County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein today about this matter and although she wasn’t aware of the details, she indicated that it was likely to come up at the next Human Services meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 30.

“Basically, this is an opportunity that Rotary wanted to focus onto the city youth recreational program, and it has been working on for well over a year,” she said. “The fact that those kayaks could be donated to the DeWitt park area, it just enhances what we already have going on there and it gives opportunity for the city youth at the same time.”

Stein acknowledged the “fluid situation right now with youth services, (so) we are following our process and our procedure because we certainly want to be a good partner.”

“Everybody has a job to do and we all have steps to take to get to where we need to be,” she said.

When asked about instruction for the youth, she said the county has a kayak program that is run by the Interpretative Center staff.

If City Council Member John Canale has his way, there is no way Batavia’s youth programming will be cut.

Canale, attempting to allay the concerns of City Youth Board representatives David Twichell and Paula Fischer, said he sees the city’s youth program as “an invaluable gem” and said he would do everything in his power to continue or expand offerings to its young residents.

Speaking at Monday night’s City Council Business Meeting at the City Centre Council Board Room, Canale responded to public comments by Twichell, Fischer and Fischer’s son, Andrew, who are troubled about a proposal to contract with the Genesee Area Family YMCA for city youth services.

Currently, the city has a contract with Genesee County to partially a fund a youth bureau executive director, Jocelyn Sikorski, but a resolution – currently placed on hold by the County Legislature – would dissolve that agreement and compel City Council to devise a new plan for youth services.

“Much like Paula, (who) spoke about the youth programs in the city, I grew up every day of my life as a kid at MacArthur Park on Monday through Friday, all day there except for lunch because when I was a kid, they didn’t provide lunch,” Canale said. “The youth bureau is an invaluable gem that we have here in the city, and I have no intention of decreasing the services the bureau offers.”

Canale said the cost to run the youth programs in the city “is miniscule in the whole budget picture.”

“So, I can assure anybody that is here tonight that is concerned about Council doing away with the youth bureau or doing away with the services that we provide our local youth, I can guarantee if any of my Council colleagues brought that up, I would definitely be dead set against it,” he said. “And I don’t think there is anybody here tonight that is against that.”

He then warned people about reacting solely from what they read on social media as well as The Batavian and another local news outlet.

“Don’t believe everything that you read, number one, and try not to formulate your opinion as to what the City Council’s actions are going to be based upon what you're reading on social media,” he offered.

Canale: No Discussion about Cutting Services

Canale said he didn’t recall any discussion pertaining to doing away with the youth bureau or cutting any services.

“Correct me if I’m wrong. Maybe I misunderstood or missed something, Rachael,” he said, looking at Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski. “Did Jocelyn not come to us as a county employee contracted with the city to share services? Did she not come to us and request that we cut that contract out?”

Tabelski replied, “That is correct.”

Canale responded that “for some reason, it seems like the public is under the impression that we in the city want to cut that out.”

“And the county manager (Matt Landers) also made public comment that I read that they were going to kind of leave it in our lap first to see what move we made first. I want the public to realize that this was the county that came to the city … and requested that maybe we could discontinue that contract.”

Canale said no decision has been made on the status of the contract with the county, stating that it is at the discussion stage.

“We’re looking at all possibilities and Rachael is looking into other possibilities as well as she approached the YMCA to see what they might be able to do to offer as good of services, if not better services,” he said.

He then aimed his remarks at Twichell and Fischer.

Advisory Board will be Involved

“For whatever reasons, the (Youth) board has not been in the communication circle yet, but I would only assume that at some point when the decisions are going to be made, that we would go to our advisory board and say that these are some of our thoughts (and) what do you guys think?” he said.

Canale urged people to not have a “knee-jerk reaction” to the situation based on social media or news accounts.

“This is all still in the talking stages. Nothing has happened. No programs have been cut,” he said.

The city’s youth center – the Liberty Center for Youth on City Church’s St. Anthony’s campus on Liberty Street – has been closed due to COVID-19 and because the city doesn’t have any youth services employees at this time.

“Maybe, like (Council Member) Rose Mary (Christian) said, 'maybe it’s time to look at that,' ” Canale said. “I don’t know. That should be part of the discussion as well. As things start to open up, we could look at that. Or now, obviously on the rise again with COVID, maybe this isn’t a good time to look at that, I don’t know.”

Youth Programming: More than Meets the Eye

Fischer, a member of the City of Batavia Youth Board for 10 years, said she has “fond memories” of the city parks’ program having attended Kibbe and Pringle parks. She is the director of school-based health programs for the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine.

She said she has volunteered during city youth events, providing oral health education and giving out hundreds of toothbrushes and toothpaste to kids and families. She called Batavia a great place to raise a family due, in part, to the services it offers to its young people.

Fischer emphasized that the youth bureau “is more than just the summer rec program -- although the rec program is well-known, serving hundreds of children every summer, providing safe, fun and educational programming – including lunch, which is a big help to many families.”

She mentioned several other events and programs under the city youth bureau, including:

• The community garden;
• National Night Out in conjunction with the city police;
• The Liberty Center for Youth with services provided in conjunction with the YMCA;
• Programs run by City Church at the St. Anthony’s campus;
• A partnership with the Batavia City School District for busing to the youth center;
• Summer safe carnival open to the community;
• Youth and volunteer awards banquet at Terry Hills Restaurant;
• A partnership with the Arc of Genesee Orleans for Saturday programs;
• Visitation at nursing homes and the Senior Center;
• Open gym nights and grants for summer recreation tennis programs.

“All of these programs provide a sense of pride in the community to the city residents,” she said.

Fischer said she was asking City Council to work with the advisory board to address budgetary issues and “come together to see if there’s a way we can be mindful of the city budget without decimating youth services.”

“A reduced level of service may be appropriate at this time with time to rebuild in the future,” she said.

Youth Board is ‘Open, Willing to Cooperate’

Twichell, the City Youth Board president, extended an invitation to all City Council members “that we are open and we are willing to cooperate with the city, and we are willing as an advisory board to help guide the process.”

“We know … with these COVID restrictions and the tough economic times we’re facing, we know the city is facing great challenges,” he said. “But there are times when we feel that there is somewhat of a disconnect between the board and the City Council.

"I’m here tonight to open and maybe knock down some of those barriers, and tomorrow I will be putting together an email for each and every one of you that will list all of our contact information.”

He then urged Council members to reach out to the advisory board if they have any questions about youth services.

Fischer’s son, Andrew, a former youth board vice president, said he worked for the summer rec program for five years during his summer breaks from Canisius College, where he earned an MBA in Accounting.

