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It was pretty clear at a gathering of local leaders at County Building #2 on Thursday night that few elected officials in Genesee County's towns and villages are happy with the county's plan for how it will share sales tax revenue.

It was also clear that the county has few options.

The current plan is for the county to cap the amount of sales tax revenue it annually sends to towns at villages at 2018 levels for 40 years.  

Sales tax revenue has been a significant portion of revenue for local jurisdictions -- it's 51 percent of the Town of Le Roy's revenue, for example -- enabling local officials to hold down property taxes.

Now those officials fear the economic impact of seeing sales tax revenue shrink relative to rising costs and what it will mean for property owners in their jurisdictions.

"This agreement is a burden on the towns and villages," said Michael Plitt from the Town of Darien. "It will mean towns have to impose higher property taxes or cut services."

From the county's perspective -- as shared by Bob Bausch (top photo), chair of the County Legislature -- the county has few alternatives.

• The state is forcing the county to build a new jail, which will cost local taxpayers $50 million, or more, plus interest, over 40 years;
• The state is imposing new requirements, called "Raise the Age," for how criminal defendants ages 16 and 17, are handled by law enforcement, the courts, and corrections, which will cost the county $2 million to $3 million a year -- a cost the state says it will reimburse the county for but only if the county stays under the property tax cap;
• The county is facing $75 million in expense to replace aging bridges and culverts.

The county's proposal for sharing sales tax revenue capped at the 2018 rate is an explicit attempt to keep more sales tax to help pay for the new jail.

Bausch pointed out that 80 percent of every property tax dollar collected locally goes to cover state-mandated expenses. Legislator Andrew Young added that the county has only two revenue streams -- property tax and sales tax; and with property tax, the levy is capped so the county doesn't have the option to raise property tax to pay for the jail, that leaves sales tax as the only option.

Young also pointed out that Genesee County is the most generous county in the state for sales tax with towns and villages. Maybe if its share was more in the middle of the pack over the past 10 years, the county wouldn't be in the situation it's in now.

One of the chief objections to the plan for town and village leaders is that the agreement would last 40 years.

Rob LaPoint, deputy supervisor in the Town of Pavilion, calculated inflation going back to 1977 and pointed out that a dollar 40 years ago is worth 25 cents now, at that rate, the county will gain $625 million over 40 years.

"You could build 10 jails for that," LaPoint said.

Both Bausch and Young indicated the county is willing to adjust the 40-year time frame. Young said he favors 15 years.

"If it is a 15-year agreement in place, I know I won't be around, at least I hope not," Young said. "The Legislature in 15 years might decide to take more money."

The county isn't obligated under state law to share any sales tax revenue with the towns and villages. Bausch pointed out that the county could make the amount to share an annual budget decision.

Bausch said without an agreement, he couldn't obligate future legislatures to any particular amount of revenue share.

Some in the audience expressed concern that the City is getting a better deal than the towns and villages. While the amount of new sales tax revenue that will flow to the City will be restricted under its agreement with the county, it is not capped.

The City has more leverage because it can legally override the county sales tax and impose its own sales tax, something the villages and towns can't do.

However, Steve Barbeau pointed out that the City doesn't have that much leverage because most of the sales tax in the county is generated by businesses outside of City limits. 

Legislator Marianne Clattenberg said the City has much higher expenses than the towns and villages. It has its own police department and fire department but it is also the site of most of the tax-exempt property in the county, including the jail, the courthouse, the Old Courthouse, and County Building #1, yet the city must protect those buildings with its police and fire departments and plow the roads that lead to them without collecting the property tax to pay for those services.

David Hagelberger, supervisor for the Town of Darien, wanted to know why the county didn't deal with the jail issue sooner. Bausch said the county wasn't was aware of the looming issues with the jail, but that while it owned the County Nursing home, losing $2 million to $3 million, it really didn't have the ability to deal with the jail or roads and bridges.

While Hagelberger shared many of the same concerns about the length and nature of the agreement and burden it will create for local jurisdictions he also said, "the jail is really all of our problems" and that one way or another everybody in the county was going to have to help pay for it.

Also unique to Genesee County in New York is the county's responsibility for all of the roads and bridges in the towns and villages, which ends up being a cost savings for local jurisdictions, something Carol Glor, supervisor for the Town of Oakfield, said she appreciated.

"We just got two new bridges in Oakfield that are worth well over $2 million," Glor said. "There is no way we could have taken on that expense in our budget."

