A plan to open a teen nightclub on East Main Street, Batavia, has hit a snag.

Tim Walton and Mike Marchese Jr., who planned to partner on Impulz Teen Nightclub, discovered through the planning process that their selection location requires a sprinkler system for the planned use.

The building is 7,350 sq. ft. and because the maximum capacity for the building is more than 100 persons, code requires a sprinkler system.

Not just any plumber can install it, said Walton. The cost could top $50,000.

"Right now we got a price and it's looking like it's gonna cost an additional $50,000," Walton said.

The partners are going to look into getting a price for a dry sprinkler system and see what the pricing and regulations would be on that.

"If the price can't drop any lower, then I would have to go back and refigure some numbers. Those numbers would have us into this well over $100,000 and I would have to be sure it would workout."

Walton and Marchese aren't ruling out opening the club, even at the original planned location at 624 E. Main St., but feel that current circumstances will make it difficult.

"If it's meant to happen it will play out." Walton said. "If not, then there will be other opportunities."

Demolishing the vacant and ramshackle Wiss Hotel in Le Roy Village could cost at least twice as much as the Genesee County Legislature discussed Wednesday night before voting to forgive tax liens on the property.

A local real estate investor -- who asked not to be identified -- said he looked at the property one time and had a Rochester-based demolition company give an estimate on taking down the building. The low-end best guess was $175,000.

The investor said that's the price for tearing it down without an asbestos inspection and hauling the material to a dump that would accept potentially contaminated material.

If it could be confirmed before demolition that there's no asbestos present, tearing the structure down and disposing of the material could be cheaper. But an asbestos inspection costs $35,000.

If an inspection was done, he said, and asbestos was found, then the demolition price would climb beyond $175,000, perhaps beyond $225,000.

And that's before dealing with any potential contamination from the former NAPA location next door on Route 19.

It's a great location, he said, but realistically, any investor would need both properties to make it a suitable space for modern retail. The potential expense of buying and leveling both properties so a new business could be built, would eat up most potential profits -- even if the hotel parcel was bought for the price of the tax liens.

With the county washing its hands of the property, it becomes the problem of either the village or property owner.

Gene Sinclair, Le Roy code enforcement officer, said he isn't sure what the village will do. In early 2010, the village started down the path of declaring it an unsafe building, but backed off when it became clear what the potential demolition costs would be.

The investor said the interior of the building is in pretty bad shape and gives anybody who looks at it a pretty clear idea that the building needs to come down.

"I'd hate to wake up some morning and read that the building has fallen down with a couple of people buried under it," he said.

After the initial two stories about the Authorities Budget Office report on the Genesee County Economic Development Center's compensation practices, some readers wanted to know what local legislators thought of the issue.

In the second story, we had comments from Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock and Legislator Hollis Upson, who also sits on the GCEDC board. Below are responses from the other seven members of the Genesee County Legislature.

Raymond F. Cianfrini
District No. 1
Towns of Alabama and Oakfield

Legislator Cianfrini said he was disturbed by the ABO report.

"In terms of oversight, I was not aware until I read the report of the way in which they allocate resources for salaries and bonuses," Cianfrini said.

He said he doesn't believe public employees should receive bonuses, but acknowledged there is some question as to whether GCEDC employees are truly public employees.

"As for the size of the pay, should Genesee County have the highest paid director of an EDC -- should we be 'leader of the pack'? I'm not sure I have a full handle on how the GCEDC board has justified paying these kind of salaries."

In terms of oversight, he said he would like to see the legislature review the GCEDC's budget to ensure the county portion of its revenue is being spent appropriately.

"I wonder if our portion of the budget is being used wisely and whether any portion is funding bonuses," Cianfrini added.

He does believe GCEDC has done some good projects for the county and he's a big supporter of GCEDC's efforts to move the STAMP project forward in Alabama, which is part of his district.

"It's an important project that needs to be developed," Cianfrini said. "GCEDC took the initiative to keep the ball rolling and for that. I'm grateful and want to see it continue."

Robert J. Bausch
District No. 2
Towns of Elba, Byron and Bergen

Legislator Bausch said he's supportive of the GCEDC and believes the agency has helped improve Genesee County's economy and wants to see its work continue.

"Having been a lifelong resident of Genesee County, I know one of the major complaints over years and years and years, is that we weren't doing enough to support industrial development, bringing jobs into the county and so forth," Bausch said.

"When John Dwyer took over as head (of economic development) and really got that organization going, we finally started to see some results and I think Steve (Hyde, current CEO) has done an excellent job of following his lead."

