Following a raid by the FBI on a residence in Batavia Wednesday, two men have been arraigned in U.S. District Court on a sex trafficking indictment, including Joseph Barsuk.
The listed owner of the residence at 3604 South Pearl Street Road, Batavia, according to county tax records, is Barsuk Buffalo Properties LLC, and records list Joseph Barsuk Jr. as a former owner of the property.
Barsuk and Brian Rosenthal are indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Barsuk is also accused of sex trafficking by coercion.
On the first count of the indictment, Barsuk and Rosenthal are accused of working together, and perhaps with others, to "knowingly recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, obtain" sex workers for financial gain.
Barsuk is accused of using force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to get a victim, referred to as "Victim 1," in paid sex work.
The Buffalo News reported today that the case may be linked to an investigation of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Buffalo. Rosenthal is reportedly a long-time employee of the club.
Much like it did in early August, Batavia's Graham Manufacturing shipped another large package from its plant on the east side of the city at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. There is no information on this particular piece of equipment but The Batavian learned later that the previous shipment was destined for a Navy aircraft carrier. Reader submitted photo.
From L to R: (Front) Melissa Lindner, Notre Dame High School; Karen Green, St. Joseph’s School; Jason Smith, Batavia City School District; Susan Wakefield, St. Paul’s School; Jacqueline Simpson, New York State School for the Blind; (Back) Matt Lutey, Batavia Police Department; Connor Borchert, Batavia Police Department/BCSD SRO; Eric Hill, Batavia Police Department; Lynn Eick, St. Paul’s School. Photo by Howard Owens.
Mr. Simpson’s in the building.
If you don’t know what that means, you’re one of the many students, staff and faculty at the school districts that don’t use such lingo as a secret indicator of a particular message to be broadcast when necessary over the public address system.
Just imagine what it would be like as a visiting student or substitute teacher on a day when this cryptic notification is aired, and all of the other school members respond in a knowing awareness. What if this message held special significance in relation to a school threat or community emergency? On the other hand, there are two very common terms used by most every school that have caused much confusion as well: lock out and lock down.
Now that a Standard Response Protocol has been implemented this summer, the language and related directives during school incidents will be the same for each of the city school district schools, St. Paul Lutheran, St. Joseph’s, Notre Dame High School and the state School for the Blind, and for Batavia Police Detective Eric Hill, it's about time.
“They've had the lockdown procedure in place and lockout procedure in place for a very, very long time. It's just now we're calling the lockout secure, so there's not that confusion any more. I'm really trying to push the education portion of it. Because a lot of times, you know, because of the very similar wording between lockout and lockdown, the general public would get confused as well. So we'd call for a lockout. And people would be like, 'Oh, my gosh, my kid was in lockdown.' They weren't, but it was just that the language is so close to one another that you don't understand what the difference is between them,” Hill said. “So we're trying to get that information out to the general public, and schools have actually had Parent Night and stuff like that, where they've been pushing out this wording and what it actually means. So when a parent hears 'Oh, you know, my school or my kid was in a Secure,' they understand that there wasn't any threat to the child at all … so we're hoping that that'll alleviate some of the anxiety that comes along with this kind of stuff.”
There have been some districts that used phrases such as Mr. Simpson is in the building to indicate a certain message to the student body, and a more universal language would help to clarify those messages as well, he said.
As for the wording, the new language to be used in this protocol will be:
Hold — is followed by “in your room or area,” and is the protocol used when hallways need to kept clear of occupants.
Secure — is followed by “get inside. Lock outside doors,” and is the protocol used to safeguard people within the building.
Lockdown — is followed by “locks, lights, out of sight,” and is used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place
Evacuate — may be followed by a location, and is used to move people from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
Shelter — is to include the hazard causing the incident and safety strategy for the group and for self protection.
These words will be announced by public address system when necessary, although Hill would like to eventually move to having the software available for use on cell phones, laptops, computers and Smart Boards. That will take future grants or other types of funding, he said.
An example of a Hold would be if a student is sick and other students need to be kept away and out of the hall, a Hold may be called out over the PA, he said.
A secure might be if there’s a threat outside of the building — there was a recent real example when police had a car chase, and the driver bailed from his vehicle and police officers chased him on foot. Previously that would have been a lock out, but now is a secure, meaning keep everyone inside and safe, and go about your business with the doors locked to prevent anyone from getting inside.
A lockdown is when the threat is inside the school and students and staff need to keep themselves safe inside, perhaps locked inside a classroom.
