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2022 File photo of Batavia City Schools Board President Alice Benedict. Photo by Howard Owens

After Thursday’s Batavia City Schools board meeting and budget vote, The Batavian emailed each board member for comment about the budget itself and/or the process, plus any additional comments anyone wanted to make.

Most board members have been quiet during public budget talks, including regular meetings in March and April and a budget workshop in March. Due to the enormous depth of a $54.8 million budget, The Batavian attempted to obtain remarks about it and any particular aspects of interest that the financial plan entailed. 

Board President Alice Benedict — who has been a reliable source for comments throughout these last few months of budget talks — said the board “has had several open discussions about the BCSD budget, including our budget workshop that was streamed on YouTube.” The Batavian viewed the YouTube video of the budget workshop for a second time to make sure that some board discussion wasn’t missed the first time. Benedict was the only consistent speaker throughout the nearly two-hour session, and in subsequent board meeting talks about the budget. 

Benedict was the only board member to respond to The Batavian’s email.

Board members are elected by district residents. The trustees who didn't respond to The Batavian's request for comment are John Marucci, Jennifer Lendvay, Barbara Bowman, Michelle Hume and Chezeray Rolle.

The city schools board “is acutely aware of our responsibility to the community,” Benedict said, “and we know the economic times could not warrant a large increase in school taxes.” The group asked Superintendent Jason Smith and Business Administrator Scott Rozanski to whittle the initial 2022-23 budget and 5.5 percent increase down to meet the tax cap of 1.62 percent. 

A unanimous vote Thursday adopted the proposed $54.8 million budget and 1 percent tax levy increase. Some posters on a social media site said the increase didn’t include recently raised assessments throughout the city, so “what’s the real increase?” they asked. 

The Batavian used a property assessed at $100,000 as an example, and that would mean a property tax increase of $19 from the prior year. However, if that home has just been assessed at $30,000 more than last year, that homeowner will see an increase of $601.60 in property taxes. ($100,000 at $19.23 per $1,000 compared to $130,000 at $19.42 per $1,000 assessed value.)

“We had previously had Budget Ambassadors, but the community, in the last few years, has not wanted to participate in the budget process. So we changed the process,” Benedict said. “It was successful this year, but the Board is more than willing to extend an invitation to the community to participate if that’s their interest.

“Five out of the last 10 years, the BCSD had no increase in the tax levy, but giving an exceptional and well-rounded education costs money, so we felt, at this time it was appropriate to ask for a slight increase,” she said.

A budget hearing has been set for 6 p.m. May 5 at Batavia High School, 260 State St., to be followed by a district vote on May 17. 

A 62-year-old motorcyclist with a passenger drove into the side of a dump truck at about 12:45 p.m. today at Clinton Street Road and Seven Springs Road in Stafford.

The male driver sustained life-threatening injuries and was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight.

The female passenger was less seriously injured and transported to Strong by Mercy EMS.

Both driver and passenger were wearing helmets.

The dump truck driver was not injured.

Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, Sheriff's Office, said the dump truck was northbound on Seven Springs Road and the motorcycle was eastbound. It's unclear at this time which vehicle may have had a red light at the intersection.  The accident is under investigation.

The names of those involved have not yet been released.

The intersection was reopened and all units cleared the scene at 2:35 p.m.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: The motorcycle operator has been identified as Dana M. McGill of Batavia.  He was driving a 1998 Kawasaki. His passenger was Carrie L. Hensley, 44, of Batavia. According to investigators, McGill failed to stop for a red light. Charges are pending.  The bike struck a 2022 Mack truck operated by Jonathan Barefoot, 79, of Caledonia. The accident is being investigated by deputies Travis DeMuth, Jenna Ferrando, Jeremiah Gechel, and Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello, investigators Kevin Forsyth, Chad Minuto, Joseph Loftus, and Eric Andre, and Crash Management Team members Sgt. Jason Saile, Deputy Richard Schildwaster.  Batavia PD, State Police commercial vehicle unit, Mercy EMS, Stafford Fire, Town of Batavia Fire, and South Byron Fire, assisted at the scene.

(Initial Post)

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press Release

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, upon recommendation from Superintendent Jason Smith, the Batavia City School District Board of Education approved the appointment of Nathan Korzelius as principal of Batavia Middle School, effective immediately. 

“I’m proud that Nate Korzelius is my first administrative appointment during my tenure as superintendent,” said Superintendent Jason Smith. “His dedication to the students and staff at BMS is unparalleled. He has big plans for the Middle School, and I look forward to working alongside him in achieving them.” 

Mr. Korzelius has served as interim principal of Batavia Middle School since July 1, 2021. He began his career in the Batavia City School District 23 years ago as a high school science teacher. After 14 years in the classroom, he joined the administration and served as assistant principal of Batavia High School for five years.

“I would like to thank Mr. Smith and our Board of Education for the opportunity to continue my work at Batavia Middle School. I’ve spent my entire educational career here at Batavia, and it’s been an honor to lead a fantastic staff and amazing group of students at BMS. I look forward to building upon our ongoing goals of making BMS a safe, supportive, and engaging educational environment for our community,” said Nathan Korzelius.   

“Mr. Korzelius’ commitment to the Batavia City School District is commendable,” said Board of Education President Alice Ann Benedict. “We love to see administrators who come from our classrooms—they have a unique understanding of our students, families, and community. We look forward to seeing Mr. Korzelius achieve great things at Batavia Middle School.” 

Batavia City School District residents will be voting on a $54.8 million budget and a 1 percent tax levy increase since the school board adopted those final numbers at Thursday’s meeting.

With no discussion or questions after hearing the proposed 2022-23 budget presentation, board members  Alice Benedict, Jennifer Lendvay, John Marucci, Chezeray Rolle, Barbara Bowman and Michelle Hume cast yes votes. Member John Reigle was absent. The 1 percent tax levy increase means a total of $19,688,898 to be raised through local property taxes. 

If approved by public vote in May, that will push the tax rate from $19.23 per $1,000 assessed value to $19.42. The increase of 19 cents more per $1,000 would result in an extra $19 for a home assessed at $100,000, or a total of $1,942 in property taxes. 

Business Administrator Scott Rozanski walked the board through a brief explanation of how retirements, fewer buses and grant funds helped to lower the preliminary budget of $55 million by $877,225. The initial budget increase from the current year was 5.5 percent, which was lowered to 5.19 percent, Rozanski said.

The related tax levy increase of 1 percent falls under the tax cap of 1.62 percent, which is what the board asked for, President Alice Benedict said.

“Thank you for getting us to a place we requested,” she said. “You’ve done a lot of work getting us to a 1 percent.”

The Batavian has emailed each board member — a publicly elected figure — for comments about the budget and reasons for his/her yes vote since not one offered comments during the meeting. Even though New York State’s Open Meetings Law “generally permits you to converse with your fellow board members outside of board meetings,” according to the state Board of Education Handbook, “you should ensure that such informal chats do not substitute for full deliberation in a public meeting.”

A public budget hearing will be at 6 p.m. on May 5, and the vote is on May 17. 

