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Genesee County’s director of mental health and community services apparently swung for the fences and hit a home run last week when she learned that the New York State Office of Mental Health approved the county’s application to participate in the Mobile Access Program with three law enforcement agencies.

The Mobile Access Program (MAP) is a pilot initiative that connects residents in distress with mental health clinicians utilizing iPads (via Zoom for Healthcare, a secure teleconferencing software program) when law enforcement officers request assistance.

Mental health staff then will conduct an evaluation remotely to help plan for an appropriate disposition.

“They (NYSOMH officials) really wanted one law enforcement agency but we kind of took a gamble and chose three. We asked for a lot,” said Lynda Battaglia, who heads up the county’s mental health department.

The three police departments that have agreed to partner with Genesee County are the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police and Village of Le Roy Police.

Battaglia said heads of the three law enforcement agencies watched a webinar about the program and all expressed an interest in participating.

“I asked each police department to provide information specific to their line of work – how many devices they would need for each shift; bandwidth, accessibility in different areas; how many officers would need iPads and the number of calls related to mental health issues they receive,” Battaglia offered.

She then took that data and coupled it with mental health information and sent the application to the NYSOMH. Not only was Genesee County approved, but requests from all other counties as well.

“We received notice that since there was such a great response … they were able to accommodate all the applicants,” she noted.

Calling it a “telehealth program,” Battaglia said the state will give iPads to all three police departments and to the mental health clinic. The state also will provide training and support services.

She said that the objective is to increase accessibility to those having mental health issues and cut down the time it takes to deliver essential mental health consultations.

“Let’s say police receive a call to go out and talk with somebody – and it’s a mental health call,” she said. “One of the goals is to decrease unnecessary transport to the hospital, under Mental Health Law 9.41.”

Mental Health Law Section 9.41 give powers to peace officers and police officers to admit individuals in emergency situations for immediate observation, care, and treatment.

Battaglia explained that if an officer is interacting with someone who doesn’t need to be transported to a hospital (or to jail), they will ask that person if they wish to have a telehealth emergency visit with the mental health person on call.

“There will be arrangements made to have the officer connect with his or her iPad with our on-call person with their iPad, and the mental health person will conduct a telehealth session with that individual in crisis,” she said.

She did acknowledge that the program won’t work in all cases, specifically if someone is under the influence of alcohol or substances – “for clinical reasons you won’t get an accurate assessment,” she said – or if a person is extremely agitated or at very high risk.

“We’re hoping to have it where the mental health professionals make that determination (which is allowed under MHL Section 9.45 -- emergency admissions for immediate observation, care, and treatment under the authority of directors of community services or authorized designees).

Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron reported that mental health calls continue to increase.

“I would say we average at least one a day – and some days, more than others,” he said. “That’s why it’s important to get the proper treatment to these individuals in a timely fashion, and reduce the amount of police involvement in the process.”

Sheron said law enforcement is “working hand-in-hand with mental health to more directly address the needs of people who have mental health crises.”

“This will expedite that. It may not be appropriate for all cases, but I think for the majority of them, it will be very beneficial. The last thing we want to do is having law enforcement take some kind of criminal action against somebody when they really need the services of mental health professionals.”

Battaglia said she expects it to take a few months for state mental health officials to provide training and to implement the program. She said is hoping that this turns out to be a win-win situation for all.

“We have a crisis plan in place (contracting with SpectrumHealth for a mobile response team), and I think that it is a plan that has been OK. But, with this opportunity and moving into the future, we can make the crisis plan a little more connected,” she said.

“It will definitely prove how law enforcement and mental health officials can work together. It will build relationships. It will help the people in the community.”

James Timon Saddler III, 39, of University Street, Rochester, is charged with: second-degree assault -- with intent to injure with a weapon; criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree; second-degree harassment; and trespass. Following a call for service at a motel on West Main Street Road in Batavia, Saddler was arrested at 5:19 p.m. June 24. It is alleged that he got into a physical altercation and struck a victim with a tire iron and another victim with his fists. He was arraigned in Alabama Town Court and put in jail without bail. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Krzemien, assisted by Sgt. Mathew Clor.

Ray Spencer-Lindquist Saile, 19, of Judge Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, is charged with first-degree criminal contempt; second-degree harassment; and second-degree assault -- causing injury to a victim age 65 or older. Following an incident in the early morning hours of June 26 in the Town of Alabama, Saile was arrested. It is alleged that he backhanded a person who had a stay away order of protection against him. Following arraignment in Alabama Town Court, Saile was released under supervision of Genesee Justice. He is due back in Alabama Town Court on July 20. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy James Stack.

Jazmin Pellot, 38, is charged with second-degree harassment and obstructing governmental administration. She was arrested at 1:33 p.m. June 15 after an incident that occurred on North Spruce Street in the City of Batavia. It is alleged that she struck a victim in the face with a closed fist and that she interfered with officers and failed to comply with directives during an investigation. She was arraigned in Batavia City Court later that afternoon and then released on her own recognizance. She is due back in court July 22.

Thomas Tacito, 61, was arrested at 1:30 p.m. June 17 after he allegedly violated an order of protection issued to a victim on North Spruce Street in the City of Batavia. He is accused of going to the protected party's residence and knocking on their door. He was issued an appearance ticket for Batavia City Court and is due there at a later date (unspecified).