Evacuate is to move out of the building, and shelter is to find a safe place to be in a time of crisis, perhaps a blizzard or other natural disaster.
An initiative that began from tragedy — a school shooting that took the life of Emily Keyes — the I Love U Guys Foundation was founded by her parents, Ellen and John-Michael, in 2006 to “restore and protect the joy of youth through educational programs and positive actions in collaboration with families, schools, communities, organization, and government entities.”
The couple drafted these directives as ways to provide more uniform responses for kids to follow when incidents occur in schools, up to the point when the incident ends, Hill said. So if it’s a threat inside of school, no one would leave a locked classroom until an authorized person with a key unlocks that door. Because “no one, under any circumstances should open that door for anybody,” Hill said.
“Because, you know, we'll be opening that door. But we specifically set it up that way. The SRP is they've literally thought of everything at the I Love U Guys Foundation. They've put a lot of time, a lot of effort into this,” he said. “And we've actually had several trainings with them over the summer, and with school staff, both private and public school staff, to really understand their SRP and where it would be beneficial to everybody in our community, law enforcement, staff, students in the public, just to get everybody on the same page. So we're all talking the same language.”
The program’s name stems from when Emily was held hostage during her school’s shooting, and she texted that message to each of her parents. One goal is to get schools across the country to sign up and train using this standardized response protocol. Hill wants to ensure that the city’s program is up and running strong before then moving onto spreading it throughout Genesee County.
“Once we kind of get that in place, then we do want to hopefully grow the school safety team by pulling the Sheriff's department in with us. And then rolling it out county wide,” he said. “So that way, all the schools in Genesee County are using the exact same language, they're using the exact same protocols. And we all know what each other is doing. But we just haven't gotten to that step yet. So we're working towards that.”
Crisis response training for each of the schools began in August and will continue throughout the year. This protocol is not to be a replacement for any school safety plan, but an enhancement for critical incidents, officials said.
Clear communication is critical in a crisis situation, City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith said, and the “standardization of these terms will provide clear direction to our students, staff, families, and community in case of emergency.”
“Thank you to our partners at the Batavia Police Department for leading this effort and for their consistent prioritization of school and community safety,” Smith said. “I’m thrilled to see Batavia’s educational community come together to implement these essential protocols.”
Part of the program includes posters that can be downloaded and printed out for schools to place on walls for free use in times of crisis — especially when someone forgets what a directive means or the steps involved, Hill said.
There are also other posters that may be placed in windows to alert visitors that “School is Secured” with monitored entry, or “Drill in Progress” with no one in or out, or other such messages, and trainings offered through the program’s website.
A North Carolina man suspected of extremist ties and caught in Genesee County in March 2022 with an illegal firearm and subsequently charged by federal law enforcement was sentenced on Wednesday to time served.
Michael Alan Jones, who reportedly had ties to white supremacist groups, served 10 months in federal custody after his arrest in by deputies Kenneth Quackenbush and Nicholas Chamoun, who relentlessly questioned Jones and a companion during a traffic stop on School Road in Le Roy after a vehicle driven by Jones tried to make apparent evasive moves.
It turned out Jones did not have the proper license plate on the vehicle he was driving, giving the officers the authority to impound the car and inventory its contents. While compiling the inventory, they discovered an illegal AR-15.
The video of his arrest, above, is edited from body-worn camera footage obtained by The Batavian in February through a Freedom of Information Law request filed with the Sheriff's Office.
Once the FBI learned of the arrest of Jones, an agent with the Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to the Sheriff's Office on Park Road and questioned him.
The FBI took over the case and filed federal charges against Jones because he was a convicted felon -- in North Carolina -- who crossed state lines in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Jones admitted to the Federal charges in December and was eventually released under supervision, returning to his parents' home in North Carolina, pending sentencing. He was apparently released, in part, because of a serious medical condition involving his leg.
In a letter to Judge David G. Larimer, Jones said the release probably enabled him to receive the care he needed to keep his leg.
A probation officer also noted for the court record that Jones was in full compliance with the terms of his release.
In his letter, Jones admitted he had made mistakes.
"I would like to apologize for my actions that have led me to your courtroom," Jones wrote to the judge. "I have had time to reflect on what circumstances led me there and what thought processes led me to believe I was doing the right thing, and I can see now that I was simply wrong. There is no justifying it. We have laws in place for the betterment of society, and it is not up to me or anyone on my level to try and decide which ones are to be followed or not. I regret the steps I took that led to us being in my position today, but I can honestly tell you that I have learned from my mistakes, and I have no desire or intention of ever putting myself in a situation to end up in any situation like this again."
UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Since publication of this story, The Batavian has obtained a copy sentencing memo presented to the court by Federal Public Defender Steven Slawinski in support of a time-served sentence for his client. In it, Slawinski states that Jones, who had a leg injury prior to his arrest, was in danger of losing his leg and was barely able to walk because of inadequate medical care while in the custody of the Monroe County Jail. The wound had become infected, and Jones had been denied antibiotics in jail. Slawinski asked the court to consider the possibility of Jones again not receiving adequate health care if he were incarcerated again.
Slawinski also confirms that Jones was a former member of Proud Boys, which Jones joined when he was a teenager. Over time, his views changed, and Jones became a paid FBI informant. Jones infiltrated the Charlotte chapter of Proud Boys and provided the FBI with "valuable information" about the organization. He writes, "Jones has since matured and no longer harbors these views. In fact, renouncing these views was a prerequisite for his parents allowing him to come back to their home after he was released from jail."
Slawinski said Jones is considering becoming a trucker or going back to college to earn a degree in agriculture.
The FBI executed an arrest and search warrant at 3604 Pearl Street Road, Batavia, on Wednesday morning. Details of the case have not been released. Genesee County tax record photo.
Federal officials confirmed with The Batavian on Wednesday afternoon that an arrest warrant and search warrant were executed by agents of the FBI at 3604 South Pearl Street Road, Batavia, earlier in the day.
Jeannie McBride, public affairs officer for the FBI, referred The Batavian to the U.S. Attorney's Office for details on the arrest.
A spokeswoman confirmed a subject did appear in U.S. District Court on Wednesday afternoon and is scheduled to appear again at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. She said details of the case could be obtained through PACER, the website where federal court documents are made available to the public.
As of Wednesday night, no documents had yet been released related to the case.
McBride said the investigation is "ongoing."
County records indicate the registered property owner is Barsuk Buffalo Properties LLC. The LLC was registered with the Secretary of State in 2018 with a postal box address in Batavia.
Benjamin G. Evans, 34, of Batavia, is charged with trespass and criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th degree following an investigation by patrol and the Genesee County Probation Department. Evans and another individual were found to be inside a vacant building on Swan Street without permission on Sept. 19. Evans was issued appearance tickets and released. Jessica M . Horton, 33, of Batavia, was also charged with trespass. Horton was issued an appearance ticket and turned over to the probation department.
Angelo P. Mana, 49, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny following a shoplifting complaint at Tops Market on Sept,. 17. Mana was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Brandon C. Pinzon, 49, of Roselle, N.J., is charged with harassment following a complaint that he made threats towards an individual at UMMC on Sept. 17. Pinzon was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Michael J. Holler, 37, of Rochester, is charged with petit larceny following an investigation into a theft at 7-Eleven on Sept. 18. Holler was issued an appearance ticket and released.
Scott M. Hinckley, 37, of Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation by members of the detective bureau and patrol officers. Hinckley was arrested on Sept. 6 and issued an appearance ticket. The summary of the alleged incident and when and where it took place were not released by Batavia PD.
Tonya M. Weber, 39, of Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 6 after allegedly failing to appear in County Court on charges of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of controlled substance 3rd, and criminal possession of a controlled Substance 7th. Weber was arraigned in County Court and held on bail.
Misty R. Scutt, 34, of Attica, was arrested on a bench warrant on Sept. 6 after allegedly failing to appear in City Court on a charge of driving while ability impaired. Scutt was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.
Deanna L. Smith, 39, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, and open container. Smith was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 6 on Ellicott Street at an undisclosed time. Smith was issued a traffic ticket and released.
Robert L. Drennen, 41. of Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired and open container following a complaint on Sept. 6 of a person passed out in a vehicle at MacArthur Park in Batavia. Drennen was issued traffic tickets and released.
Debrorah M. Cross, 51, of Batavia, was charged with multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching following a lengthy investigation by the detective bureau, assisted by patrol officers. It is alleged that Cross did act in a manner that endangered the welfare of an individual with disabilities. Cross was issued appearance tickets.
Thomas J. Domion, 29, of Richfield Springs, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Domion was stopped on Oak Street by a Batavia patrol officer on Sept. 11 for an alleged equipment violation. Domion was issued traffic tickets and released.