As for the compensation issue, Bausch said that's a matter for the GCEDC board to decide.

"I know most of the members," Bausch said. "They are hard-nosed businessmen, so I've got to trust their judgment."

He said that a recent state report on the Genesee County Animal Shelter, knocking the conditions there, and the ABO report knocking the GCEDC board, "tell you about all you need to know about the state of New York State."

"Here's one place getting a negative audit because it is trying to be successful and here's another about a place trying to keep costs down by using volunteers, but they get complaints because it isn't exactly perfect," Bausch said.

As for legislature oversight, Bausch said the legislature has a liaison on the GCEDC board and he doesn't see any need for more oversight than that.

Annie M. Lawrence
District No. 3
Towns of Pembroke and Darien

Legislator Lawrence said she's satisfied with the current level of oversight the legislature provides the GCEDC board. How they compensate staff is really up to the board, she said.

"That goes back to micromanaging," Lawrence said. "I think we have qualified individuals who sit on that board. They know better than we do the day-to-day goings on. I trust these individuals to do their job."

As for the ABO report, she said it was long and involved and it's possible that the bonuses should have been handled differently, but ...

"The thing is, in Genesee County we have had a lot of wins with GCEDC and a lot of positive things have happened as a result," Lawrence said. "We’ve had those jobs created. We’ve helped existing businesses and we’ve helped new businesses.

"Through this downturn, yes, our unemployment has been high, but it could have been higher if we didn't have the projects we had."

Jerome J. Grasso
District No. 5
Town of LeRoy

Legislator Grasso said when he first read the ABO report, he found it pretty stunning.

"You read it and the language it uses kind of takes your breath away in the fact that it's so negative," Grasso said. "But then you look at what Harris Beech (GCEDC's law firm) put out and realize it's all just opinion."

Before the legislature takes a position on the report, however, Grasso said members should wait for things to settle down and then try to get more information and see what's really going on.

"I think we should have the full truth," Grasso said. "We need transparency. I'd like to wait and get the full picture."

However, he does believe GCEDC fully cooperated the the ABO investigators and maybe not all of the information has been released.

"I don't think the GCEDC has attempted to hide anything," Grasso said. "When the ABO people came in, whenever they asked for anything, they got it. I don't think there was an attempt to not be transparent with the auditors."

As for legislative oversight, Grasso thinks the legislature does have the power to make changes if they don't like what they see going on with the GCEDC. He said either board appointments could be changed or the county's portion of the budget could be withheld.

Esther Leadley
District No. 6
Towns of Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion

The GCEDC has Legislator Leadley's full support.

She called the ABO report one-sided and singled out the Batavia Daily News and The Batavian for providing only one-sided coverage of the issue.

"I think the GCEDC has done an excellent job in bringing companies here to Genesee County," Leadley said. "The bonus money was not taxpayer money. I'm convinced of that."

As for oversight, she said the legislature provides a good deal of oversight -- between Upson's position on the board, Hyde regularly appearing before the Ways and Means Committee and the various other reports the legislature gets from GCEDC throughout the year.

Robert J. Radley
District No. 7, Wards 1 and 6
City of Batavia

Legislator Radley, an engineer and planner by trade, said he approaches GCEDC as a business issue.

"I have five business development people working for me from Maine to North Carolina and I look at this from a business development perspective," Radley said. "First, it's typical in business development to pay salary plus bonuses. But putting that aside, I don't see how a report can look at someone's salary without looking at the results.

"If our director has a salary that is twice, say, of Erie County, but he's bringing in four times the revenue, then he's worth the money. To me, to do this right, somebody has to say we're going to compare salaries and we're going to compare results. Then you have a meaningful comparison."

As for legislative oversight, Radley said it pretty much ends at appointing the right people to the GCEDC board.

"It's incumbent upon us to appoint a board with the right qualifications, the experience and the expertise to direct that agency," Radley said. "I don't think it's incumbent upon us to get down into the nitty-gritty."

Edward DeJaneiro Jr., 2nd Vice Chair
District No. 9, Wards 4 and 5
City of Batavia

According to Legislator DeJaneiro, the GCEDC could maybe use some additional legislative oversight, but it's important to remember how vital economic development is to the county.

"We want to keep in mind that GCEDC is one of the few tools we have to concentrate on bringing in new business and making it easy for new business to come into the county," DeJaneiro said. "I don't think we want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We need to make sure that their bonuses and compensation are in line with what we expect for our community, though."

While the legislature has only limited oversight of the GCEDC, he said he would like to keep a close eye on them.