Press release:

There have been many Batavia High School homecoming games played in the Daniel A. Van Detta Stadium at Woodward Field, but plans for the homecoming football game against Attica on Friday, Sept. 28, at 7:30 p.m., will make this one particularly memorable.

“We wanted to honor the legacy of the stadium as well as thank the community for their support of the 2020 Vision Capital Project,” said Batavia City School District (BCSD) Superintendent of Schools Christopher J. Dailey.

The District-wide capital project includes a transformation of the current stadium and grounds and features increased track and field lanes; the replacement of grass with a synthetic field; a new press box, bleachers, and score board; and expanded parking. Construction is expected to begin next month and be completed by August 2019.

First, however, with recognition and gratitude in mind, District Athletic Director Mike Bromley proposed and the District quickly approved an expansion of the traditional Homecoming festivities.

First, all fans will be admitted for free and, due to the anticipated overflow crowd that is expected, a bus shuttle will be available at approximately 10-minute intervals from the main bus loop in front of Batavia High School from 6:30-7:30 p.m., then again returning fans to BHS at the conclusion of the game. At half-time, in addition to the traditional Homecoming Court announcements, there will be a brief ceremony to acknowledge the distinguished past while looking forward to an illustrious future.

Bromley, issuing a special invitation, said,  “Anyone who has performed at Van Detta Stadium through the years -- including but not limited to students and staff who have been involved in football, soccer, track and field, lacrosse, cheerleading, and pep band -- are invited to be part of the celebration and step out on the field one more time when we call all former participants down from the bleachers for the half-time ceremony.”

“We always look forward to Batavia Homecoming, and this year we are also looking forward to honoring the outstanding history of athleticism, school and community spirit, sportsmanship, and, of course, wins, at the Daniel A. Van Detta Stadium at Woodward Field,” Superintendent Dailey said.

“We anticipate many more years of the same once the stadium is renovated, and can hardly wait to start building those memories!”

Deputy Corey Mower, resource officer for Pavilion Central Schools, shared this early morning picture from the school of the sun rising behind the flagpole.

Earlier tonight a caller on State Street reported a disturbance involving a large group of people at State and Lewis with the suggestion "you better send anybody."

Multiple units from Batavia PD, the Sheriff's Office, and State Police responded.

There was no physical altercation though some officers have remained on scene as area residents have continued to mill about in their yards with several people gathered at 131 State St.

At 9:30 p.m., even with officers there, a caller reported to dispatch that there was another disturbance though officers could not confirm any other disturbances in the area.

Witnesses said the disturbance started with a group of youths and then the adults got involved.

That has been the pattern most of the week they said.

The first disturbance was after Friday night's football game.

Police have made no arrests and no injuries have been reported.

Local government agencies are enjoying an additional $4.84 million in new revenue derived from projects approved for assistance from the Genesee County Economic Development Center since 2006, according to a report by CEO Steve Hyde to the County Legislature yesterday.

A key tax abatement awarded to qualifying projects is Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). While PILOTS afford companies some temporary tax relief on the increase in the assessed value of a property, the company is making PILOT payments and as the PILOT matures, new tax revenue is also generated.

Hyde said once all of the current PILOT projects on the books mature, additional tax revenue will surpass $7.5 million.

IN 2017, school districts in Genesee County received an additional $2.93 million in revenue from GCEDC projects, the county an additional $1.26 million, and local governments, $640,000.

"For every dollar, the county invests in economic development, we're seeing about $25 coming back in property taxes," Hyde said.

While GCEDC generates revenue for itself from fees charged to businesses that it assists, Hyde said it also relies on the financial support of the county, which has been reduced by 33 percent in recent years.

Meanwhile, GCEDC's workload has increased and the agency is actively marketing WNY STAMP in Alabama, which Hyde said continues to generate interest among site selectors, but for that $50 million project the IDA has only been able to budget $50,000 for marketing.

"That’s a bit of challenge right now but we work it and we’ll continue to work it," Hyde said.

GCEDC's support for business projects, Hyde said, have added 2.38 million square feet in new construction and another 1.28 million square feet in renovated space.

The number of PILOT projects in Genesee County in 2002 was 38. The peak was 2010 with 99. The number has fallen off steadily since then to 71 in 2017.

"Just because the number of our PILOTs are trailing off the past few years doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing," Hyde said. "It’s a good thing. It means we're graduating projects."

