notify

Press release:

Data update covering the weekend and today until 2 p.m.:

• Genesee County received 130 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke and Stafford. 
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. 
  • Thirty-eight of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Twenty of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • Two of the new positive individuals are residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia, one is a resident at the NYS Veterans Home, and one is at the VA Medical Center.
  • We received notification of three deaths. One is a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia. Two of the deaths were community members. All three individuals were over the age of 65. To protect the individual and their family we will not be releasing any further information. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this community member during this very difficult time.
•  
• Orleans County received 32 new positive cases of COVID-19.
• The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby.
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s and 80s.
• Four of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Twenty of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Nine of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

​

Jason Allan Klinkbeil, 32, of Lockport Road, Alabama, is charged with: first-degree vehicular assault; felony driving while intoxicated -- drugs; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; reckless driving; failure to keep right; speed not reasonable and prudent; moving from lane unsafely; driving left of pavement markings; improper passing; failure to notify DMV of address change; and failure to change address on vehicle registration. Following an investigation into a motor-vehicle collision with injury at 8:48 p.m. Sept. 12 on Bliss Road in Oakfield, Klinkbeil was arrested. He allegedly drove a vehicle while he was impaired by drugs and caused serious physical injury to a passenger in another vehicle. Klinkbeil was released with appearance tickets and is due in Oakfield Town Court on Feb. 1. The case was investigated by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Deputy Erik Andre.

Aaron Joseph Romani, 29, of Milestrip Road, Blasdell, is charged with driving while intoxicated -- drugs; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree; and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Romani was arrested Dec. 3 for an incident at 2:48 a.m. on Aug. 2 when he was found pulled to the side of the road on Byron Elba Road in Byron. He was allegedly driving while intoxicated by drug and in possession of methadone which was not prescribed to him. His driver's license was expired. He was issued appearance tickets returnable to Byron Town Court on Jan. 11. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Gauthier, assisted by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Renee Irene Brown, 40, of Harris Road, Waterport, is charged with petit larceny and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree. At 3:09 p.m. on Dec. 3, the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center received a call of a woman stealing items from the Crosby's convenience store in the Village of Elba, then fleeing in a vehicle southbound on Route 98. Deputies located the car in the Town of Batavia a short time later and conducted a traffic stop. Following an investigation, Brown was arrested. It is alleged that she possessed 72 packages of Starburst candy chews, 19 packages of Slim Jim meat snack sticks, and 14 packages of Jack Links Wild Snack Sticks XXL Original. Brown was also allegedly found driving while her license to do so was suspended. She was released with appearance tickets and is due in Elba Town Court on Dec. 23. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

Health Alert

The Genesee Orleans County Health Departments have received a positive COVID-19 test result from an individual who was at Sport of Kings, Batavia on:

• Monday, Nov. 30^th from 2 to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1^st from 2 to 8 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases. 

We advise all individuals who were at Sport of Kings on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

Statement from Batavia City School District Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr.:

Dear Batavia Blue Devil Families,

As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise across New York State and specifically in Genesee County ​(8-percent positive test rate -- current highest in New York)​ it brings a number of challenges for the school district.

These challenges include but are not limited to the following:

• Our ongoing ability to staff in-person learning with certified staff members.
• Guidance regarding close contact and quarantining: we continue to have a large number of students and staff members unable to attend in-person learning and work because of the fact that educators/ district staff are not designated as essential employees under current New York State Department of Health guidance, which forces them to quarantine even if they are not showing symptoms.
• Despite the CDC reducing the number of days for quarantining to 7-10 days, the NYSDOH is still requiring a 14-day quarantining window.
• Social gatherings are still occurring outside of school, which bring new positive cases into our school district.
• The influx of parent and family requests that want to move their children from in-person hybrid learning to a 100-percent full virtual model.
• Over this last week our number of total positive cases in our schools increased to 39 and the number of students and staff that have had to quarantine as a result was over 100 between our four school buildings.

  Therefore, ​I have made the difficult decision to move our school district to 100-percent Virtual Remote Learning effective immediately and through the upcoming winter break. I will monitor and reassess this decision and I will provide families an update prior to our return on Monday, Jan. 4th.

  Moving our entire district to 100-percent Virtual Remote Learning will give us the ability to focus primarily on one mode of teaching and learning and allow us to prepare for updated guidance from New York State that prioritizes safe in-person learning for all. Families of children who receive specialized instruction and various mandated therapy will be contacted by the district with options for teletherapy and targeted support. BOCES Career Technical Education students will also attend their program virtually. This does not impact out-of-district placements and students who attend BOCES Alternative Academy and ITP programs. For the majority of our students this equates to the loss of five in-person learning days over the course of the next 12 school days.

• The district will continue to provide daily breakfast and lunch for pick up at Jackson Primary and John Kennedy from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. during this period.