Thomas Tacito, 61, was arrested at 11:15 a.m. June 23 after an investigation into a neighbor dispute that occurred at 10 p.m. April 24 on North Spruce Street. A victim had all four tires slashed and several windows smashed out on their vehicle. Tacito is charged with third-degree criminal mischief. It is alleged that he caused more than $250 in damage to the vehicle. He was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court July 6 and then released.

Liltesia Nefetiria Turner, 39, of Tracey Avenue, Batavia is charged with: fourth-degree grand larceny -- property with a value greater that $1,000; fourth-degree grand larceny -- credit card; and petit larceny. Turner was arrested June 22 for allegedly stealing a wallet belonging to another person at 11:15 p.m. June 21 at Batavia Downs Gaming, which contained several credit cards and more than $1,000 cash. The case was handled by Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy Travis DeMuth.

Mitchell Bates, 29, is charged with: aggravated driving while intoxicated -- with a BAC of .18 percent or more DWI; and failure to keep right. Bates was arrested at 10:06 p.m. June 19 on Ellicott Street. The charges stem from a motor-vehicle accident in which Bates allegedly drove into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle head on. He was processed at Batavia Police Headquarters and released on tickets returnable to Batavia City Court on Sept. 21.

Trevor M. Rich, 40, is charged with: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; driving while intoxicated; aggravated DWI; and failure to keep right. Rich was arrested on June 18 after an investigation of a motor-vehicle accident that occurred at 6:10 p.m. Feb. 25 on East Main Street in Batavia. It is alleged that he was driving under the influence of alcohol and that he possessed cocaine at the time. He was issued an appearance ticket for June 29 in Batavia City Court.

Jamie Dutton, 28, was arrested June 26 and charged with criminal mischief and criminal trespass. It is alleged that at about 5:45 p.m. Feb. 27 that Dutton entered a residence on Harvester Avenue unlawfully and damaged windows in the the process. The defendant is due in Batavia City Court on July 6.

Bianca Tyson, 30, was arrested at 2:28 a.m. June 20 on Jefferson Avenue in Batavia after a traffic stop. It is alleged that she was operating her vehicle while intoxicated with a BAC or .08 percent or more. Tyson was issued an appearance ticket to be in Batavia City Court on July 20.

Jaylinn Oneil, 31, was arrested at 10:21 p.m. June 18 on Holland Avenue in Batavia and is charged with criminal mischief and resisting arrest following a disturbance. She was issued a ticket to appear in Batavia City Court on June 29.

Kaleb Bobzien, 23, was arrested on charges of: resisting arrest; obstruction of governmental administration, speed in zone; aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree; and suspended registration. He was arrested June 14 at 3:37 p.m. on Alexander Road after allegedly failing to comply with Batavia police officers' commands to exit his vehicle after being advised that he was under arrest on a warrant out of Warsaw PD. He was issued an appearance ticket for June 22 in Batavia City Court, and traffic tickets, then turned over to Warsaw PD on the warrant.

Ashley Elizabeth Quintern, 32, of Miller Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. At 5:57 p.m. June 23, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Walmart on Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia for a larceny complaint. It is alleged that Quintern stole merchandise belonging to Walmart. She was processed at GC Jail then released on an appearance ticket. She is due in Town of Batavia Court on July 26. The case was handled by Deputy Kyle Tower.

Mitchell Merrill, 35, was arrested on June 17 at 4:55 a.m. following an investigation of a larceny that occurred at 4:36 a.m. that day on East Avenue. It is alleged that Greene took property that did not belong to him without permission of the owner. He was released on an appearance ticket for court (date unspecified).

Marcella Greene, 36, was arrested June 22 for failure to appear in Batavia City Court on April 19; reason not specified. After being processed at Batavia Police Headquarters and arraigned in city court, she was released. Greene is due to return to court Aug. 5.

Nicole Casey, 33, of West Main Street, Batavia, turned herself into Batavia Police Headquarters at 10:45 a.m. June 21 after failing to appear in Batavia City Court as required by an appearance ticket. The original charge involved a shoplifting incident at a local business in Feburary of 2018. After arraignment in city court, Casey was directed to return to court on July 21.

Tim Kauffman, 52, was arrested on a warrant out of Batavia City Court on June 15. It was issued after he failed to appear in city court on May 13 as required. He was processed, arraigned and released on his own recognizance and is due to return to court at a later date (unspecified).

A deputy is responding to Walmart for a report of four children left unattended in a maroon vehicle near the Garden Center of the store.

Press release from AAA:

Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.10, up 3 cents in the past week. One year ago, the price was $2.18. The New York State average is $3.15 – up 2 cents from last week. A year ago, the NYS average was $2.25. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

• Batavia -- $3.10 (up 2 cents since last Monday)
• Buffalo -- $3.07 (no change since last Monday)
• Ithaca -- $3.11 (no change since last Monday)
• Rochester -- $3.10 (no change since last Monday)
• Rome -- $3.22 (up 2 cents since last Monday)
• Syracuse -- $3.14 (up 2 cents since last Monday)
• Watertown -- $3.18 (up 1 cent since last Monday)

Demand for gasoline is on the rise as schools have wrapped up and summer travel is in full swing. Crude prices remain well over $70 per barrel. Crude prices continue to ascend due to optimism that vaccine rollout will continue to help crude demand recover.

