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Town of Le Roy

Le Roy boards reinstate agreement that enables village police department to respond to calls in the town

By Mike Pettinella

In Le Roy Village Police Chief Greg Kellogg’s eyes, an agreement between the village and town boards that expands his department’s reach is all about protecting life and property.

Over the past week, town and village government officials came to terms on a contract that would enable village police officers to respond to situations in the town, with the goal to enhance the public safety coverage already in place.

“Really, it's essentially for emergency calls and for protection of life and property,” Kellogg said today. “It’s not all calls. It's just a supplement, an augment to the law enforcement that's already out there -- the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police.

“So, if they're unable to respond and need our assistance, we're certainly available to do that. But the contract is obviously to not take away from the level of service already provided.”

Town Supervisor Jim Farnholz, in calling it “win-win for everyone,” said village officers won’t patrol in the town – that will be left up to sheriff's deputies and troopers – but they will be available to assist on emergency calls, for example.

“It will decrease the response time to those in need,” he said.

He also emphasized that this action will save manpower in the long run when Le Roy officers are able to handle a situation and advise other agencies not to respond.

“The agreement also includes responding to Le Roy Central School (on South Street Road in the town),” Farnholz said. “We’ve been working on this for a year and we’re pleased to be able to reach an agreement.”

Kellogg said the municipalities had a similar arrangement from 1983 to 2010, but the contract expired and wasn’t renewed. He said the town reached out to the village to reinstate the service.

“The town is interested in providing that additional level of protection in the event that we're closest and we can get out there and assess the situation,” he said. “Obviously, we're not going to deploy any resources into the town and leave the village uncovered. Our priority is the protection of all property and persons within the village.”

The police department employs around 16 officers, including a resource officer in the Le Roy Central School District.

Village Mayor Greg Rogers credited Sheriff William Sheron, Undersheriff Bradley Mazur and County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein for their input in leading to the contract, which calls for the town to pay the village $20,000 for a year’s worth of service.

“This is about giving the people in our area the best chance to succeed in emergency-type situations,” he said. “There are 14 miles of road in Le Roy and just about everyone in the village travels into the town on a regular basis.”

Truck traffic, prospect of deceleration lane prompt couple to say no to Great Lakes Cheese potential offer

By Mike Pettinella

After discussing the possibility of selling 2.8 acres of their property on Lake Street Road (Route 19) to Great Lakes Cheese, Chris and Gina Stella said they have decided to retain control of that parcel.

Speaking after Thursday night’s public hearing on rezoning 185 acres next to the Le Roy Food & Tech Park, Chris Stella said he was approached by a representative of the Genesee County Economic Development Center about selling some of his land.

“Joe Macaluso stopped over and said that Great Lakes Cheese might have some interest in the 2.8 acres, so I talked to my wife, Gina, about it,” Stella said. “He (Macaluso) said that they would offer the same thing that they we’re offering everybody else, but I’ll be honest with you, nobody wants it in their backyard – and I didn’t either.”

Stella said he didn’t blame other nearby property owners for entering into potential land deals with the Ohio-based manufacturer, which has been identified as inquiring into the Town of Le Roy site as a location for a new $500 million processing plant.

“But, do I want it? I never wanted it. We talked about it a little bit,” Stella added. “Their deal was … that they wanted to put up a berm to protect us from it, so we really didn’t have to see anything. But, my attorney actually got us a map of what they wanted to do, and I think the deal closer for us was that they wanted to put in a deceleration lane starting right in my front yard.”

(Town Supervisor James Farnholz said the deceleration lane topic is “conjecture” at this point, and that the state Department of Transportation would have the final say on traffic issues.)

Stella said different people have told him that anywhere from 85 to 120 trucks per day would come in and out of the plant, and that they run at all hours.

“All day and all night I’m going to be hearing Jake brakes,” he said. “That was a deal closer for us. At least if we have that 2.8 acres of land, we can kind of do what we want to do with it. They can do whatever they want. We decided to hold on to it.”

When asked how much was offered, he said, “They didn’t offer us anything. I heard that it was around $20,000 an acre, but I’m not sure about that. I heard that number floating around somewhere.”

LEGAL NOTICE: Democratic Party Caucus to be held July 20 in Le Roy Town Hall

By Billie Owens

LEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Sec. 6-108.3 of the New York State Election Law, that a Democratic Party Caucus will be held @ 7 p.m., in the Town of Le Roy, at the Le Roy Town Hall, 48 Main St., County of Genesee, State of New York on the 20th day of July, 2021.  

This Caucus is called for the purpose of nominating candidates to fill existing vacancies for town council and town justice at the General Election to be held on November 2, 2021. Town enrolled members of the Democratic Party will be eligible to vote.                     

