Press release from Genesee Region USBC:

A little more than 14 months after recording his first United States Bowling Congress-certified 800 series, Albion resident Brandon Gurnsey has a 300 game to go along with it.

Gurnsey, a 32-year-old right-hander, rolled games of 201-300-221 for a 722 series this week on lanes 9-10 in the Sneezy's Monday Night League at his hometown bowling center, Oak Orchard Bowl.

It was on Nov. 25, 2019 when Gurnsey, a bus mechanic for the Spencerport Central School District, posted an 812 series at Oak Orchard Bowl with games of 276-279-257.

In Monday's action, he said he moved a few boards right on the approach after the opening 201, placing his Roto-Grip Halo ball between the second and third arrows. He proceeded to guide the next 11 balls to the pocket for strikes before tugging the 12th shot and coming up high.

"I could hear people in the background who were videotaping (the last frame) on their phones yell out, 'Oh no,' " Gurnsey said, realizing that he pulled the ball left of target. "I left the 6-7-10 split, but the 6-10 fell over and then the 7-pin somehow fell off the back of the deck."

Bowling for the Brooklyn Bombers team, Gurnsey raised his average this season to 219, his best ever. His previous high game was 299, which he achieved on two occasions.

In other action around the Genesee Region:

• William Yates of Churchville just missed perfection, leaving a 7-pin on the final ball for a 299 on lanes 1-2 in the Thursday Owls League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen. The 64-year-old right-hander started with 228 and finished with 233 for a sparkling 760 series.

• Diane Hurlburt of Warsaw continued her stellar bowling of late with a 694 series in the Thursday Night League at Perry Bowling Center. The previous week, Hurlburt registered a 738 series.

• In action from the previous week, Curtis Foss of Medina rolled his third 300 game of the season en route to a 775 series in the Thursday Men's Triples League at Oak Orchard Bowl.

For a list of high scores for the week, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

This afternoon a Hazardous Weather Outlook was forecast for Genesee County and elsewhere in portions of Western and North Central New York by the National Weather Service Office in Buffalo.

Beginning tomorrow night, Feb. 1, a strong low-pressure system will move very slowly northward along the East Coast through Wednesday.

"Snow will spread back to the north and west and into portions of the regions later Monday night through Tuesday before slowly tapering off from west to east Wednesday."

There remains a great deal of uncertainty about how far west accumulating snow will spread, and the amount of snow to be expected. Moderate snow accumulations are possible from the Genesee Valley to the eastern Lake Ontario region during this time period.

At 7:34 a.m., Town of Batavia fire was dispatched to a report of a box truck that had overturned on the Thruway in the westbound lane near mile marker 390.7.

There were no injuries nor leaking fluids.

Rescue 20, 24, and Brush 23 all responded. All crews were back in service by 8:35 a.m.

Information and photo courtesy Town of Batavia Fire Department.

Multiple corporate donors to U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs (NY-27) have suspended contributions to the Western New York congressman following his objection to the 2020 Electoral College results. 

Jacobs received a total of $63,800 in donations from nine corporate PACs in the 2020 campaign cycle, campaign finance documents show. Of those companies, four -- accounting for $37,500 worth of Jacobs’s corporate donations -- have suspended contributions to some or all lawmakers in the aftermath of the vote to certify the presidential election results on Jan. 6. 

Jacobs was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who raised objections to the certification of electoral votes; he was one of four lawmakers from New York to do so -- along with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21) and Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY-1). 

“I have a duty to represent my constituents and a constitutional duty to ensure the security and integrity of our elections,” Jacobs said in a statement at the time. “I do not take this decision lightly, but for these reasons feel it necessary to object to the certification of the electoral votes from contested states.”

Blue Cross/Blue Shield -- which gave Jacobs $10,000 in the 2020 cycle through its PAC -- announced several days after the vote that it had suspended all contributions to politicians who objected to the results.