  It is also important to remind you that if we are to return to any form of in-person learning that we still need parents and guardians to fill out our consent form located here. To date, we only have 483 (24 percent) of in-person learning families who have given consent. Please know that if and when we are designated a color zone, that random testing will be required and only families who give consent will be able to attend in-person learning.

  At a time where we should be focused on celebrating an upcoming winter break and spending time with our families, I know that this decision will impact many of you negatively and that is not my intent. Ultimately, my intent and one of my main responsibilities as your Superintendent, is to always protect the physical and mental health and safety of our students, staff and community.

  If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to call your child’s school for support.

  WE are Better Together...WE are Batavia!

  Anibal Soler Jr.
  Superintendent of Schools

Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department has received a positive COVID-19 test from an individual who was at Applebee's Grill + Bar in Batavia on Friday, Nov. 27th from 12 to 2 p.m. Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive case.

We advise all individuals who were at Applebee's on Nov. 27th between the hours of 12 and 2 p.m. to monitor their symptoms for 14 days (through Dec. 11th). If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

Press release:

Data Update:

• Genesee County received 50 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Byron, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield and Pembroke.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
  • Twenty-nine of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Fifteen of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • Fifteen of the new positive individuals are residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.
  • We received notification of three deaths of residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia. Two of the residents were over the age of 65 and one of the residents was under the age of 65. To protect the individual and their family we will not be releasing any further information. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this community member during this very difficult time.
• Orleans County received 24 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s and 60s.
  • Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Eight of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

To review the raw positive data for each of the counties click this following link.

Click here to view the Genesee and Orleans County online map of confirmed cases.

A reminder the numbers listed as positive/active are current community cases. The recovered numbers are only for community cases and do not include non-county regulated facilities. The total positive cases include community active/positive, community recovered and all those from non-county regulated facilities.

Rapid Testing: Genesee County will be hosting two rapid testing clinics on Dec. 8th and 10th from 1 – 4 p.m. The focus is for asymptomatic individuals and is free. This is a self-administered rapid test at the Genesee County Emergency Management Office & Fire Training Facility, at 7690 State Street Road in the Town of Batavia. 

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

To help the process please not the following guidelines:

• If you completed the form online, please print it out and bring it with you;
• Make sure you have a pen in your vehicle;
• Everyone in the vehicle is to have their mask on when they pull up at the testing site;
• For those who are getting tested, they may get a call fairly quickly from an unknown number…answer the phone. Staff cannot leave messages and can only give results to the individual tested or the guardian of minor children. Hard copy results will be emailed within 48 hours if we have a valid email address.

Orleans County will be holding a rapid testing clinic on Dec. 16th. More details to come.

Business Reminder: It is important to periodically review your Business Safety Plan that was developed earlier on in the pandemic. As part of the plan businesses were encouraged to develop contact sheets for all patrons to assist with contact tracing in the event of a potential COVID-19 exposure. This will help in investigations and will limit the necessity of press releases which will help limit potential spread. 

COVID-19 101 Reminders: If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated. Limited information is provided to the public in compliance with HIPAA regulations and out of the respect of those impacted by this virus.

• When, and if, there is a situation where potential contact is made in a public location where contact tracing doesn’t have actual names of close contacts, we will send out a media announcement to help seek contacts.
• If you are experiencing ANY COVID-19 related symptoms STAY HOME! Do not go to work, do not go to the store, do not go anywhere, YOU are spreading the virus. STAY HOME!
• We encourage everyone to remember to be polite and respect individual privacy. If you have a complaint about someone or a business use the appropriate channels provided by the state. Using social media to air your complaints and accusing individuals / businesses of wrong doing generally does nothing to fix the problem. Be compassionate of other people and spread kindness.

Updates

Testing: FYI: Due to increased COVID-19 cases and testing demand in the region, the MCC drive-in testing site will be expanding to seven days and expanding Saturday and Sunday hours to 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (starting this weekend). Appointments are required; click here.

• Effective Nov. 13 at 10 p.m., bars, restaurants and gyms, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, must close in-person service from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
• Effective Nov. 13 at 10 p.m., indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people.

Faith-based Organizations:

• Consider continuing or reinstating remote worship due to increased numbers of positive COVID-19 cases to protect your more vulnerable population.
• For those who are at risk of complications for COVID-19 or the flu, consider to connect with your house of worship remotely to lessen the risk of contracting COVID-19 or the flu.
• If you are sick or experiencing new symptoms, STAY HOME and worship remotely. Don’t share your germs with others.

Gathering Size: According to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.45, all nonessential gatherings of up to 50 individuals of any size for any reason at venues (celebrations, weddings, or other social events at public facilities or private venues) unless otherwise designated (ex. Religious gatherings), are now allowed for those regions in Phase 4.

So long as appropriate social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over their mouth and nose, and cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are followed. With the recent uptick of individuals testing positive and the stricter guidance placed by the Governor, it is important to remember that those who plan and host nonessential gatherings (whether at a venue or a private residence) as noted above, can be fined up to $15,000, and/or cause our counties to be considered a micro-cluster which will place the area under stricter restrictions.