GCEDC is also working to help to finalize financing for the Ellicott Station project in Batavia. Hyde said it's the most complicated financing scheme he's worked on, and bringing state and federal requirements into line is a challenge. He's meeting today with the chief financial officer for Savarino Companies to work on some of those details. The IDA may need to adjust its initial PILOT plan for the project to help bring the pieces together.

The project has been delayed for months because of the difficulties faced by Savarino, the city and GCEDC in putting the financing package together.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley helps Bill Wakeman with his bag as he prepares to board the Trailways bus for Hawley's 11th Annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C.

The trip is a chance for veterans to visit war memorials in the nation's capitol. Each year, Hawley hosts two busloads of veterans on the trip.

In a statement issued after the departure, Hawley said: “Each of us owes our local veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice to defend the values and freedoms we hold dear.

"I am so grateful to be able to share the unforgettable experience of visiting our nation’s capital with these brave men and women each year on our Patriot Trip, and look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come.”

The players participating in the first season of youth flag football in Batavia got a special visit after their practice yesterday at Williams Park, Batavia, from Preston Teague, director of community relations for the Buffalo Bills.

Otis Thomas, one of the parents who organized the new league in Batavia, sponsored by the NFL, said Teague has been instrumental in promoting flag football youth leagues in Western New York, and has been helpful and supportive in getting the program in Batavia started. Teague said there are now 6,000 children participating in NFL-sponsored leagues in WNY.

Teague came with swag, handing out a few prizes to players who provided correct answers to trivia questions about the Bills, including a game football, an autographed hat, and an autographed cleat. All of the players also got other items including rubber footballs, yearbooks, towels, stickers and magnets.

Previously: Pair of football dads bring new NFL flag football league to Batavia

Carson Caton, 10, from Le Roy, won the game football, from the first game of the season, for knowing that Josh Allen is the highest drafted QB in Bills history.

A natural gas leak has been reported at Alpina Foods on Ag Park Drive, Batavia.

The building has been evacuated.

Town of Batavia fire dispatched.

National Fuel has been notified. No ETA.

A woman with a large bag has reportedly just left the Totem Pole on Ledge Road in Basom with a stash of stolen cigarettes.

The thief jumped into a maroon four-door sedan with a white male driver behind the wheel and headed east on Ledge Road.

Law enforcement is responding to the area to look for the vehicle.

UPDATE 8:43 p.m.: A BOLO (be on the lookout) for the vehicle has been issued to local law enforcement. It is a 2015 Nissan Sentra, color red.

Rep. Chris Collins announced on Twitter today that he will "actively" seek reelection to the NY-27 seat he's held through three terms despite being under federal indictment for alleged securities fraud, wire fraud and lying to the FBI.

Collins released his statement in a graphic. Below is the graphic:

Below is a response from Nate McMurray, who is challenging Collins in the November election:

Nate McMurray, the Democratic and Working Families Party Candidate for New York’s 27th Congressional District, reacted to today’s news that indicted member of Congress and master insider trader Chris Collins would suspend suspending his campaign.
 
“It looks like the criminal is returning to the scene of the crime – and I’m not just talking about insider trading, lying to the FBI and everything else he’s been accused of – I mean the derelict(ion) of duty he did by ignoring his constituents and their interests for every second of his elected life.

"I’m curious to know what Mr. Collins means by ‘actively campaign’ because he hasn’t talked to his constituents, hasn’t held town halls, and has been hiding in his penthouse since the FBI arrested him. Now he thinks that the voters of this district who are getting hurt by a trade war, are struggling to make ends meet, and know that Washington is more corrupt than ever, he thinks they’re going to trust him? Give me a break. He looks out for himself. And maybe his donors.

"Chris Collins has been charged with a crime. He can’t buy his way back into his job.

"Chris Collins thinks the rules don’t apply to him. They do.

"Chris Collins represents everything that’s wrong with Washington.

"Chris, if you’re listening from Manhattan, here are a few words you may remember, ‘lock him up’ ‘drain the swamp’. I hear your next court appearance is on October 11. I bet some folks from NY-27 may take a road trip.

"In the meantime, I welcome you on the campaign trail, sir. Bring it.”

Throughout the concert season at Batavia Downs, basketball players at Elba High School volunteered their time after the shows to help with clean up, gathering recyclable bottles and cans.