“In light of this week’s violent, shocking assault on the United States Capitol, and the votes of some members of Congress to subvert the results of November’s election by challenging Electoral College results, BCSBA will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy,” President and CEO Kim Keck said in a statement. 

New York Life Insurance’s PAC, which gave $5,000 to Jacobs in the 2020 campaign cycle, has also suspended contributions to members of the U.S. House and Senate who voted against the certification of electoral votes, a spokeswoman for the company told The Batavian in a statement. 

“We will be evaluating our approach moving forward,” the spokeswoman said. 

Other companies have suspended PAC donations altogether following the vote, regardless of lawmakers’ stances on the electoral results. 

Those companies include the National Fuel Gas Company, which gave Jacobs $15,000 in the 2020 cycle.

The National Fuel PAC “contributes to candidates of both parties who support affordable and reliable natural gas access and delivery to fuel our homes, businesses and communities,” a spokeswoman told The Batavian in an email. “Every contribution receives considerable evaluation to serve those ends. In light of current events, we have hit pause on all of our political contributions.” 

The United Parcel Service -- which donated $7,500 to the congressman in the most recent campaign cycle -- announced in the days following the vote that it had also suspended all contributions to political candidates. 

Charter Communications and M&T Bank, which donated $5,000 and $1,000 to Jacobs in the 2020 cycle, respectively, acknowledged receipt of inquiries from The Batavian but did not provide a comment on the future of their PACs’ relationships with Jacobs. 

Constellation Brands, a Western New York-based producer and marketer of alcoholic beverages, contributed $7,500 to Jacobs’s campaign in 2020. Neither Constellation Brands nor the American Crystal Sugar Company, which donated $5,000 to Jacobs, responded to multiple inquiries from The Batavian. 

Delaware North -- which is owned by the Jacobs family -- also did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Batavian. Delaware North donated $7,800 via PAC to Jacobs in the 2020 cycle.

Protests were held at several Walmarts around New York today, including Batavia, over concerns that Walmart has reportedly pressured GE-Savant to lower prices for lightbulbs, forcing the company to move a LED light factory from Ohio to China.

Press release:

On Saturday, Jan. 30, at Walmart stores at four locations in New York state, a coalition of labor and community groups will hold a protest as part of a national consumer awareness campaign informing the public of Walmart’s two-faced stance as a champion of “Made in America” products. 

LED light bulbs that are sold at Walmart are currently made by IUE-CWA workers at the GE-Savant Systems LLC lighting plant in Bucyrus, Ohio. GE-Savant recently announced that they intend to move the LED residential light bulb product line out of the facility to China, permanently laying off 80 workers, and putting the future of the plant in jeopardy.

The GE-Savant facility is one of the only residential lighting plants left in the USA, nearly all other residential light bulbs are now made in China.

Walmart’s website and TV ad campaign says “We are committed to American renewal. We believe we can create more American jobs by supporting more American manufacturing.” The coalition is calling on Walmart to live up to this promise. 

“This should be easy for Walmart,” said IUE-CWA International President Carl Kennebrew. “Walmart’s brand of LED Bulbs that now carry an ‘Assembled in the USA’ label are scheduled to be moved to China.

"Walmart can tell their supplier (GE-Savant) to cancel plans to ship them overseas. If Walmart is serious about supporting American manufacturing, this is how they can show it.”

“This is only the beginning,” said Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “Americans are waking up to the power of their spending dollar. When we choose to buy American, we are purchasing a product of the highest quality while investing in our communities and in our fellow Americans.

"Walmart must be part of the solution and invest more in our great nation and its people. The bulbs currently manufactured in Bucyrus, Ohio should continue to be made in Bucyrus, Ohio.”

Le Roy's winter track and field teams participated in a virtual track meet today.

Photos by Tim McArdle.

Submitted photo and press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) has designated Margaret Peri of Batavia as the New York 27th Congressional District Veteran of the Month for January of 2021.

