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New county program plants seeds of hopeful future for youth

By Joanne Beck
DSS Commissioner Carla Mindler
Genesee County DSS Commissioner Carla Mindler during a meeting with county legislators. Mindler and DSS Director Ben Dennis talked about the foster care program and a new initiative, The Village, during this week's Ways & Means meeting. Photo by Joanne Beck.

Back in the earlier days of Hillary Clinton, there was a phrase made popular that “it takes a village” of diverse community members to make a difference in a child’s life.

That popular phrase became a mantra, book and now a harvested philosophy for Genesee County Department of Social Services’ new program: The Village, building connections, cultivating seeds.

DSS Commissioner Carla Mindler and Ben Dennis, director of Social Services, presented the program to county legislators this week. Atypical from most presenters before the county group, Dennis said he was not there for legislators’ wallets.

“The reason for this really is, I’m not going to ask for any money or to alter the budget or anything. What I want to do, though, is just kind of raise awareness to some things that are going on and some ideas that we have, and really just help get the word out there,” he said during the Ways & Means meeting. “For the past few months, what we've seen at DSS, with children especially, is a lot of mental health issues. And more and more of them — I don't know if it's the return to normalcy after the pandemic — we're getting a lot of cases where children are just depressed, a lot of anxiety, not wanting to go to school, being disruptive in the community. So we're needing more and more resources to keep them at home and not going into an out-of-home placement.

“Since September, we've had an increase in children that have gone to residential placements, which are not only not the best for the child to be in, but also the most expensive. We try everything to keep them out of there. And we have preventive services. We have foster care. We have our cluster home program.”

Genesee County has the Cluster Home Program, which is for foster parents who take in older youth and keep them out of institutions. They are specially trained and able to take the older youth who are in DSS custody, “not because of abuse or neglect, but because of their own behaviors that are juvenile delinquent, or adjudicated on their own to us, basically, by the probation department,” Dennis said, when they can't be maintained in the community any longer.

Those parents required “a lot of support from us,” including a youth worker that stayed with the child from the time he/she got off the school bus until bedtime. Those cluster homes have dwindled from seven to one for various reasons, and the agency is looking to recruit people to take care of these children, he said.

Genesee County The Village staff
Morgan Luce, Gina Giuliani, Ashley Shade, and Becca Nigro "have a shared passion for helping youth in our community. We have come together to create The Village to coordinate support for local youth and families and help them build connections, relationships, and find resources," according to The Village website. Photo from the site.

Meanwhile, however, there’s The Village. A stopgap of sorts to plug in volunteers as a resource, this program will serve up people to help children learn various skills, obtain academic lessons, and catch a ride when needed.

“We’re just going to be looking for volunteers in the community to step forward and be a resource for the child, and what that means and what kind of resources, maybe it's somebody who can tutor a child. You know, there's a child who's struggling with schoolwork that comes to the attention of DSS, some skill-building, transportation, a child that needs to get from their parent’s house to an activity or counseling,” he said. “So we want to look in our community for people who are like, ‘geez, I don’t know if I really want to be a foster parent yet, but I want to get involved with a family.’ I want to be able to help and make a connection with that volunteer and the family that we're working with.

“Just for some extra support for that family, if we can maintain that child in their own home with the help of a volunteer, then it's a win,” he said. “So basically what the village is going to do is advertise for volunteers, volunteers who not necessarily right away want to become a foster parent, but to be a resource.”

Ideally, that volunteer would build a relationship with the child and may end up feeling ready to become a foster parent or at least a trusted source of support for the youth, he said. The Village's mission is “to provide dynamic support to local families and youth by connecting them with qualified and effective volunteers.” The program staff’s goal is “to strive to see the youth in our community be successful and develop meaningful connections.”

“It’ll be a training process for anybody who’s interested in getting involved with that, and we hope that it’s going to fulfill a need that we see right now,” he said.

For more information or an application, go to www.thevillagegenesee.com

Attorney with Genesee County honored at Lamplighters luncheon

By Press Release
img_8170.jpg
First row (L to R): Antonia Gillison, Paula A. Campbell, Esq., Mary Jane Nevins, Esq. Second row (L to R): Michelle Parker, Esq., Ayoka Tucker, Esq., Jamie Summers. Third row (L to R): Lee Ann Lazarony, Kelley Buckley Fourth row (L to R): Hon. Laura Wagner, Colleen Gibbons, Jennifer Wilkinson, Esq.

Press Release:

On June 7, the NYS Judicial Committee on Women in the Courts – eighth Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee recognized 11 outstanding women in the law at its Biennial Lamplighters Luncheon held at the Hotel Lafayette in Buffalo. Honorees included Kelly A. Buckley, Paula A. Campbell, Esq., Colleen Gibbons, Antonia Gillison, Lee Ann Lazarony, Mary Jane Nevins, Esq. Michelle Parker, Esq. Jamie Summers, Ayoka Tucker, Esq., Hon. Laura Wagner, Jennifer Wilkinson, Esq. and Helen Z.M. Rodgers (posthumously). 

img_8175.jpg
The honorees above are photographed with: Hon. Stephanie A. Saunders; Sgt. Angie Davis-Leveritte; Hon. Kevin M. Carter, Administrative Judge, 8th Judicial District, Kristy Holland, Hon. E. Jeannette Ogden, and Hon. Betty Calvo-Torres

 Photos submitted by Tasha Moore

Civil service exams waived temporarily to HELP Genesee County hire staffers

By Press Release

Press Release:

Genesee County is pleased to announce the implementation of the Hiring Emergency Limited Placement (HELP) Program for several key positions. The New York State Department of Civil Service has approved Genesee County’s participation in this temporary program to help local government employers address current staffing issues for critical health and safety titles. It aims to enhance recruitment efforts, increase the number of qualified candidates for open positions, and address candidates' concerns about test requirements for job retention for specified titles.

Under the HELP Program, the following titles have been approved:

  1. Emergency Services Dispatchers
  2. MH Clinical Therapists
  3. MH Clinical Social Workers
  4. Caseworkers
  5. Social Welfare Examiners

Effective from May 17, 2023, to May 17, 2024, the HELP Program will temporarily eliminate the 
requirement for Civil Service testing for the approved titles. Candidates hired during this period will be 
placed in the non-competitive classification until May 17, 2024. Genesee County aims to attract highly 
skilled professionals to join its workforce by offering this streamlined hiring process. 

The County's Human Resources Department will collaborate with the Department of Social Services, the Department of Mental Health, and the Sheriff's Office to facilitate the transition of current provisionals to the new program. Additionally, efforts will be made to recruit for other vacancies within 
the specified titles effectively.

While the Civil Service testing requirement is waived under the HELP Program, all candidates must still meet the minimum qualifications for their desired positions. The County remains committed to maintaining high standards and ensuring hired professionals are well-suited for their roles.

