The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District invites you to buy tree and shrub seedlings offered in its new 2021 brochure (PDF).

Conservation supplies are also available for sale.

All plants are sold for conservation purposes.

If you'd like some eye-popping visual appeal -- vivid color, you might like to try a species new in the district program this year -- the scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea). In the fall, its leaves are a real nice brilliant red, says District Manager Brad Mudrzynski. The acorn-producing scarlet oak makes a great shade tree.

Also new here this year are cover crop mix seed packets for small gardens -- up to 2,500 square feet. The ground-cover mix, which costs $5.50 per package, helps prevent erosion and holds nutrients like organic compost materials well in the soil.

Orders are filled on a first come, first serve basis. The district reserves the right to substitute species or refund payment if a choice of yours is unavailable.

Cash or check only accepted, checks should be payable to GCSWCD. Orders are due by March 10 on completed order forms (PDF) (Print out, fill in).

Pickup dates are typically between mid to late April and information will be sent after April 1.

For assistance, call the GCSWCD at (585) 343-2362, ext. 5, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Data Update:

o   Genesee County received 168 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
  • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield)
  • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
• Correction: The following cases were double-counted and have been retracted from today’s total number of positive cases; A case in his/her 20s from Batavia, a case in his/her 50s from Le Roy, and a case in his/her 80s from Batavia.
• Two hundred and 20 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list. 
• Correction: 14 recoveries have been retracted from today’s number as these individuals are nursing home residents. Persons reported recovered are community members only.
• Eleven of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Two of the new cases are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.
• Correction: Three cases previously reported are residents at LeRoy Village Green.

• Orleans County received 56 new positive cases of COVID-19 from Friday afternoon through Tuesday morning. 
• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Three of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• One hundred and 47 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation.
• Eighteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Three of the new positive cases are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
• Two of the new positive cases are inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility.
• One of the new positive cases is an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility.

COVID-19 related fatality data: The Health Departments are only able to report the number of COVID-related deaths that are provided to us by the hospitals, nursing homes and family members. The hospitals and nursing homes are not required to report these deaths to the local health departments, but have been as they are able. Due to the number of cases over the last 10 months data hasn’t been provided locally on a regular basis.

We do not have real-time fatality data provided by the NYS Department of Health which receives the data from death certificates, hospital and nursing home reporting. NYSDOH recently updated their COVID-19 related fatalities which has resulted in a significant increase for Genesee County as we previously reported. The State updates the data as they receive it and can be seen here.

The counties will continue to report the COVID-related fatalities as we receive them locally in the narrative and update the fatality total number of deaths on a weekly basis only. Today’s data reflects that reconciliation with the State data.

A U.S. Postal Service van went down in a ditch in Darien and the postal worker driving it has minor injuries.

The location of the accident is 9851 Alleghany Road.

Darien fire and Mercy medics are responding. A deputy in on scene.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: Mercy medics are going to ECMC.

Things continue to change for the new Muckdogs under the ownership of Robbie Nichols. He's at Dwyer stadium talking to fans and helping sell season tickets until 6:30 this evening. 

General Admission seats are just $99.

Reserve box seats are $199.

Reserved seats come with waitstaff so you don’t miss a pitch. 

If you can't make it down to Dwyer Stadium today, please call or email the Batavia Muckdogs at (607) 734-7825 or mwitt.canusa@gmail.com. 

Nichols has been in town this week meeting with local businesses, talking to fans and he also has plans to reach out to the area's Little Leagues to talk with them about the Muckdogs being a more active part of the community.  

The Muckdogs are finalizing this season's plans and now have a new official Facebook page you can follow for more updates on the coming season. 

Kitchen was fully renovated and slightly enlarged with nice crisp and clean white soft closed cabinetry. Loads of cupboard space, one full-size pantry cupboard and new kitchen flooring! Wall taken down between kitchen and dining to give you great entertaining space!

This super spacious three bedroom home is move-in ready, the central air is a bonus, along side the newer furnace hot water tank roof and siding! The big things have been taken care of, leaving time for decorating the big rooms that all have closets and storage!

The home has a couple of bonus rooms starting with the awesome enclosed front porch, which is an approximately ADDITIONAL 200 square feet of living space that can supplement the living space as an office/toy room or just enjoying nice evenings and early mornings! Off dining room there's a cute room that could be great office space for those working at home!