He said he was rather surprised by the level of compensation staff was getting.

"I want to know what they’re doing, because I think it’s out of the ordinary to give those kinds of wages and bonuses that are so out of line with the rest of the community."

Police, Fire and Mercy EMS are on scene of a two-car accident at the corner of Main and Bank streets, downtown Batavia.

Traffic is backing up in the westbound lanes of Main Street.

In a 40-minute long State of the County address, Genesee County Legislature Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock made sure she had something good to say about every department in county government, but saved the true crux of the problems facing local government until the end of her speech.

In a nutshell, the county is being crushed by mandates.

"It is a fact that these nine state mandates consume 90 percent of the statewide county property tax levy," Handock said. "No amount of public outcry can impact a local budget that is already 'spent by Albany.' Action and change must come before they spend all of your money."

Medicaid, Hancock noted, costs counties across the state only $115 million in 1966. Now, the local share is $7 billion and the total NYS bill is $53 billion.

"That's more than $1 billion a week and it is certainly a good part of the reason the state's budget is broken," Hancock said.

Other state mandates mentioned by Hancock: public assistance/safety net program; child welfare protection/prevention; special education pre-K; indigent defense; probation; early intervention; youth detention; and the pension system.

"Each of these basically good programs could be improved and become more efficient and cost effective by making some obvious changes," Hancock said. "Refocusing upon the initial intent of the program, redesigning the delivery of services, following the recommendations of statewide task forces who have studied the concerns, and eliminating the trend to simply pass on excessive costs of state programs to the counties instead of reforming those programs."

Hancock said that calls to cap property taxes don't go far enough.

"Slowing and capping the growth of property taxes only insures that New York State retains its position as the state with the highest property taxes in the country," Hancock said.

For the complete text of Hancock's State of the County speech, click here.

The owner of the former Wiss Hotel at 80 Main St., Village of Le Roy, will get to keep the property, despite owing thousands of dollars in back taxes.

The property was headed for the county's March foreclosure auction, but the Genesee County Legislature cast a unanimous vote Wednesday night saying essentially, "we don't want it."

The building, owned by New Jersey resident Emily Pangrazio, is in such a state of disrepair, county officials said, the only thing to do with it is tear it down, which would cost more than $100,000.

The county could not take title without taking responsibility for the building's disrepair, even just to auction it off later.

There's also concern that a former gas station next door could have leached contaminants onto the property, creating a potentially costly clean-up requirement.

If the county became part of the chain of title for even one day, county taxpayers could wind up footing the bill for any environmental impacts.

By voting to cancel the tax lien, the property -- with numerous alleged code violations -- becomes an issue for the owner and the village to deal with.

Several people have noted that a couple of weeks ago, crews were inside the former hotel removing fixtures and other items, basically stripping the building of salvageable items, according to witnesses.

The Sheriff's Office is looking for help in identifying a larceny suspect who may have ties to Genesee County. Further details about the alleged crimes and suspects are not available for release.

The alleged crimes occurred in another jurisdiction.

Anybody with information to share should contact Deputy Chris Parker at 585-345-3000, ext. 3249.

The Local Drug Enforcement Task Force has  arrested an Elba resident who was stopped by a Sheriff's patrol in November and allegedly found in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine with the intention to sell.

Taken into custody Tuesday was Mark C. Gregori, 49, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba.

He is charged with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Gregori was jailed on $10,000 bail.

A Batavia resident was arrested on a drug-trafficking warrant following a traffic stop on Washington Avenue on Tuesday by members of the Local Drug Enforcement Task Force.

He is accused of selling cocaine in and around the City of Batavia.

Charged with four felonies in a sealed indictment is Jeffery A. Hewitt, 32, of State Street.

He is accused of selling drugs to an agent of the task force.

Hewitt is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd.

Hewitt was jailed without bail pending arraignment in Genesee County Court.

Updated 9:19 p.m.

A Le Roy resident who appears to have headed a Genesee County-based methamphetamine ring entered a guilty plea in federal court today to a drug dealing charge.

The charge -- conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine -- carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $4 million fine.

Donald G. Vanelli II, 47, of 8394 Lake St., Le Roy, was arrested in July following a months-long investigation by local, state and federal authorities into meth sales and distribution in Genesee and Monroe counties. Three other Genesee County residents along with a Monroe County resident were also arrested and accused of dealing meth.

The investigation revealed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, that Vanelli was responsible for procuring from suppliers and distributing between 5 and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine from 2004 through July 2010.