Micro-clusters: The initiative will take the most significant action within the cluster (Red Zone), moderate action in the area surrounding the cluster to stop the spread (Orange Zone), and precautionary action in the outlying communities (Yellow Zone). To learn more about the Cluster Action Initiative, click here.

• Erie County -- New Orange Precautionary Zone -- Click Here for Map
• Niagara County – New Yellow Precautionary Zone – Click Here for Map
• Monroe County -- Yellow Precautionary Zone - Click Here for Map

The number of patients visiting UMMC's urgent care clinic at the Jerome Center has more than doubled over the past month due to a greater prevalence of COVID-19 in the community, according to Dr. Andrew Tisser, urgent care medical director.

"We've seen a very large increase in both symptomatic and asymptomatic covid testing and need for medical care in Batavia specifically speaking to the urgent care center," Tisser said this morning during a conference call with local media. "Our volume in the last three or so weeks has increased by about 110 percent."

The number of patients visiting urgent care has done from about 25 per day to 50 or 60 per day, and about 80 percent of the visitors are coming to the client for COVID-related reasons.

There is currently a surge of COVID in the community and there is no way to know if we're at the peak or if the caseload will only get bigger in the coming weeks or months. Either way, Tisser expressed confidence that UMMC and Rochester Reginal Health is ready to adapt to changing circumstances. He believes the urgent care center can handle the coming caseload even if there is an increase in community spread.

That said, the community can help, Tisser said. He encouraged local residents to wear a mask, keep socially distant and follow other CDC guidelines to help control the spread of COVID.

In the spring, healthcare workers were hailed as superheroes and feted with free meals and parades. That attention has faded and people are seemingly paying less attention to guidelines about social gatherings. Tisser acknowledged that there may be a degree of COVID fatigue that may have set it but healthcare workers aren't looking for any special attention.

"We don't want to be seen as heroes," Tisser said. "We want everyone to be socially responsible and know that we're doing our best. So if everyone would please do their best, that would be really helpful. But we are here to help you. We're here to take care of you."

Tesser explained to help people and to keep everybody safe, there are now two ways to access the urgent care clinic. The main lobby for standard urgent care but for people seeking COVID-related service, a doorway with a phone where clients can speak to a nurse who can triage their needs. If it's a test for symptomatic or asymptomatic clients, they are asked to wait in their car where the test can be administered.

People who show up at the clinic are usually there because they're symptomatic and were referred by a primary care physician or they are a known close contact with a COVID-positive person and need to be tested as a result.

Tesser said people who are symptomatic should contact their primary care physician to get guidance on testing and evaluation.

The urgent care clinic only handles mild COVID-19 cases, people with a low-grade fever, a mild cough, other mild symptoms. More serious cases are generally referred to the emergency room.

"We're here to help you, but please try to help us," Tisser said. "The virus is not going away any time soon. We are hopeful with the vaccine coming, but it will take time to get everyone on the vaccine. So everyone needs to keep doing what they're doing to the best of their ability and just be smart and stay safe."

The Genesee County Legislature has set a public hearing for next month to adopt a local law that would give lawmakers the ability to compensate coroners more than currently allowed for time spent during catastrophic events.

Resolutions forwarded by the Ways & Means Committee to Wednesday’s full legislative meeting call for the following:

• The scheduling of a public hearing on proposed Local Law Introductory No. 3, Year 2020, at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Old County Courthouse in Batavia;

• The adoption of the local law to allow discretionary compensation for services rendered during catastrophic events by elected or appointed coroners for a fixed term for the County of Genesee as introduced Dec. 9, 2020.

The measures stem from the airplane crash on Oct. 2 off Boyce Road in Corfu that claimed the lives of attorneys Steve Barnes and his niece, Elizabeth Barnes.

Coroner Jeff McIntire of Oakfield reportedly put in 260 hours on that case but, as the law stands now, is eligible to receive $200, based on $100 per case (or deceased individual). The pay increases to $150 per case on observed holidays.

The county’s four coroners also receive an annual stipend of $1,500 – paid throughout the year on regular paydays – but no mileage.

McIntire informed county officials of the situation, prompting the decision to put forth a new local law that gives the legislature some flexibility regarding compensation in unusual circumstances, County Manager Matt Landers said.

“It’s something that I don’t believe was thought of when the compensation was put in place for our coroners,” Landers said. “We’re trying to make this local law … so the legislature can determine what an extraordinary event is and what they want to compensate. Every case can be different, and we don’t want to end up in the future having to change the local law again because we were too restrictive.”

McIntire received a commendation from the legislature for his work (along with a team of responders) at the scene.

He resigned on Nov. 15 after serving more than five years as a county coroner. Landers said McIntire had planned to resign before the crash as he looks to relocate to Florida.

McIntire, who also is assistant chief of the Oakfield Fire Department, did not respond to phone calls from The Batavian seeking comment.