                                                 

Nikki Calhoun                     Jennifer Keys

Chairman                             Secretary

County planners take no action as Route 19 resident objects to Town of Le Roy's rezoning proposal

By Mike Pettinella

A Lake Street Road (Route 19) resident has come out against the proposed rezoning of seven parcels of land meant to expand the Le Roy Food & Tech Park, claiming that changing it from Residential to Industrial contradicts the Town of Le Roy’s Comprehensive Plan and will prevent him from “the intended use and enjoyment” of his property.

Eric Baines Jr., speaking at Thursday night’s Genesee County Planning Board meeting via Zoom videoconferencing, said that in November he bought what is known as the Olmsted Manor, a 2,900-square-foot colonial house that is near the 75-acre industrial park on Route 19 and Randall Road owned by the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

He said he did not favor a referral submitted to the planning board by the Town of Le Roy to rezone seven parcels totaling about 185 acres to possibly set the stage for a cheese manufacturer, specifically the Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese, to build a $500 million plant on land adjacent to the park.

Reportedly, Great Lakes Cheese officials have contacted landowners with purchase offers to expand the park to meet the company’s needs.

“At the time when we did our research, the 2017 published Town Comprehensive Plan said that the current use map did not reflect Industrial zoning as well as the future map does not show Industrial zoning surrounding – they’re both Agricultural,” Raines said. “Given that both maps reflect that, we (he and his girlfriend) made the decision to buy this house.”

Looking to Upgrade the Property

Raines said that “use and enjoyment of our land (14 acres) will be jeopardized by this rezoning as we intend fix up the place.”

“This is an historical house, which we’re proud to own … in an historic district in Le Roy,” he said. “We wanted to grow our own food here and largely be independent. To say we are against the industrialization of the agricultural land behind this is not to just push it behind me and go somewhere else.

“We are opposed to it, in general, as to be reflected by the vegetable garden we put in almost immediately. If anybody goes by on Route 19, I am sure you have seen that the place has not been taken care of over the past 50 years, but it is now because we’re here.”

Raines said his plans for the property include recreational hunting, expanding his garden and putting up bat houses to keep the ecosystem healthy.

“This (rezoning and siting of the cheese factory) will trigger a laundry list of chain events that will prohibit any of what we hope to do,” he said.

Responding to a question from Planning Board Member Eric Biscaro, Raines said his property extends right to the line proposed for the cheese plant. He then brought up issues of smell and noise.

“For a $500 million plant, to say there won’t be noise (is not true),” he said. “The electromagnetic radiation alone coming from this plant is going be astronomical, and not something that we had any intention of being surrounded by.”

He said this action does not seem fair, believing that the comprehensive plan serves as a land use document governed by state law and is good through 2029.

Board Only Looking at Rezoning Referral

County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari said that last night’s referral only addresses the rezoning change, not the proposed cheese manufacturing plant.

“The planning board is only considering a rezoning request, which can be made with or without a project,” he said. “If it does get rezoned and a project does come to fruition, we will be reviewing all environmental impacts, including odor and noise, lighting, anything you may think of as part of that project, which would be a separate referral.”

Oltramari sought to clarify the zoning procedure, stating that the comprehensive plan and future land use maps serve as “guidance” but do not restrict municipalities or draw specific boundaries for rezoning.

“You have points that are definitely valid,” he said in response to Raines. “It’s just I wouldn’t go as far as saying that because that area is (zoned) Agriculture, that it should stay Agriculture until 2029. In theory, actually, the town board could amend the future land use plan … through a public process … before 2029 and completely overhaul the comprehensive plan in two years or something like that.”

Raines contended that neighbors who own a horse farm would be “stripped of their horse pasture if this goes through,” and mentioned that he heard talk of eminent domain, which is the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation.

He also said some of his other neighbors are against rezoning and the potential 480,000-square-foot manufacturing plant.

Masse: No Talk of Eminent Domain

Mark Masse, GCEDC senior vice president of Operations, quickly disputed the eminent domain claim, stating that the agency’s board of directors will not participate in that process.

“We have not done it, we have not proposed it, we have never brought it up, and we have never spoken about it,” he said.

Planning Board Member Bob Bennett, referring to eminent domain, noted that GCEDC won’t be the owners of the properties on track to be rezoned.

Contacted this morning, Le Roy Town Supervisor Jim Farnholz disputed the eminent domain claim – “a private entity can not move forward on eminent domain,” he said – and that to his knowledge, “there has been no resistance whatsoever from landowners who have been approached (by Great Lakes Cheese.”

“I know that some of the neighbors have sold significant property to Great Lakes Cheese and that the Falcone Funeral Home is no part of this since they operate under a special use permit in an R-2 zone,” he said. “In fact, changing to an I-2 zone would give him a sense of security for his business.”