A kilo equals 2.2 pounds. The estimated street value of a pound of meth is between $15,000 and $25,000.

The contents of  an affidavit released by authorities after his arrest gives the appearance that Vanelli was the kingpin of the meth distribution ring, with other alleged dealers coming to him for their supplies, and Vanelli working with a Monroe County source to allegedly acquire meth from unnamed sources.

During the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine, three firearms, and more than $6,000 in cash.

As part of the plea agreement, the defendant agreed to forfeit to the government a 9mm rifle, a 9mm magazine and 78 rounds of 9mm ammunition that were seized from his Le Roy residence.

Sentencing is set for 3:15 p.m., May 10, in Rochester Federal Court.

The charges against the four other defendants in case are still pending.

Vanelli's co-defendants are Donna L. Boon (aka Donna Mcauly), 44, of 3658 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road; Andrew W. Chapman, 40, of 5 Cedar St., Batavia; Kerry A. Ball, 51, of 7202 Meadville Road, Basom; and, David H. Cohen, 49, of 918 Goodman St., Rochester.

Here's a news release from Genesee Community College:

Hailed as "...one of the most effective and expressive environmental films of recent years" by Variety magazine, the documentary film "GASLAND," will be presented by the Genesee Community College Earth Club at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27 and at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28.

"GASLAND" is a 2010 documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. It focuses on communities in the United States impacted by natural gas drilling and, specifically, a stimulation method known as "hydraulic fracturing."

The film will be shown in T102 and is free and open to the public.

Hydraulic fracturing (also called "frac jobs" or "fracking") is a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks. The most important industrial use is in stimulating oil and gas wells, where hydraulic fracturing has been used for several years.

The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations to increase the rate and ultimate recovery of oil and natural gas.

Hydraulic fractures may be natural or man-made and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to extend through the rock. Natural hydraulic fractures include volcanic dikes, sills and fracturing by ice as in frost weathering.

Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted formations. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped.

Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Environmental safety and health concerns have emerged and are being debated at the state and national levels.

"GASLAND" follows filmmaker Josh Fox when he is asked to lease his land for drilling, as he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination.

He encounters a Pennsylvania town and reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of this documentary.

For more information please visit www.gaslandthemovie.com <http://www.gaslandthemovie.com>.

"New York State recently passed a temporary moratorium on the hydro-fracking process while the EPA completes its study, so this is very important and contemporary topic to our community," said Donna Rae Sutherland, advisor to the GCC Earth Club.

"The Earth Club students wanted to show the movie at two different times and days to ensure any local resident or community college student had a chance to watch the film, which is currently impacting Pennsylvania communities just over the state line and promises to be a topic of significant debate in the Southern Tier."

For further information please contact Sutherland at 343-0055, ext. 6616, or e-mail <http://dsutherland@genesee.edu>.

Byron-Bergen Elementary School’s Playground Committee is close to receiving funding in Pepsi’s Refresh Contest.

It's a monthly online competition in which nonprofit groups compete against each other for grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000.

Currently, the Playground Committee is ranked ninth in the online competition. The top 10 ideas receive funding. Voting ends Jan. 31.

To learn more about this local project, or to vote on the Pepsi grant, visit http://refr.es/bb. Voting can be done through the website or by texting 105424 to Pepsi (73774).

“We need to develop healthy activities for children,” said Andrea Stasko, a member of the Health and Wellness Committee. “Our current playground is not large enough to accommodate the number of students for its usage, and it does not fulfill the physical fitness components that could benefit our students.”

The playground committee has been working for more than a year to raise funds to update and enlarge the school's old, much used playground. The new playground will be handicapped accessible so students with varying needs are not sitting on the sidewalk watching others play.

The committee hopes to win a $50,000 grant for the project. Of that, $40,000 would be used for equipment, $6,500 would be spent on resurfacing, and the remaining $3,500 would pay for concrete and excavation work.

Plans call for the playground to have play space and activities for the newest population of students, 3- and 4-year-olds who come from Pre-K. It will have lots of activites to exercise students' bodies in many different ways.

To improve students' physical and social development, they need to be able to climb, crawl, swing, slide, jump, balance, hang, push, pull, bounce, stomp, spin, run and play.

The small, rural school district is the center of the community and many families use the playground as a source for exercise, play and a meeting place to gather and socialize, according to Stasko.

Justin Amend, who admitted to public lewdness for engaging in a sexual act in Farrall Park with Suzanne Corona, appeared in City Court this morning.

The 29-year-old former Oakfield resident had been a fugitive from justice after he failed to appear for sentencing in November. He turned himself in this week.