Landers said without this local law, legislators' hands are tied.

“Right now, there really is no ability for this legislature to legally give any compensation above and beyond what he was paid because of the local law that we have,” he said.

Karen Lang, Tom Douglas and Adam Palumbo are the other county coroners. Republican Party leaders are in the process of finding a replacement for McIntire.

The resolution’s specific wording as is follows:

Section 1.  In addition to the existing compensation for Genesee County Coroners that are elected or appointed for a fixed term, the Genesee County Legislature is hereby authorized to provide additional compensation when Coroners provide extraordinary services above and beyond their normal duties after a catastrophic event leading to the death of one or more individuals within Genesee County.          

Section 2:  The determination as to whether or not an event qualifies as catastrophic; as well as the determination as to the amount to be paid to Coroners for extraordinary services, shall be made in the sole discretion of the Genesee County Legislature.

Section 3.  Any Coroner may submit a claim retroactively to October 3, 2020, by a submittal in writing, which details the services rendered and the times and dates of the same. 

Section 4.  This Local Law is subject to referendum on petition pursuant to the provisions of Section 24 of the Municipal Home Rule Law.

Section 5.  This Local Law shall take effect upon proper filing with the Office of the Secretary of State.

Today, the first time since the pandemic hit Western New York, residents of Genesee County who are not showing symptoms of COVID-19 could get free coronavirus test locally.

The newly available rapid test is important, said Paul Pettit, public health director, because asymptomatic people can spread the disease. Identifying them will help slow the spread.

"The folks in the community that may be positive, that don't know they have it, they may be contributing to some of our higher numbers that we've been seeing over the last month," Pettit said.

In the first hour, 100 people were tested and three tests were positive.

Those three people, Pettit said now know they should isolate themselves and avoid contact that might lead to the disease being passed on to a vulnerable person, perhaps a family member.

"These folks probably would not have gotten tested," Pettit said. "So they would have been out in the community going to hang out with their friends or family, doing different activities and they might not have known they had it so bad. By doing stuff like testing like this, it allows them to be identified and now we can put them under isolation and again, hopefully, reduce those transmissions."

As many as 350 tests were administered today. The final number of positive tests of that 350 has not been released yet.

Pettit said rapid tests for asymptomatic people will be available in Genesee County on Tuesday and Thursday through at least January. The location may not always be at the Emergency Management Office on State Street Road. Future locations, or if it will be moved, has not yet been determined.  

More than 30 people volunteered to help with testing. More may be needed in the future.

Among the advantages of the free rapid test is that people who might want to travel or visit elderly family members in senior facilities were having a hard time getting required tests.  

The testing will also help get a clearer picture of how prevalent the disease is locally.

Getting the tests for Genesee County has been a long and concerted effort by local officials, state and federal representatives.

People who do get tested need to recognize that the test is only a "snapshot in time," Pettit said.

"Literally, if you test today and your negative, that's great," Pettit said. "Go home, go do your thing, continue to practice all the social distancing. But the bottom line doesn't mean you won't be positive tomorrow or the next day or the day after. So really, it's one of those things there really isn't a rhyme or reason necessarily on getting tested. I mean, obviously, we don't want people coming out here every day because we want to make sure we have availability for people that need it also. But a test is a snapshot. It's only good for the time you get tested, just like with anything else."

Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department has received multiple positive COVID-19 test results from individuals who were at Eli Fish Brewing Co. in Batavia on:

• Wednesday, Nov. 25^th from 6 - 8:45 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.

We advise all individuals who were at Eli Fish on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

Press release:

We can’t stress enough the importance to limit time with non-household members. Continue to do your best to limit the spread of COVID-19 and the flu by frequently washing/sanitizing your hands, wear a mask/face-covering over your mouth and nose when out in public and keep at least 6 feet from non-household members. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and contact your primary care provider for guidance.

As of 4 p.m. Dec. 3

Genesee County received 32 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke and Stafford.
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.
• Thirty-two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Sixteen of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• One of the new positive individuals is a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.
• One of the previously reported individuals at the VA Medical center is not a current patient and has been removed from the facility count.
• We received notification of the death of a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia. The resident is over the age of 65. To protect the individual and their family we will not be releasing any further information. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this community member during this very difficult time.

Orleans County received 21 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Gaines, Murray, Yates, Ridgeway and Shelby.
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Six of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Two of the new positive individuals are residents of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.

Matthew Michael Maniace, 38, of Fargo Road, Bethany, is charged with: driving while ability impaired by drugs, with a prior conviction within the last 10 years; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; obstruction of governmental administration in the second degree; and moving from lane unsafely. He was arrested Dec. 2 on the charges that stem from an accident that occurred at 11:37 p.m. on Sept. 8 on Prole Road Extension, Stafford. After an investigation and toxicology results, it is alleged that Maniace drove a vehicle while his ability to do so was impaired by drugs, resulting in a motor-vehicle accident. It is also alleged that he possessed drugs at the time and attempted to flee from deputies on foot. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Chamoun, assisted by Deputy David Moore.