Contrary to the district's yearly financial plan (See "Batavia City Schools board adopts $54.8 million ..."), the topic of naming parts of school buildings and property reaped a hearty discussion during Thursday's board meeting.

Board President Alice Benedict emphasized that she was against the practice of honoring a district employee or resident by naming something, such as a school auditorium, after a notable citizen. Her argument is not about recognizing someone's good works, she said, but about selectively putting one's name on a district fixture and potentially bypassing so many others who have also contributed to Batavia City Schools.

"I have expressed to all of you that I am not for naming buildings after community members," she said.  

At issue right now is a request to name the middle school auditorium after former music director Frank Owen. Apparently, prior conversations with board members indicated that some of them are for the move, and have received emails endorsing Owen for his contribution as the district's first music director. Benedict encouraged her fellow members to speak up about the opinions they expressed during talks outside of the public venue. 

Member Barbara Bowman related the request to previous namings, including Anderson Field and VanDetta Stadium. Music and art are not often given the attention they deserve, she said. Member Jennifer Lendvay was a school athlete and supported the naming of Anderson Field after a former teacher and coach, she said. 

The group opted to postpone a vote and allow for public input. A resident attended the meeting hoping to talk about the issue during the public portion of the meeting, however, those wanting to speak must fill out an online form and submit it by 1 p.m. the Friday prior to a Thursday board meeting. The Batavian had posted in a previous article that people can speak by signing up before the meeting begins, which is true for public hearings.

For the regular public comments portion of a meeting, prospective speakers need to sign up at:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyKRcezlrZtf_o2bN8j7DyfLhYxYrDfGl3tYJyoeTJ87ZuKQ/viewform

Top photo: By Howard Owens. 2014 File Photo of the renovated baseball field at Batavia High School that was dedicated as Anderson Field after Coach Anderson.

Genesee County Manager Matt Landers and Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein are prepared to meet with the Darien Town Board over what they say is a “misunderstanding” about the practice of including the Medicaid portion of the tax rate on the annual county tax bill.

The situation was brought to the legislature’s attention via a letter dated April 7 from the Darien Town Board on behalf of a longtime Darien Center resident who objected to having to pay $2.90 per thousand of his assessed property value toward the county’s state-mandated Medicaid costs.

The resident wrote to the town board, bemoaning the fact that he was charged $782.14 in taxes for Medicaid, this coming on top of the $340 per month that he and his wife already have deducted from their Social Security checks for Medicare.

In the letter, he suggested that instead of taxing property owners “for other persons’ Medicaid,” the county could raise the sales tax rate slightly from the current 8 percent (of which 4 percent stays in the county) to cover the cost.

The town board, in turn, drafted its letter – supporting the resident’s viewpoint.

“As most County Taxpayers, he (the resident) and his wife do not use the programs offered such as HEAP, SNAP, free medical insurance, rent subsidy, over-the-county general use cards, etc.,” the letter states. “(As the expense is applied to property owners only), this burden is not shared equally by all county residents.”

The town board’s letter indicates a sales tax increase from 4 to 4 ½ percent would generate approximately $3.1 million per year “and these funds would be dedicated to stabilizing the Medicaid tax bill.”

At Wednesday’s Ways & Means Committee meeting, Landers and the legislature addressed the resident’s concerns and the Darien Town Board’s letter and accompanying resolution that authorized mailing it to county officials.

Landers noted that the county has broken out the Medicaid share of the tax rate on its annual bill since 2004 – doing so for informational purposes.

“The county tax bill is broken up into two lines,” Landers said. “It really is the total dollar amount – the whole levy in taxes and then we have a line broken out separately for the piece that is attributable to Medicaid. This was done purely as a message to taxpayers to understand how much of their property taxes are going towards Medicaid.”

He said that each year the county uses the same formula to figure out the mandated Medicaid expense.

Landers then pointed out that the county’s 2022 tax rate was flat (at $9.16 per $1,000, which includes the $2.90 per thousand Medicaid tax) “because you remember the rates have been dropping as assessments are going up.”

“I think it’s more or less just a misunderstanding of the way our tax bill is (displayed). It’s purely informational only,” he said, noting that the real property tax office could break the rate out “into a 100 different items but that would become more complex.”

Furthermore, the county doesn’t have the authority to raise the sales tax rate, Landers said.

Ways & Means Chair Marianne Clattenburg put it another way, stating, “The idea (of placing the Medicaid portion on the tax bill) was to show the taxpayers that if we didn't have this Medicaid mandate on our backs, this is what your taxes would be.”

“If they just look at that other number ($6.25 per $1,000 of assessed value), that's where they're getting their police, their EMS (Emergency Management Services), their roads, their bridges -- everything that we do in the county is that other item, and that Medicaid is a New York state mandate,” she explained.

Clattenburg acknowledged the “misconception” has grown from one citizen to the entire Darien Town Board, “which is under the impression that we have a control over that number, which we don't.”

After several more minutes on the topic, legislators decided to respond to the town board, starting with a letter and following that up by having Landers and Stein attend a board meeting in Darien in the near future.

Legislator Brooks Hawley agreed with that, saying, “I think it would be better if it was face-to-face instead of sending letters back and forth. It could be misconstrued.”

By integrating the opioid treatment program and outpatient counseling clinic, Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse has connected the care warranted in a society dealing with the effects of a global pandemic and the stress caused by economic uncertainty.

“Here at GCASA and, hopefully, at other agencies in the behavioral health field, we take a person-centered approach, and medication and treatment go hand-in-hand,” said Kathy Hodgins, chief clinical officer at the nonprofit agency based on East Main Street in Batavia.

The medication prescribed to a person struggling with substance abuse disorder, whether it be suboxone or methadone, is going to help with the physical symptoms, Hodgins said, while counseling with GCASA trained clinicians is important in unlocking changes in behavior.

“It’s the same with a medical condition, such as diabetes and heart disease. You can give a medication to lower blood pressure, but it's not going to be as effective if you do not have a change in lifestyle to go along with it,” she added. “We give them the tools, not just medication, to learn how to cope with anxiety, depression and trauma without using illicit drugs.”

The OTP (or methadone) clinic attached to the back of the main building opened in the fall of 2018 as a “standalone” clinic.  Hodgins said GCASA recently applied for – and received – a license to integrate the OTP clinic with the outpatient clinic.

“Until now, individuals receiving treatment at the OTP clinic could only participate in services offered through the OTP clinic.  This really limited treatment options for individuals in the OTP,” she said.

STAFFING FLEXIBILITY IS PARAMOUNT

With the integration, GCASA has been able to optimize the utilization of its medical professionals and counselors, she said.

“This really allows our counselors to help our patients at the OTP and outpatient clinic by providing a more person-centered approach to care – regardless of whether the individual is on suboxone or methadone. Patients can now attend groups and individual sessions that fit their individual recovery plan and needs,” she explained.

Shannon Murphy, director of Treatment at the Batavia clinic, said the integration has additionally resulted in scheduling flexibility for the staff, something of utmost importance in light that about 10 full-time counselors are providing services to around 240 patients in OTP and another 220 or so in the outpatient clinic.