“Western New York is home to incredible veterans who not only served our nation honorably but have returned and dedicated their lives to serving our communities,” Jacobs said. “Margaret Peri has continuously answered the call to serve our nation, our local community, and distant communities that have been struck by natural disaster.

"Her selfless and dedicated service exemplifies what it truly means to be an American, and I am honored to designate her NY-27’s Veteran of the Month.”

Peri served in the Army from July of 1975 through September of 1978. Throughout her military service, she was a Chapel Activities Specialist, and her dedication to comforting and caring for patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center earned her the Army Commendation Medal.

Following her military career, she served the people of Genesee County for more than 38 years in the Department of Social Services. She has also been a dedicated volunteer going on natural disaster relief mission trips to Ireland, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Peri is also a member of the Eight Days of Hope Ministry and has been actively participating in food drives and food delivery for Western New York residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Press release:

Please be advised that Batavia City Council will be holding the 2021/22 budget work sessions on the following dates:

Monday, Feb.1 at 6 p.m. -- 2^nd  Budget Work Session (General Gov’t, General Admin. Services, & Police);
Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. -- 3^rd  Budget Work Session (DPW, Fire);
Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. -- Business Meeting, introduce budget ordinance;
Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. -- Conference Meeting, last opportunity to make budget amendments;
Monday, March 8 at 7 p.m. -- Adopt budget and related resolutions.

As the Yellow Zone restriction was lifted from Batavia, this meeting will be open to the public with appropriate facemasks, social distancing and temperature screening upon arrival.

While pleased that the Batavia City Council voted to support the My Brother’s Keeper initiative designed to help boys and young men of color with their academic progress, Batavia City School District Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. believes that some clarification about the program is warranted.

“Regarding the My Brother’s Keeper story (that was posted on The Batavian on Tuesday – the day following the City Council meeting where the measure was discussed at length before passage), I believe there was some unfamiliarity with what the grant was requiring and the tight timeline for submission to the New York State Education Department created some additional angst,” Soler said.

According to documents provided to Council members by Interim City Manager Rachael Tabelski, the school district came to the city, seeking a municipal partner in order to apply for the NYSED grant, with a Feb. 1 deadline being set for this year’s grant cycle.

Goals of the program, an extension of an initiative promoted by former President Barack Obama several years ago, include forging teacher/community relationships to address learning needs at every grade level; enhancing family relationships; creating a culturally diverse and engaging atmosphere for learning; and utilizing school, family and community to provide the best opportunities for academic, social and emotional growth.

As explained by Tabelski in a memo to City Council, the city’s role would include advertising the MBK program, providing public meeting room space, and providing mentors and homework assistance at the Liberty Center for Youth afterschool program.

Soler said he followed up with City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. after the meeting to “clarify any confusion or answer any additional questions he may have had, and thanked him for his support.”

“The MBK grant is supplemental funds to support the district's efforts on increasing the academic achievement and college and career readiness of boys and young men of color by sustaining effective relationships with families,” Soler said. “The grant doesn't obligate the city for any services; it just allows them to endorse and or partner in our efforts to pursue this funding opportunity and if we receive this grant we would be able to supplement any city efforts on family and community engagement.”

Jankowski, during Monday night’s meeting, said he was concerned about the last-minute timing of the grant and also about the cost to the city, especially considering that city officials are in the midst of developing the 2021-22 budget.

The city council president ultimately voted in favor of supporting MBK as did the other Council members in attendance, except for Rose Mary Christian, who said she was going to contact the Civil Liberties Union about the legality of an initiative that targeted a specific group.

When asked why he voted in favor of it, Jankowski said he believes the program has merit, but needed “to understand how this would impact our community, and there was a tight time deadline.”

“After doing some research, getting some answers during the Council meeting and the reassurance of Council Member Patti Pacino, a retired teacher, I felt comfortable voting yes,” he said.

When it was mentioned that it seemed to be something that the school district and Genesee County were negotiating over originally, Jankowski said he wasn’t sure of that, but is “hopeful that the city/school partnership for this program will turn out to be a positive one.”