Michael Jeffrey Vogt, 40, of Albert Avenue, Buffalo, is charged with: driving while intoxicated; DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or more; no front license place; and failure to keep right. Vogt was arrested at 1:52 a.m. Nov. 26 on Main Road in Pembroke. He was issued traffic tickets and is due in Pembroke Town Court on Dec. 17. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Mathew Clor, assisted by Deputy Jordan Alejandro.

Victor H. Montanez, 48, of Lake Street, Le Roy, is charged with four violations: driving while intoxicated; driving with a BAC of .08 percent or more; moving from lane unsafely; and speed exceeding 55 mph. He was arrested at 1:48 a.m. on Nov. 28 on Lake Street Road in Le Roy. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Le Roy Police Officer Steven Cappotelli.

Preston Scott Daigler, 22, of South Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with third-degree criminal mischief. At 3:49 a.m. on Nov. 26, Daigler was arrested on the charge after allegedly punching out a back window of a vehicle in the driveway on South Pearl Street in Oakfield. He was arraigned virtually in Oakfield Town Court and is due in Genesee County Court on Jan. 11. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy David Moore, assisted by Deputy Ryan Young.

Matthew Michael Maniace, 38, of Fargo Road, Bethany, is charged with petit larceny. On Dec. 2 Maniace was arrested. It is alleged that on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. on Fargo Road in Bethany the defendant agreed to repair parts of the victim's truck. While in possession of the truck, he allegedly took the keys and a tow hitch from the truck and never returned the items to the victim. Maniace was arraigned in Bethany Town Court and issued an appearance ticket to return on Dec. 22. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Gauthier, assisted by Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush.

Directors of Western Regional Off Track Betting Corporation today passed a resolution authorizing the hiring of the law firm of Harris Beach to help explore the possibility of purchasing the Hotel at Batavia Downs, located next to Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

“We’d like to explore purchasing the hotel,” said WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek, “and that’s why we’ve retained an attorney. We have been in discussions to purchase the hotel but nothing has come of it.”

The resolution reads that the corporation “wishes to engage Harris Beach to continue to provide legal services to Western in the additional amount of $50,000” in an effort “to negotiate an agreement regarding the purchase of a hotel, as well as the terms of bond refinancing …”

The 84-room luxury hotel is owned by ADK Hospitality, a Buffalo-based development team that purchased land from WROTB in March 2015 and spent $7.5 million to build it.

ADK Hospitality partners, along with WROTB officials and state and local dignitaries, presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception in November 2016.

Currently, the facility is managed by Hart Hotels, which is based in Buffalo.

Wojtaszek said he advised directors that there is nothing to act upon at this time but felt it was prudent to inquire about it and keep their options open.

In other developments, the board voted:

• To close an OTB branch on French Road in Depew as of Nov. 30 and terminate the existing lease;

• To allocate up to $45,000 for the purchase of complementary rooms at the Hotel at Batavia Downs for the remainder of this year and up to $50,000 for the same for 2021;

• To contract with Upstate Strategic Advisors LLC, of Buffalo, for six months, effective Jan. 1, at a rate of $3,500 per month for consulting services designed to help the corporation increase its revenue and improve its marketing strategies;

• To extend an agreement with Mercury Public Affairs LLC, of New York City, for another six months, effective Jan. 1, at a rate of $8,000 per month for lobbying activities with various government entities;

• To contract with Cummins-Allison Corporation for a money counting machine maintenance and service agreement through Sept. 30 at an amount not to exceed $29,768;

• To enter into a five-year contract with Equitable Advisors of Rochester for the company’s deferred compensation plan, a vehicle for employees to invest their pretax earnings.

Services to be provided at the Healthy Living Campus proposed for Downtown Batavia will go hand in hand with services to be offered by medical specialists at Rochester Regional Health’s facility that is planned for Route 98, north of the Thruway bridge.

That’s the assessment of David Ciurzynski of Ciurzynski Consulting LLC, of Attica, who is representing the owners in planning and design for the Healthy Living Campus project, a multimillion dollar joint venture of United Memorial Medical Center and the Genesee Area Family YMCA.

UMMC is part of the RRH system.

On Wednesday, Ciurzynski talked to The Batavian about the status of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative project -- a day after RRH announced that it is seeking to build a four-story, 140,000-square-foot office building on Route 98 in the Town of Batavia, across the road from Federal Drive and near Call Parkway.

“What Rochester Regional Health is doing is giving the (Batavia area) complementary services,” Ciurzynski said, noting that his team is in the process of revising the design of the downtown building. “They’re looking to make sure it has all of the right services in place to accommodate the community.”

Ciurzynski said the two-story Healthy Living Campus facility will replace the current YMCA at Main and Bank streets, and will feature 54,000 square feet of space for YMCA amenities such as gymnasium, pool, locker rooms, multipurpose rooms, exercise rooms and a community living (common) area.