Attic is finished and could be great additional rec space-there is a room for everybody! The street, of course, is a Batavia classic to enjoy in all seasons -- there is a lot of home here, come check it out!

Call Lynn Bezon today, call (585) 344-4663 or click here for more information on this lisiting.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley and his colleagues in the Assembly Minority have written a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and the chairs of the Assembly committees on Mental Health and Veterans’ Affairs demanding funds for the Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer-to-Peer Support Program be released immediately.

More than $4.5 million was allocated for the program in the 2020-2021 Enacted Budget for the program, which connects veterans struggling with mental health conditions with other veterans to help them adapt to civilian life one-on-one.

“As a veteran and somebody who has served on the Assembly’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee for 15 years, I can’t overstate how crucial this program is and the impact it has on the lives of our service members returning home from duty,” Hawley said.

“The unprecedented times we’re living in have impacted us all, including our veterans, and it is critical we maintain this funding during a period when our mental health is more strained than ever.

"After working with them to fight back the Governor’s attempts to cut the program entirely last year, I am hopeful we will be able to work with the Majority again to insure this program continues helping our veterans.”

Press release:

Town of Alabama Republican Committee is looking for the following candidates for the fall 2021 elections:

1. Town of Alabama Justice.
2. Town of Alabama Council person (two seats).
3. Genesee County Legislator, District 1.

Please mail letters of intent to:

Town of Alabama Republican Chairman

Earl LaGrou

7420 Macomber Road

Oakfield, NY 14125

*********************

Or call Earl LaGrou at (716) 912-8195.

Press release:

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced an additional $1.4 billion in federal funding for New York state’s private, public, and proprietary institutions of higher education.

The funds are allocated to the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II by the recently Schumer-negotiated, Gillibrand-backed, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

The funding is in addition to federal funding already allocated from the CARES Act in March.

Genesee Community College will get $5,220,960.

“Our universities have been selflessly navigating the ongoing global pandemic, ripping huge holes in their budgets to prioritize the health and safety,” Senator Schumer said.

“Today’s funding I prioritized in negotiations for the recent COVID relief package will help to mitigate some of the financial devastation our colleges and universities face as the crisis continues long beyond what anyone imagined. We need to ensure that our world-class institutions of higher education right here in New York are equipped with the assistance they need to make it through this crisis and thrive.”

“New York’s universities have been hit hard by this pandemic and they’ve been forced to make tough budget cuts in order to prioritize the health and safety of their students and staff. Federal funding is critical to ensure students maintain access to a strong education throughout this crisis,” Senator Gillibrand said.

“The funding that Leader Schumer and I fought to deliver will provide an essential lifeline for these institutions to support students, provide essential technology and infrastructure for online learning, and fund increased expenses due to the pandemic. I’m proud to have secured this funding and I will continue working to deliver resources that our higher education institutions need to weather the COVID-19 crisis.”

Schumer and Gillibrand said that public and nonprofit schools will be able to use their awards for financial aid grants to students, student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. Proprietary schools must use their awards exclusively to provide financial aid grants to students.

The DOE specified that allocations to institutions were based on a formula that includes the relative shares of Federal Pell Grant recipients, the relative shares of non-Pell Grant recipients, and the relative shares of Federal Pell and non-Pell Grant recipients exclusively enrolled in distance education prior to the coronavirus emergency.

Allocations to each institution can be found here. (GCC's allocation is on page 62 of the PDF file).

Press release:

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo is accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) for its 2021 competitive grant process through Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in or serving one of the eight counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming).

Interested organizations should read the detailed guidelines/additional information that can be found here before submitting a Letter of Intent.

LOI proposals must address at least one of the Solutions listed under the Community Foundation’s four Community Goals that can be found at the link above.

The four Community Goals are: 

• Improve educational achievement for students living in low-income households;
• Increase racial/ethnic equity;
• Protect and restore significant environmental resources and promote equitable access;
• Strengthen the region as a center for architecture, arts and culture.

Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department is offering free, drive-thru COVID-19 self-administered rapid testing for residents who are asymptomatic (no symptoms, not feeling sick, etc.). 

The testing will be available today through Tuesday, Jan. 26^th from 1 until 4 p.m. and, as before, it will be at the Genesee County Emergency Management Office & Fire Training Facility, at 7690 State Street Road in the Town of Batavia.  