The demand for services has gone up considerably in the past two years, she said, referring to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on those at risk of a reoccurrence as well as other societal factors.

Along with substance use disorder counselors, GCASA’s Batavia clinic also employs a medical director, assistant director, clinical supervisors, two nurse practitioners, five full-time nurses and a physician’s assistant.

FENTANYL: A GAME-CHANGER

Having the proper number of medical personnel on staff has taken on added significance with the emergence of the deadly drug fentanyl, Murphy said.

“Fentanyl has dramatically changed our work as people are sicker now than ever before,” she offered. “Treatment methods that used to help people – prior to the opioid epidemic are just not enough anymore. Medication Assisted Treatment has become a vital part of the services we offer.

“Before we can start to help someone heal from an opioid use disorder, people need to physically feel better.  Fentanyl has made this more challenging due to how harmful it is and how prevalent it has become.”

Murphy said that five or six years ago, individuals would test positive for heroin, for example, and they would be shocked when they learned they also had fentanyl in their system.

“At that time, they were scared. Now, they come in and they’re positive for fentanyl only and they are not afraid of it because they don’t think they will be the next to overdose,” she said. “Similar to when we drive too fast or check a text on our phone while driving. We don't think getting hurt will happen to us, until it does.”

Allison Parry-Gurak, director of Residential Services, said tests are showing that fentanyl is present in many illicit substances, not just heroin.

“For example, we have individuals with a stimulant use disorder whose primary substance is cocaine.  More and more frequently, we are finding when we test them they are also positive for fentanyl but they have no history with opioids.” she said.

The scariest part of the fentanyl epidemic is the frequency of overdose.

“We've gotten phone calls from agencies in Rochester and reporting they’ve had six overdoses,” Murphy said. “The hardest part is that the people we see that are having fatal overdoses are patients who have gone long periods without use. And then for various reasons or circumstance they have a reoccurrence, sometimes only one time, and those are the people that are dying because their bodies aren't used to the fentanyl.”

A CONTINUUM OF CARE

Parry-Gurak oversees the Atwater Community Residence, as well as several other residential programs offered by GCASA. She said the agency’s ability to expand services over the years gives patients a greater chance in their recovery.

“Well, I think the beauty of this campus is that we pretty much offer the whole continuum of care all on one campus. Additionally, all of our programs have such great working relationships with each other and are able to work collaboratively to support our patients,” she said.

“So, there’s the residences plus now we have the detox center for those in need of medical supervision while they start their recovery journey (usually three to seven days), and then there is the outpatient treatment programs all in one place.”

Hodgins mentioned that the system is working.

“Having a campus like this where we can do the continuum of care is a great thing,” she said. “People will come to detox and then transition to Atwater, and/or walk over to the clinic for their treatment.”

GCASA also offers The Recovery Station, a drug- and alcohol-free social setting at the former Bohn’s Restaurant building on Clinton Street Road, and a shuttle service for those in need of transportation.

For Hodgins and Murphy, both longtime employees at GCASA, integration, effective medications and counseling, and expansion of services provide opportunities for people with a substance use disorder to live healthy lives.

TIME TO WITHHOLD JUDGMENT

All three women also mentioned the need to eliminate the stigma associated with substance use disorder.

“We deal with a disease that is encompassed in shame, guilt and hurt,” Parry-Gurak said. “A lot of times, people that are pointing the finger saying to us, ‘What are you doing? You're not helping them? Or you're just giving them more ‘drugs’ are either someone who has been hurt by someone with a substance use disorder or someone who truly does not understand how difficult and complex this disease is.”

Murphy acknowledged that substance use disorder is “an ugly disease, and the behaviors that can be associated with it are not pretty.”

“Therefore, the stigma associated with substance use disorder is so strong in our society and this creates an additional obstacle for those with a substance use disorder,” she added.

When asked how she measures success, Hodgins said the word has different meanings for different people.

“It's really hard to define,” she responded. “People ask me all the time, what's your success rate? It's very hard to define because it's all individualized.”

ACCESS TO SERVICES

Hodgins, Murphy and Parry-Gurak said they know that many area residents are in need of substance use services and that GCASA has an open access policy where walk-ins are accepted.

Murphy said all prospective patients are assessed to see what treatment is appropriate,

“It’s about having a conversation.  With methadone, it’s a little different because things need to be done before they're actually admitted,” Murphy said. “There's a very specific process but it all starts with a phone call to our main number, 343-1124.”

For more information about GCASA’s treatment programs, call 585-343-1124 or visit gcasa.net. Walk-in assessments, with no appointment necessary, are done on Tuesday through Thursday prior to 11:15 a.m.

Photo: From left, Holly Main, assistant director; Kathy Hodgins, chief clinical officer; Danielle Ludeke, integrated clinic director, at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Disclosure: Mike Pettinella is the publicist for GCASA.

Updated: April 21, 4:30 p.m. with additional information about Laurie Oltramari nomination:

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The Genesee County Legislature, understanding that it has zero financial liability, is expected to pass a measure to allow the Genesee County Funding Corp. to secure up to $275 million in revenue bonds to finance a wide-reaching project of the Rochester Regional Health system.

The legislature’s Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday approved a resolution that describes RRH’s plan to finance or refinance capital improvement projects at several locations, including its new medical specialties building under construction on Route 98, north of the Thruway interchange in Batavia.

About $47 million in Series 2022 Bonds will be used for the “Batavia project:”

• Construction of an approximately 105,393 square-foot medical facility on Route 98 that will house extension sites of three RRH affiliate hospitals to be used for outpatient cardiac care, women's health services, primary care, urgent care, outpatient surgical services, gastroenterology, outpatient radiology and other outpatient services;

• Construction of approximately 56,147 square feet of related ground floor parking, and the acquisition and installation of machinery, equipment and other personal property.

A formal vote of the full legislature likely will take place at next Wednesday’s meeting at the Old Courthouse.

Last month, representatives of the Genesee County Economic Development Center proposed the idea of using the GCFC to act as a conduit bond issuer for RRH. Subsequently, the legislature voted to change the entity’s bylaws to allow for projects outside of the county as long as the business had operations in Genesee County.

RRH fits the bill as its network of hospitals and offices stretches across the state. According to the resolution passed yesterday, other capital improvement projects to utilize this round of funding will take place in the City of Rochester, Town of Potsdam, Town of Pittsford, Town of Penfield, Town of Canton and Town of Massena.

Before supporting this action, Ways & Means Chair Marianne Clattenburg asked for assurance that Genesee County bears no fiscal responsibility in the transaction. The premise of the resolution is that RRH would be able to issue bonds at a reduced interest rate by going through the GCFC.

“I support this as Rochester Regional Health has made a commitment to the county,” Clattenburg said. “It’s hard to get doctors to work in rural communities.”

In other action, the committee approved:

• An application for a New York State Office of Community Renewal Community Development Block Grant of up to $750,000 to support La Fermiere Inc.’s plans to develop a yogurt and dessert production facility at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park on East Main Street Road in the Town of Batavia.

Per the resolution, the project will create 135 new jobs and represents a private investment of more than $20 million. If received, the grant would help finance part of the costs of machinery and equipment, including furnishing and fixtures, as well as working capital expenses.