Farnholz also mentioned that Raines has a 12-acre buffer behind his house “that is completely grown in, so he wouldn’t see the project” and that all odor, noise and wastewater issues have to meet New York State Department of Environmental Conservation standards.

Le Roy Planners to Meet on Tuesday

The supervisor said that the Le Roy Planning Board will address the issue next Tuesday and that the town board has scheduled a public hearing on the matter for July 8.

As far as the county planning board, it took no action as a motion to approve the rezoning referral died for a lack of second, and a subsequent motion for disapproval did not gain the necessary five votes.

Oltramari said it now goes back to the Town of Le Roy, which can act without a recommendation from county planners.

The planning department had recommended approval since the comprehensive plan adopted by the Town of Le Roy in 2017 identifies this area in its Future Land Use Plan as Agriculture and adjacent to Industrial. Thus, Oltramari wrote, it can be argued that rezoning the property to an industrial use that supports agriculture is consistent with the plan should pose no significant countywide or intercommunity impact.

Earlier in the meeting, Masse said his view was that the town was “trying to be proactive – trying to be ahead a little bit.”

“Obviously, our board approved a purchase and sale agreement for one business (BioWorks Inc., of Victor) at the Le Roy Food & Tech Park that’s existing there – to take 60 of the 75 acres. I think the town is seeing that hopefully will be successful and is trying to be proactive by rezoning some of the other parcels there to help grow that,” he said.

Prospective Company Talking to Landowners

Masse said GCEDC wouldn’t be purchasing the other parcels to be rezoned.

“At this point in time, the companies that have been interested in it have been talking – we put them directly in touch with the property owners,” he said.

He added that BioWorks would be looking at West Bergen Road and Route 19 as entrances and exits.

Bennett mentioned that if the cheese factory was to come in with 500 jobs, “that’s a lot of traffic to come out to West Bergen Road and Route 19.”

“If a company were to locate there, on those back parcels, they would probably come in off of (Route) 19 – that would be the main traffic,” Masse replied. “That would be a shared entrance for our park as well as those back parcels. And that’s going to be driven by the Department of Transportation as well, whether there would be any improvements required there or not.”

Masse said BioWorks is creating 30 jobs but has yet to apply for (tax) incentives.

“Their truck traffic would be like FedEx and UPS delivery trucks,” he said. “It wouldn’t be anything heavy, and from a water standpoint, that particular project plans on recycling all rainwater … and will have very little to no municipal use.”

He added that GCEDC is looking at different options to supply natural gas to the property.

Zoning map at top shows the current zoning, left, and the proposed zoning -- changing the parcels in yellow (Residential) to light purple (Industrial) next to the Le Roy Food & Tech Park.

Town supervisor: Great Lakes Cheese representatives inquiring about Le Roy Food & Tech Park

By Mike Pettinella

Representatives of Ohio-based Great Lakes Cheese have visited the Le Roy Food & Tech Park in recent days, exploring the possibility of building a $500 million processing plant at the location off Route 19 and West Bergen Road.

While an officer of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, which owns the park, would not confirm or deny contact with company leadership, Le Roy Town Supervisor James Farnholz this morning told The Batavian that Great Lakes Cheese personnel have been at the 75-acre site.

“Yes, they have been out there and have been in contact, but I don’t know what the status of their negotiations are with landowners. That’s out of our realm,” Farnholz said.

Great Lakes Cheese has been in the news lately as it was looking to expand its operation by locating the new plant in Allegany County, where is already has the Empire Cheese facility in Cuba. Its plans, however, may have been scrapped due to several issues, including a controversial eminent domain seizure of farmland.

Calls to Heidi Eller, company chairman of the board, have not been returned.

A 480,000-square-foot ‘Super Plant’

A report by WGRZ-TV stated the new plant would consist of 480,000 square feet and would mirror other “super plants” owned by GLC in Hiram, Ohio; Plymouth, Wis.; Fillmore, Utah; and Manchester, Tenn.

It also stated that “wherever it ends up would still be eligible for around $200 million in tax incentives over 20 years.”

Mark Masse, senior vice president of operations for the GCEDC, said agency policy prohibits him from commenting until a project application has been submitted.

“We can not comment on projects that may or may not be coming here unless we have an application in hand,” he said. “That has been our stance for a very long time.”

Masse did speak to a referral filed Wednesday with the Genesee County Planning Board by the Town of Le Roy to rezone seven parcels along Route 19 and Randall Road – totaling 185 acres – from R-2 (Residential) to I-2 (Industrial).

Rezoning Lines Up With Town’s Plan

The rezoning would conform with the town’s comprehensive plan’s goal of creating additional industrial uses and, according to documents filled out by Farnholz, “to address one of the town’s weaknesses – loss of jobs/commercial base.”