“A lot of our youth programs, specifically summer rec, are great ways for youth in our community to interact with one another and interact with the rec leaders,” he said. “It instilled in me a sense of leadership and a sense of empathy toward some of the kids, who obviously were from tougher situations.”

He said it didn’t “sit right” with him when he heard about youth services possibly changing, and noted that he looked at past city budgets on the website and saw that the summer recreation came in below budget last year.

McGinnis Objects to Sending Letter

Prior to Canale’s comments, Council Member Al McGinnis, the city’s liaison to the youth board, said he didn’t get a copy of a letter sent by the youth board to the media last week – a letter that objected to the resolution to terminate the city/county agreement and expressed the viewpoint that contracting with the YMCA instead was a done deal. (Fischer said that McGinnis and the other Council members did receive the letter).

“If you’re an elected or public official and you’re on a board, it is incumbent upon you to make sure that everyone on the board, whether they agree or disagree, knows that correspondence is going out to the public,” McGinnis said. “If not, the public gets confused when they hear two different sets of a thing. When you do it unilaterally, and basically conduct a rogue operation, without informing everyone, it looks bad for everyone concerned.”

He added, “At the time, the board members could have spoken to us at the meeting and said 'here are our points of view – we’d like to make sure that this is heard by the public.' No one is going to censure or stop a report … We owe it to the public to speak with a unified voice, or at least if it’s not unified, everyone gets a chance to say their piece.”

Christian asked how many kids attend the youth center on Liberty Street and if the city had any youth bureau employees at the center.

Tabelski said attendance ranged between 30 and 50 – “sometimes as low as five” – and that the city had no youth program employees, other than Sikorski, who directs city, Genesee and Orleans county youth activities.

“I look down the street and I see tons of kids out there,” Christian said, referring to the Liberty Center for Youth. She also asked about costs should the YMCA get involved.

Tabelski said that, pre-COVID-19, the city and the YMCA each supplied three or four staff members at the center, depending upon the number of children there, and that the YMCA did not charge the city for those employees,

She also mentioned that the city’s program coordinator, Lydia Schauf, recently took another job with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office.

Could Youth Center Have Stayed Open?

Christian then questioned why the center has been closed for so long while school is in session.

“It was supposed to be because of COVID," she said. "I see people at Walmart, I see people downtown. I see them at the grocery store, I see people here. I see people everywhere in the city. Those kids could wear a mask like anyone else in the city and they, I’m quite sure, would stop anyone from coming in without a mask.

"And I’m quite sure they would be disinfecting that facility for the kids over there. And they’re playing basketball on Tuesday nights and I haven’t heard of a soul from that center who has COVID.”

After Tabelski explained that the city was unable to hire part-timers (due to a hiring freeze) and, as a result, she contacted YMCA leadership to see if that organization could provide youth services in an attempt to cut costs and “also provide the same level of service.”

“I engaged in a discussion with the YMCA if they could staff the center and until we come to any preliminary contract terms, you’ll have nothing (in the form of a resolution) in front of you,” Tabelski said. “At such point, you would have a presentation by the YMCA on the programming that they can provide for us that is the same or better than what we’re providing today at a lower cost to the residents.”

Christian’s response indicated that she wasn’t buying that explanation.

“Yeah, it was mentioned on The Batavian that we have to think of the taxpayers,” she said. “We sure as hell don’t think about the taxpayers when it comes to lights for Ellicott Street over there for the trail, especially when at 4:30 at night it’s going to be dark in the winter time and the summer time around 9 o’clock. We don’t think about salary increases either, now do we?”

At that point, Paul Viele, who was presiding over the meeting in place of City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr., who was out of town, cut Christian off.

Tabelski: Let’s Give it Another Try

Minutes later, Tabelski directed her comments to Twichell and Fischer, stating that she came to them during an Oct. 27 meeting in “good faith with ideas on our situation and our strategy.”

“And when you attended the meeting, you sat there, you listened to what I had to say, you listened to my ideas, we had great dialogue. And I am willing to continue that dialogue with you. But I prefer we did it in a committee setting and not go around the committee setting with emails and letters outside of the people on that committee and to the media, so we can really achieve something,” she said.

Tabelski credited the youth board for its commitment to the cause, but said “we have to think differently about this.”

“I am willing to come back and sit with you guys. And this time at the meeting, please speak up because when I left that (previous) meeting, everyone was in agreement to the strategy that I was going to look into and bring to Council.”

After she finished, Fischer attempted to present a “rebuttal,” but was told that she was not allowed to do that. 

“Then I will give my rebuttal to the media and you can read it there,” Fischer said.

Following the meeting, Fischer repeated the youth board’s claim that Tabelski had indicated to them that the decision to dissolve the city/county contract had already been made, and that Sikorski had obtained a grant to direct a Safe Harbor program and “wrote herself into that and changed her job description.”

Fischer also said there is someone who was employed by the city at the youth center who is willing to return to work there.

“When Lydia resigned, they didn’t feel like they had to go back and readdress this,” Fischer said. “They said, ‘OK, great, everybody is gone, and now we can really go and outsource youth services.' ”

She said the youth board is “leery about that.”

“They outsourced the county youth director, and look where we are,” she said. “And I don’t think we’re going to have the same quality of services – and it was our feeling that we had to let the community know.”

Photo: City Youth Board members David Twichell and Paula Fischer speaking to the media following Monday night's City Council meeting. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Press release:

New Cases – As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received 43 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • Due to the volume of positives, further information will be updated tomorrow.
  • Staff are working on contact tracing.
  • The Genesee County Health Department was notified of two positive teachers at Jackson Primary School. The individuals have been placed under mandatory isolation where they will remain until they have recovered. Contact tracing is in process to identify close contacts. Out of an abundance of caution, Jackson Primary School will be 100-percent remote virtual learning until Monday, Nov. 30.
• Orleans County received 18 new positives case of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Yates, Shelby, Barre, Gaines, Clarendon, Murray, Kendall and Ridgeway.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.
  • Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Six of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been removed from the isolation list.
  • The Health Department has been notified of a positive student at Lyndonville High School and a positive student at Medina High School. The students were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The individuals are on mandatory isolation until they recover. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual.
  • We are deeply saddened to report we have had an Orleans County community member pass away due to COVID-19. The individual was over 65 years old. Out of respect for the family, we will not release any further details about this individual. We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this person and encourage our community members to be respectful of the family’s time of grieving.

Today’s map will not be updated due to limited data.

Click here to view the Genesee and Orleans County online map of confirmed cases.