Christian, contacted this morning, said she did call the CLU but did not receive a response.

“I just felt bad because they didn’t include girls,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what nationality they are or what heritage, it just didn’t include them. Like (Council Member) John Canale said, it’s for Hispanic, people of color, the Black community – that’s fine – but what about Caucasian?”

Christian said students across the cultural spectrum need help “and our teachers should be available to give as much help as possible to all that need it.”

Previously: Council members voice objections but vote to support My Brother's Keeper school initiative

Commonly Asked Workers’ Compensation Questions:

Data Update –

• Genesee County received 46 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, 70s, 80s and 90s.  
• Thirty-nine of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Correction: The following two cases previously identified as residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility were double counted and have been retracted from today’s data; A case in his/her 80s and a case in his/her 60s.
• Twenty-one of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive cases is a resident of the Batavia VA Medical Center. 
• One of the new positive cases is a resident of Premier Genesee. 
• We are saddened to report the loss of two individuals over the age of 65 who were residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility. We do not provide any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. Our deepest condolences to the families and friends during this very difficult time.
• Correction: Two cases previously reported as residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility are community members and have been retracted from today’s data. 

Orleans County received eight new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• 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, 40s and 70s.
• Two of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Twenty of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Seven of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive individuals is a resident at the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.
• We are very sad to report the COVID-related death of one of our county residents. The person was over 65. We will not be reporting any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual at this very sad time.

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) has joined a bipartisan group to call on the Biden Administration to work with the Canadian government to develop a cooperative plan to reduce cross-border travel restrictions.

“Reopening our Northern Border will have a direct impact on improving our local economy and allow for businesses and key industries relying on cross-border travelers to receive a much-needed boost,” Jacobs said.

“In addition to injecting needed dollars into our struggling local economy, opening the border is of great personal concern for family members who have been separated for almost a year and property owners who have been unable to maintain or even check on their homes.”

The letter, signed by 24 representatives including Rep. Jacobs and New York reps. Stefanik, Higgins, Katko, and Reed calls for the Biden Administration to develop a binational plan to cooperatively reopen the Northern Border and identifies five key actions that need to be taken:

• Establish a Bilateral Plan for Restoring Travel – Both U.S. states and Canadian provinces have created extensive frameworks for reopening their respective economies based on public health metrics and criteria identified by public health experts. While these have guided reopening decisions in their respective territories, the U.S. and Canadian governments have yet to work collaboratively to use their existing frameworks to develop guidance for reopening the U.S. – Canadian border.
• Prioritize Vaccines and Testing for All CBP Staff – Agents and staff of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) work on the frontlines to protect American interests and citizens. We need to ensure they have a continued supply of necessary PPE and that eligibility for vaccinations is expanded beyond its current level of only personnel within a 200-mile radius of a Veterans Affairs hospital.
• Allow for Families to Safely Reunite – Since the travel restrictions were first implemented, Canada has expanded exemptions to allow family members and extended family members to enter Canada. However, the United States has yet to offer a similar procedure for land border crossings.
• Develop a Policy for Property Owners – Individuals who own property in Canada have been unable to travel by car to their homes to conduct maintenance and collect necessary belongings, despite the ability to implement safe procedures such as a negative COVID-19 test before traveling and implementing quarantine guidance.
• Ensure Reciprocal Access to Transit through Boundary Waters – During the coronavirus pandemic, Canadian boaters and boat tour operators have enjoyed access to U.S. waters so long as they did not dock at a U.S. port. U.S. boaters have not had the same reciprocal treatment from Canadian authorities. This has particularly harmed the U.S. boat tour industry, which has been unable to conduct unrestricted tours resulting in lost revenues.