In fact, the price of crude crossed the $73 per barrel threshold last week for the first time in nearly three years. Daily crude prices have not been this high since October 2018.

Increasing crude prices, while gas demand remains high, are pushing pump prices higher ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend. For the holiday, AAA expects 43 million Americans to drive to their destinations. That is the highest on record for this holiday and 5 percent more than the previous record in 2019.

From GasBuddy: 

"With oil's continued push higher, fueled by continued strong demand globally and production only slowly answering, gasoline prices have had no choice but following the national average last week setting a new 2021 high," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

"As we approach July 4, it appears the only way forward is for gas prices to continue their rise as Americans insatiable demand for gasoline continues to be the catalyst for the rise in price.

"With hurricane season soon coming into its prime, we have plenty of catalysts for a rise in price, and few that could restrain the situation. Motorists should prepare to dig deeper for the second half of the summer, unfortunately."

A car vs. pedestrian accident is reported in the Target parking lot at 4300 Veterans Memorial Drive in Batavia. Those involved are "right up front." The pedestrian is still down in the roadway. Mercy medics and city fire responding.

The porch fire at 4225 Gilhooly Road, Alexander, has rekindled. Alexander Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 2:41 p.m.: The Alexander assignment is back in service.

A gas grill was reported stolen from a yard in the first block of Pringle Avenue in the city. City police went to Pringle. The grill was subsequently found in the southeast corner of Pringle Park.

A man and woman are suspected of stealing an air conditioner unit out of a window in the 100-200 block of Jackson Street in the city. They were last seen running down Morton Avenue. The male was wearing a short-sleeve shirt; the woman has on a black hoodie. City police are speaking with a male now. The caller was a neighbor of the victim.

UPDATE 4:41 a.m.: A male and female have been arrested.

A porch fire is reported at 4225 Gilhooly Road, Alexander.

All occupants are out of the house.

Initial response, Alexnder fire and Town of Batavia fire. An additional response requested from the City's Fast Team, Bethany, Darien and East Pembroke.

UPDATE 3:20 a.m.: National Grid requested to the scene.

UPDATE 3:22 a.m.: The City's Third Platoon is recalled to headquarters to stand by.

UPDATE  3:28 a.m.: Tankers from Stafford and Pavilion requested to the scene.

UPDATE(S) (By Billie) 3:44 a.m.: A crew from Attica Correctional Facility is asked to respond for cleanup.

UPDATE 3:59 a.m.: An EMS unit out of Attica will be requested. They are going to bring a second tanker to the back of the property to access a pond they're drawing water from. They are also filling tankers using water from Baskin Farms on Creek Road in Batavia. National Grid has an ETA of 25 minutes.

UPDATE 4:06 a.m.: Bethany's auxiliary will be supplying refreshments.

UPDATE 4:09 a.m.: Command reports fire is under control.

UPDATE 4:21 a.m.: Command calls for a fire investigation team to the scene. National Grid has isolated power to the residence at the road.

UPDATE 4:33 a.m.: Some tankers at the road are being sent back to their stations. There are two tankers at the residence's pond if needed. Bethany's auxiliary brought refreshments.

UPDATE 4:37 a.m.: Bennington is standing by in Alexander's fire hall.

UPDATE 4:40 a.m.: Pavilion is back in service.

UPDATE 4:52 a.m.: Stafford is back in service.

UPDATE 4:54 a.m.: Wyoming Correctional is responding with a five-minute ETA to assist with cleanup.

UPDATE 5:05 a.m.: The Salvation Army was contacted about providing refreshments; they are ready with them.

A caller reports that kids are jumping off of tables and benches at Williams Park.

A police officer is dispatched.

Batavia High School celebrated their 139^th annual graduation commencement yesterday for the first time at the newly rebuilt Van Detta Stadium that was completed in the fall of 2019 and were welcomed by Principal Paul D. Kesler.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung by seniors Ariana deSa eFrias, Laura Lepkowski, Kathryn Fitzpatrick and Kayla Stone.

Superintendent of Schools Anibal Soler's opening remarks highlighted the challenging, ever-changing school year in which students were able to participate in sports, musicals, and many activities for seniors like prom and Summerfest. They returned to school five days a week in the last quarter of the academic year to see their friends in person or through Google Meet.

"The first senior class in our lifetimes to go the entire school year in a pandemic, take your resilience, your perseverance and your determination from this past year and go make a difference in this world," Solar said. "The sky is truly the limit. Congratulations to the Class of 2021!"

Commencement guest speaker and social studies teacher Timothy J. Stevens then gave his message to the graduates. He has three words for the Class of 2021 -- perseverance, resiliency and grit.

Focusing on grit, Stevens emphasized how this senior class showed up the beginning of the school year in person or through remote learning. They refused to accept that school sports might be cancelled along with other activities, and continued to sharpen their skills academically, staying committed inside and outside school.

"That's the lesson in grit that you learned and modeled for all of us this past year," Stevens said, as he shared his personal story and challenged the Class of 2021 to continue to have daily gratitude and show grit going forward and in years to come.

Valedictorian Kameron N. Kuszlyk (co-mayor) who participated in many student body government clubs, addressed the Class of 2021 by noting takeaways from the last four years of challenges and hindrances.