Paul Lee, 51, of Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a stolen credit card, two counts of petit larceny, and two counts of identity theft. Lee is accused of using a stolen debit card at businesses in Batavia. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.
Joshua J. Dalle, 30, of Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Dalle is accused of striking another person during a disturbance on Maple Street, Batavia, on Sept. 11. Dalle was arraigned in City Court and released.
Tatyanna M. White, 20, of Batavia, White is charged with criminal mischief and criminal possession of a weapon 4th. White is accused of damaging the property of another person while on Dellinger Avenue on Sept. 14. No further details about the incident were released. White was arraigned and released.
Ashton L. Mohney, 33, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, criminal contempt 2nd and aggravated harassment. Mohney is accused of violating an order of protection on Sept. 14 and again on Sept. 15 at a location on Ross Street, Batavia. Mohney was arraigned and jailed.
Denise M. Roberts, 62, of Rochester, with burglary 2nd, petit larceny, and criminal mischief. Roberts is accused of forcibly entering an apartment on North Spruce Street, Batavia, on Sept. 15, causing damage in the process and stealing items. Roberts was arraigned and ordered held on cash bail.
George J. Budzinack, 43, of Batavia, was arrested on an arrest warrant out of City Court after allegedly failing to appear on an appearance ticket on the charge of criminal possession of stolen property. Budzinack was arraigned and released.
Lexia Andreana Davis, 19, of South Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with harassment 2nd. Davis is accused of subjecting a fellow employee to physical contact causing pain during an incident on Park Road at 10 a.m. on Sept. 22. Davis was released on an appearance ticket.
The Le Roy Central School District is considering a $12.5 million capital improvement project that would provide upgrades to buildings and facilities in the school district and not result in additional taxes levied on properties in the district.
The superintendent shared details of the plan with district parents in a letter last week, and the Board of Education will hear details of the plan at tonight's (Tuesday) meeting at the Jr./Sr. High School.
The board will be asked to vote on the package at its October meeting.
At the Wolcott Street School,
Rooftop replacement on the Lapp Building, which houses the cafeteria kindergarten, nursing office and main elementary school office.
Window replacements
New generator and enclosure
Roof ladder access to the small gym
Ductwork
Total: $5,147,930
At the Jr./Sr. High School, Hartwood Park, and transportation building:
New soccer stadium field lights
Multipurpose turf field at soccer field
Two 250-seat bleachers at the soccer field
New press box at soccer field
Bus garage access drive
Conduit for future EV chargers
Total: $7,368,943
The new multipurpose field is possible as a project covered by state aid because of the structure of state rules regarding the timing and scope of the work for a multipurpose field. This "reopened the door" for the district to consider a new multipurpose field, Holly said in his letter to parents.
"The multipurpose field would be used for physical education classes, sports practices (fall and spring), soccer games, and youth sports," Holly said. "Outdoor fall sports in Section V, specifically soccer and football, end with their sectional semifinals and finals playing on multipurpose turf fields. This would also be the case for regionals and states. Our district families have expressed a need to bring this proposition back to the voters."
There would be no change to the grass football field at Hartwood Park, Holly said. Modified, JV, and varsity football teams would continue to play games on the grass field unless it was deemed unplayable. The multipurpose field would be equipped with goalposts and lined for both soccer and football.
The entire project would be eligible for 91.1 percent in state aid with the balance paid for by the district's capital reserve fund, which would mean there would be no need to raise taxes specifically to pay for the project, Holly said.
If the board approves the plan at its October meeting, the community would be asked to vote on the proposal in December -- time and date to be determined. Voters must approve expenditures from the capital reserve fund.
Holly said the work is required because every five years, public school districts are required to pay for a complete a Building Conditions Survey, conducted by a certified architect. The report determines what work must be done on school buildings.
The Board of Education meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School.
The Batavian has a limited number of Genesee County Barn Dance tickets available at half-price as a special Deal of the Day sale.
The tickets are available for $17.50 each with no shipping charge. No purchase limit.
Your ticket will be your PayPal payment receipt.
The Second Annual Barn Dance is sponsored by the Town of Batavia Republican Committee. It is this Friday, Sept. 29, from 6 to 10 p.m. The location is 7411 Oak Orchard Road, Elba.
Elba crowned its 2023 Onion Queen and her court on Saturday.
The Elba Onion Queen is Adison Norton.