“The Biden Administration has indicated through an executive order that they are pursuing a plan to open the U.S. – Canadian Border safely. I urge them to work collaboratively with the Canadian government to develop an actionable plan that puts a stop to the endlessly extended travel restrictions and uncertainty for thousands of businesses, cross-border families, and American homeowners,” Jacobs said.

It has been seven years since public school students cracked open a textbook at the Robert Morris building on Union Avenue in Batavia but the Batavia City School District superintendent is thinking it's time for that to change.

Anibal Soler Jr. suggested to the Board of Trustees on Monday night, along with a facilities consultant who made a presentation during the Zoom conference meeting, that Robert Morris is being underutilized; that there are space constraints elsewhere in the district, particularly at the middle school; and without students at Robert Morris, the building is a financial drain on the district.

"We wanted to throw something out there to get your mind working," Soler told the trustees. "We know we’ll have some fiscal challenges but to maintain a building that we don’t get anything for and we have to keep finding tenants as we do at Robert Morris, I think we have to start thinking about that, especially when we know the middle school is extremely packed right now."

In 2012, city schools consolidated their five schoolhouses into four -- Jackson Elementary, John Kennedy Primary, the middle school and the high school -- with Robert Morris becoming home to a couple of school programs with space available to tenants. The building has been generating $100,000 annually in lease payments for the district. That revenue will drop to $36,000 in the coming fiscal year. One tenant currently in the building is leaving once its lease expires in June. 

Meanwhile, because there are no students in the building, the district cannot receive state aid for any maintenance or improvements needed on the structure, Soler said.

The future of Robert Morris came up during a presentation by Richard Little and Brian Cieslinski, of SEI Design Group. The architectural firm was hired by the district to fulfill a state mandate to do a facilities review every five years.

The state requires each school district to go through these periodic reviews because identification of issues at school facilities helps the state's education department budget for aid to school districts.

SEI identified more than $40 million in maintenance issues that need to be addressed within the next five years.

“This looks daunting as far as a $40 million sum," Cieslinski said. "I would tell you, statistically, (compared to) a lot of our school districts this is actually a very good list. You’re maintaining your buildings very well."

The list includes items such as:

• Jackson School
  • Improving accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Replacing rooftop heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units
  • Installing an emergency generator
• John Kennedy School
  • Improving drainage
  • Replacing broken or cracked concrete slabs
  • Accessibility
  • Moisture mitigation in the gym
  • Upgrades to the alarm and PA systems
• Middle School
  • Exterior brick restoration
  • Moisture in the gym walls
  • Accessibility
  • Fire barrier in the auditorium
  • Installing an emergency generator
• High School
  • Locker room renovations
  • A boiler upgrade
  • Moisture mitigation
  • Lighting upgrades
  • A new public address system
• Robert Morris
  • Brick repairs
  • Window replacements
  • Accessibility
  • An upgrade to the fire alarm system and PA
  • An emergency generator

SEI delivered to the school district a thick binder that listed these items and many more that were ranked from 1 to 5 by priority. It will be up to district officials to figure out how best to prioritize these items over the next five years.

Board President Alice Ann Benedict asked if the conversion of Robert Morris back into a school is something that will be part of the upcoming budget discussions. Soler said, no. The conversion and reassignment of students will be a significant planning issue. It will take a lot longer than a couple of months to pull together and it also needs to involve discussion with the board, administrators, teachers, parents, and other community members.

Little did present one suggestion under consideration: Moving two classes of students out of the middle school -- possibly to Robert Morris, and then relocating district offices to the middle school. That would free up space at the high school, possibly for expanded STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education, as well as accommodate students in the future who might do better with remote learning even in a post-COVID-19 education world.

Soler was quick to emphasize that is just one idea and that more ideas need to be explored with community input.

Press release:

New York high school seniors who are graduating and interested in pursuing a career in agriculture can apply for New York Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Youth Scholarship.

Statewide winners can earn up to $1,500 toward their future education.

The applicant or their family must be a New York Farm Bureau member, and the student must live and/or work on a farm in the state. The student must also complete the application, which includes writing an essay addressing an issue facing agriculture in their county and how Farm Bureau may support its members in addressing it. 