For further information or inquiries about the HELP Program, interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Genesee County Human Resources Department at 585-815-7805 or civilservice@co.genesee.ny.us

County manager is not against an 'honest dialogue' about hosting asylum seekers

By Joanne Beck
matt landers

An emergency executive order that was put in place for Genesee County out of “an abundance of caution” to protect the county doesn't mean that's the end of the discussion, county manager Matt Landers says.

Those orders with potential fines attached for accepting asylum seekers from New York City and beyond were and are an attempt to protect the county.

Now in the face of a lawsuit brought on by New York City against the county and about 30 other municipalities for taking this very action, Landers said that he’s always open to conversation.

“I am fully aware of the crisis that NYS and NYC are facing with the large influx of asylum seekers from the United State’s southern border.  My phone line is open, and I am not against having an honest dialogue with anyone on what the capabilities are here in Genesee County,” Landers said Thursday to The Batavian. “Genesee County’s State of Emergency and Emergency Order were put in place out of an abundance of caution to prevent outside municipalities from shifting their burden onto Genesee County without first communicating and consulting with Genesee County officials. 

“I want to emphasize that we have not turned anyone away because we have not been contacted,” he said.

He did not specifically address the lawsuit itself, as is typical for legal matters, other than he was not surprised to see it come his way.

For more about the lawsuit, go HERE

NYC seeks to invalidate executive order banning immigrants from the county

By Joanne Beck
matt landers
Genesee County Manager Matt Landers last month when he issued an executive order banning busloads of undocumented immigrants. 
Photo by Joanne Beck.

A New York City lawsuit so fresh that Genesee County Manager Matt Landers had yet been able to review the entire scope of it before providing comment Wednesday afternoon hits up 30 upstate municipalities, including Genesee County, seeking to invalidate their executive orders barring undocumented immigrants from entering their locales.

Landers had first issued a State of Emergency on May 17 “out of an abundance of caution” after word had it that busloads of immigrants were potentially being sent this way. Locally it began first with Orleans County, followed by Genesee, and one by one, counties began to jump on board with their own executive orders throughout Western New York and beyond.

Filed on Wednesday, the lawsuit claimed that those emergency orders obstructed NYC’s efforts to relocate migrants “in a manner that is explicitly permitted by law and required by a statewide emergency,” according to a news release.

The lawsuit asks the state Supreme Court to invalidate the emergency orders filed by the counties under the grounds that they are unconstitutional. It also asks to prohibit the locales from taking steps that "restrict or frustrate" New York City's efforts to address a statewide emergency, which Gov. Kathy Hochul declared on May 9.

The lawsuit claims the emergency orders are unconstitutional because the orders seek to impede the rights of people who are legally within the borders of the United States as asylum seekers to travel and use public accommodations. The suit argues that the prohibitions are impermissible because they target people based on their national origin, citizenship, or immigration status, which violates the Constitution. 

Moments prior to Landers issuing the county’s State of Emergency in May, the Legislature conducted an executive session to discuss the matter after Orleans County declared its own emergency. That seemed to be the tipping point, Landers had said at the time.

“Well, a lot of it was just meetings with various stakeholders; Orleans County issuing their state of emergency was probably a prompt. Because of that, we took notice of that. There was a lot of speculation that raised our concerns about how easily a group of asylum seekers could end up at our doorstep without us even knowing,” Landers said. “So I guess it was our vulnerability that came to light of how simple and how easy and how fast that could happen, that we wanted to have this in place, in case that were to happen.

“So that was probably some of the prompts that happened throughout the day that caused us to take this action,” he had said.

“This is more to get a better handle on control in Genesee County and have the situation to an abundance of caution to be able to respond to a situation where we're not aware of asylum seekers coming to our community, there’s channels out there, and I do have confidence in the governor's office, through their representative, that they would try to reach out to us if there was a group that was heading to Genesee County, but there's different avenues of which that they can come from and it's not all through the governor's office,” Landers said. “So I am in consultation with the governor's office and, and the representative has been very forthcoming and upfront with me, and I think we've got a great working relationship. But that's only one piece of the puzzle. So the state of emergency is kind of trying to cover multiple scenarios, you know … And, again, we'll evaluate the state of emergency in the next five days and see if we've covered everything, and maybe we strengthen it, modify it, or let it expire.”

The Local State of Emergency was declared for Genesee County due to New York City's program to rapidly increase the number of migrants in this County to unsustainable levels, he had said.  

“Pursuant to NYS Executive Law § 24, when a State of Emergency is in effect, the County  Manager may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control.

Fines were threatened, especially to local hotels and motels that might consider taking in any busloads of immigrants, of up to $2,000 a person.

By the time the county had extended the executive order for the third round, Batavia First Presbyterian Church stepped up and offered to provide comfort in the form of food, clothing and/or shelter for any immigrant in need.

Landers had said that could create issues for the county, and he asked that church leaders reach out to discuss the situation with him.

Landers said that he would respond to The Batavian's request for comment once he was more familiar with the lawsuit. 

Historical Society looks ahead with 20-year lease for HLOM

By Joanne Beck
HLOM front view
Holland Land Office Museum on West Main Street in Batavia is on the priority list for upgrades, and is closer to reality with a 20-year lease agreement between the county and Holland Purchase Historical Society. File Photo by Howard Owens.

A 20-year property lease will provide the assurance for Holland Purchase Historical Society to move forward with plans for Holland Land Office Museum’s eventual restoration and expansion on the west side, Executive Director Ryan Duffy says.

The nonprofit’s board has been pursuing a capital project and related survey; however, nailing down an agreement that the Society would retain rights to the property throughout the project was an integral part of the process before moving forward, Duffy said after approval by the Human Services Committee on Monday.

“So this is an important piece to allow us to pursue funding for the dream of the addition, as we have to be able to show extended occupancy,” he said. “So having this lease allows us to do that and allows us to go after bigger grants.

“We’re going to have to get major funding through grants in order to pursue this project," he said. "So that’s why this lease agreement was very important.”

He couldn’t — or wouldn’t — disclose any other details about the project and a related timeline for grant funding, restoration and potential construction of a welcome center.

Last year county legislators approved the bid of $43,324 from consultant Wendel of Williamsville to conduct a restoration study of each nook and cranny of Holland Land Office Museum to determine what its future needs might be. The consultants were going to assess “functionality issues” of the West Main Street, Batavia, site, according to county Highway Superintendent Tim Hens.

“It’s a full, comprehensive look at the building,” Hens had said at the time. “And it should give us a road map of what we need.”

The Batavian checked back in with Hens this April to find out how that study was progressing, and he said it was still ongoing. County Attorney James Wujcik has also been working with the Historical Society’s board to finalize a lease agreement.

As County Manager Matt Landers explained, the project will require a substantial amount of grant funding, and “they just want assurances that we don't give the building away or sell it on them.” 

"I am supportive of it. Jim was able to find the ability for us to do this over the course of 20 years. With an out clause that we still have built into it,” Landers said.