• The appointment of Robert Sotir of Batavia, organizer for the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 3 NY, to the GLOW Workforce Development Board for a term at the discretion of the GLOW chief executive officers.

GOVERNOR NOMINATES OLTRAMARI

It also was announced that Gov. Kathy Hochul has nominated Laurie Oltramari of Batavia to serve as a representative on the Rochester-Genesee Transportation Authority board for a term of six years.

Contacted today, Oltramari, senior library clerk at Genesee Community College, said she initially was nominated by the Genesee County Legislature and went through "a lengthy process of submitting documentation and answering questions in terms of financial disclosures, conflict of interest, background check, public officers law, and board duties."

"I received notification yesterday that I was nominated by the governor to the Senate. I am now awaiting my Senate confirmation," said Oltramari, who previously served as executive director of the Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District.

Batavia City schools board members have quite a full agenda for this week’s meeting, beginning with a public hearing about spending reserves for a roof repair.

There is to be a presentation about the $140,000 tab, to be taken from district reserves, for a Batavia High School roof repair. The public will be given time to voice questions, comments and concerns before the board is scheduled to vote on the work later in the meeting. It is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the BHS library, 260 State St., Batavia.

Other agenda items include a review of the tentative 2022-23 budget, followed later by a vote to adopt the $55 million financial plan. The most recent preliminary budget in March included a nearly $3 million increase or 5.75 percent more than the current budget. The tax levy was at $20.57 million for a 5.5 percent increase, overriding the tax cap levy by $756,449. 

Business Administrator Scott Rozanski is expected to go over the proposed budget up for board vote during Thursday’s meeting. The preliminary plan included spending increases of $692,575 for teacher/administrative support salaries, $481,970 more for support salaries and nearly $1 million more for fringe benefits. Those total increased numbers are $19.9 million for teacher salaries, $6.5 million for support salaries and $12,306,449 for fringe benefits.

Total salaries have gone from $19,312,386 in 2011-12 to $26,440,590 in 2022-23, or about $7 million more in the last decade. Administrative salaries have risen from the superintendent in 2015-16 at $148,92 to $165,000 currently, and for business administrator, it has increased by $40,000 in the last six years, from $123,913 in 2015-16 to $163,488. The role of department chairman has also been increased from $64,000 to $85,800 in that same time period. 

There are a few decreases in spending, such as $100,820 less for operations/maintenance, $21,248 for textbooks and a $1.15 million decrease in debt service payments. 

The packed agenda also includes time for the public to be heard about matters other than the roof repair, and:

• Presentations from Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers with an update and Counselor Julie Wasilewski on a Jackson Primary project.
• An Energia Johnson Controls energy performance contract update.
• Reports from each the superintendent and student ex-officio.
• Votes on resignations and appointments.
• Contracts with the Batavia Administrators’ Association; Batavia City Police Department; Genesee County Department of Social Services and the Student Transformation and Rehabilitation (STAR) program; Thomas Ramming Consulting, Inc.; Gates Chili Central School District’s Health Services; Dwyer Stadium; Campus Construction Management; Genesee Valley BOCES; GLOW YMCA; University at Buffalo Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic; and a revised contract with Kimberly Gingrich. 

Photo: Batavia City Schools Business Administrator Scott Rozanski is on tonight's agenda to present a proposed 2022-23 budget for the board's vote. File photo in 2022 by Howard Owens.

For the third straight week, the number of positive COVID-19 tests reported in Genesee county has increased significantly, according to Genesee County Health Department data released today.

Even so, the CDC rates the risk of community spread in Genesee county as low.

There were 168 new positive tests reported in the county for the week of April 13 through April 19.  In the previous week, there were 119 new cases, and in the week before that, 62, which is double the new cases from the prior week.

According to health department data, 43 of the newly reported cases were from home tests. There is no way of knowing how many people tested positive with home test report results to the county.

To report a positive home test to the health department, click here.

The CDC guidelines for areas with low community spread are: "People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask."

“We want to start as soon as possible, but the industry is short on materials and people. So, we'll have to work on a schedule to see when we can get people started again,” David Ciurzynski of Ciurzynski Consulting said today.

The City PDC on Tuesday night voted in favor of the new lighted façade that will serve as the primary entrance to the new theater.

Ciurzynski said he will speak to the architect about some necessary minor changes to the plan as requested by City Code Enforcement Officer Doug Randall, and then he will begin the bidding process for contractors next month.

When asked if the work will be done by December, he said, “We're really hoping that's the case. I don't see why we couldn't but it's going to really depend on labor and material availability. People and materials are the biggest challenges in construction right now, along with pricing.”

The façade, a storefront glass system with two levels, will “activate” that section of the mall and “give it a little bit of life,” Ciurzynski said.

“The upper piece will have an etched glass with an under-light LED strip that will add a little interest to the glass with the etching on it,” he said. “The etched glass will have the logo. When you light it at night, the logo will kind of glow instead of having this big marquee that sticks out in front of you.”

Ciurzynski said that will be the main entrance – the place people will enter the theater to access the ticket booth and concessions. Another smaller entrance will be available on the north side of the mall.

An open house and special craft/vendor show in the temporary theater space and dance academy is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, April 30. A hotdog stand will be operated by the Batavia Lions Club.

The Town of Batavia Planning Board on Tuesday night approved site plans for additions at O-At-Ka Milk Products on Ellicott Street Road and to buildings under construction by Gallina Development of Rochester at the Gateway GS LLC site on Call Parkway, north of the Thruway interchange.

Kelly Finch, senior director of engineering and operational technology at O-At-Ka Milk, explained that the project involves “increasing the plant’s capacity by fully utilizing what is there.”

Specifically, O-At-Ka Milk plans to construct a 58- by 70-square-foot addition that includes three storage tanks for the company’s growing alcohol-based beverage operation.

Finch said one of the tanks measures 15 feet high by 8 feet in diameter and the other two measure 28 feet high by 12.5 feet in diameter. The addition is to be placed on the south side of the property, which spans the corner of Ellicott Street Road and Cedar Street.

Rod Ives, civil engineer for Napierala Consulting of Syracuse, shared that the addition will go in an area that currently is paved, resulting in no stormwater runoff.

The planning board conducted a State Environmental Quality Review and found no adverse effects before voting in favor of the site plan.

Following that, the board voted favorably on the SEQR and site plan submitted by Gallina Development to change the square footage of two office buildings under construction.

The first would increase from 22,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet and the second would go from 27,000 square feet to 33,600 square feet. A third building, designated for future construction, will be reduced from 27,000 square feet to 17,400 square feet.

Overall, the total area of development originally approved – five building lots -- would remain at 135,000 square feet.

While an old, rusted firearm that was fished from a creek in Oakfield is still at a police lab, nothing of value has been gleaned from it thus far, said Chief Deputy Joseph Graff.

The "unusual catch" was snagged by some people magnet fishing on May 22, 2020, in the area of the 6000 block of Fisher Road in Oakfield.

The Sheriff's Office took possession of the firearm with an interest in seeing if it might be tied to any crime in the area. There has been no public statement on what crime it might possibly be tied to.