Ryan Tenney, owner of McNickel's Redemption, on Ellicott Street, Batavia, collected the bottles and cans for redemption.

Today, he handed a $1,700 check to the Elba Sports Boosters.

Heather Dillion, not pictured, organized the bottle and can drive.

Photo: First row: Ryan Tenney, left, Mike Nolan, COO for Western OTB, Bill White, CIaci Zambito, Elba basketball coach, Henry Wojtaszek, CEO of Western OTB, and Jackie Leach, CFO of Western OTB. The basketball team is (not in photo order): Jon Boyce, Evan Hare, Colton Dillon, Collin O'Halloran, Greyson Huntington, Holden Brinkman, Tyler Stevens, Caleb Scouten, Andrew Hare, Jake Long, Zack Marsceill, Cj Gottler, Zach Howard, Jayden Hughes, Drew Hare, Travis Kauffman, Kyle Norton, Caden Muehlig, Nate Esten, and Jaykob Belluscio.

A corn chopper is reportedly fully engulfed in flames in a farm field at Colby and Sumner roads, Darien.

Darien fire is dispatched.

UPDATE 2:03 p.m.: Fire is out.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Darien fire is back in service.

During the Public Service Committee meeting Tuesday, Highway Superintendent Tim Hens updated members of the County Legislature on the work of his department.

On funding, the proposed county road budget for 2019 is $5,527,130. Asphalt prices have increased 20 percent in 2018. Salt prices are up 16 percent. Gas prices have gone from $2 a gallon to $2.35 and climbing, though prices should stabilize in 2019, Hens said. The department has 57 employees (54.25 full-time equivalents), working in administration, highway, parks, airport, fleet, and facility maintenance.     

Besides a share of the general fund, the department receives grants for projects. State aid in 2018 has been $1.6 million, plus $382,193 from the PAVE-NY fund, $240,498 for extreme weather recovery.

Federal aid, Hens said, is still limited.

The county, including applications from towns, has 31 applications made to BRIDGE-NY, with an announcement for funding expected in the fall. 

Hens anticipates needing $2,131,466 for roach machinery in 2019. The department is making lease payments on a dozer, loader, an excavator, and needs a wheel loader, pickup, 2.5-ton truck, and mid-sized track excavator.

The county is responsible for 260 miles of highway. There are 92 bridges longer than 20 feet and 278 bridges and culverts longer than five feet and less than 20 feet. 

"We need to replace two bridges a year to keep our heads above water and we have been doing one bridge a year based on available federal funding," Hens said. 

The rating for the Lyons Street Bridge has been reduced from eight tons to seven. Pratt Road Bridge has been reduced from 19 tons to seven and is scheduled for replacement next year.

Reconstruction of the Stroh Road Bridge is nearly complete and it should open Oct. 1, three weeks ahead of schedule. 

Four culverts in the county of less than 20-foot span were replaced this summer.

The county also completed paving or overlay projects on Indian Falls Road, North Lake Road, North Byron Road, Prole Road Extension, South Street in Pavilion, Colby Road, Hickox, Walker, and Gillate roads in Alexander. 

These projects often included shoulder widening to 30 feet.

The widening has gone over well with residents in those areas, Hens said, who now have more room for walking and biking.

Much of the material used for this work is recycled asphalt from the work at the County Airport to replace the runway and taxiways. This has produced more than 16,000 tons of asphalt for the county to process and reuse.

"It's cheap material," Hens said. "But it's not free. We still have to process it and handle it."

As for county parks, Hens praised the work of Shannon Lyaski, conservation education program coordinator, and Paul Osborn, parks director.

"We've seen year-over-year growth in the environmental programs," Hens said. "We've hit record numbers for revenue and people attending events at the County Park." 

He said Lyaski has done a good job with programming for events at the Interpretive Nature Center.

The revenue generated by these programs cover her salary, Hens said.

As for Osborn, Hens said he's a master at rounding up volunteer workers and scavenging for material for structures in the parks.

"He flips over rocks and pulls people out and he's got people down there cleaning, cutting and trimming," Hens said.

One of the annual programs at the County Park is Camp Hard Hat, which brings in high school students in to build a project under the supervision of a BOCES instructor.

This year, the crew built a footbridge using guardrails Osborn scavenged from the old Stroh Road Bridge.

Attendance has also been up at the DeWitt Recreation Area.