Board members and legislators said that, in addition to the other purposes it serves, they would also like to see the museum become a polling site in the future.

Legislator Marianne Clattenburg was on board with future plans and happy to see the work that it’s taken to get here so far.

"I just want to say thank you to whoever was involved for having this come to fruition. The plans that they have are pretty impressive; I think many things we've seen for future generations, and it's a source of pride in our history,” Clattenburg said. “And also, it's a very significant educational tool for students that come through there. I know they want to expand on that, expanding progress and all that, so this is like the first step, and I wish them all the luck in the world getting what they need.”

The agreement states that the county agrees to lease to the Historical Society the premises commonly known as the Holland Land Office Museum located at 131 West Main Street, Batavia, NY.

The Historical Society will lease the entire two-story Holland Land Office Museum building and its east and west wings, totaling 6,132 square feet and shall have the right to use the west side parking lot in common with other visitors and uses, for a period of 20 years, from June July 1, 2023 to May 31, 2043.

This Agreement is contingent on the continuous and uninterrupted maintenance and operation of the Museum.

Holland Office Museum back view
Holland Land Office Museum from the west side next to the parking lot, where a prospective welcome center may be located. File Photo by Howard Owens.

DEC issues air quality advisory through Wednesday

By Joanne Beck

The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for several areas of the state, including Western New York counties  of Genesee, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming.

The DEC and Department of Health issues these advisories when meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter, are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern. 

Wildfires spreading throughout eastern Canada combined with steady winds have meant an infiltration of related pollutants in the northeastern United States.

This advisory will remain in effect through midnight Wednesday, and is a warning to folks that exposure can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. 

Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to particulate matter (PM) 2.5.

When outdoor levels are elevated, going indoors may reduce exposure. If there are significant indoor sources of PM 2.5 (tobacco, candle or incense smoke, or fumes from cooking) levels inside may not be lower than outside. Some ways to reduce exposure are to minimize outdoor and indoor sources and avoid strenuous activities in areas where fine particle concentrations are high.

Fine particulate matter consists of tiny solid particles or liquid droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter. PM 2.5 can be made of many different types of particles and often come from processes that involve combustion (e.g. vehicle exhaust, power plants, and fires) and from chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

New Yorkers are urged to take the following energy saving and pollution-reducing steps:

  1. use mass transit instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, people are strongly advised to carpool only with members of their households;
  2. conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips;
  3. turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas;
  4. use fans to circulate air. If air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees;
  5. close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air;
  6. limit use of household appliances. If necessary, run the appliances at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters;
  7. set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;
  8. purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label; and
  9. reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5 such as smoking.

Additional information on ozone and PM 2.5 is available on DEC's website and on DOH's website (leaves DEC website). To stay up-to-date with announcements from DEC, sign up for DEC Delivers: DEC's Premier Email Service.

Genesee County sets its summer office hours

By Press Release

Press Release: 

Starting May 30, Genesee County Offices will shift their hours of operation from the previous hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to the summer hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

As in years past, this slight shift of hours will not affect the total number of hours that County Offices will be open to the public. 

These new hours will remain in effect until Sept. 1.

Sandstone back in place on historic former Sheriff's Office building in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens
Genesee Justice / Old Sheriff's Office Restoration

The county's $1.8 million restoration of the brick and Medina sandstone of the Genesee Justice/former Sheriff's Office on West Main Street in Batavia has been a months-long project but appears to be nearing the end.

The contract for the work was awarded to Montante Construction last June after the County Legislature realized that delaying the restoration project had only driven up the cost.

The facade of the historic structure was crumbling, with large bits of sandstone falling away from the building.

Workers removed all the sandstone and restored the underlying masonry before putting the sandstone back in place.

Tom Rivers, editor of Orleans Hub, as part of a series on Medina sandstone structures in the region, wrote about the old Sheriff's home and headquarters in 2013.

The jail is part of the Genesee County Courthouse Historic District that was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The district represents the civic core of the city and includes buildings from the 1840s to 1920s.

The collection of historic structures includes the old county courthouse, former city hall, U.S. Post Office, The Holland Land Office Museum, a county office building and a Civil War monument. The jail is the only Medina sandstone building in the disitrict. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which is close by, also is a striking sandstone structure.

The building was constructed in 1902-03. It was designed by Poughkeepsie architect William J. Beardsley in a Victorian Gothic style. Beardsley also was the architect for the Attica State Prison and many county courthouses.

The Legislature first discussed the need for restoration in 2016 and sought grants to help cover the anticipated $500,000 costs.  Last year, Chair Shelley Stein noted, “We should be kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner, but we didn’t have the money.” 

There has been a “tremendous amount of damage” that, along with inflation, tripled the initial price estimate, County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens told legislators in June 2022. "There are pieces of stone falling from the top of the porch, and many areas of it are cracked and crumbling."

Currently, the former Sheriff's Office is the office of Genesee Justice, but Genesee Justice, and the jail behind it, will relocate later this year to the new jail facility being built by County Building #2 on West Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia.

County Manager Matt Landers said Thursday evening that the county is still evaluating possible uses for the building and is going to have SMRT, the architectural firm working with the new county on the new jail, assist in that evaluation process. Landers said he has some rough ideas of what could be done with the space but isn't at liberty just yet to publicly discuss those ideas.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Genesee Justice / Old Sheriff's Office Restoration
Genesee Justice / Old Sheriff's Office Restoration
Genesee Justice / Old Sheriff's Office Restoration
Genesee Justice / Old Sheriff's Office Restoration

GC law enforcement participates in STOP-DWI campaign

By Press Release

Press Release:

Genesee County law enforcement agencies, including the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and the Village of Le Roy Police Department, will be participating in a coordinated effort with the STOP-DWI program to bring awareness to the dangers of impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI High Visibility Engagement Campaign will start Friday, May 26 and will continue thru Monday, May 30. Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest travel holidays and marks the official start of summer. New York State Police, County Sheriffs, municipal law enforcement agencies and local STOP-DWI programs will be collaborating in force across the state in an effort to reduce the number of impaired driving-related injuries and deaths.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have made great strides in reducing the number of alcohol and drug-related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers.

You can make a difference by having a sober plan to get a safe ride because impaired driving is completely preventable – all it takes is a little planning. Visit www.stopdwi.org for more information.

County continues with closed border, Batavia FPC opens its doors

By Joanne Beck
god loves everybody
2020 File photo of James Spiecher, of Rochester, with his grandson Jaxon looking at a sign in front of Batavia First Presbyterian Church that reads "God Loves Everyone No Exceptions." Church leadership is trying to live up to those words with a promise to care for all, including any undocumented immigrants that show up in Genesee County. 
Photo by Howard Owens.

As Genesee County prepares to enter its third week of not allowing any undocumented immigrants to enter, per an executive order barring busloads of immigrants expected to leave New York City for upstate, at least one Batavia church has extended a welcoming message.