Scoring will determine both county and district winners and may include a personal interview.

Each district winner will receive $100 and then compete for one of three state scholarships worth $1,500, $1,200 and $1,000, based on their submitted applications. The judging will take place prior to April 20.  

For more information, including the application, go to New York Farm Bureau’s website at nyfb.org. The scholarship information can be found under “Promotion and Education” in the programs section of the website.

You can also call the New York Farm Bureau office at 1-800-342-4143. Completed application packets must be returned to New York Farm Bureau in Albany with a March 1 postmark deadline or via email to pdugan@nyfb.org.

From Vicky Muckle, executive assistant to the county manager:

Genesee County will hold a free COVID-19 Testing Clinic for Genesee County residents on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Fire Training Center, 7690 State Street Road, Batavia.

Time is 1 to 3 p.m.

There are 309 appointments available: 

Here's the link to register.

Phone: (585) 344-2580

Press release:

Today, U.S Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation in the new Congress to eliminate the $10,000 cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction starting in 2021.

The proposal would allow taxpayers to fully deduct their state and local taxes on their federal income returns. In 2017, the deduction was capped at $10,000 and resulted in a tax increase for many middle-class families.

“When it comes to SALT, New York families needed and deserved this money before the coronavirus took hold, the stakes are even higher now because the cap is costing this community tens-of-thousands of dollars they could be using amid the crisis,” Senator Schumer said.

“That is why I am proud to be leading this legislation to restore our full SALT deduction. Double taxing hardworking homeowners is plainly unfair; We need to bring our federal dollars back home to the to cushion the blow this virus—and this harmful SALT cap—has dealt so many homeowners and families locally.

“I am proud to join my colleagues to introduce legislation to repeal the cap on the State and Local Tax deduction, a cynical policy passed by Republicans as a way to repay wealthy donors and lobbyists with big corporate tax cuts,” Senator Gillibrand said.

“The reinstating of the SALT Deduction will ensure that New York families have more money in their pockets, get much-needed tax relief and will once again be treated fairly.”

Schumer and Gillibrand pointed to the following reasons for why the SALT deduction is unfair to New Yorkers:

• New Yorkers already subsidize other states by paying $36-45 billion more in taxes than we receive back from the federal government;
• The repeal of the SALT deduction results in double taxation by imposing federal taxes on the income used to pay state and local taxes;
• The elimination of the deduction drives wealthier people to other states and leaves middle- and lower-income taxpayers holding the bag to pay for school, police and other essential state and local tax burdens.

A breakdown of data from 2017 shows just how critical the full deduction was to New York homeowners. In the 27th Congressional District, for example, 33 percent of taxpayers used the SALT deduction that year, and the average deduction was for $14,096. In Genesee County, a total of 6,840 households claimed the SALT deduction and the average deduction amounted to $10,156. Countywide, 94 percent middle-income taxpayers were beneficiaries of the SALT deduction.

Across Upstate New York, the average SALT deduction was more than $13,000 across more than 1.2 million households.

Under the pre-Trump tax code, taxpayers who itemized deductions on their federal income tax returns could deduct state and local real estate and personal property taxes, as well as either income taxes or general sales taxes.

State and local income and real estate taxes had made up approximately 60 percent of local and state tax deductions, while sales tax and personal property taxes made up the remainder. According to the Tax Policy Center, approximately one-third of tax filers had itemized deductions on their federal income tax returns.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is demanding a legislative hearing regarding the handling of the coronavirus pandemic within New York state’s nursing homes by the Department of Health, as well as the revocation of the Governor’s emergency powers, following a report from the state Attorney General’s Office that the department underreported nursing home deaths related to COVID-19 by as much as 50 percent.

The report also revealed that residents and staff were not provided with sufficient amounts of PPE (personal protective equipment) and COVID-19 tests, and that many nursing homes were not complying with an executive order requiring communication with family members of residents.