A reminder the numbers listed as positive/active are current community cases. The recovered numbers are only for community cases and do not include non-county regulated facilities. The total positive cases includes community active/positive, community recovered and all those from non-county regulated facilities.

A pedestrian who was struck while crossing East Main Street on Friday night has been identified by Batavia PD as 45-year-old Casey Nutting, of Batavia.

Nutting, according to witnesses, was running across the street, about 50 yards east of Liberty Street, from south to north when he was struck by a minivan.

The driver of the minivan, whose identity has not been released, has not been charged and police said no charges are anticipated.

Previously: Car vs. pedestrian accident reported in the city at East Main and Summit

The treasurer of the Genesee Country Farmers’ Market, which recently concluded its 46^th season providing locally grown produce and other food items, today said that Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. has reached out to her to set up a meeting in the near future.

“That’s a start,” said Sharon Brent, speaking by telephone from her Middleport home. “Mr. Jankowski said that (Interim City Manager) Rachael (Tabelski) would be contacting me.”

Brent is owner of Schwab Farm Market in Gasport and has been involved with the farmers’ market since its inception.

The future location of the public market is unclear in light of the fact that the city is looking at the Alva Place parking lot as the desired site for a new headquarters for the Batavia Police Department.

The farmers’ market has operated at that location since 2016, when it entered into an agreement with the Batavia Downtown Business Improvement District to have one large market at one location – instead of two or more sites in and around the city.

Prior to that, the market was located at the Kmart parking lot for about a decade before moving to a lot at Batavia Downs from 2006 through 2015.

Previous reports that the market moved 11 times in 15 years referred to its early years, not recently, Brent said.

“We originally started in front of Super Duper, where the (Tonawanda Valley Federal) credit union is now and we used to be right where Wendy’s is, in the Angotti’s (Beverage Corp.) parking lot and way behind the (former) Engine House Restaurant – near a skating place on some gravel,” Brent said. “That was the reason we left the city and went out to Kmart and the Downs, because we wanted a stable location.”

Brent said the only reason the market returned to the city is because the BID requested a consolidation – with the stipulation that there would be just one market at one location.

“The BID used to run the farmers’ market that was on Thursday at Angotti’s and then they moved to Alva Place, and it was run by volunteers,” Brent recalled. “(Former BID Director) Don Burkel approached us and proposed Downtown Batavia Public Market in one location. He said we can’t be at the Downs and at Alva Place.”

So, the area vendors hit the road to Batavia on three days (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays) instead of the two they spent at Batavia Downs, Brent said.

She said that after a couple years, BID officials asked the GCFM to “run all aspects of the farmers’ market as it was getting difficult to find volunteers.”

“Of all the locations over the 40 some years, that (Alva Place) still has been the best place as far as ability for people to get to,” she said. “It has anything that you as a business owner would like in a location and it fit all of those things.”

Brent said that five years ago, there never was a discussion about a police station going there.

“That was never brought up,” she said.

Things have changed since then, however, as the city has enlisted Architecture Unlimited LLC, of Williamsville, to conduct a feasibility study into the construction of a new police facility on the lot north of Alva Place and west of Bank Street.

Brent said the GCFM board of directors is “definitely open to other options” and welcomes the opportunity to provide input to city officials.

“It is what it is. I’ve done well. I run a good business and have done well no matter where I’ve been,” she said. “But, as far as the residents of the city, to me they should have a voice in what they would want.”

Business Improvement District representatives said their organization continues to support the farmers’ market and they understand why Brent and her colleagues wish to stay at the Alva Place lot.

“We see the value in it and we support the public market,” BID President Don Brown said. “To us, it is an event Downtown that brings people Downtown, but it’s not a BID event. They’re their own entity.”

Brown called the Alva Place site “a fabulous location and they’d be crazy not to want that.”

“My perception of the situation is that this has been a long-term plan for the police station – it has been going on for several years here," he said. "They’ve had all kinds of studies and votes, and all kinds of ideas of where to put it and why to put it.

"The public market was never going to be there permanently from what I recall, unless they were going to build a building …if they got the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative) money and the BID wanted to bond something like that.”

Brown said the BID spent $25,000 on a feasibility study in an unsuccessful application for a DRI award.

“We didn’t get it; so, the BID definitely decided that they didn’t want to bond it," he said. "It was too much and they couldn’t tell us how much traffic the market was going to bring or whether the market was going to quadruple. So, why create another tax for something that we’re unsure of. That was the long side of that.”

BID Executive Director Beth Kemp, who sits on the GCFM board, noted that her agency is not as involved as it was in the past, but “we definitely support them as with any event that happens in the downtown.”

“We understand the vitality that a public market brings to the Downtown, and we’re here to assist in any way,” she said. “We don’t want to see the public market go away from Downtown, and we’re eager to come up with other options if that’s the way it has to go. I know that our board has tried to generate a couple of alternative ideas, but so far nothing substantial.”

Kemp said the consensus of GCFM directors is that they wish they could stay put.

“Yes, ideally they love that location, they love the demographics that they serve which has increased since they’ve been there and the walkability,” she said. “Out of all their locations, that is the most ideal; that is the one they love the most.”

File photo of Genesee Country Farmers' Market by Howard Owens.

Jason Ray Anderson, 39, of Batavia (no address provided), is charged with petit larceny, possession of burglar tools, and endangering the welfare of a child. Anderson was arrested on Nov. 7 after allegedly stealing items from Kohl's department store on Veterans Memorial Drive. He is accused of fleeing the scene on a bicycle while having a 6-year-old child flee with him on a separate bicycle. He was issued a ticket to be in Batavia Town Court on Dec. 3. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Heberlein, assisted by Deputy Jacob Gauthier.

Shawn Philip Wolcott, 38, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with second-degree menacing and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. On Nov. 7 at 1:19 p.m. on South Main Street Road, Wolcott was arrested after allegedly possessing a curved knife blade and menacing a victim, causing fear of physical injury. He was held in Genesee County jail until his arraignment at 7 p.m. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jacob Gauthier.

Salvatore Paul Scarlata, 36, of Ladue Road, Sweden, is charged with disobeying a court mandate. He was arrested Nov. 5 on an arrest warrant for second-degree criminal contempt. It is alleged that at 11:55 a.m. on Oct. 10 on Main Road in Stafford that Scarlata violated an order of protection. The defendant is accused of fleeing the scene before responding patrols arrived, and an arrest warrant was issued. He was arraigned then given a return date of Nov. 12 for Stafford Town Court. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

Tyler John Griffin, 20, of Amherst, is charged with: driving while intoxicated, with a BAC of .08 percent or more; DWI -- first offense; moving from lane unsafely; and speed not reasonable and prudent. Griffin was arrested following a rollover acccident on East Road in the Town of Bethany at 12:06 a.m. on Nov. 7. Griffin was issued an appearance ticket and is due in Town of Bethany Court on Nov. 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Austin Heberlein, assisted by Deputy David Moore.