"The last year and a half -- we would not let it defeat us and perseverance would prevail and lessons (would be) learned," Kameron said. "As a community of students in a pandemic we found new ways to deal with the new school system, connecting and supporting each other through to the end. I see leaders, adventurers and friends who are willing to push themselves to achieve greatness.

"Thank you to all parents, administrators, teachers and coaches who devoted their time to our development as scholars, athletes, artists and musicians."

Salutatorian and Mr. Batavia 2021 Faraz Idrees, spoke to the senior class about being a student from eighth grade to their senior year and how many challenges and obstacles were overturned. He highlighted activities that the class was able to participate in, traditions toward the last few months of school before graduating.

"We all started off at different locations with a different means of reaching our final destination," Faraz said. "Some may have had more bumps and bruises along the way but in the end, we were able to reach the same destination."

To view the complete photo album, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene Photography.

Principal Paul D. Kesler

Singers Ariana deSa eFrias, Laura Lepkowski

Singers Kathryn Fitzpatrick, Kayla Stone

Superintendent of Schools Anibal Soler 

Commencement Guest Speaker Timothy J. Stevens

Valedictorian Kameron N. Kuszlyk (co-mayor)

Salutatorian and Mr. Batavia 2021, Faraz Idrees

Pending the expected approval by her colleagues Monday night, Batavia City Council Member Rose Mary Christian will get her wish: A letter to New York State legislative leaders asking them to “revisit” the bail reform laws currently on the books.

At Council’s previous meeting on June 14, Christian expressed – in no uncertain terms – her dismay with recent legislation that limits the use of cash bail and pretrial detention.

“This law harms police, public safety and it’s up to the judges to eliminate these laws,” Christian said at the time. “These laws need to be changed and revised. I’m asking us to send a letter to the governor, state legislators and the judges to repeal this law.”

She was supported by Police Chief Shawn Heubusch and, after some discussion, by the other Council members, who came to a consensus to have City Manager Rachael Tabelski draft a letter to send to representatives in Albany.

Tabelski did just that, and presentation of the letter to Council is on tomorrow’s agenda of the Conference Meeting at 7 p.m. at City Centre Council Chambers. A Special Business Meeting will follow.

The letter from all nine Council members, addressed to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples Stokes, reads as follows:

“On behalf of the City of Batavia, we are very concerned about the recent impacts of bail reforms passed by the New York State Legislature. While well intentioned, these reforms are having serious consequences regarding public safety across New York State, including smaller urban areas such as Batavia. In fact, criminal elements from both Rochester and Buffalo have an even more visible presence in Batavia.

“If criminals know there are no consequences for their actions because they will be right back out on the street, then it is only logical that crime is going to increase. That is what is occurring across New York, including Batavia.

“We commend the Legislature’s efforts to roll back some of the original reforms that were passed last year, such as allowing judges to set bail for more criminal charges that had eliminated bail. We respectfully request that the Legislature consider adding more crimes in which judges have discretion to set bail, including restoring bail for any crime involving a gun.

“At the end of the day, judges should be able to determine whether a violent criminal poses a dangerous threat to the community and can be held without bail.

“As representatives of the residents and taxpayers of the City of Batavia, we respectfully request that in your significant role in leadership in the New York State Assembly (and Senate), that bail reform be revisited by the New York State Legislature in due haste.”

Copies are to be sent to Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, Senator Edward Rath, Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay and Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt.

Also on the Conference Meeting agenda:

Tabelski will be forwarding a resolution to apply for a Community Development Block Grant to help fund an estimated $1.36 million project to replace 4- and 6-inch water lines on Jackson Street with 2,250 linear feet of 8-inch water main.

In a memo dated June 21, Tabelski wrote that work would entail replacing a 4-inch line from Ellicott to South Jackson on the western side of Jackson Street and a 6-inch line under the sidewalk between Watson and South Jackson on the west side of the road. A 6-inch line also runs from Central Avenue to Ellicott Street.

She wrote that the commercial section of Jackson, north of Ellicott, will be a separate project.

The project will include 58 service connections, 10 interconnections, installation of six fire hydrants and new valves at each interconnection plus two 8-inch line valves. It also will address elimination of lead water services if encountered, and set the stage for application of another grant for road rehabilitation, she wrote.

If approved, a public hearing will be scheduled for 7 p.m. July 12.

From the Volunteers For Animals:

It has been a crazy year indeed.

One year ago everything was being cancelled and closed. We were only able to hold three fundraisers -- Scrap for the Pack, Hogs for Paws at Stan’s Harley Davidson, and a basket raffle at Pudgie’s Lawn and Garden Center.

We are grateful for the outpouring of support from the community both monetarily and through the donation of much-needed supplies.

When we compared 2020 to 2019, our overall intake and adoption numbers for cats was very close.

For dogs it was a slightly different story. We saw a drop in stray dogs in 2020 and VFA had a drop in rescue dogs brought in from out-of-state due to travel restrictions and COVID-19. So even though the coronavirus pandemic closed many places and changed our daily lives, in 2020 the Shelter saw more than 700 animals come through the doors needing our care.

We were able to continue our Community Spay/Neuter Voucher Program by providing over 700 vouchers for cats and dogs in the community to be vaccinated and spayed/neutered. The Petco Foundation grant we received in April of 2020 provided vouchers for over 200 pets.

We especially want to thank our participating vets at Perry Pet -- Batavia, the State Street Animal Hospital, and True Care for continuing to provide much needed services during a very challenging time.