To schedule a test, you MUST register online. Anyone needing additional help for online registration may contact the Genesee County Health Department at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555.

As a reminder, anyone who had a recent potential exposure to COVID-19 should not recommended to be tested until at least five days have passed since the exposure.

In addition to registering for the test, please keep in mind the following guidelines:

• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle.
• Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site.
• A parent or guardian must be present for any individual under 18 who is going to be tested.
• Those who are tested could get a call fairly quickly from an unknown number; please answer the phone as staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individuals tested or the guardian of those under 18 years of age.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 49^th Annual Awards Ceremony and the 2020 award recipients. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the celebration will look much different this year.

The event will be a prerecorded virtual event with release date yet to be determined. It is very important to the Chamber to continue to honor businesses and Geneseeans especially during this most trying time.   

We are honored to announce the 2020 award recipients:

This year’s honorees are:

Business of the Year -- Pellegrino Auto Sales       

Agricultural Business of the Year -- L&M Specialty Fabrication LLC   

Special Service Recognition of the Year -- Rochester Regional Health/United Memorial Medical Center                   

Geneseean of the Year -- Tammy Hathaway

Nathan P. Rich, 32, of Sherman Court, Atlanta, Ill., is charged with second-degree strangulation. He was arrested after a domestic incident that occurred at 7:40 a.m. Jan. 6 on South Swan Street in Batavia. It is alleged that Rich put his hands around the victim's throat and applied pressure, causing stupor in the victim. He was taken to Genesee County Jail and processed, then virtually arraigned in Batavia City Court. He was put in jail on $10,000 bail, $20,000 bond, or $40,000 partially secured bond. The case was handed by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Erica Lynn Frith, 37, of Gateway Drive, Batavia, is charged with: operating a motor vehicle while having a BAC of .08 percent or more -- first offense; driving while intoxicated; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; moving from lane unsafely; and violating the conditions of a restricted driver's license. Frith was arrested after an investigation into a property damage accident that occurred at 1:26 p.m. Jan. 10 on South Main Street in Batavia. It is alleged the defendant was driving in a westerly direction on South Main Street when her vehicle struck a parked City of Batavia Police car. She is accused of then leaving the scene. She was issued traffic tickets and is due in Batavia City Court on March 3. The case was handled by Batavia Police Sgt. Dan Coffey, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

Wayne D. Potter, 37, no permanent address, was arrested on Jan. 12 and charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and second-degree menacing. He was arrested in connection to a disturbance that occurred at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 11 on Liberty Street in Batavia. It is alleged that Potter brandished a knife during the disturbance. He has previous felony convictions and was ordered put in jail wiothout bail after his arraignment in Batavia City Court. He is due to return to court Feb. 25. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Connor Borchert, assisted by Officer Adam Tucker.

Alexandro Rodriguez, 24, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: second-degree criminal contempt; second-degree burglary -- of a dwelling; second-degree harassment; and unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree. At 1:29 a.m. on Jan. 13, Batavia police responded to Dellinger Avenue after being notified that Rodriguez was allegedly back at a residence of a victim who had been issued an order of protection against him the previous day. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in Genesee County Jail on $1,000 cash bail, $2,000 bond, or $4,000 partially secured bond. He was due back in city court late in the morning of Jan. 13. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Nicole McGinnis, assisted by Officer Peter Flanagan.

James F. Perry Sr., 35, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with: acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 years old; disobeying a mandate ordered by a judge; aggravated family offense -- more than one offense within five years; and first-degree criminal contempt -- violation of an order of protection, with physical contact. Perry was arrested at United Memorial Medical Center at 12:52 p.m. Jan. 12 on a warrant out of Batavia City Court. The warrant stems from a domestic incident on Oct. 7 on State Street in Batavia. He was transported to jail and arraigned in city court, then put in jail on $1,000 bash bail, $2,000 bond, or $2,000 partially secured bond. He is due back in court on Feb. 18. The case was handed by Batavia Police Officer Miah Stevens, assisted by Officer Felicia DeGroot.

Jose Antonio Rivera, 34, of Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with second-degree criminal contempt and second-degree burglary. He was arrested Jan. 10 after an investigation into a domestic incident that occurred at 4:09 a.m. that day on Swan Street. It is alleged he violated an order of protection and burglarized a house. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and put in Genesee County Jail with bail (unspecified). He is due back in court on Feb. 17. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Samuel Freeman, assisted by Officer Austin Hedges.