Her court:
1st Runner Up is Emma Pangrazio
2nd Runner Up is Halie Scouten
3rd Runner Up is Madison Thompson
From the previous press release:
Adison Norton is the daughter of Chirs and Sarah Norton and has a younger brother and sister. She is involved in volleyball, basketball, and softball. Adison participates in Multicultural Club, Yearbook Club, Student Athletic Association, and Pageturners at school. She has been the Treasurer of her class since Freshman year. She has also participated in the 4H Dairy Club for nine years. Adison enjoys reading and spending time with her family and friends. After graduation, Adison plans to attend a four-year school to study journalism and communications and pursue a career in sports journalism.
"We've got a young team still trying to find their way," said OAE Head Coach Tyler Winter. "A lot of guys are playing competitive minutes of football, and it's a new experience. The loss hurts, but the goal remains the same. If we can persevere and build upon the positives, our best football is still in front of us."
UPDATE with Notre Dame's stats:
Jay Antinore, 8-12 passing for 80 yards, seven carries for 51 yards and a TD.
George Woodruff, 62 yards rushing on 23 carries, one TD. On defense, he had 8 1/2 tackles.
Gabe Castro scored a TD on three carries for two yards. On defense, he had eight tackles.
Jaden Sherwood had two receptions for 25 yards and a TD.
A 22-year-old Rochester man is accused of possessing an illegal "ghost gun" following an incident at West Main Street and Ellicott Avenue that precipitated a chase and foot pursuit by Batavia PD.
Taken into custody was Ezequiel Serrano.
Serrano is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree (ghost gun), criminal Possession of a weapon in the second degree, criminal use of a firearm in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, along with multiple vehicle and traffic violations.
The incident at 12:14 p.m. on Thursday caused BOCES and Batavia High School to go into a "lockout" safety precaution.
It began with a report that a person outside Dunkin' Donuts had displayed a handgun in a way that was threatening to another person. Upon arriving, officers learned the suspect and the victim were known to each other and that the suspect was still in the area.
When officers attempted to stop the suspect vehicle, the driver allegedly ignored officers' commands and fled.
There was a vehicle pursuit on Batavia side streets until the driver abandoned the vehicle on a dead-end street and fled on foot.
With the assistance of K-9 Batu, the suspect was taken into custody several blocks away without further incident by members of the Batavia PD Detective Bureau.
Assisting Batavia PD were Genesee County emergency dispatchers, the Sheriff's Office, and State Police.
The handgun was recovered.
Serrano was arraigned in City Court, and held on $50,000 cash bail, $100,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond pending his next court appearance.
"The quick and efficient work of all officers involved ensured the safety of our community and led to the successful apprehension of a fleeing felon," said Chief Shawn Heubusch.
Christopher S. Usselman is indicted on counts of assault on a police officer, a Class C violent felony, obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor. Usselman is accused of causing serious injury to an NYSP trooper during an attempted arrest on April 17 in the Town of Batavia while the trooper was performing his official duties.
Jason W. Whitehead, Jr., is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a Class B felony, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Whitehead is accused of possession of 500 milligrams or more of cocaine on Dec. 1 in the Town of Batavia with the intent to sell it. He is also accused of unlawfully possessing amphetamine. He is also accused of possessing a metal knuckle knife.
Cordero L. Royes is indicted on counts of burglary in the second degree, a Class C violent felony, criminal contempt in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, DWI, a misdemeanor, aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class E felony, and promoting prison contraband in the first degree, a Class D felony. Royes is accused of entering a residence on Maple Street, Batavia, on Feb. 8 with the intent to commit a crime in the dwelling. He is accused of violating an order of protection on that date. He is accused of driving drunk on Dec. 31 on Pringle Avenue in the City of Batavia. He is accused of possessing a lighter in the Genesee County Jail on Jan. 3.
Leonard A. Johnson, III, is indicted on counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th, a Class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, a Class B felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a Class E felony. Johnson is accused of possession of 500 milligrams or more of cocaine on Jan. 13 in the Town of Batavia with the intent to sell it. While in custody, he is accused of trying to conceal narcotics in the seat of a patrol vehicle.
Jennifer Lynn Bobzin, 53, of West Bergen Road, Bergen, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon 3rd, attempted assault 2nd, and menacing 3rd. Bobzin is accused of attempting to grab a weapon and using it to cause injury to another person during an argument reported at 6:40 p.m. on Sept. 20 at a location on West Bergen Road, Bergen.