It also will have 10,000 square feet for the hospital’s Healthy Living (diabetes awareness and education) program as well as a medical clinic on the second floor as a teaching unit for medical residents, and space for RRH’s Baby Café, a breastfeeding program run by lactation specialists who offer education and support to any pregnant woman or breastfeeding mom in the community at no charge.

“It’s all about having multiple access points (to health and wellness),” he said. “Part of the Downtown community wants services that are within walking distance, so that’s what this will be able to provide. The one near the Thruway will be able to service a wider region – with a variety of specialists.”

UMMC President Dan Ireland said that specifics regarding what practices will be in the Town of Batavia building will be revealed as the project progresses.

Ciurzynski called the Healthy Living Campus “the hub of the community,” with a total investment expected to approach $30 million.

The YMCA part of the proposal, estimated at $22.5 million including design fees, has received a DRI award of $4,075,000. The hospital piece is close to $10 million, Ciurzynski said, and has received a Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program II grant from the Department of Health for $7.5 million.

“We’re looking at the Healthy Living Campus as being that entire block – between Main Street and Washington Avenue, with the Jerome Center and everything (from Wiard Street west),” he said. “We’re trying to make everything complementary and symbiotic among all the buildings.”

The campus will cover around 15 to 20 acres in the heart of Batavia and will have ample parking and greenspace, Ciurzynski said.

“There so many wonderful services there between the Office for the Aging, the (Jerome Apartments) senior residency, YMCA and urgent care,” he said. “We will be taking down the boiler house and smokestack (behind the Jerome Center at 16 Bank St.) and making parking area and greenspace. We’re trying to find a way to make that the centerpiece of the community.”

Ciurzynski said he hopes to break ground next fall and see it through to completion by the end of 2022.

As far as the Office for the Aging is concerned, he said it will stay at its current location on Bank Street after separation from the YMCA building that will be demolished. He did say that the OFA could move into an expanded part of the new building in the future.

CPL of Rochester (formerly Clark Patterson Lee) has been selected as the architect, picking up where Gro Development LLC, a national company that designs YMCAs and other community-based facilities, left off.

The Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday recommended distribution of more than $400,000 in mortgage tax revenue to the county’s towns, villages and City of Batavia.

The resolution will be considered by the full legislature on Dec. 9.

County Clerk Michael Cianfrini and Treasurer Scott German reported that $418,882.58 is available to be dispersed to the municipalities as the second such payment in 2020. The amount is about $26,000 more than the second distribution in 2019.

Mortgage tax money per municipality is as follows:

City

Batavia -- $95,905.39

Towns

Alabama -- $11,089.24

Alexander -- $13,616.07

Batavia -- $48,557.18

Bergen -- $30,595.20

Bethany -- $11,101.99

Byron -- $10,696.76

Darien -- $24,213.72

Elba -- $12,788.20

Le Roy -- $54,789.53

Oakfield -- $12,464.24

Pavilion -- $16,056.13

Pembroke -- $29,194.08

Stafford -- $20,570.76

Villages

Alexander -- $1,402.37

Attica -- $493.46

Bergen -- $4,227.01

Elba -- $1,580.73

Le Roy -- $15,850.24

Oakfield -- $1,924.86

Corfu -- $1,765.42

In other action, the committee recommended approval of:

• Resolutions to recoup delinquent water/sewer accounts and unpaid school and village taxes, which will be added to the 2021 tax levy as permitted by law.

The county will need to relevy $215,266.39 in outstanding water/sewer bills, with more than half of that amount ($142,941.72) from the Town of Batavia.

Other towns affected are Alabama ($6,351.53), Alexander ($1,138.64), Bergen ($1,187.11), Byron ($36,829.40), Darien ($13,504.56), Elba ($2,027.66), Oakfield ($995.45), Pavilion ($9,852.56), Pembroke ($309.31) and Stafford ($128.45).

The county’s share of the total amount collected is $14,082.80.

In 2020, the total was $172,303.13 with $11,272.23 being the county’s share.

Per Real Property Tax law, more than $1.8 million in unpaid school taxes are to be returned to the county for inclusion in the 2021 county and town tax levy.

The amounts not paid range from $429,215.50 in the Town of Le Roy to $66,864.83 in the Town of Bethany, with the Town of Batavia reporting $99,100.70.

The county makes the school districts whole for their portion and retains a 7-percent fee. The 2020 total was $2,265,897.64.

On the village tax side, unpaid taxes to be levied again amount to $164,023.11 – ranging from $137,935.92 in the Village of Le Roy to $601.35 in the Village of Elba.

Again, the county makes the villages whole for their portion and retains a 7-percent fee. The 2020 total was $199,731.83.

• A resolution to renew a contract with the Genesee County Economic Development Center for 2021 that calls for county support of $233,513 to the agency, the same amount as 2020.