A few days later, Graff told The Batavian, "It is very rusted/corroded and not identifiable in its present state."

At the time, Graff said they would be looking for anything identifiable that could be restored.

A Batavia man is in custody and accused of criminal possession of a weapon 2nd following a traffic stop at 12:29 p.m. Monday, when he was allegedly found in possession of a loaded revolver.

While Lorenzo Baker, no age provided, was being stopped by a patrol officer, the Emergency Response Team executed a search warrant at his residence, 36 Dellinger Ave. upper, as part of an ongoing investigation.  

Police say that additional evidence was found in Baker's residence.

Given the ongoing nature of this investigation, police say they are not releasing further information about the nature of the investigation or what was located in the residence.

Baker was arraigned in City Court and ordered held on $25,000 cash bail, $50,000 bond, or a partially secured bond of $75,000. 

Baker is scheduled to appear in court again at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Reader-submitted photos.

For the sixth straight month, Genesee County's unemployment rate was lower than the pre-pandemic rate for the same month, according to the New York State Department of Labor. The rate of 3.7 percent for March of this year reflects a dip when compared to a 4.5 percent rate in March 2019.

The rate in March 2021 was 5.6 percent and the rate in March 2020 was 5.7 percent.

The current rate is the lowest it's been from available state labor department records going back to 1990.

There are 29,300 workers reported in the labor force for Genesee County currently, compared to 28,700 in 2021 and 29,800 in 2019.  

The reported total number of Genesee County residents who were employed in March 2022 is 28,200, compared to 27,100 a year ago, and 28,420 in 2019.

There are 1,100 people reportedly looking for work, compared to 1,600 a year ago and 1,320 in March 2019.

The unemployment rate for all of New York State is 4.7 percent, which is higher than the March 2019 -- pre-pandemic -- rate of 4 percent.

Calling it “a horrible idea,” Batavia businessman Jerry Arena tonight urged the Town of Batavia Planning Board to turn down a proposal by Benderson Development LLC to construct two restaurants on the parking lot of the former Kmart on Lewiston Road.

Arena was the lone town resident to speak at a public hearing on the Buffalo-based company’s request for special use permits for the drive-thru lanes of the yet-to-be disclosed retail operations. The planning board made it clear prior to the meeting that no action would be taken on the venture tonight.

Benderson is looking to build a 4,000-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru and bypass lane at one end of the parking lot and a 6,752-square-foot retail/restaurant building with a 2,000-square-foot endcap coffee shop and drive-thru at the other end – both along Lewiston Road (Route 63).

Matthew Oates, engineering director, and Katherine Rowe, design engineer, for Benderson Development opened the meeting by giving a quick update on the company’s plans, mentioning an increase in the green space and landscaping, putting in new curbing and pavement, updating utilities and ensuring sufficient stacking space in the drive-thru lanes.

They said they are waiting on the completion of a traffic impact study – information necessary to keep the project moving forward.

Arena questioned if there would be enough parking spaces left over to accommodate shoppers once another business was found to occupy the former Kmart building.

After that, he was given the podium and articulated his concerns for about 15 minutes, visibly upset but able to keep his anger in check.

PROPOSAL 'AFFECTS' ALL CITIZENS

Armed with several documents, including the project application, Arena said “the mere fact that I got one (a notice of the public hearing) represents the fact that this special use permit affects my property at 8360 Lewiston Road (Jerry Arena’s Pizzeria) and my neighbors – the gun store, the car dealership, Calvin Nichols, the land that I have on Arena Parkway facing Lewiston Road.”

“I just shake my head when I see this and I'm trying not -- if I act like I'm going to be angry, if I'm perceived as I'm angry, it's because I really am. I'm just flabbergasted that this would get this far.”

Arena, citing an already congested traffic area and safety concerns, said that putting these new businesses at the front of the parking lot affects all residents of the town and city of Batavia and Genesee County.

“It affects them when they do their holiday shopping,” he said. “People who I talk to logically, and I say logically, assume that these three new businesses … it’s two buildings, three businesses. They logically assume that when the hear the news, they’re going to go into the old Kmart, which would be the best spot for them.”

He went on to say that he doesn’t “feel sorry for Benderson” because they can put the businesses in (the Kmart building).

“I don’t care how much it costs them and I don’t care if they’ve got to knock part of Kmart down and build a drive-thru,” he said. “This is what most people think – that it’s going to go into the old Kmart.”

‘PROBLEMS ON SEVERAL LEVELS’

Arena said the special use permit creates problems on several levels – “and I don’t even know where to start.”

“My main theme here is at what point do we stop creating and compounding traffic flows on Lewiston and Park roads?” he asked. “Surrounded by traffic flow problems with no sidewalks, this area of Lewiston and Park road will become more dangerous than ever for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.”

He said planners from years past “got it right” by wanting to place commercial enterprises onto Route 5, a four-lane highway.

“Well, things got turned around and OK, here we are,” he said. “There's big problems. I'm afraid to go down Park Road at night because one day I'm a law-abiding citizen and somebody might jump out at me from Batavia Downs and I'm sitting in my attorney's office facing a vehicle manslaughter charge.”

Arena said the entrance of the new businesses will come out onto Park Road – “as if Park Road isn’t a problem already.”

Noting that he has “a front seat” when looking out his pizzeria window, Arena said traffic is non-stop.

“You want to have a flea market, you want to put something next to my pizzeria, they don’t stop. They stop when the light turns red at Park Road and then you’re going to have to scoot out, because the light is going to change again. So, that’s my key thing here.”

He said that if and when Kmart is occupied again, the entrance and exit points on Lewiston and Park road “will not safely, safely, safely or adequately handle the additional 10,752 square feet of retail space.”

ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS?

Arena said that as with an eminent domain situation, if planners have other options, “you’d think you’d want to use them.”

“Why can't you fill the Kmart … Batavia is really sought after right now,” he offered. “Batavia is a hot commodity between Buffalo and Rochester; people will come to Batavia.”

He also suggested placing the restaurants in areas where special use permits aren’t necessary, mentioning the Kmart building, property on Route 5 and land that he has for sale at the BJ’s Plaza on the south side of Lewiston Road.

Arena called out “the internet cowards” who say he is worried about competition.

“Oh, that’s really funny,” he said. “I’ve been in business since 1976. I’m not worried about another commercial business. I'm worried about the government more than anything. The government can put me out of business and they seem to be working at it.”

He said the “other swipe” at him is that he is mad because Benderson isn’t looking at the property he has for sale.

“My land for sale doesn’t need any zoning permit. It's at the intersection of Lewiston Road and Veterans Memorial Drive. It's in the BJ’s Plaza,” he said. “All the traffic will be regulated by the traffic light. It’s visible from Lewiston Road -- part of the BJs Plaza. And it’s for sale and doesn't require any kinds of permits.”

SAFETY IS A BIG ISSUE

Planning Board Chair Kathleen Jasinski interjected that a traffic study will be available for review before the board’s next meeting, and stressed that safety is a concern.

Arena said his premise is based on the fact that the former Kmart building is available.