“What was revealed in today’s report from the Attorney General is nothing short of tragic, and, at this point, I consider it a moral obligation to hold hearings into this matter so we can get to the bottom of what caused this unfathomable tragedy,” Hawley said.

“I am shocked we are only learning today of the magnitude of this unthinkable loss of life, and I am resolved to restoring proper and constitutional government in our state to ensure the Legislature has the oversight capability to assure this never happens again.”

The City of Batavia has received two responses to its request for proposal for agencies interested in providing youth services to the municipality.

Interim Manager Rachael Tabelski, speaking at Thursday night's City of Batavia Youth Board meeting via Zoom videoconferencing, said one firm scored an average of 90 and the other scored an average of 75. Scoring was done by Tabelski, members of the youth board and other persons named to the selection team.

A third firm responded with a no-bid letter stating that it did not wish to bid.

Tabelski shared this information with Youth Board members David Twichell, Paula Fischer and Lydia Schauf and City Council liaison Al McGinnis before continuing with the RFP discussion in executive session – without The Batavian reporter in attendance.

It was expected that the Youth Board would meet in the next week or so to interview one or both of the organizations that indicated responded favorably.

Tabelski did get back to The Batavian following the meeting last night.

“The plan going forward may include interviews (of one or both of the candidates) and for the measure to be put on a Council agenda to explain why the selection committee has rated a particular firm as the highest,” she said.

She would not disclose the names of the two organizations in the running, but said that the agenda of City Council’s Feb. 22 Conference Meeting “potentially” could include the youth services RFP item.

As an historical note, the Liberty Center for Youth opened in August 2019 as a joint venture of the City Youth Bureau and Genesee Area Family YMCA and the subsequent daily operation (before it was closed due to COVID-19) was being split 50/50 by the City Youth Bureau and YMCA.

The RFP was drafted by Jocelyn Sikorski, the former county/city youth bureau executive director, before she left the position to take the executive director job with Cornell Cooperative Extension. It was sent out on Dec. 1 to local organizations that may wish to contract with the city for the 2021-22 fiscal year that begins on April 1.

The city’s primary youth services are an afterschool program at the Liberty Center for Youth on the City Church St. Anthony’s campus and a summer recreation program, but it does participate in other activities, including those coordinated by Genesee County.

Fischer reiterated the youth board’s position that the city’s agreement with the county to share the cost of an executive director should be dissolved in light of Sikorski’s departure, the city’s budget situation and the county possibly looking to make changes to the way it delivers youth services.

It was noted that the county has not billed the city for youth services during the first quarter of this year and that the city has not requested any services from the county.

Twichell asked McGinnis if City Council understood that the youth board recommended ending the contract with the county, but Tabelski said dissolution of contracts was a responsibility of the city manager’s office, and ultimately it would be decided by City Council.

Fischer mentioned that the reason the city contracted with the county because, at the time, it was required by the state.

“Shared services were a big thing being pushed by the governor and it made sense to share that position and get the state funding – and save the city money in the process,” she said. “But in 2017, we no longer needed to have that position to get the state funding.”

In other developments, the board:

• Welcomed Schauf, a former city youth bureau employee, to the committee for a term extending to Dec. 31, 2023. Schauf said she would be contacting Chelsea Elliott, the county’s deputy youth bureau executive director, about the youth board’s intention to participate in the annual Youth Awards Banquet, usually held in April.

• Put out a call to enlist other community members to join the committee, noting that its bylaws call for 11 members with no fewer than five seats for adults. Currently, there are only four citizen representatives on the youth board.

• Scheduled its next regular meeting for 6 p.m. Feb. 16 as long as space at City Hall is available as the consensus was to have an in-person meeting. The agenda for that meeting will include the appointment of officers and a review of the bylaws.

Previously:  Youth Board backs RFP for possible outsourcing, but wants city to keep in-house program 'on the table'