The sum shall be paid in regular installments and is subject to an “out clause” just put into outside agency contracts that gives the county the right to withhold funding in emergency situations.

• A five-year lease with Genesee County Job Development Bureau for the continued operation of the Genesee County Career Center at the Eastown Plaza in Batavia, effective Feb. 1, at an annual cost of $126,000.

The amount is $9,108 more than the current lease, but there will be no increase in costs to the county since rent payments are covered by grant and fee-for-service funding.

• A resolution to appoint Kathleen Carlson (Byron-Bergen), Erik Fix (Le Roy/Stafford) and Caris Carlson (youth representative) to the Genesee County Youth Board for terms running from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2023.

Press release:

Dec. 2, 4 p.m.

We can’t stress enough the importance to limit time with non-household members. Continue to do your best to limit the spread of COVID-19 and the flu by frequently washing/sanitizing your hands, wear a mask/face-covering over your mouth and nose when out in public and keep at least 6 feet from non-household members. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and contact your primary care provider for guidance.

Genesee County received 44 new positive cases of COVID-19.

• The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Byron, Le Roy, Oakfield and Pembroke. 
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s, 80s and 90s.
• Fifty-seven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Thirteen of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Sixteen of the new positive individuals are residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.
• We received notification of the death of a Genesee County resident. The resident is under 65. To protect the individual and their family we will not be releasing any further information. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this community member during this very difficult time.

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

• The new positive cases reside Albion, Barre, Carlton, Kendall, Murray and Shelby.
• The individuals are in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
• None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Five of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• We received notification of the death of an Orleans County resident. The resident is over 65. To protect the individual and their family we will not be releasing any further information. We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this community member during this very difficult time.

The WNY National Cemetery, which was dedicated in a ceremony Monday (see video), is now accepting reservations for interments for deceased qualified veterans, according to a spokesman for Veterans Affairs.

Les' A. Melnyk, chief of public affairs and outreach for the VA's National Cemetery Administration, said families and funeral directors who wish to schedule interments can do so by calling the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at (800) 535-1117. 

Interment dates and times are determined on a first-come, first-served basis in accordance with the family’s wishes and available time slots at the cemetery, Melnyk said.

Information regarding who is eligible for interment at a national cemetery can be found here.

Press release:

Genesee County will offer residents, who are asymptomatic (no symptoms, not feeling sick, etc.), with free drive-thru COVID-19 self-administered rapid testing on Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Genesee County Emergency Management Office & Fire Training Facility, at 7690 State Street Road in the Town of Batavia. The free testing will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m.

For anyone with a recent potential exposure to COVID-19, it is not recommended to be tested until at least five days have passed since the exposure. Anyone with any cold or flu-like symptoms, even if mild, will not be eligible for this test, and neither will any others arriving in their car.

Those interested in scheduling a test must register online.

Anyone needing additional help for online registration may contact the Genesee County Health Department at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555.

“It is very important to note that this testing is not for residents who are experiencing symptoms. Those individuals should be contacting their physician to discuss treatment and testing options,” said Paul A. Pettit, MSL, CPH, Genesee and Orleans County Public Health director. “Given the surge of infections in the county, it’s important that we identify those who are infected that may not be demonstrating any symptoms and in fact are feeling fine.”

At the drive-thru site, a staff member for the testing center will offer guidance for residents to administer their own self-test by using a cotton swab. Each person in a vehicle will self-administer their own test; if there is a minor in the car an adult in the vehicle will be asked to administer the test. People will then drive off and will be contacted via phone with the results, with the option for these results to be emailed as well.

“If a person who is asymptomatic tests positive for the virus, he or she will need to be in isolation for a minimum of 10 days,” Pettit continued. “While this might discourage people from getting tested, we need to work together as a community to reduce the surge, plus someone who is asymptomatic can still infect a loved one who is not.”

Rochester Regional Health is looking to extend its reach in Genesee County through the construction of a four-story, 140,000-square-foot office building at 8103 Oak Orchard Road (Route 98), across the road from Federal Drive and near Call Parkway, in the Town of Batavia.

"This campus is the latest step in Rochester Regional Health’s plan to expand access to care," said Dan Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, which is part of the RRH system. "Over the past few years, we have opened similar multi-specialty campuses in Irondequoit, Henrietta, Webster/Penfield, and Geneva, with another campus scheduled to open in Geneseo.” 

Ireland took part in the Town of Batavia Planning Board's Zoom videoconference meeting tonight.

The project was introduced to planners by Andrew Kosa, principal associate with Clark Patterson Lee engineering firm in Rochester.

Kosa said that 90,000 square feet will be allotted for office space and that 360 parking spaces will be available – with 63 of them in a first-floor parking garage.

The applicant will need approval of its site plan along with an area variance related to the height of the building and a negative declaration on a State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) to proceed with the project.

Kosa was joined on the call by Michael Owen, vice president, Healthcare Construction for RRH; Michelle Trott of CPL principal for the project, and Thomas Bock, civil engineer and lead engineer for the site plan.