Michael Robert Price, 35, of Pearl Street Road, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. On Jan. 13, Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested Price after a domestic incident at 8:50 p.m. in which it is alleged Price damaged a victim's property during an argument. He was arraigned in Batavia City Court and an order of protection was issued for the victim. He was then released on his own recognizance. Price is due back in city court on March 4.

Paula G. Pierce, 28, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. She was arrested at 6:39 p.m. on Jan. 14 after an investigation of an incident in which it is alleged that Pierce intentionally damaged the property of another person during an argument. She was released from custody with an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on March 23. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer John Gombos, assisted by Officer Peter Post.

Michael James Denning, 38, of Owens Road, Brockport, is charged with third-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arrested at a residence on Leroy Street in the Village of Bergen after the investigation of a physical domestic incident reported at 8:09 p.m. on Jan. 14. It is alleged that he broke a female's $700 cell phone while she attempted to call 9-1-1. This allegedly occurred in the presence of a 4-year-old child. He was arraigned in Genesee County Court on Jan. 15 and a stay away order of protection was issued for the victim. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor.

Jamie Lee Broadbent, 38, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and endangering the welfare of a child. Broadbent was arrested after a shoplifting complaint was made at a store on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia at 3:55 p.m. on Jan. 17. It is alleged that Broadbent stole property and passed all points of purchase without paying. The defendant allegedly did this while in the presence of a juvenile. Broadbent was released with an appearance ticket to be in Town of Batavia Court on March 4. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien.

Charles J. Rodriguez, 44, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree bail jumping. Batavia Police Officer Peter Post arrested Rodriguez after the defendant allegedly missed several appearances in Batavia City Court. After his arraignment, Rodriguez was released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He is due back in court Feb. 25. Batavia Police Officer John Gombos assisted Post in the case.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $2.39, up 7 cents from last week. One year ago, the price was $2.55. The New York State average is $2.47 – up 8 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.71.

AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $2.39 (up 8 cents since last week)
• Buffalo -- $2.43 (up 10 cents since last week)
• Ithaca -- $2.46 (up 11 cents since last week)
• Rochester -- $2.45 (up 9 cents since last week)
• Rome -- $2.48 (up 6 cents since last week)
• Syracuse -- $2.42 (up 8 cents since last week)
• Watertown -- $2.51 (up 10 cents since last week)

Crude prices have been fluctuating and remain over $50 per barrel. The current price this morning is $52 per barrel. Prices rose over market optimism that coronavirus vaccines will help crude demand recover this year. Additionally, EIA’s recent report helped bolster prices, detailing that total domestic crude inventories are on the decline.

If crude prices continue to sustain prices above $50 per barrel alongside higher refinery utilization rates and demand, drivers could see pump prices remain at elevated levels. Current prices are up across the region, but they remain lower than one year ago.

From GasBuddy:

"Gas prices have jumped to yet another multi-month high as crude oil price rise amidst perceived improvement in the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to pump prices up as demand shows renewed signs of recovery," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"In addition, with rumors swirling that President-elect Biden plans to cancel the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would cut off reliable Canadian oil to the United States, oil prices may see additional pressure in the coming days. For now, the upward trend in gas prices may slow from the sharp rise in the last week, but motorists shouldn't expect much of a break from rising gas prices, which now stand less than 20 cents from their year-ago levels."

In case you haven't heard, the Buffalo Bills (15-3) are heading to the AFC Championship game, for the first time since 1993, next Sunday. Barber Joey Williams gave Raymond Schramm Jr. a haircut that matches his team pride after yesterday's playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens 17-3.

Submitted photo.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley joined his colleagues in the Assembly Minority on Friday in writing a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, calling on them to include local home rule authorities in the process of developing coronavirus vaccine distribution plans in order to make them more effective.

The letter was drafted in response to reports that vaccine distribution has been slow and ineffective in New York State, with some vaccine doses reportedly being wastefully disposed of due to improper storage.

“What we do in these next few weeks with vaccine distribution will determine how much tragedy we will all have to endure as a state, so we need to act now to get these vaccines to the people that need them most, as quickly as possible,” Hawley said.

“We need to give the people who know their communities better than anyone a say in planning vaccine distribution, because a singular top-down approach will not work for the varied and unique communities that make up New York State. Getting these vaccines out effectively and promptly will save lives, and we cannot afford to let even a single dose of the vaccine go to waste during this unprecedented public health crisis.”