Lawrence Donnell Williams Sr., 60, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, a Class D felony. On Oct. 6, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office received a report of a counterfeit $100 bill at a store on Veterans Memorial Drive. Following an investigation, it is alleged that Williams knowingly presented the money as if it were real U.S. currency to pay for a transaction at the store at 12:12 p.m. on Oct. 4. He was arrested, arraigned virtually in Genesee County Court, then released on his own recognizance. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong, assisted by Sheriff's Investigator Kevin Forsyth.

Katherine Jeanne Briggs, 41, of South Main Street, Batavia is charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree and possession of switched license plates. At 12:49 p.m. on Nov. 6, a Genesee County Sheriff's patrol car equipped with a license plate reader received an alert of a stolen license plate. The status of the suspected stolen plate was allegedly confirmed through a registration check and the motor vehicle was stopped on Route 33 in the Town of Stafford. Briggs was identified as the operator of the vehicle. She was transported to Genesee County jail for processing and photographs and released with a ticket to appear in Stafford Town Court on Dec. 2. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan DeLong, assisted by Deputy Robert Henning.

Benjamin Gobe Evans IV, 32, of Federal Drive, Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal trespass. At 4:35 p.m. on Nov. 6 on Federal Drive, Evans was arrested after allegedly going to a gas station where he is no longer allowed. He was released with a ticket to be in Batavia Town Court on Dec. 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Joey Aaron Evans, 30, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree criminal trespass. At 4:35 p.m. on Nov. 6 on Park Road, Batavia, Evans was arrested after allegedly going to the Citgo gas station where he is no longer allowed. He was released with a ticket to be in Batavia Town Court on Dec. 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, assisted by Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

The Genesee County Legislature has decided to conduct business remotely in response to a recent surge in the number of positive COVID-19 cases.

Legislative Clerk Pam LaGrou this morning issued a media advisory stating that “due to a resurgence of positive COVID-19 cases and caution for all citizens, the Genesee County Legislature will meet remotely until further notice.”

The next meeting of the legislature is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, but instead of meeting at the Old County Courthouse, participants will be admitted via Zoom videoconferencing.

“This decision is being made given the increased number of COVID-19 cases in not only Genesee County, but the region and state as a whole,” County Manager Matt Landers said. “This is a proactive measure taken by the legislature to try and do everything possible to limit the spread further.”

Public Health Director Paul Pettit said the supports the board’s decision.

“We have seen a significant increase in cases and activity over the past couple weeks, with many of these cases and exposures being driven by nonessential gatherings without masking and social distancing by those present,” Pettit said. “The other driver is folks working while symptomatic.”

Pettit advised that this time of the year presents a higher level of challenges because colds and other seasonal ailments have similar symptoms to COVID-19.

“With the numbers increasing, changes like moving meetings to remote/distance platforms are practical ways to continue the work while helping to reduce risk,” he said.

Pettit offered the following “reminder/education” points to consider:

• More people are having gatherings, but even at keeping them under the 50 people limit it still only takes one person to spread this virus. We are encouraging people to rethink their socialization to limit any nonessential gatherings of non-household members no matter what the size. Also, many of the gatherings are moving indoors which increases the potential for spreading the virus and can limit physical distancing.

• Limit time at any functions/gatherings. The longer people are in confined places or near non-household members the higher the chance of spreading the virus. It seems more people are attending gatherings and going to work while being symptomatic. The numbers are showing that people are gathering and some who are symptomatic are attending events, gatherings and work. People should be checking their baseline health...you know what is normal for you. If something feels a little off and different from what your norm is STAY HOME!

• Be diligent about keeping your distance from those who are non-household members of at least 6 feet ... more if you are engaging in physical activity, speaking loudly, singing, etc. 

• Wear your mask/face covering! The masks are to be used in conjunction with physical distancing.

• Wash/sanitize your hands and frequently shared items to decrease the transfer of germs. Washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water or using at least a 60-percent alcohol hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available helps.

• The Finger Lakes region is showing an increase in hospitalizations and admissions to ICU because people are not following the guidelines. Many people are saying they are "tired" of not being able to do what they want to and are being careless around other people who may have underlying health issues. For those who are diligent about following the guidelines, we appreciate their compassion and caring for those they don't even know.

News that a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine developed by Pfizer is 90-percent effective represents "light at the end of the tunnel," according to two doctors involved in vaccine trials at Rochester Regional Health. But there are many difficulties ahead before this or any other vaccine can be widely distributed they cautioned.

Participating in a virtual press conference this morning with reporters from throughout the region were Dr. Ed Walsh and Dr. Ann Falsey. Walsh is the leader of the study at RGH and head of Infectious Diseases at RRH and Falsey is an infectious disease specialist at RRH and URMC codirector of Vaccines Trial Unit.

UMMC in Batavia is part of the RRH network of hospitals and care providers.

Pfizer announced early-stage trial results this morning. The company has not been part of the Warp Speed initiative by the Federal government to develop and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19, nor has it received government grants for the development of a vaccine, according to a spokesperson for Pfizer.

"We need to be cautious but I think it's actually a reason for optimism that the vaccines will work," Dr. Falsey said. "And I guess what I would say to the public is, you know, maybe this is the light at the end of the tunnel, and it's even more reason to wear your masks and do social distancing because I worry that fatigue sets in -- pandemic fatigue. 'It's hopeless. We're never going to get out of this.' And people develop a sort of fatalistic attitude. But I think vaccines are on the horizon. It's going to take a little while yet. But I think this is very encouraging news. I was very happy to hear it."

A story by the medical news website Stat News suggests the early results provided by Pfizer are robust, but also notes there has been no peer-review and Pfizer hasn't released a paper, known as a pre-print, with more scientific analysis. 

There is a lot we don't know about the vaccine, Walsh and Falsey acknowledged, including how long it will confer immunity to the disease since today's news is based on only two months of data.

Pfizer's trial is based study of people who received the vaccine in which 94 people contracted the disease. Pfizer did not reveal how many of those 94 people received the vaccine or a placebo (neither the participants nor the doctors administering it would have any way of knowing which injection they received in a double-blind study). 

"The expectation (of the public) should be that this is an interim report, and I think we all saw this on the news as well,the current guideline for safety analysis requires a longer period of time following the receipt of the second dose of the vaccine in order to feel comfortable with safety," Walsh said. "This is just two months of safety data, which is a good thing, but a final report, obviously, and assessment will be made both on safety and efficacy as they go along."