“We are a church that is open to help people, all people. We know we can’t solve the political problem of immigration.  However, our Christian beliefs lead us to show compassion and dignity to those in need,” said the Rev. Roula Alkhouri of Batavia First Presbyterian Church Wednesday. “For us, the help we are prepared to offer is no different than the help we currently offer people that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement release from the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility on a regular basis. Los Samaritanos, a joint ministry of multiple churches, supports those who are released from the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.

“If the need arises for us to help others, we will respond as Jesus has taught us”:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you  welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.  Matthew 25:25-36

Alkhouri spoke on behalf of the church elders after a meeting this week to discuss the issue that has caused a local and regional State of Emergency and ongoing executive order that is being evaluated five days at a time.

In short, the order may fine anyone that harbors undocumented immigrants and zeroes in on hotels and motels. Law enforcement has been on heightened alert for busloads of visitors to the county.

Because First Presbyterian Church has been involved in the Los Samaritanos program and other civil rights initiatives, The Batavian asked how its leadership and congregants felt about this ongoing immigrant situation.

County Manager Matt Landers issued the local State of Emergency and related executive order on May 15 and has extended it once already. During Wednesday’s county Legislature meeting, he said it was likely that he would extend the order again for five more days at the end of this week.

Landers noted that Genesee County is not alone in its concern, as there are some 22 state counties with similar executive orders also in effect.

During the manager’s initial announcement, he mentioned that the county was already “stretched too thin” to be able to deal with — and pay for — additional people seeking shelter, food and similar amenities.

The county already has a “homeless” problem, he said. The Batavian asked him to clarify that.

“It's currently a challenge in Genesee County because we don't have a homeless shelter. We use our local motels, and they fill up at times, and there's situations where somebody presents as homeless to DSS, and we don't have space for them now. So under those conditions, similar to Orleans County, they specifically did their state of emergency, I believe, because of homelessness,” Landers said. “That is a factor of us not having the resources to take care of our own homeless. So, therefore, we really are not in a position to take on busloads of other homeless."

How many homeless people do we have here?
“It’s fluid,” he said. “I do know that at times it is not uncommon that we have to utilize a shelter in Buffalo or Rochester for our own homeless.”

Can others step in to help?
As for another organization, in this case, First Presbyterian Church, offering assistance to immigrants, "Genesee County is not in a position to house and handle an influx of asylum seekers," Landers said.

"These individuals need more than just a place to sleep, and any organization that circumvents the County is only doing a disservice to both the people of Genesee County and the asylum seekers," he said.  "I welcome any group to reach out to my office to have an open and honest dialogue on the County's capabilities."

GCC president pitches $37.3M budget, $50K additional ask from county

By Joanne Beck
James Sunser and Gregg Torrey
Dr. James Sunser, president of GCC in Batavia, reviews the 2023-24 budget and related requests from the county during a Ways & Means meeting Wednesday, as Legislator and GCC liaison Gregg Torrey listens. Photo by Joanne Beck.

County legislators have so far given a thumbs up to Dr. James Sunser’s $37.3 million budget for Genesee Community College, a spending plan that includes a $100 per semester tuition increase and a request of $50,000 in additional funding from Genesee County to continue operations for 2023-24.

“I think it’s a very modest budget,” the college president said during Wednesday’s Ways and Means meeting. “As you can see, from the current approved budget, it's about $150,000 more than this year's approved budget. It looks to advance tuition by $100 a semester, for full-time students, and $10 a credit hour for part-time students.

“We worked hard with the state. We were hoping to be able to get a little more from the state, but we at least got flat funding for the current year, which is something that has been the norm for the last few years. We've asked the county to support us with the base prior year aid plus the $50,000 planned increase that we've talked about in prior years,” Sunser said. “And we feel strongly that we'll be able to operate within that budget, but it will be a challenge, just like it is for all of you as well.”

The proposed 2023-24 operating budget is $37,350,000, with a “sponsor share” of $ 2,786,374 to come from the county within a tax levy by that amount.

A public hearing will be necessary for this budget and related sponsor’s share, as the resolution to be voted on by the county Legislature states:

“That the Genesee County Legislature does hereby approve of the sponsor’s share of the operating budget of the Genesee Community College for the fiscal year September 1, 2023, through August 31, 2024, in the amount of $2,786,374 and cause the same to be included in the county tax levy for the year 2023.”

A vote is to go before the Legislature next week, and if approved, the budget, levy and public hearing will be set for 5:30 p.m. June 14 at the Old Courthouse, 7 Main St., Batavia.

During the conversation, Legislator John Deleo asked Sunser about the GCC radio station, a staple of this area for a decade that has become silent this past year. Sunser explained that maintaining a station — which was a club activity — for 24 hours a day was becoming “more and more difficult” to do, and the board made the decision to sell the license.

Two bids were received: one that offered “no dollars, they were just willing to take it,” Sunser said, and the second bidder that ended up purchasing the license through the FCC for $55,000. There is no radio, per se, as the station operates via online streaming, he said.

“So what we've done is we've moved away from the FCC as a licensed radio station, and we're on a streaming platform. So we're still providing the same opportunity to students to broadcast and have all that, but outside of the FCC regulations,” Sunser said.

Mortgage tax refunds of nearly $470K expected to be doled out to municipalities

By Joanne Beck

Town, village and city municipalities will be a little fatter financially once again from county payouts of excess revenues.

With mortgage tax monies totaling $469,976.12, the Genesee County clerk and treasurer have reported to the Legislature that these funds may be distributed to everyone from Alabama to Stafford, and all entities in between, according to the provisions of Section 261 of the tax laws.

If this measure is approved by the Legislature, as expected after being approved by two sub-committees already, this will mean the following payments for each of the following in Genesee County:

  • City of Batavia $ 110,175.18
  • Town of Alabama $ 8,412.02
  • Town of Alexander $ 27,606.46
  • Town of Batavia $ 102,188.96
  • Town of Bergen $ 12,215.15
  • Town of Bethany $ 17,252.44
  • Town of Byron $ 12,933.80
  • Town of Darien $ 29,548.18
  • Town of Elba $ 11,242.94
  • Town of LeRoy $ 35,768.49
  • Town of Oakfield $ 12,056.45
  • Town of Pavilion $ 24,859.10
  • Town of Pembroke $ 25,400.70
  • Town of Stafford $ 20,007.16
  • Village of Alexander $ 2,550.49
  • Village of Attica $ 883.54
  • Village of Bergen $ 1,655.00
  • Village of Corfu $ 1,515.26
  • Village of Elba $ 1,401.70
  • Village of LeRoy $ 10,398.34
  • Village of Oakfield $ 1,904.76

Per a resolution to come before the Legislature May 24, its approval would direct that the Genesee County Treasurer “hereby is authorized and directed to pay the Town Supervisors, Village Treasurers, and the Treasurer of the City of Batavia the amounts aforesaid from the Mortgage Tax refund.”