The Batavia City School District is asking families to make a final selection of which learning model — in-person hybrid or 100-percent remote — they want for their children in preparation for the start of the second semester of the 2020–21 academic year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Jan. 13 statement from the district, Superintendent of Schools Anibal Soler Jr. requested that families submit changes to their students’ learning modalities by Jan. 22. He said that this deadline will afford the district enough time to make adjustments to academic programming and transportation services before the semester begins Feb. 1.

“It may not change our numbers a lot, but at least we know moving forward that that is the final in-person hybrid and the final remote rosters that principals could use to kind of lock in the rest of their year,” Soler said at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting.

Families that would like to select a different learning method for the semester should complete the second semester Learning Model Form for each child in their household who seeks the change. Requests for changes can also be made via phone call to students’ respective schools. Those who do not want to modify their students’ academic format do not need to take action.

This survey process aims to strengthen the teacher-student experience for both in-person hybrid learners and remote learning students. The statement said that this learning model selection will allow teachers and administrators to plan more effectively for a stable end to “a difficult and fluid” school year.

“We don't want to burn out our teachers because they've already flip-flopped so much in the way that they teach,” Board Member Tanni Bromley said. “So if they can have a consistent roster, it would be easier for them to decide how they're going to move forward.”

The district’s in-person hybrid students shift between receiving face-to-face and at-home online instruction based on the cohort they are in. All remote-only learners complete their classes entirely in a virtual setting. Board members said at Monday’s meeting that some families have switched between these models multiple times throughout the first semester.

“Consistency for the student is probably best, too, in that if a parent chooses one, then it would be best to kind of ride that out,” Board Member Shawna Murphy said. “Get them through this year and hopefully we won't even be dealing with this next year. But the flip-flopping for the kid isn't good either.”

As of Jan. 15, BCSD reported that 92 individuals, on or off campus, among its students, teachers and staff members are currently testing positive for COVID-19. The district’s statement noted that it may need to transition to 100-percent virtual instruction for all students if an issue related to COVID-19 arises during the second semester. 

BCSD previously switched to fully remote instruction from Dec. 7, 2020 to Jan. 4, 2021 because of staffing shortages related to a rise in positive COVID-19 cases among its students, teachers and staff, and throughout Genesee County. An influx of family requests to move children from hybrid to remote learning was cited as a challenge the district faced in the days leading up to this switch.

“All of our teachers are feeling burned out,” Soler said. “I mean it is tough to navigate this virtual and remote, and it's just a harder year. So our teachers are working like maniacs. They're planning. They're trying to prepare.”

Changes to instruction methods will take effect Feb. 1 and remain in place for the duration of the school year. However, according to the statement, a student’s school may contact parents and guardians at any time during the semester to suggest a modification to the child’s learning format to accommodate their academic needs.

In terms of exceptions to learning model commitments, Soler said he wants families to understand “that if there's a situation that comes about, that they would need to go through their principal first, prior to seeking approval to change, but that only extreme extenuating circumstances would be considered.”

A mandatory quarantine period does not alter the second semester learning method of an in-person hybrid student who tests positive for COVID-19 or has been in close contact with someone who receives a positive test result.

“If that child is quarantined, then he has to go out,” Board Member John Reigle said. “If they test positive, they're out for a certain period. But that person committed to in-person [instruction]. Once they're cleared, they can come back.”

Board members expressed optimism at Monday’s meeting about the sense of normalcy and ease of mind that the second semester learning model selection can potentially bring to everyone.

“To kind of know what's going to be happening for the rest of the school year in February, I think that's a good thing because it's kind of getting back to normal,” Murphy said. “Regardless of what you choose, it's going to stay the same.”

The next board meeting will be livestreamed at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25 on the school district’s Board of Education YouTube channel.

In the coming weeks, Batavia City Council members will engage in a review process to finalize the city’s 2021–22 budget based on Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski’s recommended cutbacks to municipal services amid COVID-19 financial challenges.

At Monday night’s City Council business meeting, Tabelski presented a proposed pathway to economic recovery that summarized city revenues and expenses. She said that despite her pride in generating a financially sound budget, it was difficult to put together a fiscal plan because of income losses related to pandemic shutdowns and the subsequent economic downturn.