So far, only minor side effects, such as aches and a fever, have been reported from the vaccine. 

Typically it takes 12 to 18 months to bring a vaccine to market but given the high fatality rate of COVID-19 and the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to spread rapidly in some circumstances, along with the dire economic consequences of the pandemic, scientists and government officials are moving quickly to find an effective and safe vaccine.

Walsh suggested that by the time the vaccine is ready for distribution -- if it ever is -- and at the earliest date distribution might start, meaning perhaps January, we will have greater confidence in its safety, especially balanced against the risk of the novel coronavirus.

"You're really weighing a risk-benefit issue," Walsh said. "We're looking at a pandemic that is potentially going to result in, if left unchecked, hundreds of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. and certainly millions worldwide. And so you try to make your best judgment as to what kind of side effects might you be missing in an early decision to deploy a vaccine. If it's been four months or five months, that's an encompassing period of time when you're generally going to see almost all of the side effects that might come from a vaccine and this type or of any type."

We're now in a period of increasing infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths but the Pfizer results seem to have come from a period when there was a low prevalence of the disease and it's still possible SARS-CoV-2 doesn't spread as easily in warmer weather. Asked if that might skew the results of Pfizer's study Walsh said he hadn't yet thought of that question and would need some time to think about it.

If the vaccine is approved for the wider public, distribution will be a challenge.

The Pfizer vaccine must be administered in two doses three weeks apart. 

It also must be stored at -112 Fahrenheit. That makes production distribution a challenge, but it also means that the vaccine can only be stored and administered from locations that a freezer capable of maintaining such a frigid temperature. That means neither your local doctor nor the pharmacy is going to be able to provide the vaccine.

A spokeswoman for RRH said it's way too early to know if UMMC is a potential distribution location. If it isn't, people in Genesee County seeking the vaccine will likely need to visit a hospital in Rochester or Buffalo.

It will take time to ramp up production of the vaccine -- though Pfizer has reportedly already started production -- and distribution will take time, so the people eligible to receive the vaccine will be prioritized in tiers with front-line healthcare workers at the front of the line followed by elderly, vulnerable people.

There's no guarantee the Pfizer vaccine will make the grade in its next phase trials but there are at least 11 other promising vaccines in development. Walsh said that's a good thing whether Pfizers proves ultimately effective or not because if there are more successful vaccines that will help supply and distribution.

The 90-percent efficacy rate for the Pfizer vaccine, if it holds up, is exceptional, Walsh said. Not all vaccines are as effective. He noted the measle vaccine is the most effective viral vaccine with an effective rate of 96 percent.

While there is much to learn yet about SARS-Cov-2 and how to vaccinate against it, both Walsh and Falsey struck upbeat notes about vaccines in general and the ability to find a vaccine to fight COVID-19.

The history of vaccines has been generally, and not universally but generally, extraordinarily successful," Walsh said. "The benefit of the vaccines that have been released over the years, over the many, many years of vaccines and going back to the 1950s, is the benefit has far outweighed any risks. I think there is that history to rely on though it is no guarantee, of course. But I think this is important, too, to recognize it and education will be important (to acceptance of the vaccine)."

Falsey added, "A lot of the vaccine hesitancy in recent years has been because vaccines have been so successful that they have nearly eradicated the terrible diseases. And so people don't understand the true impact of some of these infections and they start fixating on potential threats from a vaccine. I think with this pandemic, we can look around and see friends and family members who have been devastated.

"And so everything is risk-benefit. In addition to educating people about misinformation and the true side effects of vaccines, we can also ask them to think about risk-benefit ratios and that with 100,000 cases a day and a thousand deaths each day in the U.S., there's a significant risk to not getting vaccinated. So choosing to not accept the vaccine or not do anything is a decision, and that also carries significant risk."

A fire with flames showing is reported at 3 Walnut St., between South Main Street and Walnut Place in the City of Batavia.

"Looks like a pretty good header in the air," says a first responder.

Flames showing from the second story of the two-story wooden residence.

It's gone to a second alarm.

City fire is responding along with mutual aid from Darien, Town of Batavia and Alexander fire, plus Mercy Medics.

"Engine #11 has water on the fire," a firefighter reports.

UPDATE 6:58 p.m.: "Fire knocked down," says command.

UPDATE 8:59 p.m.: City Engine #12 is responding.

UPDATE 9:01 p.m.: City Engine #12 is on scene.

UPDATE 9:07 p.m.: Alexander #101 on scene. City #17 en route to 3 Walnut. "Fire is out," reports command. "Overhauling."

UPDATE 9:10 pm.: City #17 is on scene. Darien is told to continune in non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 10:11 p.m. (By Howard): The cause of the fire is still under investigation said Chief Stephen Napolitano. There were no injuries. All residents evacuated before firefighters were on scene. The upstairs apartment, where the fire started, was occupied by two adults and an infant. The downstairs apartment was occupied by one adult and a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old. One family can stay with friends or family; the other family will be assisted by the Red Cross. There is heavy smoke damage and the utilities to the building have been turned off. Video will be posted later.

UPDATE 10:34 p.m.: A police patrol has been asked to search the area of the Walnut Street footbridge for a beagle with a leash attached. The dog was last seen running from the fire in that direction.

Photo by Andrea Stasko.

As a Williamsville architectural firm conducts a feasibility study on the construction of a new Batavia Police Department headquarters on the parking lot at Alva Place and Bank Street, a representative of the Genesee Country Farmers’ Market continues to seek an “open dialogue” with City Council on the future of the seasonal produce business.

In 2020, the privately owned market, which has been at several locations over the past 15 years, conducted business on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from June 5 through Oct. 30 on the Downtown lot across the street from the City Centre Mall.

The market has been a hot topic of discussion in recent days following Market Manager Elizabeth “Betty” Carr’s public comments at City Council’s Oct. 26 meeting. At the meeting, Carr asked city leaders to reconsider its decision to build a new police station on the Alva Place parking lot.

Since then, although no formal meeting between farmers’ market board members and City Council has taken place, the open dialogue that Carr was hoping for has come in the form of remarks on the website of The Batavian and its Facebook page.

On one side, there is City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. consistently stating the municipality’s position that since the city already owns the Alva Place lot – which was deemed the No. 2 choice by a police facility task force that met in 2015 – erecting a new police facility there would result in a significant cost savings.

The first choice, a parcel on Swan Street, was not a city-owned property. When city leaders inquired about its availability, they were told it was not for sale.