“We’ve completed a traffic study … showing mitigation for the turn lanes out of the entrance driveway, and also made submission to the New York State Department of Transportation on Nov. 12 to get its preliminary review of the plan and traffic study,” Kosa added.

Town planners voted to seek lead agency for the SEQR, and advised that the project will have to be referred to the Genesee County Planning Board for its recommendation and then to the Town Zoning Board of Appeals (for the area variance).

Town Engineer Steve Mountain mentioned that this is a tax-exempt project that offers much in the way of economic benefit to the municipality.

“Through the SEQR process we have looked at the economic impacts and the best cost benefits … and there are a lot of benefits to the project,” he said.

Ireland said it is a prime opportunity for RRH to create additional space for medical purposes.

“There’s a substantial need for that in our community, and really to consolidate some of the medical specialty practices as well as grow medical specialties in the community that don’t exist today,” he said. "(This is) bringing services under one area and easily accessible to the surrounding region, which will draw patients into the area as well as bringing needed providers into the area."

Ireland added that RHH will provide information about the specific services as the project progresses.

Solar Project Moves Forward

Town planners also approved seeking lead agency status for a SEQR on a two-phase community solar project on property owned by Don Partridge at 5117 Ellicott Street Road.

Partridge, a member of the planning board, recused himself on all matters connected to the venture, which is proceeding as Trousdale Solar I and Trousdale Solar II.

The first phase is a 5-megawatt array covering 20 acres of a 65-acre parcel while the second phase is a 4-megawatt system covering 20 acres on a 71-acre parcel, said Jerry Leone of Rochester, representing Cypress Creek Renewables LLC, project developer.

Leone said that area residents will be able to purchase electricity as a result of the system at a better price than what they get through National Grid.

“They don’t have to be connected to it physically – it would be delivered to you through National Grid in a similar way that you purchase electricity now, and that electricity would be offered at a discount from what you currently pay,” he advised.

He said that the National Grid service along the road is capable of handling the project, a bifacial system that generates power on both the front and back of the solar panels.

“The panels will be no higher than 12 feet once installed … and there are no wetlands and some tree removal,” Leone said. “We’re not seeking any variances and have followed appropriate setbacks as required.”

Leone also offered that his company has a partnership with the Genesee County Economic Development Center and a partnership with Cornell University for pollinator species – “plantings and grass that are friendly to bees and the like.”

Planners will need to schedule a public hearing on the application, likely several weeks away, after it goes before the Genesee County Planning Board on Dec. 10.

LandPro to Construct Facility

Andrew Schmieder of Alexander, project designer, reported the intention of LandPro – a John Deere sales and service company – to build a sales, storage and maintenance facility at 4554 W. Saile Drive, near the Volvo Rents equipment building.

He said the LandPro has committed to 13,000 square feet of retail sales area, 5,000 square feet for parts storage, and a 28,000 square feet to perform maintenance.

“They primarily will be servicing turf and agricultural equipment,” he said, adding that he doesn’t anticipate a lot of traffic coming in and out of the area.

The applicant is seeking approval of its site plan, which also will be reviewed by county planners on Dec. 10.

Project Manager David Ciurzynski of Attica said LandPro will be seeking tax abatements from the GCEDC. Paul Williams of Baldwinsville, operations manager for LandPro, also was on the Zoom call.

Architect renderings courtesy of Genesee County Planning Department. Top photos, two views of Rochester Regional Health building; bottom photo, LandPro building. 

Press release:

We can’t stress enough the importance to limit time with non-household members. Continue to do your best to limit the spread of COVID-19 and the flu by frequently washing/sanitizing your hands, wear a mask/face-covering over your mouth and nose when out in public and keep at least 6 feet from non-household members. If you are not feeling well, please stay home and contact your primary care provider for guidance.

Total Positives – are 1,041 (for Genesee County) through 12 p.m. today, however, due to the complexity of the case investigation / contact tracing the 960 reported below for Genesee County, and the charts represent the total cases investigated as of this report.

In order to provide accurate numbers, case investigations include contacting the individuals, of which some are not county residents...this will show discrepancies between the local numbers and the state numbers. The numbers reported are those cases we have accurate data and have had contact with the individual and all their subsequent contacts.

To review the raw positive data for each of the counties click this link.  

Our goal is to make sure the data provided to our communities is as accurate as possible.

• Genesee County received eight new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke and Stafford.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s, and 80s.
  • One hundred and twenty six 126 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Twelve of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • One of the individuals identified at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia and one of the individuals identified at the Batavia VA Medical Center have been identified as out-of-county residents and have been removed from our facility and total count.
• Orleans County received nine new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside Barre, Clarendon, Murray, Ridgeway and Shelby.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.
  • One of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Eleven of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • One of the new positive cases was recovered prior to the health department receiving the test results and are included in the recovered data.
  • Six of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.