“I can honestly say that none of us like this budget,” she said. “The restraints and restrictions forced upon us by reduced revenue and state aid will not allow the city to operate as business as usual. There are services that will need to be reduced or cut altogether if we are to achieve a budget within the tax cap.”

She said city budget shortfalls have been compounded by a projected 20-percent decrease -- $350,000 -- in aid and incentives for municipalities. State and federal relief measures have focused on providing businesses with loans and grants, and individuals with stimulus checks, unemployment benefits and eviction and foreclosure moratoriums.

“Within the latest stimulus bill that was passed, there was yet no aid to local governments,” she said. “There is potential for local government funding relief with the new administration, but at this time there are no guarantees and it is not reflected in the fiscal ’21–’22 budget.”

Resident service scalebacks include reduced staffing levels at the local police and fire departments, community policing, arts funding, academic development, special police details and community events. Administrative services, public works and government personnel expenditures will also experience significant cost reductions.

“Restorations of these services will ultimately depend on the economic recovery of the nation as a whole or re-examining priority services for the city,” Tabelski said.

Though cuts and hiring freezes have occurred across departments, increases in city employee wages and expenses, like Social Security and retirement costs, will leave a $1.2 million gap between revenue and expenditures in comparison to the previous fiscal year.

The prospective budget includes the layoff of an ordinance enforcement officer, a retirement incentive for a police officer and several unfilled jobs. Tabelski said the city remains committed to investment in workers compensation and health insurance, budgeted at $294,000 and $2.6 million, respectively.

The property tax rate increase is slated to be 1.38 percent, which would change the rate from $9.59 to $9.73 per $1,000 of taxable assessed value. This year, the city saw a $175,000 decrease in sales tax — its largest single source of annual revenue — and a general fund decline of approximately $800,000.

“The current conditions in the general fund are unsustainable,” Tabelski said. “Future budgets will depend on the ability of the economy ... to recover lost state aid, for us to find sources of revenue.”

Tabelski said the city should become less dependent on the fund balance, reserves and water fund revenue in budgets going forward. She suggested to council members that renovations to commercial and residential properties throughout the community could serve as valuable income streams.

“Despite these difficult economic times, the City of Batavia continues to see investment and economic development in terms of construction and building improvements,” she said. “There are many active developers looking at our city for market-rate housing projects that will draw new small businesses downtown.”

The interim city manager praised Batavia government leaders for their efforts and expressed confidence in their planning to deliver the services that city residents and employees require.

“I anticipate that our budget work sessions to follow will be extremely detailed and filled with proactive conversations so the city can achieve the budget that meets the needs of the organization, the employees and our residents,” she said.

In other action, City Council:

• Endorsed a Batavia Business Improvement District application to the 2020 New York Main Street Anchor Grant for a multipurpose events and entertainment space. If awarded the state grant for up to $500,000, the funding would be used to renovate the external façade and interior of the Batavia Showtime movie theater at 6 Alva Place.

• Approved a resolution that authorized Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. to sign the amended Dwyer Stadium leasing agreement. This is a five-year agreement in which the Batavia Regional Recreation Corporation will lease the stadium to CAN-USA Sports LLC. 

• Heard from City Attorney George Van Nest that local code enforcement deadlines are being delayed by the state legislature’s COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act. The act extends New York’s eviction moratorium until May 1 for tenants who have endured pandemic-related hardship.

The first budget work session will be held after the council’s next conference meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 in the Council Board Room on the second floor of City Hall, followed by a second session Feb. 1.

A two-vehicle accident with injury is reported at Ledge and Maple roads, Alabama. It is partially blocking traffic. Occupants are out. A child has a face laceration. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

The main bath recently remodeled and I promise you will find many reasons to shut the door and stay awhile -- so pretty and even has heated floors! Nicely finished hardwood floors, large kitchen with plenty of newer cabinetry and new stainless appliances with attached dining area with a sliding glass door to let the sunshine in!

The basement in this house adds a whole other layer of living with a great home office leading into large family room area that has small kitchenette and a second full bath. There is also large utility area and a separate storage room for all your extra stuff -- so much great usable space!

There is an extra deep attached garage which leads out to fully fenced back yard with an additional fenced in area and large utility shed! Outside is landscaped with loads of perennials so you can ease right into sunny weather -- make an appointment today! Call Lynn Bezon 585-344-HOME (4663). Click here to view this listing.