In January, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department seized 13 dogs and two cats in a cruelty case. These animals are being held at the Genesee County Animal Shelter and are being cared for by the county and Volunteers For Animals. Many of the animals were in need of medical care. To date, VFA has spent more than $5,000 for veterinary services for these animals. 

In March, Genesee County began renovations on the Animal Shelter facility including improvement of dog kennels, drains, ventilations systems, and nonslip floor surfaces. The county received a grant of $200,000 from the Department of Ag and Markets for the work. It is the first major renovation done since the Shelter was built in 2001.

Construction is always challenging, especially when animals are involved, but the end product has been well worth it. 

So right now we are at a more hopeful point than a year ago. You have always been there for the animals and we will continue to care for the animals that come through the door. We greatly appreciate all of the support this past year and look forward to seeing everyone in the upcoming year.

Thank you for your support.

To make a donation online, go to our website, click on the picture where it says "Help the animals" then click on the Donate Now button.

Or mail a contribution to: Volunteers For Animals, PO Box 1621, Batavia, NY, 14021

Make checks payable to Volunteers For Animals.

Donations are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

Of every dollar donated to Volunteers For Animals, 96 percent goes directly to help animals in Genesee County. We have no salaried employees and rely entirely on the generous support of volunteers and donations.

HOW WE USED YOUR DONATION IN 2020

• Veterninary Care -- 75 percent
• Medications/Vaccines/Food Supplies -- 20 percent
• Fundraising/Promotional/Operational -- 4 percent
• Rescue Dog Fees -- 1 percent

Press release:

The Batavia Police Department announced Friday that it has joined the nationwide OffenderWatch sex offender registry network. This enables collaboration on investigations and sharing of critical information involving registered sex offenders with more than 4,000 other local law enforcement agencies across the country.

In addition, residents of Batavia can use the Batavia Police Department’s website to search for sex offenders residing in their neighborhood and subscribe to receive email alerts from the Batavia Police Department.

OffenderWatch is the nation's leading sex offender registration solution, with law enforcement agencies in 39 states using the technology and more than 15,000 users.

Local and state agencies use the software to keep track of registered offenders across jurisdictions, collaborate on interagency operations, and automatically notify the community through the Genesee County website and email alerts.

The public is encouraged to subscribe to free email alerts from the police department.

THE HOPE IS FOR FEWER VICTIMS

“The Batavia Police Department is pleased to join the coast-to-coast OffenderWatch network in order to better share information with the community, coordinate investigations, and collaborate on sex offenders,” said Police Chief Shawn Heubusch. “When a registered offender moves from outside the city into Batavia, officers save countless hours researching and re-entering data because the offender record is seamlessly shared from one agency to the other.

"OffenderWatch builds a history of the data we have on file, and this facilitates registry staff, investigators and others working together. So, our officers can be more proactive in offender management and keeping the community aware.”

There are more than 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. However, agencies often use disparate systems for managing sex offenders. OffenderWatch allows different law enforcement agencies to collaborate on a single offender record, improving accuracy and aiding in public safety.

“We believe data shared between law enforcement agencies leads to better investigations and safer cities and counties,” said Mike Cormaci, president, and cofounder of OffenderWatch. “With the Batavia Police Department joining our network, OffenderWatch now has most of the nation's children covered by our reach — hopefully leading to fewer victims.”

OffenderWatch allows the police department to better collaborate on investigations with the U.S. Marshals, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) teams and other investigators. Further, the citizens of the City of Batavia now have at their disposal the OffenderWatch page for searching and real-time email alerting of sex offender movement within their community.

To learn more about OffenderWatch and sign up for email alerts on offenders, visit http://www.offenderwatch.com.

A high-ranking official of the local industrial development agency that owns the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park says Plug Power’s investment in the Town of Alabama site will more than offset the loss in revenue caused by removing about 1,100 acres of mostly farmland from the tax rolls.

That official, Mark Masse, is senior vice president of operations for the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

“I know that people get upset with farmland coming out of production but when you have projects like Plug Power that can give you a 10 to 25 times rate of return, that is a significant help – not only to the agricultural community but also your residents,” Masse said.

“We do not give money away. We do not give out bags of cash. That is what everybody seems to have a misconception about. We give an abatement, so they don’t pay the tax.”

Masse and Jim Krencik, the agency’s director of marketing and communications, sat down with The Batavian earlier this week at their Upstate Med & Tech Park office on R. Stephen Hawley Drive to talk about STAMP and the GCEDC’s other ventures.

According to Masse, the agency has acquired 25 parcels equating to 1,144 acres of STAMP’s total of 1,250 acres. He said the assessed value of those properties is about $3 million.

He said that based on 2020 tax rates, that comes to about $104,00 a year for all three taxing jurisdictions – the Town of Alabama, Oakfield-Alabama Central School and Genesee County.

“So, if you were to say that we owned all of those properties for the 10 years – which we didn’t, because we acquired them over time – so you couldn’t apply 10 years to all of them,” he said. “But if you did, that would just be about a million dollars in tax revenue lost over 10 years.”

‘A SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER PAYBACK’

Masse said that pales in comparison to what Plug Power, the Latham-based producer of green hydrogen fuel cells, will be paying to those three entities as a result of agreeing to build a $232.7 million manufacturing plant and $53 million, 345/115 kilovolt electric power substation at STAMP.