Hens said work on a bridge through the wetlands in the park for the Ellicott Trail should be completed by fall. The county is waiting on the Town of Batavia to finish its part of the trail and Hens is hopeful the trail will open next spring.

For facilities, significant projects in 2018 include a new jail elevator, a security system, new fire alarm for the County Courthouse, and completion of an energy performance contract. For 2019, the county is waiting on a grant for the stonework on the facade of the jail building and a grant is pending for energy upgrades at the Animal Shelter.

In the 20 years since Hens became highway superintendent, the County has invested $30 million in capital improvements, which includes new hangars, a new terminal, and a new runway and taxiways. The funds were all generated by grants or fees for use of the airport and fuel so there have been no direct costs to local taxpayers.

There are 21 jobs at the airport, including private employers, and generates $2.35 million in economic impact.

The airport has brought in more money than it cost in 16 of the past 17 years. Hens anticipates the airport will only break even in 2018 due to a prolonged winter and construction projects.

Pete Zeliff is building a new hangar for corporate jets, which should help generate more revenue for the county through additional fuel sales.

Hens has also been heavily involved in public water projects with several new projects starting this year and more planned for 2019.

PHOTO: Tim Hens in the foreground and Laura Wadhams, the county's new assistant engineer, who started her job a little over a week ago.

Rachel B. Solomon, no age provided, no residence provided, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt, 2nd, obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, and three counts of harassment, 2nd. Solomon was arrested following an investigation in an alleged violation of an order of protection. She was jailed on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Frank Bergholtz, 41, of Franklin Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of a dangerous weapon. Bergholtz allegedly possessed a knife while at the Probation Department office.

Paul J. Doctor, 40, no permanent address, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Doctor was jailed on $500 bail or $2,000 bond.

Zackary Seeley, 21, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Seeley is accused of violating an order of protection.

Danny D. Williams, 29, no permanent address, is charged with two counts of criminal contempt, 2nd. Williams allegedly violated two orders of protection during a disturbance on Thorpe Street at 9:41 p.m., Sept. 13.

Joshua D. Beardsley, 29, of Groveland, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Beardsley allegedly failed to appear in City Court on an appearance ticket stemming from a traffic ticket. He posted $250 police bail and was released.

Douglas Scott Sprague, 51, of Judge Road, Alabama, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Sprague is accused of breaking items in a residence on Judge Road at 6 p.m. Monday during an argument. He was jailed without bail.

A structure fire is reported at 483 Alley Road, Darien.

That's between Gadd Road and Countyline Road.

The fire has gone to a second alarm.

It was initially reported as a shop fire but it reportedly quickly spread to a residence. A caller reportedly went into the house to assist an elderly resident with getting out.

Darien fire dispatched along with mutual aid companies.

UPDATE 11:34 p.m. (By Billie): The house closest to the blaze was never in danger; there was no flame damage to the house. A neighbor assisted an elderly resident to the back of the property, where the elderly resident's son resides. Meanwhile, a neighbor and the woman's son removed propane tanks from the building. But the all-metal construction of the shop was nonetheless destroyed. The son is a road construction electrical contractor.

UPDATE 1 a.m. (by Howard): The structure was fully involved when the first firefighters arrived on the scene, according to Capt. Ray Felski, so crews immediately took a defensive posture toward fighting the fire.

"Tthe initial report said it was a shop fire and then it was updated that it might have gotten to the residence," Felski said. "On our arrival, it had not gotten into the residence. It was contained to the shop building, which was fully involved on our arrival."

The structure is a total loss, along with four commercial vehicles parked in the building.

Firefighters from three counties and seven companies responded to the fire. No injuries were reported. The humid night required crews to rotate regularly so they could stay hydrated. There is a large pond on the property near the shop, which was a key source of water, Felski said. Tankers were also dispatched to the fire. "Water was not an issue," Felski said.

The property is owned by the Osborn family.

PHOTOS: First four photos submitted by a reader. The rest of the photos by Howard Owens.

The decision on creating a new water district for public water in Bethany is really up to residents of the proposed district, Eric Wies told about 300 people at a meeting at Bethany Town Hall on Monday evening.

Wies is a senior associate with Clark Patterson, the consultant on the proposed project.

The Town of Bethany has created prior water districts but this would be the largest one, as District #5, so far, with 28 miles of pipe installed to deliver water to the equivalent of 500 water customers.