“You can sit here all you want and say, ‘Well, we're filling a vacant parking lot. No, no, the parking lot isn’t vacant, the building's vacant.”

He said he disagrees with Benderson’s position that the project will improve the area and won’t result in a substantial increase in traffic above present levels.

“I don't see how that's mathematically possible,” he said.

Reading from an report in the application, Arena asked, “Are there any pedestrian accommodations or bicycle routes available at or near the site of the proposed action? Check mark, Yes. I don't see any sidewalks bicycle routes. Maybe I'm missing them. Maybe Matthew (Oates) can show me where he bicycle routes are."

“I see babies – two in one day. One in a wagon, getting pushed in the street and one in a stroller. And then you get your handicapped people. They’ve got their flags, and they’re driving their little thing. The mailman has got to be afraid of getting hit. At what (point) do we stop compounding? We've got a problem there.”

Arena said if Panera Bread, Popeyes or Starbucks want to locate in the town, there are spots for them other than the proposed site.

(A call and email to James Boglioli, Northeast director, right to build for Benderson, seeking the names of the businesses were not returned at the time of the posting of this story).

LEGAL ACTION A POSSIBILITY?

While hoping that the planning board votes against issuance of the special use permits, Arena said that he is prepared to take legal action to try and stop the project.

“There's a possibility that if you go through with this, I will file an injunction,” he said. “I've done it in the past and am familiar with that -- with Benderson putting BJ’s Plaza in a residential area, I fought it. I fought the good fight. I lost.”

He said he cares about the citizens of Batavia and reiterated that “it’s just a bad idea.”

Contending that zoning codes were adopted “with the purpose of protecting and promoting public health and safety," Arena said he believes his lawyers would have a “pretty good shot” at stopping the proposal.

In closing, he said he “hates to see this happen when there are other options.”

“Let's make Batavia safe again. Get your ducks in a row,” he said. “If you do issue a permit, get sidewalks. People walking down to Walmart, any of those things. It's a nightmare. It's got to be the worst commercial development possibly in the whole Western New York, if not the whole New York. It’s dangerous.”

Photos from tonight's Town of Batavia Planning Board public hearing at the Batavia Town Hall on West Main Street Road. Top: Jerry Arena, owner of Jerry Arena's Pizzeria on Lewiston Road since 1976. Bottom: Matthew Oates and Katherine Rowe of Benderson Development. Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Previously: Benderson director gives some details, but keeps the names of the Kmart parking lot tenants to himself

With cost estimates running as high as $130 million for Phase 4 of the Countywide Water Project in the next few years, Genesee County legislators are jumping at the chance to use federal funds now to finance a Phase 3 construction initiative with the Town of Alexander.

The legislature’s Public Service Committee on Monday approved a resolution that forges an agreement with the town to install water transmission mains and a water storage tank as part of the formation of Water District No. 6.

The key component of the contract is that the county’s portion of the $11.2 million project -- $5,424,000 – will be paid by using some of the American Rescue Plan Act funding it received from the federal government.

County Engineer Tim Hens told the committee that the county will make two deposits into an escrow account that will be used by the Town of Alexander to pay the contractor as needed during construction. The county will monitor the work being performed and certify all draw requests by the town.

"The work will cover the northwest corner of the town -- every public road west of Route 98 and north of Route 20," Hens said. "We are running new water lines to the town, upsizing the mains to 12 inch for transmission and erecting a tower on Halstead Road to feed back into Batavia."

The agreement took a bit longer than usual to make it to the committee as attorneys for both parties had to ensure that the language complied with ARPA requirements.

As previously reported on The Batavian, the county will save $3.3 million in interest by utilizing ARPA money instead of having to bond the expense.

Two other resolutions pertaining to the Countywide Water Project were approved by the PSC, and forwarded to the full legislature:

• Change orders to a Phase 2 project with the City of Batavia wellfield – one with Frey Well Drilling of Alden to deduct $10,000 from the contracted amount and another with Villager Construction of Fairport to add $27,000 to the contracted amount.

Frey’s work involved Well C, while Villager is being paid for the additional work of cleaning and rehabilitating Well A.

The change to the Frey contract lowers the total amount to $137,900, while the change to the Villager agreement raises the amount to $421,000 and extends the contract time to complete the Well A improvement to this fall.

• A budget amendment increasing the Water Fund by $79,000 to cover anticipated expenses related to governmental relations contracts at both the federal and state levels through the end of this year.

In other action, the committee:

• Approved a request to include a 53-acre parcel off Harlow Road in the Town of Darien to Agricultural District No. 1 and set a public hearing on the matter for 5:30 p.m. on May 25 at the Old Courthouse. County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari advised committee members that the land does qualify under the guidelines of the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law.

• Approved the appointment of Batavia business owner Derek Geib to the Genesee County Planning Board to replace Richard Richmond II, who recently filled a vacant seat on the Batavia City Council. County planning board members serve on a volunteer basis.

From a men’s prayer breakfast to a pastor’s home, a YWCA meeting room and, finally, to a renovated movie theater, City Church has grown in size, stature and presence over the last 25 years.

That growth and existence was recently celebrated by the Batavia-based church community with a four-day celebration of family activities, an egg hunt with a special bunny, and an Easter Sunday service.

Senior Pastor Marty Macdonald saw the process as one of submission rather than a forced plan.

“That disappoints many people that, you know, are very goal-oriented … and I believe in all that, but I also sometimes believe that your dreams and your goals when submitted to the Lord, you have to be willing to allow him to move in that direction,” he said during an interview with The Batavian. “Because if you live long enough you find out life isn't always what you hoped it would turn out to be. And many times, if you entrust your life to God's process, he'll make it better than what you hoped or thought it would be.” 

And it was God’s process, he believes, that took a simple men’s breakfast to draw listeners to Macdonald and ask him where his church was located. “We don’t have a church” was his reply, and that served as the springboard to hold gatherings at the home of Macdonald and his wife Patti.That small group first met for an Easter Sunday service in 1997. Three or four years later, Rose Caccamise of Roxy’s Music Store then suggested to meet at YWCA on North Street, which is where the church settled until its numbers outgrew the space and a larger venue became available. 

In 2001, the church moved into the former Mancuso Theater on East Main Street. There has been another spurt of growth in 2016 with an expansion into the former St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church on Liberty Street, on the city’s Southside. 

From that first major step to set up at YWCA, Macdonald has reached out to his most reliable guide. He told Caccamise, “Let me pray about it.”

“I hung up the phone. It's kind of funny because I just felt really like the Lord saying to me, do I have to make it any plainer to do? So we did that,” he said. “We didn't have a sound system, and Rose, she gave us the sound system. She said whatever you can pay for, pay for it, because we weren't taking any money at the time; we just were getting together. So that's the formation of, you know, how we began, how it started.”

During an anniversary celebration talk last Thursday, he gave the analogy about a turtle on top of a fence post: you know he didn’t get there on his own, he said.

“And that's the way it is in my life and in the church as well, that a lot of people help,” he said.

One of his friends in Bellevue, Washington even inadvertently helped with the church name. Macdonald was at Dunkin’ Donuts mulling over possible names and thinking about his love for Batavia and the city community. It then came to him: City Church. The friend’s church had the same name so Macdonald asked if he could use it, and the reply was yes. City Church became incorporated as a not-for-profit. 