State of Emergency declared to stop immigrants from landing on county's doorstep

By Joanne Beck
Matt Landers state of emergency
Genesee County Manager Matt Landers issues a local State of Emergency for the county Wednesday out of "an abundance of caution" due to threat of undocumented immigrants arriving here from downstate. Photo by Joanne Beck.

Citing “an abundance of caution,” County Manager Matt Landers declared a local state of emergency for Genesee County earlier Wednesday in response to rippling speculations about potential busloads of undocumented immigrants being sent this way from New York City.

One of the last straws — in an untidy political mix of statements about where immigrants should and should not go — was Orleans County’s declaration issued prior to Genesee County on Wednesday, Landers said. That was apparently one of the reasons for an executive session called abruptly after the Ways and Means meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

The private, executive session was called for what Legislator Marianne Clattenburg termed “what happened this afternoon.”

So The Batavian asked, what happened this afternoon?

“Well, a lot of it was just meetings with various stakeholders, Orleans County issuing their state of emergency was probably a prompt. Because of that, we took notice of that, there was a lot of speculation that raised our concerns about how easily a group of asylum seekers could end up at our doorstep without us even knowing,” Landers said. “So I guess it was our vulnerability that came to light of how simple and how easy and how fast that could happen, that we wanted to have this in place, in case that were to happen.

“So that was probably some of the prompts that happened throughout the day that caused us to take this action,” he said.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney had previously issued a press release opposing a move to send immigrants to upstate SUNY campuses, though that doesn’t seem to be any official step being taken by the state government at this time. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been pushing to move immigrants north.

Landers said that, because Genesee Community College receives both county and state funding, that he isn’t certain whether he would include GCC at some point in the list of entities discouraged from taking in busloads of immigrants during the county’s state of emergency. But for now, he is instead emphasizing hotels and motels.

The Batavian asked if he was aware of two busloads of people dropped off at The Clarion on Wednesday, rumored to be immigrants and news that was shared with us by a Batavian reader. They were confirmed by Sheriff’s Office personnel to be National Guards here for training, Landers said.

“Because it's about doing a good job of being aware. You know, we have contacts throughout the county that are in positions to help give any kind of advanced notification if there was an issue that came to light,” he said. “So there is a heightened awareness for county operations right now.”

State Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a State of Emergency for New York State for similar reasons, and for what Landers believes is to probably try and capture federal government financial resources, “which is understandable,” he said.

“This is more to get a better handle on control in Genesee County, and have the situation to an abundance of caution to be able to respond to a situation where we're not aware of asylum seekers coming to our community, there’s channels out there, and I do have confidence in the governor's office, through their representative, that they would try to reach out to us if there was a group that was heading to Genesee County, but there's different avenues of which that they can come from and it's not all through the governor's office,” Landers said. “So I am in consultation with the governor's office and, and the representative has been very forthcoming and upfront with me, and I think we've got a great working relationship. But that's only one piece of the puzzle. So the state of emergency is kind of trying to cover multiple scenarios, you know … And, again, we'll evaluate the state of emergency in the next five days, and see if we've covered everything, and maybe we strengthen it, modify it, or let it expire.”

The county’s Local State of Emergency was declared for Genesee County, due to New York City's program to rapidly increase the number of migrants in this County to unsustainable levels.  

“Pursuant to NYS Executive Law § 24, when a State of Emergency is in effect, the County  Manager may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control.

By law, upon reconsideration of all the relevant facts and circumstances, such an order may be extended for additional periods not to exceed five days each during the pendency of the state of emergency.  

Press release:

Out of an abundance of caution, a local State of Emergency has been put into place by County Manager L. Matthew Landers as of May 17, 2023, in response to New York City’s program to bus migrants and asylum seekers to other counties in New York State. Genesee County is not equipped for a rapid increase of persons in need of services, and if the City of New York or other municipalities were to flood the County with migrants and asylum seekers, the situation would only worsen.

This Local Emergency Order will remain in effect for five days unless sooner modified, extended or revoked. It may be extended for additional periods not to exceed five days during the pendency of the local state of emergency. This order may be referred to as the “Genesee County Sustainable Migration Protocol."

BREAKING: Genesee County issues emergency declaration banning NYS from moving migrants to county

By Howard B. Owens

In response to a possible plan by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to relocate undocumented migrants from New York City to Upstate New York, Genesee County has issued an emergency declaration banning the acceptance of immigrants from out of the county for at least five days.

The ban was effective at noon today, County Manager Matt Landers told The Batavian's Joanne Beck.

UPDATES coming.

UPDATE: State of Emergency to stop immigrants from landing on county's doorstep

Want some water fun in Batavia? Just rent it, county legislators say

By Joanne Beck
rent.fun kayak rental
Potentially coming soon to DeWitt Recreation Area on Cedar Street in Batavia is a kayak rental kiosk, shown here in Havelock, NC, installed by Rent.Fun LLC, a company being considered by Genesee County. Photo from Rent.Fun website.

If you don’t think there’s fun to be had in Batavia, then look no further than the name of a company being considered for DeWitt Recreation Area on Cedar Street.

Genesee County legislators that make up the Public Service Committee reviewed a move Monday to obtain Rent.Fun LLC to set up a self-service kayak rental kiosk at DeWitt. Kayaking was identified in the county’s comprehensive recreation plan as a “need to be made available to the community.”

Genesee County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens and the deputy superintendent recommended that the committee approve the proposal for the county to enter into an agreement with Rent.Fun, LLC, located in Ann Arbor, Mich.

“There would be four (kayaks) available to rent from spring to fall,” Hens said to The Batavian. “The financial model is that the county would pay itself back on the investment, but we are looking at this as an opportunity to provide a recreational service to the community that also generates residual income and requires no county maintenance.”

The agreement would be for a period of five years, at a total cost of $16,000 for the installation and activation of smart lockers, fully equipped with kayaks/lifejackets and locker signage. Kayak users would then pay a rental fee through use of the kiosk that would go back to the county.

This park amenity expense will come out of the Capital Project DeWitt Improvements Phase IV, with $6,000 of this cost offset by a donation from the Association for the Conservation of Recreational and Natural Spaces (ACORNS), for a total cost of $10,000 to the county.

A final vote will go before the county Legislature in the next couple of weeks.

“If approved, the kayaks will be in place by mid-June,” Hens said.

In 2020-21, the county’s Chamber of Commerce Batavia Rotary Club and Youth Bureau worked together to put a $6,000 grant toward a new kayak launch at DeWitt and purchase kayaks for the Youth Bureau.

School budget votes are Tuesday: propositions and hours for Genesee County

By Joanne Beck
Jason Smith pointing
Batavia City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith during a past budget meeting. School boards have put in the work for the 2023-24 budgets, now it's time for district residents to cast your votes. File Photo by Howard Owens.

Millions of dollars are on the line in all eight Genesee County public school districts this week as district residents will be asked to vote for 2023-24 budgets, related tax levies, school board member candidates, and other propositions for capital or other designated reserves and purchases of equipment, school buses, security systems, or additional personnel.