“The Plug Power project will generate a significantly bigger payback than all of those combined,” he said. “So, that’s the big windfall, so to speak, for these municipalities. These are 20-year agreements we’re entering into for Plug Power and those payments are about $1.4 million a year to the taxing jurisdictions, compared to previously collecting only $104,000.”

The contract with Plug Power includes a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes), community benefit agreement and community education agreement. Masse said those are classified together as a property tax and it is "additional revenue for the taxing jurisdictions being driven by the project.”

Directors of the GCEDC have approved $118.8 million in property tax ($117.7 million) and sales tax ($1.1 million) abatements for Plug Power.

Krencik said the incentives are based on Plug Power’s performance outlook, including a pledge to create 68 full-time jobs, with salaries and benefits equaling about $70,000 per job.

“When considering the company’s capital investment, job creation, initial investment and projected revenues, the estimate economic impact is $4.40 for every $1 of requested public investment,” he said. “Comparing that against all of our corporate taxpayers in Genesee County, aside from utilities (National Grid, National Fuel), when you look at a single-source business, such as a theme park or a manufacturer, this would make this project the largest single company taxpayer of all those in Genesee County.”

“Unlike when the land – mostly farmland -- was vacant and you had $104,000 in annual taxes, this $1.4 million that Plug Power is going to pay is on 30 acres,” Masse added. “So, that’s a significant rate of return that you see on these types of projects.”

KRENCIK: FOLLOWING THE MODEL

Plug Power is the first tenant at STAMP, which has sat dormant for many years. In 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo came to Batavia to announce that 1366 Technologies, a solar wafer manufacturer based in Massachusetts, would be building a facility at STAMP but that deal eventually fell through.

Krencik said the GCEDC was following a model used by other municipalities – acquiring land and working to install necessary infrastructure to attract interest from mega-companies such as Plug Power.

He said he understands how inactivity at these large sites could lead to public dissatisfaction, while the lack of progress isn’t as evident at smaller manufacturing parks, such as the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park on East Main Street Road.

“That’s kind of been the model across all the towns – you typically see a shorter timeline on some of these things because they’re smaller projects, smaller sites, smaller infrastructure,” he explained. “In the case of an ag park, I don’t think you’d feel the same type of pressure where you may be thinking, ‘Is there a loss there?’

“There are acres in the ag parks that currently are not on the tax rolls, but, of course, you already see the benefit in Batavia where you have two very large operations that are significant contributors to the town, city schools and the county (HP Hood and Upstate Milk Cooperative).”

Masse agreed, adding that the GCEDC is running out of acreage, “but that’s a good problem to have.”

MASSE: FARMERS BEAR THE BURDEN

Getting back to STAMP, Masse said the GCEDC continues to pay the fire district fees on those properties as they are not tax exempt.

“So, the emergency fire support services are still being paid for all the properties that we own, with the tax based on the assessed values and fire district tax rate,” he said.

Masse also mentioned that many parcels zoned Agricultural receive property tax exemptions.

“Obviously, agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Genesee County and if you look at who bears the largest tax burden in the county it is farmers, because they own the majority of the land,” he said. “That’s why they try to give them some help with the ag exemption. They’ll scale them in over a time period.”

He brought up a municipal consumption study that was done in Amherst around a decade ago that showed that commercial enterprises consume about 80 cents in municipal services while residential consumes around $1.20 in municipal services.

“Everybody complains about these companies but, in the long run, they’re going to help subsidize the municipal services that the residents use more of,” he said. “That’s always our hope that we’re not only creating jobs but also creating additional tax base to alleviate the tax burden. Creating those jobs and having those people spend their money here … what they call the indirect and induced effect of that money being spent throughout your community.”

COMPANIES MUST MEET THEIR GOALS

Masse said companies’ economic impact projections are keys to determining if they qualify for tax incentives and the amount of those incentives.

“Firms are required in their applications to give us the number of full-time equivalent (jobs) that they believe will be created by their projects,” he said. “Back in October of 2015 or 2016, the law changed. Now, that job creation goal is put into our PILOT agreements and other agreements. If they do not achieve that, our board could consider cancelling their PILOT and making them claw back and basically, pay back the incentives that they took.”

He said the GCEDC tracks companies as long as they are receiving benefits and that the board of directors would likely would call in a company to find out why it didn’t reach its goals.

“So, for the 10 years of a PILOT, they are required to report to us their annual job numbers every year. We record them and input them into the New York State reporting system – PARIS (Public Authorities Reporting Information System),” he said. “It’s a public document that shows how many jobs were pledged and how many were created. Once the PILOT expires, the company is no longer required to report those jobs to us.”

Krencik credited Masse for staying in touch with the cities, towns and villages that usually initiate construction projects.

“Mark meets with the town, the school and the county folks more than I meet with members of my immediately family,” Krencik said. “He has kept that dialogue going. At the town board level, for example, that is a strong mode of communication.”  

STAMP DIVIDED INTO ‘DISTRICTS’

A look at the layout of STAMP reveals that it is divided into three “technology districts”:

• Technology District 1 -- a 600-acre parcel in the northern portion dedicated to high-tech manufacturing, including semiconductor, renewable energy and other advanced industries;

• Technology District 2 -- office, and research and development space;

• Technology District 3- -- area geared toward retail support services.