“You can see now, and going back to having goals and visions, my mind worked to that scale. But God, he had a bigger goal and a bigger vision,” he said. “Sometimes our goals and our dreams are much smaller than what God has for us.”

Church leaders pursued the theater once it came up for sale, he said, which was “amazing,” especially given the fact everyone was meeting at his home about four years prior. And then “we're moving into (the theater).”

“It was mammoth, you know, from meeting in your living room into a space to have 600 seats. And that was just a huge undertaking for us back then. But it's proved out to be an incredible place for church and for our multiple outreaches that we do on a regular basis,” he said.

The church has remained nondenominational — which isn’t to say Macdonald is “anti-denominations,” he said — as a community church with origins of being home-based, as early Christians had done. And as time has moved on, the congregation has grown under the tagline of “we do life together.”

“Because I'd hate to do it alone,” he said.

Part of doing life together includes his wife Patricia (Patti), and three sons, Benjamin, married to Amanda, and three children; Ryan, married to Samantha, and two sons; and Garrett, their youngest son. All of them help out at the church, and “I couldn’t have done it without any one of them,” the pastor said. Ryan assists with the ministry full-time and has developed into a polished and mature preacher, the proud dad said, and is doing “just a fabulous, fabulous job.”

“My family means just so much to me. And I'm just so grateful that they're all in church with me,” he said, adding that they all live in the nearby community. “And I'm just incredibly fortunate for that, I really am just fortunate.”

Macdonald credits son Ryan for taking the lead on repairs and revamping St. Anthony’s, plus activities such as open gym night and food distributions. 

“He's really just done a phenomenal job, turned that property around,” Macdonald said. “Just think of that. You know that St. Anthony's school was empty for 10 years. Nothing at the church for years … I walked in that church, there were pigeons flying through it. The school had holes in the roof, there was so much water running in there. And that's all been transformed. And largely, that's attributed to him and his gifting in that he's done an incredible job.”

The Generation Center, a large meeting and dining venue on Center Street, is another aspect of City Church, besides its many community programs. There are four weekly church services, small group sessions, open gym, activity night, game rooms, and food distributions every other week at St. Anthony’s for a crowd of up to 1,000 people. There are also celebrate-recovery groups and a food pantry. These programs have made “an incredible difference” to people in need, he said.

Macdonald keeps in touch with some of those needs as an active member on the Downtown Business Improvement District board, Community Justice Advisory Council and as a Notre Dame High School board member. He’s also been known to climb aboard a piece of equipment, say a forklift, and do what’s necessary. 

“And so we keep active in the community, and we love our city. We love the people that love our county or region. And I'm just really grateful for where we're at right now, really,” he said. “Now I really believe that God cares for the city, He cares for people. The Bible says ‘when the city is healthy when the city rejoices, people prosper.‘ And I really believe that, I see that in our city. I see our city greater now than I've seen it in the years that I've been there. 

“We're always going to have challenges. People are going to think things should be one way or the other. But where the city is at right now, where it's headed, I really think it's amazing to see the changes that are taking place.”

Editor's Note: Howard Owens contributed to this article. 

Top photo: Senior Pastor Marty Macdonald leads a service on stage at City Church in Batavia. Ryan Macdonald follows in his dad's footsteps as a full-time ministry assistant at City Church. Senior Pastor Marty Macdonald and members of the congregation participate in an Easter Sunday service at the East Main Street church. Photos by Howard Owens.

Marco Antonio Hernandez, 22, if South Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal sexual act 1st and rape 1st.  Hernandez was arrested and charged in relation to an incident reported at 11 PM on July 30 on South Street in LeRoy. No further details released. He was ordered held on $5,000 bail.

Peter Joseph Gravante, 33, of Swamp Road, Byron, is charged with bail jumping 3rd, Gravante is accused of missing a court date in Town of Byron Court. Gravante was given an appearance ticket and released.

Cameron Jacob Sokolowski, 29, of River Street, Batavia, is charged with bail jumping 3rd.  Following his arrest, Sokolowski was issued an appearance ticket and released.

Justin Micheal Conner, 29, of Franklin Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, speeding, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Conner was stopped at 12:56 a.m. on April 9 on Clinton Street Road, Batavia by Deputy Ewert Morgan. Conner was issued appearance tickets and released. 

Brenda Marie King, 57, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny.  King is accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart at 2:39 p.m. on April 16. King was released on an appearance ticket.

Jamal Cineque Robinson, 19, of Gilbert Street, Le Roy, is charged with assault 3rd and obstruction of governmental administration. Robinson was allegedly involved in a dispute at 7:45 AM on April 14 at a residence on Gilbert Street. As a result of an altercation of a victim reportedly sustained a head injury. Robinson was a range in Town of Le Roy Court, an order of protection was issued, and he was released on an appearance ticket. 

Andrew Scott Lehman, 31, no address provided, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and failure to yield right of way on the left turn. Lehman was stopped at 6:50 PM on April 5 on East Main Road in Le Roy by Le Roy patrol officer John Ceneviva. He was released on traffic tickets.

Thomas P. Scanlan, 28, of Le Roy, is charged with driving while ability impaired/under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and driving in violation of a conditional license. Scanlan was stopped by a Batavia patrol officer on North Spruce Street at 7:40 p.m., Jan. 30, and arrested on April 9. He was issued traffic tickets and released. 

Jeffrey E. Schnettler, 50, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to use designated lane, and failure to keep right. He was stopped at 1:48 a.m. on April 9 on Pearl Street by a Batavia patrol officer. He was issued and released. 

Crystal A. Mounts, 44, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny, conspiracy 6th, and failure to appear. Mounts was arrested on a total of six warrants out of City Court including ballistic chargers. Mounts was arraigned in City Court and released on her own recognizance.

Samuel R. Baudanza, 25, of Wyoming, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Baudanza was arrested by State Police in connection with an incident report at 12:18 a.m. on April 16 in the Town of Le Roy. He was released on an appearance ticket. No further details released. 

Rodney W, Willis, 41, of Basom, is charged with assault 1st. Willis was arrested by State Police on April 14 in connection with an incident reported at 3:28 a.m. on February 20. He was ordered held in jail. No further details released.

Iverson M. Davis, 20, of Rochester, is charged with grand larceny 3rd and eight counts of possession of a forged instrument 2nd.  Davis was arrested on April 12 in connection with an incident reported on March 30 at 10 a.m. in the Town of Batavia. He was released on an appearance ticket. No further details released. 

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office will be reassigning its courthouse deputy positions in light of news that the New York State Office of Court Administration will be providing its own security team this summer.

County Sheriff William Sheron shared this during an update of his department today at a meeting of the County Legislature’s Public Service Committee at the Old Courthouse.

“The Office of Court Administration that oversees the (Genesee County) Court Facility … did put us on notice that they're going to have their own private security take over,” Sheron said. “The court security (change) originally was going to be April 1^st, but that did not give us enough time for transition so they did agree to July 1^st. That means the five court officers -- deputies and sergeant -- will be returning to the sheriff's office and assigned to various duties.”