Each district’s budget and propositions are listed below, per each district's website, along with hours for the vote on Tuesday.

Alexander Central School:
District residents will be asked to vote on:

Proposition 1 of the total budget, $20,847,995.

Proposition 2 of bus purchases for two 64-passenger buses $338,425, and one traverse (small vehicle) $37,700.

Proposition 3 of equipment purchases of a mower-ventrac $63,800; a truck (plow blade - dump body) $67,9l9; and two wide view printers $8,900.

Proposition 4 seeks to establish a capital reserve of $975,000.

Proposition 5 seeks to establish a bus reserve of $5OO,OOO.

Other parts of the budget include selling a Suburban, plow truck, lawn mower, and two buses; a capital outlay of $100,000; and a security/warning system for $350,000.

Hours: 1 to 8 p.m. in Room 112 of the Middle-High School

Batavia City School District
This year's budget is about $4 million more than this past year, with a correlating 1 percent tax levy increase. Superintendent Jason Smith previously gave his rationale for shoring up now in anticipation of what's down the road.

“For context, our allowable tax cap is 8.42 percent, and the preliminary budget presented last week had just over a 3 percent levy increase.  Based on Board feedback, the proposed levy has now been reduced to just over 1 percent.  There were a few factors driving this decision.  First, this budget calls for the addition of three school buses from our transportation contractor, which, if drivers can be hired, will reduce the time for our students (to be) on buses, which has been a source of community and family concerns and one which we have listened to,” Smith said.  “Second, our transportation contract will not be renewed at the end of next year, which means the entire contract is up for renewal and is subject to price increases.  We also fully expect the state mandate of electric buses and the related costs with this requirement to be passed down to districts by our future transportation contractor, further increasing costs. The District needs to plan carefully both now and for the future for these increased costs.”

“Additionally, we expect our tax cap for the 2024-25 budget to be negative, which would yield a tax decrease and reduced revenue, and the Board and I are not interested in asking our voters to override the tax cap, which would require a 60 percent approval of voters, as opposed to a simple majority,” he said. “Seeking a just over 1 percent levy increase for the 23-24 budget will provide revenue for both the current and future needs of the district.

District residents will be asked to vote on:

Proposition 1 of the total budget of $58.9 million. 

Proposition 2 seeks to establish a new capital reserve of $10 million for 10 years.

Proposition 3 seeks to  continue having a student ex-officio member on the board.

Election of two Board of Education members to fill two seats, with incumbents Alice Benedict and Barbara Bowman running.

Hours: Voting will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at residents’ designated polling site

Byron Bergen Central School
District residents are asked to vote on:

Proposition 1 2023-24 Proposed Budget For the purpose of adopting a budget of $25,972,402 for the 2023-24 school year, which includes a 1.76 percent increase in expenditures and a 0.44 percent increase in the 2023-24 tax levy. 

The budget was balanced utilizing a 2.5 percent increase in State Aid, a 0.44% increase in the tax levy, and interest income as a result of increased interest rates, school reserves and fund balance.

Proposition 2 Bus Purchase Proposition to authorize the purchase of two minibusses and three minivans at a total cost not to exceed $283,421. The estimated average cost for the bus proposition is less than $2.00 per year on a house valued at $100,000.

Proposition 3 To authorize the creation of a new Capital Reserve Fund 2023 and to dissolve the old Capital Reserve2019. All monies in the old Capital Reserve-2019 will be transferred into the new Capital Reserve Fund-2023.

In October 2021, District voters authorized the 2021 Capital Project and the use of $2 million in the Capital Reserve-2019 to be used towards the cost of the 2021 Capital Project. With this approval, going forward, the Capital Reserve-2019 can no longer be funded with any excess monies remaining at the end of each school year for future capital projects.

In order to start saving excess monies for a capital project in future years, we are asking the voters to approve the creation of a new Capital Reserve fund titled Capital Reserve Fund-2023. The life of this reserve is 15 years and the reserve cannot be funded more than $4 million over that same time frame. One future potential use of such a capital reserve may be to purchase and install infrastructure to meet the NYS-mandated zero-emission vehicle requirement.

Proposition 4 To authorize the creation of a Technology and Equipment Reserve–2023

A few years ago, the District received and used SMART Bond monies from NYS to purchase and install mass notification, and security cameras and enhance secure entryways at both the Elementary and Jr/Sr High Schools for safety and security. It is anticipated that this technology may need updating or replacing within the next 7 to 10 years. The creation and ability to fund a Technology and Equipment reserve fund over the same time period, would provide the District with a savings account that could be used to replace and upgrade this technology when needed.

Selection of three (3) Board of Education candidates. The two (2) candidates with the highest number of votes will serve a three (3) year term beginning July 1, 2023. The third candidate with the third highest number of votes will fill the vacant seat of William Forsyth, whose term will end on June 30, 2024.

We have four (4) candidates running for three open seats this year, they are: Lisa Forsyth, Amy Phillips, Lynn Smith and Cindy Matthews.

Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. at the Senior High School gym (This is a new location). Absentee Ballot voting Ballot must be received in the District Office by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Elba Central School
Proposition 1 is the Annual School budget in the amount of $11,708,369.

Proposition 2 is to Authorize an Energy Performance Contract project to improve the utility efficiency of the buildings and maximize cost savings; this is funded entirely through utility companies. The Board of Education may authorize this project without voter approval. However, we are seeking voter approval for this proposal which will increase the State aid to the school by 10% and will allow us to improve and repair the facilities without an impact to the taxpayers.

Proposition 3 is to authorize to appropriate and expend for the purchase of one 65-passenger bus to maintain a well-running fleet and maximize State aid funding.

Election for one 5-year term on the School Board. Incumbent Dean Norton is running for the one open seat.

Hours: Voting will be from 12 until 8 p.m. in the school auditorium lobby. A secure entryway vestibule has been designed to allow limited access to our buildings. This improvement will provide a convenient drop-off location in the current bus loop for students and their belongings, as well as streamline our attendance protocols and early dismissal procedures.

Le Roy Central School
The total budget for the 2023-2024 school year will be $30,227,508, which is an increase of 9.1 percent or $2,518,520.

A good portion of this increase is due to the addition of 2.5 FTE positions (2 FTE special education positions and a 0.5 FTE instructional support position (at the Wolcott Street School), rising costs associated with contractual requirements, student programming, and healthcare.

District residents will be voting for:

Proposition 1 That the Board of Education of the Le Roy Central School District in the Counties of Genesee and Livingston be authorized to expend the sum of $30,227,508.00 for the 2023-24 school year and to accumulate no planned balance and levy the necessary tax therefor. 

Proposition 2 That the Trustees of the Woodward Memorial Library in the Counties of Genesee and Livingston be authorized to expend the sum of $360,000.00 to support the Woodward Memorial Library for the 2023-24 school year. 