The estimated total cost of the project is more than $13 million. The direct cost to residents in the proposed district can be reduced if the USDA determines the median income in the district is low enough, which would enable the district to qualify for a low-interest loan and about a $2 million grant.

Breaking down the cost per water customer, Weis said the calculation begins with determining an "equivalent dwelling unit" (EDU). An EDU is one household with one family. There is a usage formula to determine costs for commercial users.

Multi-family units are calculated based on one EDU for the first family and a half an EDU for each additional family.

There are approximately 500 EDUs in the proposed district.

Customers who hook into the public water will pay a quarterly fee to the Monroe County Water Authority, plus their share of the debt for installation of the infrastructure.

The most optimistic calculation is $1,000 per EDU per year. The most conservative estimate, Wies said, is a bit more than $1,100 per year.

A typical EDU in Genesee County uses 63,000 gallons of water a year. The current Monroe rate is $2.43 per gallon, plus a base charge of 21 cents per gallon. There is a Genesee County surcharge of 60 cents per gallon but the rate will go up to $1.20 per gallon.

At those rates, the average EDU will pay to MCWA a total of $386.34 per year. (NOTE: See clarification below)

"You've really got to do the math and your own evaluation," Weis said.

Only those residents and businesses that connect to public water will pay for water.

But all property owners in the district will be in debt necessary to build the infrastructure.

Currently, residents in the proposed district are being asked to complete an income survey. If the district qualifies as low income, the USDA will provide the district with a low-interest loan and a $2 million grant. Genesee County will also pay $4.5 million of the cost.

The balance of the $13 million cost will need to be financed.

The estimated debt service under this scenario is $519,910.

The loan would take 30 years to pay off but the responsibility for repayment is attached to the property not the property owner.

Each EDU's share of the annual debt payment would be $631.87.

These numbers are just estimates and if the USDA doesn't provide a low-interest loan and grant, the costs would go up slightly.

Given the topography of the district, the infrastructure requirements include two water storage tanks and two pumps.

Residents with well water would either need to cap off those wells or install a backflow system to block backflow of well water into the public water lines. The cost of backflow blocks and connection to the public water line are the responsibility of the property owner.

UPDATE: After comments about the rate calculation, we contacted Eric Wies and asked him for clarification.  Here is what he provided:

MCWA

• $0.21 per day x 365 days = $76.65
• $3.43 per 1,000 gallons x 63,000 gallons = $216.09

Genesee County

• $1.20 per 1,000 gallons x 63,000 gallons = $75.60

Total Annual Water Cost = $368.34

Batavia City Court Judge Robert Balbick saw the photo we shared this morning from yesterday's sunrise as seen at DeWitt Recreation Area and wanted to share the picture he took about the same time at Terry Hills Golf Course.

Last spring, a proposal by the Alexander Central School District to charge fees to the Tri-Town Youth Athletics Association for use of the high school's football field upset many parents of young athletes.

It could have added another $4,000 to the cost of the football program.

Now, according to Lisa Lyons, president of the association, the proposal may have been for the best.

Rather than pay the fee, volunteers banded together and reconstructed a field in need of repair so it could serve as Tri-Town's new football field.

"Somebody mentioned this week as we were cleaning up at the field, and somebody said, 'I think maybe we should write and thank her, thank Ms. Huber (Superintendent Catherine Huber),' " Lyons said. "This has been a really good thing. Our concession stand is thriving. We have everything in one place. It's made things on game days a lot easier. We're not hauling equipment and concessions to the football field and back. It's been a lot better for us. It really has."

The field -- which is on property used by Tri-Town behind the Alexander Fire Department Recreation Hall off of Alexander Road -- was used for soccer and other activities but over the summer, volunteers brought in heavy equipment and stripped the existing grass from the field, regraded it, leveled it and planted new sod. The only expense -- which Lyons said she would need board permission to disclose -- was the new grass.

The new field has brought back a lot of Tri-Town alumni back to check things out and attendance at the youth football games has increased, Lyons said.

"I feel like people have come out to the woodwork to see what’s going," she said.

Tri-Town hasn't completely worked out what it will do for basketball. It's probably unavoidable to use school facilities for practices, which means paying a fee for usage and chaperons (a new requirement from the district) but Lyons indicated they may have other options than using the school on game days.

"We have to weigh out our options and see what the best financial option is," Lyons said.

Photos: Football photos by Howard Owens from Saturday. Construction photos submitted by Lisa Lyons.