Masse said the concept was to create blocks of three semiconductor chip “fabs” that would open six million square feet for production, accommodating 930 employees.

“We went through the required State Environmental Quality Review, with the full build-out (as such) that if it’s within those thresholds, we really don’t have to do more work,” he said. “When we proposed to rezone the property, that is an action under SEQR and any proposed changes have to comply with SEQR.”

He said that’s what the GCEDC did in 2010 and “that took the better part of two years to get through that process.”

POWER, GAS LINES ARE RIGHT THERE

Masse also said that the presence of the nearby dual 345kV power lines and a National Fuel Empire Pipeline, a 24-inch natural gas transmission line, was a major reason the Town of Alabama location was selected.

“The 345 kV power lines take power from the Niagara Falls power station and run it down to New York City. We did a system impact study that revealed we can pull down 450 megawatts off of those lines,” he said. “With that, we would construct a very large, about a 10-acre substation (on the site), that would be a 345 to 115 kV – it would step the voltage down.”

As previously stated, Plug Power is funding this substation at a cost of about $53 million. Both the Plug Power plant and the substation are expected to be operational by December 2022.

Plug Power, along with the 30 acres it purchased for the green hydrogen facility, has a right of first refusal for an adjoining 30 acres for the possibility of future expansion.

The GCEDC has no applications for other major manufacturers at this time, Masse said. A couple months ago, it was rumored that Samsung was interested in placing a semiconductor manufacturing plant at STAMP.

INCREASED INTEREST IN STAMP?

When asked if Plug Power’s pending move to STAMP has generated more interest in the site, Masse said he’s hopeful that other businesses will take note. He did, however, mention that the COVID-19 pandemic “has driven a lot of companies to take a hard look at where they’re sourcing their products from and where are they selling their products to.”

“COVID broke a lot of supply chain issues throughout the world,” he said. “I think we’ve seen that with shortages and price increases of a lot of things. A lot of companies are doing a reassessment, saying we don’t ever want to go through that again.”

As a result, Masse said that companies are looking to locate new facilities coming out of COVID-19.

“So, one of the nice things about the Plug Project is that timelines are crucial to these companies – time is money to them,” he offered. “That substation is a major piece of infrastructure. Having that in place will go a long way toward alleviating companies’ concerns about that being available. We have the force main of the sewer project under construction. The only real long lead time item left will be the water from Niagara County, and we are just completing our design and engineering on that as well.”

Masse said he sees a light at the end of the tunnel.

“A lot of people say, well, it’s been 10 years and all you have done is build a road. They don’t see the amount of soft work, so to speak, that is in my office in about 2,000 pages worth of documents of archaeological, environmental, phase one, phase two – all the design and engineering you have to do and all the regulatory agencies you have deal with. That takes time, and that’s what we have been working on very diligently,” he said.

The development of STAMP has been beneficial to Town of Alabama residents already, he said, in that they gained access to municipal water.

“If we had not done this, they could not afford to get municipal water,” he said. “They had failing wells. A lot of those people were spending $1,500, $2,000 a year on replacing equipment because the water was so bad. And because we were able to fund a significant portion of the water, the town was able to add on and they’re going to end up covering about 95 percent of town residents with public water.”

CORPORATE PARKS IN FULL SWING

The GCEDC has invested tens of millions of dollars in the STAMP project, likely more than anticipated, but Masse said he is confident that the agency’s track record of success in Genesee County will produce a similar outcome in the Town of Alabama.

“If you look at our corporate parks, they’re almost all full at this time,” he said. “It was 2007 when the Ag Park was started. You can see the success that we have had there.”

The Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park is one of seven corporate parks owned by the GCEDC. Currently, HP Hood, Upstate Niagara and O-At-Ka Milk Products are running at high capacity and are expanding, Masse said.

The other corporate parks are as follows:

• Le Roy Food & Tech Park in the Town of Le Roy: BioWorks has just signed to take 60 of the park’s 75 acres, and the Le Roy Town Board has set a public hearing for July 8 to consider rezoning neighboring parcels for expansion.

Word has it that Great Lakes Cheese, an Ohio-based manufacturer, has approached individual landowners with purchase offers. Masse said Great Lakes Cheese has yet to apply to the GCEDC for incentives.

“We do not have any applications from any companies for that location,” he said. “A lot of companies will go out and do due diligence on sites. We do not own the property. Whoever is talking with private landowners is between them.”

• Apple Tree Acres, Bergen: Sixty-two percent of the acreage there is sold, with Liberty Pumps as the key tenant. Liberty Pumps is undergoing an expansion project as well.

• Gateway I and Gateway II Corporate Park, on both sides of Route 98 near the Thruway exit: “All of those acres are spoken for,” Masse said.

• Med Tech Center on R. Stephen Hawley Drive: The GCEDC has renovated 800 square feet of space in that building that is available for lease.

• Buffalo East Tech Park in Pembroke: Artisan cheese maker Yancey’s Fancy has a new plant there and a couple smaller businesses are being proposed for that site.

Masse said he believes that the more the public knows about economic development projects, the perception that the GCEDC is just an administrator of corporate welfare will subside.

“We’ve tried to do public outreach sessions, but they were poorly attended,” he said. “However, all of our agency business is open to public viewing. From a transparency standpoint, we are as transparent an organization as you’re going to find. Everything is on our website. Our board meetings are recorded and they’re Zoomed. Everything we have is out there under public authorities law.”