While no official budgetary figures have been released (that will happen at the conclusion of the feasibility study by Architecture Unlimited LLC, of Williamsville), previous cost estimates were in the $9 million to $12 million range. City officials are hopeful that the building they are proposing will cost less than that based on similar completed projects in the Town of Clarence and Town of Greece.

Jankowski: City Saves Money as Property Owner

“Here’s the thing about the farmers’ market,” Jankowski said. “We’re saving $500,000 by building the station on our own property. The farmers’ market manager in her emails and in her comments on Facebook, which some of them were out of line, is expecting us to just give them a $500,000 value or more lot in the middle of town. We’ve already been given a walkability study that says we have too many parking lots. Those lots were designed for buildings to be put there.”

Jankowski said Carr is advocating for the city give to the market taxpayer-funded property at no charge.

“And I don’t know who is going to pay for the building they want to put on there. I’m thinking she expects the city to pay for the building as well,” he said. “She wants us to build and give her a piece of property, and then we need to go buy another piece of property, take that off the tax rolls and build our police station on some third, fourth or fifth choice that we can come up with so she can have the farmers’ market there.”

On the other side is Carr, who said she is simply looking for City Council to allow directors of the farmers’ market to present pertinent information about the markets’ customer base and nutritional needs in an era of COVID-19.

“Mr. Jankowski says we are taking a hard line? The only hard line is that this was dictated to us,” she said. “We were never in agreement and we were never asked to have a conversation. We were told from day one that we would have to move.”

Carr said that Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski informed market officials that they could stay in their current location through 2021.

“It always was with the intent that we would have to move, which is why I spoke in front of City Council and asked for open dialogue, so we could talk about this,” Carr said. “And I was shocked at how Mr. Jankowski handled himself the next day. He printed lies. He said that we’re trying to steal property from the city and that we were already in agreement to this move.”

Carr Takes Exception to Facebook Post

She also said that Jankowski insulted (Farmers’ Market Treasurer) Sharon Brent, posting a Facebook comment that read “How can anyone buy from this woman?”

“We have no idea how that has hurt her business, and she has been in her business for 45 years,” Carr said.

A review of the numerous statements on The Batavian’s Facebook page reveals that Jankowski’s actual post was as follows: “The market is now demanding the city turn over that property to them for permanent use for free. It’s very disappointing that the market is trying to steal a piece of property from the taxpayers valued at over $500,000. After this behavior who would want to do business with them at this point?”

Carr admitted that the farmers’ market has no right to dictate city policy, but at least should be respected enough -- considering that it does bring people and revenue to Batavia – to be invited to the table to talk about its fate.

“The city has never had any conversation with us,” she said. “We are a bunch of farmers. I’m new to the market. Who are we to say we want the city to build a building for us? Who is saying that? We are not.”

As far as the feasibility study is concerned, Public Works Director Matt Worth said he has sent utility and survey information, and boundaries and dimensions of the Alva Place lot to the architectural firm, while architects have made some on-site visits and are reviewing operations of the existing police facility – the 165-year-old former Brisbane Mansion at 10 W. Main St.

“We’re pretty much on the front end of it. We’re in the information gathering process, I would say at this point,” said Worth, who expects the study to take another six months or so.

Worth: Feasibility Study is Determining Factor

Worth said the feasibility study will determine the configuration of the facility – one- or two-story, shape, provisions for parking, etc. – and is anticipating a price point that fits within the city’s plans to finance it over a 20- to 30-year period.

“We’ll have a really good idea once this is done. The original task force numbers were very conceptual and we didn’t have a lot of confidence that it was going to be that costly,” he said. “And that’s really where we made the connection with Architecture Unlimited. They were involved with a state police/sheriff’s facility that was built in the Town of Clarence, and so we were able to get some numbers that they had for that as well as the new police facility that was built in the Town of Greece.

“Looking at those and how the building could be configured, it became apparent that it seemed like it could be done for quite a bit less than that and make it more affordable.”

Worth said the feasibility study is costing the city $41,200.

Carr, when advised that the feasibility study was underway, said that was “new information” to her and questioned if Batavia residents were on board with such a long-term financial commitment.

“I’m not sure if the citizens want a police station there or if they really want a police station,” she offered. “It could be that citizens want to revisit how they’re tax dollars are to be used … and judging from comments on Facebook and The Batavian comments, about the location of the police department and if it is necessary.”

She then asked how city leaders set their priorities.

“Then I would ask of the city, during this feasibility study, what’s their measurement of success? In other words, who are they serving? Are they going to do something that’s going to ... how do they determine what best serves the citizens? They’ve got the farmers’ market.”

Would Relocation Affect Business?

Carr did agree that the current police headquarters is inadequate, but said that placing a new one would on the Alva Place lot would devastate the farmers’ market.

“If the market moved to Angotti’s (Beverage Corp.) parking lot on School Street … well, 73 percent of our customers walk or bike and (right now) no one crosses Main Street or Ellicott Street. You might as well put us on an island, all by ourselves,” she said.

“Seventy-three percent of our customers may not come because they’d have to cross those busy streets. Senior citizens with their walkers and motorized scooters – they’re not going to cross those busy streets. And we’d be that much farther removed from other customers we currently serve, such as the employees of the hospital and the YMCA.”

Jankowski said a new headquarters for the Batavia Police Department is long overdue.

“The facility is not proper right now – we know that – and it’s falling apart,” he said. “We need a building on our own property and we need a building where we can save money.”

The retired City of Batavia police officer then pointed out some of the problems with the current police station.

“Who is going to benefit from it? People in the community that are arrested. They’ll have a better facility to be housed in temporarily when they’re interviewed – in a proper area,” Jankowski said. “Evidence will be stored in a proper safe facility and not contaminating people with the fumes coming off it. You’ve got blood evidence, you’ve got drug evidence. That stuff is locked in an old safe now; there’s no ventilation in there. When those guys (police officers) walk in there, they’re taking a breath and inhaling that stuff. It can’t be healthy.”

Current Police Station is Lacking

Jankowski said the city has to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements.

“We’re not making this stuff up,” he said. “When you’re a victim of a crime or domestic abuse, we have a safe place to go and you’re not being yelled at by your abuser because you’re in the same room and there’s a door there and he’s yelling through the window at you.”

The council president said he has received no complaints from the public until “Ms. Carr gets hired by the farmers’ market and now she is demanding that we turn over this lot to them at no charge and create a permanent place for the market.”

“I love the market … but nobody said it was a permanent deal. It was land that was not being used and we said, ‘Sure, you can use it temporarily.’ I do know that when they were moved there, it was not my impression that they were moved there permanently.”