Election of Board of Education candidates TWO THREE (3) YEAR TERMS (7/1/23 - 6/30/26) Vote for Any Two (2) Jacalyn Whiting Denise Duthe WOODWARD MEMORIAL LIBRARY Vote for One (1) Lynda Lowe Laura Williams

Hours: The vote is set for 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Library Media Center at the Wolcott Street School. The Trigon Gym and triple doors by Memorial Auditorium will be open for entry/exit to vote. Parking will be available on Main Street, in Trigon Park, and in the Lapp parking lot.

Oakfield-Alabama Central School
Proposed Budget: $24,094,600 Proposed Increase: $504,994 (2.14 percent) Tax Levy Increase: 0 percent

District residents will be voting for:

Proposition 1 Shall the budget for the school year 2023‐2024, as submitted by the Board of Education of the Oakfield‐Alabama Central School District #1, be approved in the amount of $24,094,600 and shall taxes be levied on the taxable property of the District to meet the requirements of such budget?

Proposition 2 Shall the Haxton Public Library be permanently established as a school public library for the benefit and free use of all residents of the Oakfield‐Alabama Central School District and be authorized to raise $156,280 to support and maintain such library?

BOARD OF EDUCATION ELECTIONS: There are 3 open Board Seats each for a 3-year term. Qualified voters will select from the following candidates on the Ballot: Kyle O’Connor, Jackie Yunker‐Davis, Pete Zeliff, and Natalie Emerson

Pavilion Central School
District residents will be voting on:

Proposition 1 Annual Budget Referendum 2023 - 2024 The Board of Education has approved, for your consideration, a budget for the 2023-2024 school year in the amount of $18,869,393. Overall, this reflects a year-to-year spending increase of $582,042 or 3.18 percent. The tax levy will increase by $85,396 or 1.5 percent to $5,778,383.

Proposition 2 School Board Member Election. We are asking voters to vote for a Board of Education candidate. We have one seat open on the Board this year. The seat is for a five-year term. We have three candidates running for the position. Our first candidate, Chris Jeffres, currently holds the position and is seeking re-election. Also running are Lana Flint and Roxanne Holthaus. To learn more about each candidate, please visit our website www.pavilioncsd.org.

Proposition 3 Hollwedel Memorial Public Library Trustees. The Hollwedel Memorial Library is asking the public to vote for two trustees. The candidates are Kelly Harris and Joan Gray. Joan Gray is currently a trustee and is seeking re-election.

Additional Items of Note: Included in this budget are funds for another $100,000 capital outlay project. This project will include improvements to the front entrance access, restoration and improvements to flooring, and replacement of the electronic message board at the Middle/High School building. Capital outlay projects qualify for building aid the following year which is approximately 87.6 percent for our district.

Pembroke Central School
For the 2023-2024 school year, the Board of Education proposes a budget of $26,732,685, which includes a cap compliant tax levy and other revenue funds

Projected State Aid = $15,534,910 

Appropriation of $1,500,000 of fund balance 

Use of $466,000 from reserve funds 

Tax levy increase of $264,721 (Under the tax cap for the 12th year in a row.)

Based on current assessed values, the full-value tax rate is projected to be $17.29. For a home assessed at $150,000, this projected tax rate represents a total increase of $28.80 for the year, assuming the basic STAR and excluding special tax exemptions to our honored veterans.

District residents will be voting on:

Proposition 1  “Shall the Board of Education of the Pembroke Central School District be authorized to expend the amount of $26,732,685 for general fund appropriations during the 2023-2024 school year and to levy the necessary tax upon real property in said district?

Proposition 2 “Shall the Board of Education of the Pembroke Central School District, Genesee County, New York, be authorized to purchase school buses, including incidental equipment and expenses in connection therewith, at a maximum estimated cost of $438,776.38, and said amount (less any trade-in allowance) or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall be raised by the levy of a tax upon the taxable property of said School District and collected in annual installments as provided by Section 416 of the Educational Law; and, in anticipation of such tax, obligations of said School District shall be issued?”

Proposition 3 “Shall the sum of $96,900 be raised by annual levy of a tax upon the taxable real property within the Pembroke Central School District for the purpose of funding the operating budget of the Corfu Public Library?”

Elect one (1) member of the Board of Education for a five-year term, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring June 30, 2028. (Vote for ONE): John Cima 

Elect up to three (3) members of the Board of Trustees of the Corfu Public Library, for three-year terms, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring on June 30, 2026. (Vote for THREE): Michael Plitt ___________ (Write In) ___________ (Write In) 

Elect one (1) member of the Board of Education for a two-year unexpired term, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring June 30, 2025. (Vote for ONE): ___________ (Write In)

Elect one (1) member of the Board of Trustees of the Corfu Public Library, for a two-year unexpired term, commencing July 1, 2023 and expiring on June 30, 2025. (Vote for ONE): ___________ (Write In)

Hours: 12 to 8 p.m. at the Jr./Sr. High School gymnasium.

Older Americans celebrated for their wisdom, contributions, experience

By Joanne Beck
Senior volunteer tax preparers

Genesee County’s Legislature recognized Older Americans Month this week, though locally it will be hard to ignore the needs and importance of older folks with estimates of remaining Baby Boomers turning 65 during the next seven years.

And why should we? The file photo above displays a group of senior citizens who put their skills to use as volunteer tax preparers, bringing back a cumulative $1 million to the county in state and federal tax refunds. 

Projections of an aging population mean that the number of 16,000 people ages 60 and older living here in Genesee County are expected to rise to 20,000 by 2035, and ages 65 will reach 16,000 to 17,000 by that same time period, according to Office For the Aging statistics.

While those age groups are prime candidates for OFA services, they are also veterans, experienced workers, people who have garnered a lifetime of wisdom and abilities to share, which is all part of why Older Americans Month was celebrated on Wednesday.

A proclamation was read that stated:

“Whereas, Genesee County includes a growing number of older Americans who contribute their time, wisdom, and experience to our community, and

Whereas, communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds have the opportunity to participate and live independently, and

Whereas, Genesee County recognizes the need to create a community that offers the services and supports older adults may need to make choice about how they age, and 

Whereas, the community also recognizes the key role older Americans play in sharing the wisdom and experience that inform today’s decisions and actions, and fostering the connection and engagement that builds strong, resilient communities, and 

Whereas, in this year of peril and promise, older Americans have suffered through economic constraints while demonstrating inspirational strength. 

During Older Americans Month, we honor these citizens and their continued contributions.  Genesee County commits to learning from them, and supports their knowledge and experience that they bring to our community, and  

Whereas, the community can work to build an even better community for our older residents by ensuring every citizen has the opportunity to age with independence, proper care, and dignity. Not limiting our thinking about aging, exploring and combating stereotypes, emphasizing the many positive aspects of aging, inspiring older adults to push past traditional boundaries, and embracing our community’s diversity.