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SENECA NATION FILES SUIT

In a separate development, Masse said it is agency policy to not comment on any pending litigation.

Earlier this month, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Genesee County, disputing the GCEDC’s determination that the Plug Power project would have no negative effect on the nation’s “Big Woods” land that is situated on the western end of STAMP.

According to the lawsuit’s preliminary statement, the Seneca Nation considers that area “as a property of religious and cultural significance” and that the Plug Power siting would infringe upon those grounds. The plaintiff also contends that the GCEDC did not provide notification prior to the completion of the environmental review process.

Photo at top: Mark Masse, right, and Jim Krencik at the Genesee County Economic Development Center on R. Stephen Hawley Drive; Photo at bottom: A look at the WNY STAMP site, with the Plug Power project area "X'd out" just south of the Technology District 1 area highlighted in purple. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Just over an hour or so ago, cat owner David Austin emailed us to let everyone know his cat "Spot" was found and is home safely. You'll recall he went missing last weekend from his city residence.

"We found him hiding in a covered-up boat. Before I did though, I dug up a big part of my 145-year-old barn floor. There are gofer tunnels under there."

So, we can surmise that Spot felt duty bound to hunt the varmints. He heard a higher calling and answered it nobly. For shame thinking he was out for self-indulgent amusement when there's obviously work to be done on the property by an expert -- veritable catacombs to search for burrowing pests!

Spot's latest photo with that pointed expression tells the whole story. "You gotta problem with that?!"

Previously: Don't beam him up, Scotty! This cat is missing from MacArthur Drive and State Street

Penny Whiskey kicked off this summer’s Friday Night Jackson Square concert series. The band features a mix of Celtic, folk, rock and bluegrass all rolled into a hilarious show. Members play a variety of instruments like banjo, bodhran, whistles, mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar and flute.

Penny Whiskey offers the best in music from both Ireland and Scotland along with homegrown bluegrass, folk and rock influences and that touch of crunchy electric guitar that gets you on your feet.

Executive Director for the Batavia BID, Beth Kemp said, “The Batavia Business Improvement District is so thrilled to be able to host Jackson Square Summer Concert Series this summer! It has been a tough last year for our businesses and community and we are happy to be providing events and opportunities for people to come together again in our Downtown!”

For a complete list of Friday night concerts in the square, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene Photography.

Sight unseen.

The people who have signed contracts to rent the new third-floor apartments above Eli Fish Brewery Co. at 109-111 Main St. did so even before seeing the finish product, according to the building’s co-owner.

Matt Gray, who led a group of government and municipal agency officials on a tour of the apartments this afternoon, said the two two-bedroom and one one-bedroom units were rented about three months ago – well before completion.

“Yes, it was unsolicited,” he said. “We started receiving phone calls and emails down at Eli (Fish) wondering if we had apartments available. We told them that they were under construction and they still wanted to see them. And all three of them ended up being rented in March.”

Gray said the woman who is renting one of the two-bedroom flats in the historic J.J. Newberry building picked up the keys today and will be ready to move in on July 1.

“It really was the first time that she has seen it since drywall started to go up. She was very excited to see how it turned out,” he said, adding that none of the tenants (some are in their 30s and one is retired) are from Batavia.

The two-bedroom apartments are renting for $1,100 per month and the one bedroom is going for $800 per month.

City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr., one of the people invited for a sneak peek, called the apartments “absolutely beautiful and I would love to live in an apartment like that as a young person or retired person.”

Jankowski said Gray and co-owner Matthew Boyd are fulfilling city leaders’ mission of creating a vibrant Downtown.

“That’s exactly what I had envisioned when they talked about apartments and people living above businesses and bringing a downtown neighborhood back to our community,” he said. “That’s a perfect place to start.”

Gray, when asked why people are being attracted to living above downtown buildings, said it was a matter of walkability.

“It’s a lifestyle. People that are looking to live Downtown want to be able to walk to entertainment, to dining, to shopping,” he offered. “One of the gentlemen who is moving in is excited because everything that he wants to do is nearby – even walking to the Muckdog game or the farmer’s market. It’s all right here.”

He said the demographics of tenants in the building’s seven apartments (there are four apartments on the second floor) are across the board.

“Whether they’re young or retired even, the desire is there to be social and to walk to where they want to go,” he said.

Construction of the new apartments was aided by a $137,600 grant from the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative, facilitated by the Batavia Development Corp., NY Main Street program, and a grant from the DRI Building Improvement Fund.

Photos at top: Matt Gray, center, conducts a tour of the new third-floor apartments above Eli Fish Brewery Co. on Main Street, Batavia, as, from left, Chris Suozzi, Penny Kennett, Mary Valle and Mark Masse look on; kitchen area of the one-bedroom apartment. Photos below: View onto Main Street of the front apartment; the large kitchen/living room of the two-bedroom unit at the rear of the building. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Press release from Tim Hens, County Highway Superintendent:

Heading into the weekend, it looks like a few days of 90° weather are forecasted for our area.  It has been abnormally dry and this combo is exactly what causes water usage to spike. The County is continuing to urge all residents connected to the public water supply system to make small changes to conserve water usage.  Please avoid watering lawns, washing vehicles and any unnecessary water usage.  If you need to water a garden, please do so at night.  Small changes at the residential level add up quickly.