Jankowski said the city would like to help them find another location, preferably close to downtown. He also said the farmers’ market has the option to purchase city-owned property at the fair market rate and erect its own structure, adding that nonprofits such as Genesee/Orleans Council on Substance Abuse and Alcoholism and YMCA invest their own money to construct their own buildings.

He suggested moving it behind the YMCA.

“They’re going to be having a big wellness thing there (Healthy Living campus) and maybe the best place is to move across the street and be right behind the Y,” he said. “We’re trying to help them find a location, but from what I’m told, they want the place they’re at now and nothing we offer is acceptable to them at this point. Personally, the way they’re acting, I have lost interest in the farmers’ market being there even another year.”

Who are the Bullies in This Situation?

While Jankowski contends the farmers’ market is trying to “bully” the city, Carr said it is the other way around.

“We are being bullies by asking for conversation? A bully is someone who dictates terms and that’s what the city is doing to us. We’re in a totally reactive position. We have no clout,” she said.

Carr said she seeks to inform Council members of information that needs to be considered.

“I’m bringing to their attention a New York State Field & Fork survey that shows groundswell that that area is the perfect location for the market – as 73 percent of the customers are able to walk and bike (to get there),” she said. “In addition, in 2018 across the nation was the beginning of a movement (that) everyone wants more local produce from their farmers’ markets. And just recently, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) issued an RFI (request for information) stating that by the year 2050, 40 percent of all locally grown produce must come from locally grown in order to reduce the carbon footprint by 50 percent.”

She also said that people need to be educated on the relationship between COVID-19 and healthy eating.

“How can you make decisions with such game-changing facts in front of you based on data that’s five years out of date?” she asked. “COVID is the game-changer here. It’s a known fact that eating more produce increases your immunity and it’s from only your locally grown produce where you get optimal nutrition. These changes are taking place and they have been going on for quite a while and you’ve missed this data.”

Carr said directors of the farmers’ market plan to meet on Nov. 16 to discuss their options, mentioning that she has reached out to Congressman Chris Jacobs to see if he could assist in helping them to locate some funding independent of the city.

“As far as the farmers’ market and the reception that the farmers’ market received, including Mr. Jankowski slamming our lead farmer, why wouldn’t we just pack up and move to Batavia Downs or get someone to underwrite us and go elsewhere?” she asked. “What’s the point in staying Downtown because the city doesn’t want us there? They’ve been kicking us around, year to year, going on the 12^th time in the course of 15 years, without conversation. Does that seem right?”

Previously: Farmers' market treasurer provides information in response to City Council's queries

Previously: Farmers' Market manager asks Council to reconsider placing new police station on Alva Place lot

Previously: Placement of 'nomadic' Genesee Country Farmers' Market is up in the air once more

Batavia, New York, residents young and old donned Halloween costumes of all colors, shapes, and sizes at the Trunk or Treat event hosted by Just Kings Social Club, a newly formed racial justice group that advocates for community members of color. Outreach events like Trunk or Treat are part of the organization’s initiative to mobilize for criminal justice reform, a political issue at the forefront of the 2020 election.

Though the group is not affiliated with Black Lives Matter, Just Kings has shown its solidarity with nationwide police reform movements following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Just Kings has organized outreach events like the June 7 “March for Justice” protest in downtown Batavia and Juneteenth “Teach Thy Neighbor” celebration at the YWCA of Genesee County.

Over 400 demonstrators attended the March for Justice, and the organization has received an outpouring of community support on its Facebook page. In addition to large gatherings, Just Kings works with those in need of financial assistance and emotional support on an individual basis. 

“From giving free haircuts and back-to-school bags to selling chicken barbecues to put on things like [Trunk or Treat], the community’s responded, and it’s been awesome,” said Just Kings member Otis Thomas. “They’re enjoying the movement, and we’re going to keep pushing forward and hoping for bigger and better things.”

Eventgoers spoke highly of the grassroots organizing work that Just Kings is doing to bring all Batavia and Genesee County, New York, residents into a cohesive discussion about racial justice.

“Every single member of Just Kings really has their heart put into this,” supporter MaKayla Armstrong said. “They’re really trying to make Batavia a better place, a safe place.”

Vocalizing Underrepresented Concerns About Police Reform

Three Just Kings members are on the City of Batavia Police Collaboration Advisory Stakeholder Group, a board of local leaders and residents tasked with reimagining the city’s policing practices. One of the original objectives of Just Kings was to join the board. Group members said it is meaningful to be engaged in dialogue with the Batavia Police Department.

“To be invited, to have a few of our members on that board, was a huge accomplishment for us, not for the clout but for the actual voice that we can have in the community,” Just Kings member Haven Armstrong said.

As one of the first community groups for people of color in Genesee County, which is a predominantly white, conservative region, Just Kings has been spearheading efforts to gain representation for Black and brown residents and confront the racial disparities that exist in local policing policies.

“We felt for years being from here and living here so long that our voice was kind of suppressed,” he said. “Having the members that we know that are out doing the right things or trying to make an actual reform happen … was huge for us and the community.”

Gaining Representation and Reform Through the Vote

Criminal justice reform has also been taking place at the polls. Encouraging voting among its supporters is a component of Just Kings’ work to educate youth and raise awareness of racial inequalities at the local level.

“When it all comes down to it, this is a good place to be,” Just Kings member Oraid Edwards said. “We want to prove that but, at the same time, make changes so that way equality spreads throughout.”

To facilitate those changes, Just Kings has shared voting resources with its supporters so they are informed about how to cast their ballots this election season.

“We believe the local government — your governor and your local things in your city — is what’s really going to matter for us right now,” Thomas said. “… Get out and vote. Push the [police reform] issue. If you’re 18 or over and you have that voice, use it.”

Lauren Leone is a journalism student at Ithaca College, a graduate of Batavia High School, and a former intern for The Batavian. This article originally appeared in Ithaca Week.

Bottom video by Howard Owens/The Batavian. The video was runner-up in the Best Multimedia Competition in 2020 sponsored by Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION).

Two employees at Jackson Primary School tested positive for COVID-19 and were symptomatic while on campus so Superintendent Anibal Soler today announced that the school will be moving to 100-percent virtual learning for the next two weeks starting tomorrow.

Jackson, with pupils in grades pre-kindergarten through second, is the only school in the City School district moving to virtual learning for the time being.

"This has caused a growing number of students and staff to be identified and deemed in “close contact” and they will need to quarantine for a 14-day window immediately," Soler said. "Staff and students who have been identified as 'close contact' will be notified by both school administration and the Genesee County Health Department starting today."