Michael Steven Dranichak, 61, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with failure to register a change of address. Dranichak is accused of failure to register a change of address within ten days. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Jacob William Patterson, 27, of Kilian Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. During an arrest on a separate matter, Patterson was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance by Deputy Richard Schildwaster at a location on East Main Street, Corfu, at 2:01 p.m. on Feb. 2. Patterson was issued an appearance ticket.
John James Gronowski, 46, of Cheektowaga, is charged with trespass. Gronowski is accused of entering Batavia Downs after previously being advised he was not allowed on the property. He was issued an appearance ticket.
Larry Dominic Delre, 65, of Alleghany Road, Pembroke, is charged with grand larceny 4th and issuing a bad check. Delre is accused of writing a bad check for the purchase of mulch. He was reportedly given multiple opportunities to pay for the mulch but refused. Delre was issued an appearance ticket.
Richard Little, business development with SEI Design, during a presentation Tuesday to the Board of Education for the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District on a capital improvement project proposal. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Oakfield-Alabama Central School District is considering a new $23 million capital improvement project that would modernize and reconfigure classrooms, replace outdated heating and air units, upgrade locker rooms, replace and upgrade athletic fields, and add new parking.
The district would need to issue $20 million in bonds to finance the project at a cost of $7.2 million in interest.
If approved, the district would use $3 million from the capital reserve fund as a "down payment" on the expenditure.
State aid would cover 93.4 percent of the $20 million, which would be reimbursed to the district over the life of the 15-year bond. If the project is approved by the board, voters in the district will get a chance to vote yes or no in December.
Consultants from SEI Design Group, who have been working with the district's facilities committee, presented an outline of the proposal plan to the Board of Education on Tuesday.
A big reason the district can cover the local share of the school building project without a tax increase is that when the district bonded (borrowed money), the annual payment on principal was $350,000 less than budgeted, said Christine Griffin, district business manager.
That $350,000 in the 2023-24 budget was used to finance a playground. Going forward, it could help offset the cost of the new capital improvement project, negating the need for a higher tax rate to cover the local share of the project.
Existing capital reserve funds would also help cover the local share costs.
Board members wanted to know what portion of the project is critical, that it must be completed soon, and the answer is pretty much all of the school building work.
The critical portions of the project include replacing the high school and middle school HVAC rooftop units, which are 30 to 40 years old.
"The biggest thing is going to be mechanical, electrical plumbing impacts," said Richard Little, business development with SEI. "These were items that were identified during the (committee). The HVAC rooftop units are either being worked on excessively or reached the end of their usefulness. We can't get parts, so we need to replace them. Those were flagged not only by the engineers but also by (the committee)."
Then in the science classroom, the concrete slabs have settled in areas creating uneven floors.
"We're going to have to tear the rooms out just to fix the slab settlement issue," Little said.
There is also work that needs to be done on the pool and on an auditorium wall, Little said. There is also carpet that is worn out and needs to be replaced with new flooring (it won't be carpet, Little said).
"Once you go into a room and start working on it, once you've touched it, you are not going to be able to go back to that room for 15 years without being penalized or questioned," Little said, addressing state aid rules about school renovation projects. "So once we're in there, we're taking advantage of it and renovating more spaces. You can vary that if you want to. You can make different types of modifications, but it's just a good opportunity to get that funding from the state."
The school building proposal, if broken out into a separate ballot initiative, would cost $15.6 million. The athletic field portion would be $7.3 million. It would include a new oval track, new shotput and jump pits, as well as new softball and baseball fields.
The board will decide at its October meeting whether to ask the voters to approve the two aspects of the project separately or together.
Trustee Matt Lamb expressed concern that there are people in the community who are hearing rumors that the district is considering a new football stadium, which isn't the case.
"I got a phone call from somebody who wasn't able to attend the meeting tonight and described the project as the football stadium project, so we just need to be careful that this isn't seen as the football stadium capital project," Lamb said.
Trustee Jeff Hyde noted that since Batavia High built a new stadium, Van Detta is in steady use for various events, not just school events. And though this isn't a stadium project, he said he thinks an upgrade to the track and ball fields help bring more visitors into Oakfield.
"I mean, if I'm a business owner, if I'm smart, if I'm somebody who wants more people in this town, this is something that may give it to us," Hyde said.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley's annual fall trip for veterans to Washington, D.C., the Patriot Trip, rolled out of the Batavia Downs parking lot early this morning.