Sheron said the court positions will be eliminated through attrition.

“Right now, we have two vacancies and we anticipate a third officer will be retiring in July,” he said. “Another officer (will retire) at the end of the year and a third officer, the first part of 2023.”

He said the court sergeant will return to road patrol and be assigned as an administrative sergeant.

“I do need some type of position … to take up some of these administrative duties that just got overwhelming over the last few years with discovery and body cam footage and so forth,” Sheron advised.

The sheriff reported that four deputies will be completing field training next month.

Additionally, two deputies came to the department as lateral transfers from Syracuse and the State Park Police, which will save the office “a little money … as they came to us fully trained,” he said.

Two other deputies are in law enforcement academies, with one in Erie County to be available for duty in December and the other in Niagara County to be available for duty in February 2023.

At least a half-dozen officers are in other types of training, Sheron said.

“We do have a young staff so we have a lot of in-service training for investigators -- anywhere from basic criminal investigations training to evidence collection and interview interrogation,” he said.

Included in that group are the office’s K9 patrol, Sheron said, noting that “both of our canines are doing very well – healthy at this time and are on patrol.”

The Sheriff’s Office school resource officer program is running smoothly, he said, adding that Pavilion Central School District recently voted to go from a 12-month contract to a 10-month contract that will take effect in September.

Sheron said he is having to deal with the excessive amount of time that it takes to deal with certain crimes, especially fraud cases.

“Everything’s requiring a subpoena or search warrant,” he said. “Banks just want more records. It's really taxing on our investigators. I just want to bring that to light because we are seeing more and more and more of this.”

Statistically, deputies are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of warrants served.

“Usually, we have 170 to 190 active warrants at a time. Right now, we’re running 325 to 350,” the sheriff said.

Some more statistics, as of April 1:

• Felony investigations, 71.
• Juvenile investigations, 8.
• Drug task force investigation cases, 10.
• Other investigations (misdemeanors, pistol permit, fatal traffic accidents), 167.
• Items of evidence processed, 312.
• Incidents, 7,799.
• Background investigations, 11.
• Motor vehicle accident reports, 324.
• Motor vehicle accidents, 474.

The Sheriff’s Office oversees seven areas: jail, civil/records, criminal investigations, communications, road patrol (including animal control), Genesee Justice and Justice for Children Advocacy Center.

Department heads reported to the Public Service Committee in the following areas today:

COMMUNICATIONS

Emergency Communications Director Steven Sharpe said his department is having difficulty filling four part-time dispatcher positions, citing qualifications, the “plug-in” nature of the shifts involved and the hourly wage being offered.

“We’ve got people who are on the Civil Service list but they don’t want to take a part-time job,” Sharpe said. “So, they also tie up the list. Part-timers that we do get – who are on the list – we can’t reach them when a full-time position opens. There are other people ahead of them on the list that won’t take the part-time job.”

In an effort to attract young people into emergency dispatch, Sharpe is trying to develop a curriculum at Genesee Community College, but acknowledged that it has yet to take hold.

Sheron also noted that starting pay for a dispatcher is $20.37, less than the $20.50 being offered to overnight stockers at Walmart.

“And it’s not just law enforcement, it’s everywhere,” he said. “We’re going to have to start looking at wages.”

Other communications highlights:

• 2021 calls for service: 76,751 (consisting of 81,107 dispatch events for police, fire and EMS).
• Molasses Hill Tower is complete and was funded by four different NYS Statewide Interoperable Communications Grants. The final acceptance occurred in February.
• The Cedar Street Tower at County Highway department is significantly overloaded and will require replacement due to changing engineering standards. Ice loading requirements have been increased from a half-inch under previous standards to 1-3 inches. Sharpe is seeking budgetary quotes to submit a capital improvement project for 2024 at the latest.

COUNTY JAIL

Jail Superintendent William Zipfel said openings include a senior correction officer, part-time correction officer, registered professional nurse and, as of this month, six correction officers (four to replace the officers assigned to the new jail transition team).

He also said he has been unable to find someone to fill the part-time cook job (paying $17.32 per hour) for quite some time.

Expenses are going up significantly, specifically in the Medicated Assistance Treatment program, food, supplies and energy, Zipfel said.

The MAT program is straining the jail budget due to the fact that prescribed controlled substances, such as suboxone, cannot be returned for refunds and cannot be given to another inmate. They must be destroyed.

People come in and they get prescribed suboxone and methadone and all kinds of controls, and next thing you know, they're released. We can't send those back. We can't use them for anyone else,” he said. “We turn it over to an investigator and they get destroyed. And until somebody decides to do something about this program that says, ‘If I want it, I get it,’ I don’t know what we’re going to do. It just keeps increasing and increasing and increasing.”

Zipfel said the jail’s overtime budget is on the rise, as well, due to the “huge number of hours just for constant watches in the first quarter of this year.”

“I don't see that stopping or going down a lot. We're dealing with sicker population as far as physical and mental issues, and we have to put them on constant watch,” he said, adding that intervention by mental health professionals has helped.

Some jail statistics through the first quarter of 2022:

• Overtime Budget, $112,369.
• Constant Watch and Hospital Hours, 2,118.
• Food Costs/Meal Services, 15,799 meals served; $21,677.06 total cost; $1.3720 cost per meal.
• Average Daily Population, males, 55.6.
• Inmates Boarded Out, females, 30 inmates, $64,300 (not including Wyoming County).
• Inmates Boarded Out, males, 10 inmates, $25,140 (not including Wyoming County).
• Parole and State Readies as a portion of the Average Daily Population, 15.

GENESEE JUSTICE

Program Coordinator Diana Prinzi reported three part-time community service/victim assistants are needed, but the possibility of combining two of the part-time jobs into a full-time position is being considered.

Funding for the department through the Office of Victim Services decreased this year by nearly $14,000, dropping the total to $130,104 – the original funding amount released in 2019.

She said the office is requesting $181,917 per year for the new contract period that runs from Oct. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2025. Department of Criminal Justice Services’ grant funding: has remained the same since 2019.

The agency’s program numbers in the area of Release Under Supervision, Community Service and Victim Assistance are increasing and expected to hit or exceed pre-COVID statistics.

JUSTICE FOR CHILDREN ADVOCACY CENTER

Program Coordinator Theresa Roth said her department is actively recruiting for a supervising clinical social worker, a position that has been vacant since it was created last November.

Last year was the busiest in the history of the JFCAC, she said, with 262 new cases opened, and this year is expected to meet or exceed that number.

A contract with the state Office of Children and Family Services for funding of the agency’s satellite offices in Albion and Warsaw has been renewed through September 2027, she said, noting that having these locations results in signficant savings for Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Roth also reported a “small cut in funding” from the state Office of Victim Services.

That drew the ire of Legislator Marianne Clattenburg, who called it “reprehensible” that the state would not prioritize services for abused children.

Photo at top: Genesee County Sheriff William Sheron reporting to the Public Services Committee this afternoon. Emergency Communications Director Steven Sharpe is in the background. Photo by Mike Pettinella.