Upon appearing before Judge Robert Balbick this morning, Amend's attorney, Tom Williams, requested permission to apply to the Sheriff's Office for a weekend work-release program. 

Spots are limited in the program and there is no guarantee Amend will be accepted.

Balbick also said given Amend's decision to move out of the area, any prior sentencing agreement no longer applies.

"At this point he stands before me having entered a guilty plea to public lewdness, a Class B misdemeanor," Balbick told Williams. "I have complete authority to sentence him within full perimeters of the law."

Amend could face up to 90 days in jail.

Sentencing is scheduled for next Wednesday.

There were no injuries following a two-car accident on the Thruway in Pembroke this morning, near mile marker 403 in the westbound lane.

One car caught on fire following the accident, according to State Police.

One westbound lane was blocked for about an hour.

Photo submitted by reader Kevin Switzer.

Ajuna Mona Pruitt, 19, of Dawnhaven Drive, Rochester, is charged with reckless endangerment and criminal trespass, 2nd. Pruitt is accused of entering a room at College Village without permission and then, while in the parking lot, striking another woman with her car. The alleged incident occurred at 6:30 p.m., Monday.

Ajuna M. Pruitt, 19, of Dawnhaven Drive, Rochester, along with Ebony S. Barnes, 18, of Chaplain Street, Rochester and Shibritney M. Colbert, 19, of Shelter Street, Rochester, are charged with harassment, 2nd. The trio are accused of going to an apartment at College Village at 10:39 p.m., Tuesday, and banging and kicking on a door in an attempt to get the resident to come out and fight.

Danielle Marie Kotmel, 30, of East Main Street, Corfu, is charged with petit larceny. Kotmel is accused of stealing a red Dell laptop computer. The alleged theft is believed to have occurred in December but was not discovered until an audit was completed in January.

Robert G. Woodhouse Jr., 50, of Creek Road, Bethany, is charged with criminal trespass, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. Woodhouse is accused of entering a residence and remaining unlawfully. He's also accused of damaging a door.

Richard John Downs, 48, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, was arrested on a probation warrant out of Town of Elba Court.

Steven Michael Keaton, 38, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Keaton is accused of contacting a woman whom he was ordered not to contact.

Special Olympics athletes representing Genesee ARC participated in a snowshoe competition Saturday (Jan. 22) at Bristol Mountain Ski Resort.

Missy Cook, Laura Mroz, Casarah Dieck, Erik Goodrich, Carl Jeerings, James Grudzien, Juan Baez and Jason Stimson took part in individual and relay events bringing home nine gold, eight silver and four bronze medals.

Special Olympics provide year-round competition for athletes with disabilities. Two snowshoe team members, Erik and Casarah, have been selected to compete in the State Winter Games Feb. 4 – 5 in Syracuse.

In response to a reader request, we asked for information on whether GCEDC staff members are eligible to participate in the NYS state retirement system.

Here is the full text of GCEDC's response:

Request: Can I get a list of GCEDC employees who participate in the NYS retirement system and what GCEDC’s annual contribution to the pension program is, please?

Response: Membership in the New York State Retirement System is mandatory for all full-time employees of Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC). Currently there are six employees who are enrolled in the New York State Retirement System including the President and CEO, Sr. VP of Operations, the CFO, VP of Business Development, the Marketing and Communications Manager, and the Office Manager. Contributions to the New York State Retirement System are set by the state. In 2010, the GCEDC received an invoice to pay $41,663.

Out of the Box, an international contest hosted by Community Tool Box, is still in full swing and voters have until Jan. 31 to vote for Genesee County Drug Free Communities (DFC) Coalition.

The coalition is one of 10 finalists from among 309 applicants from 42 countries. If it wins first place, it will be awarded $5,000 and a free customized WorkStation; $2,000 and the same WorkStation will be awarded to the second-place winner.

Community Tool Box is a community-building resource that serves groups all around the world.

Christina Holt, associate director for Community Tool Box Services, recently e-mailed all finalists reminding them of the need to get the word out. She cited The Batavian article, “GC Drug Free Communities a Top 10 finalist for international honor,” as an example of how to do this.

DFC is made up of people, agencies, organizations, churches and schools throughout Genesee County. The people engaged in DFC come from various community sectors – including parents, law enforcement, schools, faith-based groups, business and media – and work to foster a safe, healthy and drug-free community for youth and families.

People can read more about the DFC and vote via the following link:

<http://ctb.ku.edu/en/out_of_the_box/finalists/finalist4.aspx>