Now, therefore be it resolved, that the Genesee County Legislature does hereby proclaim the month of May as Older Americans Month.  We call upon Americans of all ages to celebrate older Americans during this month and throughout the year.”

There are programs and resources available for seniors that offer recreational and social activities and outings, exercise classes, group gatherings, card games, volunteer opportunities, insurance guidance, educational and research resources and many other amenities at OFAYMCA GLOWRichmond Memorial Library, AARPAlzheimer’s Association, Genesee Community College, RSVP (volunteer program), and your medical practitioner for maintaining one’s mental, financial, social and physical health.

For more information from OFA, call 585-343-1611.

Walk this way: task force seeks to use grant for cross-'walkability' study

By Joanne Beck
Alz walk
File photo of a fundraising walk in the city of Batavia, by Howard Owens.

A walkability task force has tentatively put one foot in front of the other and landed at the Bank Street crosswalk between Main Street and Washington Avenue.

The task force, made up of six members of the county that include public health, planning, transportation, Office for the Aging, the Youth Bureau and an elected official, were given an assignment to take photos of various “walkability/rollability” successes, challenges and surprises in Batavia — one of the largest areas for pedestrians — and one spot popped up most frequently, participants Paul Pettit, director of the Public Health Department, and Kaitlin Pettine, communications rep for the department.

“Based on this assignment, one area that we believed walkability/rollability could be improved was Bank Street between Washington Avenue and East Main Street,” Pettine said to The Batavian on behalf of both. 

Backing up to the beginning of this project: It stems from a $10,000 grant to fund a walkability virtual academy for communities to explore and solve issues of poor walkability for pedestrians. 

This involved a training seminar and a photo assignment. Another step is likely to be some type of demonstration, perhaps at the site of the crosswalk, for the potential dangers and safety measures that can be taken, OFA Director and task force member Diana Fox said.

“It would be a pop-up demonstration,” she said. 

One of the problems with that section, with Bank Street itself, is that it is quite wide, and the city may be involved by narrowing the width and “shrinking the distance of the crosswalk,” she said.

“And so the pop-up is being able to do some demonstrations and purchase materials to create different crosswalks and designs to make some green space so that the edge of the curb comes out more so that you have to slow things down,” Fox said during this week’s Human Services meeting. “So that's one of the things that we're looking at doing with that, and creating a whole demonstration. We’ll probably do it by the end of the summer and in September.”

A video was made in May 2019 to promote that very crosswalk and how to ensure safety when crossing. Former City Manager Martin Moore and Former County Manager Jay Gsell assisted folks across the walk, offering advice in a campaign for safety awareness and education, Gsell said.

"We find this intersection is a heavily-used pedestrian traffic area, and there has been too many pedestrians 'near misses' between vehicles and pedestrians," Gsell said. "We said, 'let's make an effort to heighten awareness, and to also start the process to put signs up."

People park across the street, "like they're supposed to," he said, and then proceed to use the crosswalk, as they hope it's safe -- but that isn't always the case. Motorists sometimes blow through the walk without stopping or even slowing down. 

As for the task force's vision, this is all in the conceptual phases right now.

The Batavian asked if members of Healthy Living and GLOW YMCA would be part of this effort, given the brand new campus being built adjacent to the crosswalk.

“Healthy Living/YMCA folks were not involved in the academy, but will be invited to the table along with other interested stakeholders as the process moves forward,” Pettine said.  

Will the entire grant amount go towards the demonstration to be done in downtown Batavia or to be used for various walkability efforts?  
“The goal of the Walkability Virtual Academy (WVA) was to bring stakeholders together to participate in this academy so that we have the foundation for future planning around walkability/movability in our county. We hope that we can bring the knowledge learned to towns, hamlets, and villages to improve the collaboration among partners regarding future designs and plans that relate to walkability and movability,” Pettine said.  “Having this baseline work completed will also position us to be more competitive in future grants to address initiatives throughout the county."

How do you see the money being spent, and is there a chance that some of it could actually go to implement ideas that the task force comes up with?
“The WVA Taskforce is still in the planning process for how the $10,000 will be used. We just completed the academy classes and are in the process of developing an action plan,” she said. “What is written in the action plan will determine what the $10,000 will be used for. The funding could be used for pop-up demonstrations as well as walkability improvements.”

Since this is a federal grant, the task force must meet compliance obligations to receive the funding.

The Batavian reached out to Chief Shawn Heubusch for information related to the Bank Street crosswalk, and this story will be updated when those answers are received. 

To watch the entire video recorded in 2019, go HERE.

Are you a pedestrian in the city of Batavia? What do you think is the most dangerous “walkability” section here? Let us know at joanne@thebatavian.com.

County health puts in request for OD analyzer

By Joanne Beck
Paul Pettit with Gregg Torrey

Toxicology reports for overdoses can take a long time — a year or more — to complete, and Public Health Director Paul Pettit would like to expedite the process, he says.

Pettit proposed the purchase of a $44,500 multistage analyzer, which would provide much faster toxicology results from autopsies for any of 21 different drug types, including fentanyl and other types of fentanyl derivatives, he said. 

Other newer drugs are continuously being added to the list, such as the latest one to hit the streets, the xylazine profile, he said.

“Essentially, this is a piece of equipment that allows us to have somewhat real-time toxicology reports from overdose deaths. So when we send folks to the (medical examiner’s) office, as you guys are all well aware, we get them back a year later, 18 months, we still have one outstanding from 2021 that we're waiting on the toxicology reports and the final autopsy from,” Pettit said Monday during the Human Services meeting. “So what this analyzer does is allows us to essentially get that real-time toxicology, and it can be done either through your analysis of blood or saliva sample, where we'll be able to run that sample as soon as we get it from the M.E.’s when they go in for an autopsy. 

"And that allows us to see exactly what was in the profile, kind of similar to a toxicology report," he said. "It will give us a better snapshot of what, unfortunately, led to their death, potentially the overdose.”

The analysis is for internal use only, he said, and is not for public knowledge.  As opioid use and its related effects draw more of the Public Health Department’s attention, the picture has become more clear that Pettit and his staff are homing in on the who, what and why more than ever. 

And instead of having to wait a year or more to learn about what types of drugs are out there, “we can get a better idea what’s going on potentially on our streets, if we’re seeing a cluster of overdose deaths and what is actually in the water in the system,” he said.

Pettit and the purchasing director reviewed the only bid that was submitted. They recommended accepting a bid of $44,500 for the analyzer from Random Laboratories-US. This expense is within the budget, according to the resolution, and is funded by The Healing Communities grant.

Members of the Human Services Committee asked various questions about how this equipment would be used and for what purpose. The bottom line is that it would offer a more immediate answer as to what drugs were involved in the overdose that led to the person’s death.

The committee approved the resolution, which will go onto the Ways & Means Committee and finally to the full Legislature for a vote.

Photo: File photo by Joanne Beck of Paul Pettit and Legislator Gregg Torrey.

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