Marianne Clattenburg

Marianne Clattenburg is a candidate for County Legislature in District 8. Her opponent is Colin McAllister.

If elected, what will you recommend to your fellow legislators for county priorities over the next five years?
First and foremost the main priority will remain the same, to serve the citizens of Genesee County by providing them with the services that are important to them. The second priority will be to provide those services while maintaining the fiscal stability of the county. Part of those services will be to address the growing need in the county for an increased supply of clean water. Another priority is the safety of our citizens. This includes investments in law enforcement and the construction of a new county jail. This construction has been mandated by the state, but must be implemented with the taxpayer in mind.

What can or should the County government do to help foster business growth in Genesee County?
The County has a responsibility to provide the foundational needs that businesses require to expand their existing operations and to attract new investment in the county. The primary reason to foster business is to provide for employment opportunities for our citizens and to expand our tax base. Foundational needs include investment in public works projects. It also means investing in the education and training of our workforce. Whenever possible this is done through private/public partnerships coordinated by the county’s economic development agency. Through this agency, new and existing large companies and small businesses can apply for assistance in reaching their goals of expanding their businesses and job opportunities in Genesee County.

Should the County build a new jail?
The current building that houses our jail is over 100 years old and does not meet the Department of Corrections' operational standards. It also does not allow for the housing of female inmates. The state commission has notified Genesee County that we must bring our jail up to state standards. Due to the age and structure of our existing jail, it was determined that investing in our current jail was not an option. With pressure from the state, we began to look at the options for building a new jail. The members of the legislature spent time touring existing jails to see what size and configuration would work for Genesee County. The process we are currently undergoing is determining the size of our new jail and the operational costs that will be associated with it. We are also very concerned with the financing requirements associated with a major project such as this. All the work done thus far can be found on the county’s website. I will be seeking public input on this decision and I look forward to hearing the views of my constituents. We need to build a new county jail that meets the requirements of the state, but we should build a jail that is financially acceptable to the taxpayer.

Are you satisfied with the way the County has been run for the past decade or so?
The employees who are responsible for the day to day operations of our county work extremely hard to serve our citizens. We have been fortunate to have our County Manager, Jay Gsell leading this effort. Jay and all our employees have given us a county that we can be proud of. From our senior center, veteran’s service office, public works, county parks, youth services, health, and human service providers, law enforcement and emergency services as well as our county clerk’s office, these departments exist to serve the taxpayer. The legislature has worked with our manager and his staff to implement policies that provide for the safety and well-being of our citizens. We have had our challenges and sometimes disagreements. It is challenging at times to satisfy all the required state mandates, but still maintain the service level that our county citizens expect. I believe the county has done a good job during the past decade meeting these needs.

What book first published in English since the Enlightenment has influenced your outlook on life the most?
As a Christian, the book that has influenced my life the most do not meet the language or timeframe requirement of your question. A book that I did enjoy and was thought-provoking was “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” by Mitch Albom. It explores the idea that our lives are connected to the lives of others in ways that we may not know. For those who have not read it, I strongly recommend it!

Patti Pacino said a little while ago that she thought she was doing really well to get to City Hall a bit after 6:30 p.m.

"I'm normally running late, but tonight I was feeling so proud to show up early," Pacino said.

Problem was, the Batavia City Council meeting didn't start at its usual 7 p.m. time. It started at 6 p.m.  By the time Pacino arrived, almost everybody else had left.

Still, the council approved Pacino's appointment to the Ward 2 seat vacated by Marianne Clattenburg by a unanimous vote.

Pacino will be sworn in at 9 a.m. in the City Manager's office.

Meanwhile, Clattenburg, who won an at-large seat in the November election, assumed the role of City Council president.

"In moving forward, the city needs to focus more on planning," Clattenburg said in a speech after assuming the president's chair. "It will be my recommendation that this council works together to develop a strategic plan for the future. We must set our priorities and develop polices that address the most urgent needs of the city."

AUDIO: Full speech (mp3, courtesy WBTA)

The motion to appoint Clattenburg was made by Frank Ferrando. Democrats Rose Mary Christian and Kathy Briggs rushed to second the motion. Clattenburg was appointed to the chair unanimously.

At the end of the meeting, Clattenburg thanked outgoing Council President Charlie Mallow for his service and, on behalf of the council, presented him with a plaque.

We need to check -- Has Adam Miller started selling backpedals?  It seems so. A few were put in use at tonight's Batavia City Council meeting.

Suddenly, the idea of taking a good hard look at converting the Batavia Fire Department to an all volunteer force doesn't seem as attractive to as many council members as it did May 26, when City Council President Charlie Mallow raised the issue in a fiery speech about the high cost of the current paid-professional service.

At that meeting, council members Marianne Clattenburg, Bill Cox, Bob Bialkowski and Rose Mary Christian all expressed support for looking more closely at the idea, with Clattenburg endorsing Mallow's call to arms with a hearty, "here, here."

Tonight, only Mallow kept the flame lit.

"I could foresee a problem with volunteers because of all the tall structures we have in the city," said Clattenburg. "I have real concerns if something disastrous happens."

Clattenburg said what she really meant at the previous meeting is that there should be some study on how the city can save money on fire service, such as looking at what cities of similar size as Batavia, with similar structures, do for fire service and how they keep costs down.

Christian, who wasn't quite as vocal in her support of Mallow's proposal in May, was more adamant in her opposition tonight to the idea of switching to an all volunteer force.

Christian made the repeated point -- disputed by Mallow -- that only paid professional fire fighters are trained in how to clear a building in an emergency, that volunteers are not allowed to get evacuation training.

"400 Towers is in my ward, and we have hospitals in the other wards," Christian said. "When you can prove to me that they have the training, then I can agree with it. Until then, I can't."

Christian also raised concerns about how quickly volunteers would respond, noting that current fire personnel can respond to an emergency anywhere in the city within three minutes.

When Bialkowski suggested that the City Council set some goals for what it hopes to accomplish with a reconsideration of the fire service, Christian interjected, "Goals are about money, and my goals are safety.  Money isn't always an issue."

And the theme was set for the discussion: This isn't all about money. We need to consider the safety issues as well.

"When we had that fire at Christina's, if not for the immediate response of the fire department, that whole block could have gone down," said Councilman Frank Ferrando.

Mallow reminded council members that terms of the current union agreement doesn't necessarily put safety first. Before any volunteer firefighter can be dispatched to a fire in the City of Batavia, all paid personnel must be called in, even if it means overtime.

"If we're going to talk about safety, let's really talk about safety," Mallow said. "Let's talk about these restrictions."

Mallow also said that there are bigger cities in New York, with bigger structures, that have all-volunteer fire departments.

"Just because we've always done it this way in Batavia doesn't make it right," Mallow said.

Council members are going to form a subcommittee to further study cost saving measures, including potentially coming up with a scheme to include volunteers with paid staff in a single department.

Christian (pictured top in file photo) is a candidate for a seat on the County Legislature and Clattenburg (file photo) is looking to move up from her Ward 2 council seat to a Council At Large seat.