Virtual learning will be in effect until Nov. 30.

"This decision was extremely difficult as I know the impact that this has on our students and families," Soler said. "As positive cases continue to grow in our Genesee County region, please know that this decision was done out of extreme caution to protect our youngest learners, families, and staff."

Letter to parents and staff:

I am writing to provide you an important update regarding COVID-19 and Jackson Primary School.  

I have been notified and in contact with the Genesee County Health Department and the District’s Medical Director that there have been two positive COVID-19 cases on the Jackson Primary campus. The employees were in school while exhibiting symptoms. As a result, this has caused a growing number of students and staff to be identified and deemed in “close contact” and they will need to quarantine for a 14-day window immediately. Staff and students who have been identified as “close contact” will be notified by both school administration and the Genesee County Health Department starting today. 

Out of an abundance of caution, we will be moving Jackson Primary School to 100-percent Virtual Remote Learning effective immediately and will return back to our hybrid in-person learning model on Monday, Nov. 30.

This decision was extremely difficult as I know the impact that this has on our students and families. As positive cases continue to grow in our Genesee County region, please know that this decision was done out of extreme caution to protect our youngest learners, families and staff. 

This extended period of in-person learning closure is our attempt to disrupt the spread of COVID-19 on our Jackson Primary campus and will hopefully avoid us having multiple interruptions or closures to our school programming as we continue to await additional test results.

Please also note, all non-identified staff will report to work tomorrow as normal to continue to teach and support students remotely. Access to meals including breakfast and lunch, will continue to be provided daily for any individual 18 and under in the household.  

New York State has launched the “School COVID Report Card” site, where you can view COVID-19 data associated with all schools in New York. To protect the privacy of students and staff, we will never release personally identifiable information.

Please continue to be vigilant in your efforts and help us prevent the spread of COVID-19. For additional reliable information on preventing the spread of COVID-19, please go to www.cdc.gov or www.health.ny.gov. 

Please also don’t hesitate to contact Jackson Primary School or the District if you have any questions or concerns. 

Better Together… WE are Batavia!

Anibal Soler Jr.

Superintendent of Schools

A car vs. pedestrian accident is reported at East Main and Summit streets in the City of Batavia. The victim has a head laceration. Mercy Flight #7 is put on ground standby in the Batavia hangar. Mercy medics are on scene along with city police, and city fire is responding.

East Main Street will be shut down at Ross Street.

UPDATE 8:09 p.m.: The patient is reportedly in cardiac arrest.

UPDATE 8:22 p.m.: The victim will be transported by ambulance to the hangar in Batavia and then via Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

UPDATE 9:45 p.m. (By Howard): Based on witness accounts gathered by police at the scene, it appears the person who was struck ran across the street and was struck by a minivan. Unconfirmed by police but according to witnesses at the scene, he may have been with another person who fled the scene.  The victim was administered CPR at the scene. He may be transported to Strong by Mercy Flight but he was first taken to UMMC where he apparently remains under treatment. The driver of the minivan, an older gentleman, appeared uninjured but was transported to UMMC for evaluation. His wife arrived on scene after the accident and comforted him. The Crash Management Team for the Sheriff's Office is on scene to assist with the investigation.

The victim has not been identified.

UPDATE 12:19 a.m.;  Press release:

At approximately 8:02 p.m. on 11/06/2020, the Genesee County Dispatch center was notified of a car/pedestrian accident that occurred on East Main Street just east of Summit Street. Officers from the Batavia Police Department, along with the City of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy Medics, responded where the male pedestrian was found with severe injuries, laying in the middle of the roadway. The pedestrian was transported to UMMC where he was later pronounced dead.

The preliminary investigation shows the vehicle was heading east on East Main Street when the pedestrian entered the roadway just east of Summit Street. The pedestrian was on the south side of the roadway and heading north. The vehicle struck the pedestrian as he was crossing the road. The investigation is still ongoing and no further updates should be expected until 11/09/2020. The identity of the pedestrian is being withheld at this time at the family’s request.

Anyone with information in reference to the case may contact Detective Sergeant Lutey at (585) 345-6311 or the Batavia Police Department at (585) 345-6350, the confidential tip line at (585) 345-6370.

Don’t go grouping Genesee County with five other rural counties outside of the heavy-populated hubs of Erie and Niagara when it comes to private-sector job losses over the past five years.

That’s one of the themes emanating from a Nov. 4 story in Buffalo Business First that reveals the findings of a federal report, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, pertaining to the Western New York business climate prior to the economic shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the BBF article, Genesee County “is an exception to the generally gloomy news about the six outlying counties” – the others being Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Orleans and Wyoming.

Genesee County, per the QCEW, created an additional 718 private-sector jobs between 2015 and March 2020, a period that culminated before the adverse effects of COVID-19 took hold. That represents a 4.4-percent increase.

Citing the BBF story, “The six outlying counties (including Genesee) collectively lost 4.1 percent of their jobs during the 2015-20 span, a period in which the national economy was prospering. A total of 4,303 private-sector positions vanished” from the six counties.

The number jumps to a 5.7-percent decline in employment for those other five counties when removing Genesee’s performance.

Steve Hyde, president and chief executive officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, contacted today said he’s not surprised by the report’s favorable news.

“In Genesee County, the continued collaboration among the various levels of government with our strong private sector is resulting in economic growth through capital investment and jobs,” he said. “The results shared since 2015 are visible at Genesee County’s eight shovel-ready business parks and the sustained growth of many Genesee County companies.”

Hyde contributed the growth to investments made by the county’s major employers as well as smaller businesses that have expanded their operations.

Some of those major employers include HP Hood, O-At-Ka Milk Products, Liberty Pumps, Wright Beverage and Tompkins Bank/Insurance.

Genesee County Manager Matt Landers said the QCEW report validates that Genesee County “is indeed a great place to work and live.”

“We are fortunate to have excellent companies in our backyard that are growing and investing right here in Genesee County,” Landers said today. “The combined efforts of the GCEDC, Batavia Development Corporation, Batavia Downtown Business Improvement District, and Chamber of Commerce have helped to attract and retain many of these private-sector jobs, and have us positioned for continued growth for years to come.”

The BBF story called Genesee County “the one exception” to a downturn in job growth in the rural counties when compared to increases in the number of private-sector businesses in Erie and Niagara counties, per the QCEW study.

“A total of 4,303 private-sector positions vanished from Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties … while at the same time Erie and Niagara counties were adding 11,845 private-sector jobs, representing an increase of 2.7 percent,” according to the BBF article.

The story also pointed out that Orleans and Wyoming counties "essentially broke even" during the five-year span.