“Over the years, we have seen some interest in additional property and I think the town is just trying to be proactive to match the zoning with the Le Roy Food & Tech Park in case the project seeks more acreage than is available there,” Masse said. “Our Ag Park (on East Main Street Road in Batavia) is almost sold out at this point, so the larger acreage projects wouldn’t be able to locate there.”

According to the referral, by rezoning the parcels (mainly farmland), it would set the stage for “a potential opportunity for a cheese manufacturing plant (and) would conform to the comprehensive plan.”

Although the referral mentions “a cheese manufacturing plant,” Farnholz said that everything is at the inquiry stage.

Farnholz: Nothing is on the Table

“Nothing is on the table at this point and we are not making specific preparation for anybody. Great Lakes Cheese has made inquiries but we don’t have anything definite. We’re not doing anything for Great Lakes Cheese,” he said.

Farnholz said that land in question should have been rezoned to Industrial years ago to match the property owned by the GCEDC. He also said that a separate parcel, which has a funeral home on it and is operating under a special use permit, would be rezoned to Industrial as well.

“This has been on the table for quite some time,” he said. “Our discussions over the comprehensive plan to expand industrial development along the Route 19 corridor predates anything that is happening now.”

The supervisor said that the town has not spent any money, noting that all of the properties would have to be purchased by Great Lakes Cheese or any other business, with the exception of the GCEDC, which owns the 75 acres off West Bergen Road.

“Any remaining acreage would have to be privately purchased,” he said.

Setting the Stage for Development

He said that if the Great Lakes Cheese plant did not come to Le Roy, rezoning the properties “would just make it more practical for future industrial development. But, again, this is all contingent upon people willing to sell their property.”

The park, which has been in existence for about four years, does not have any businesses yet, Farnholz said.

“Right now, it’s just farmland. The GCEDC leases out their acreage to farmers and the rest of it is just woods and farmland. Down by Randall Road, there’s a group that is grinding up wood and making mulch – that’s the only thing that resembles a business,” he said.

While not a done deal, a $500 million venture in Le Roy would make a significant impact on the local economy.

“Having read many of the articles talking about the project in Allegany County, they were talking about a $500 million plant that would employ up to 400 people, so I would welcome that with open arms,” Farnholz said.

BioWorks to Purchase 60 Acres

In a related development, Masse reported that the GCEDC Board of Directors Thursday approved a purchase and sale agreement with BioWorks Inc. to buy 60 acres at the Le Roy Food & Tech Park for $2.4 million.

“They still would need to forward an application for incentives, which I believe they will be bringing forward,” Masse said. “Last night’s action allows the company to do their due diligence on the site prior to closing to ensure their project can be completed.”

BioWorks Inc. is a national company with a regional office in Victor, is looking to expand its operation.

According to its website, it develops and markets biologically based solutions for customers in the horticulture and specialty agriculture markets. Its products – effective alternatives or additions to traditional chemical programs -- support plant nutrition, disease control, insect control and soil amendment.

Planners debate Le Roy's proposed local law that disallows solar farms in residential, agricultural zones

By Mike Pettinella

Update: 4 p.m. March 19 --

Clarification in seventh paragraph, fixing Baccile's title and the number of megawatts quoted by Farnholz from 125 to 25.

-----------

Le Roy Town Supervisor James Farnholz said that while he respects the wishes of his colleagues on the town board to restrict community solar farms in residential and agricultural districts, his preference would have been finding a “middle ground” to give farmers the chance to repurpose their land.

The subject of the town’s proposed local law and zoning on solar projects was part of the agenda of Thursday night’s Genesee County Planning Board meeting via Zoom videoconferencing. Planners discussed the Le Roy Town Board’s 4-1 vote to not allow these smaller solar projects in the aforementioned designated zones.

Farnholz cast the lone vote to permit them.

“We’ve been working on this commercial solar for the last two and a half years … and I see that farmers are getting on in years and nobody is taking over the farm, and they want the opportunity to make some money,” Farnholz said when contacted by telephone on Friday. “I didn’t want to be the guy that tells them no.”

He said the proposed local law and zoning would allow community solar in areas that are zoned ground-mounted, industrial and interchange zones. In areas that are zoned commercial, that solar would have to be roof mounted.

Farnholz said a “couple of good reasons” factored into the other board members’ decisions.

No Room at the Inn

“Part of the reasoning, as we were told by Ty Baccile, project manager, solar development for Clean Choice Energy, and several others, was that the grid station here in Le Roy could only take, I believe it was 25 megawatts,” Farnholz said. “Which, basically, would mean there would be five farmers or landowners who could have 25-acre separate parcels of solar (at 5 megawatts each) on their land. And those five spots were already taken up in the queue for the grid.”

He said the other factor in the town’s comprehensive plan and agricultural land protection was just that – to protect the farmland.

Additionally, Farnholz pointed out New York State’s increased involvement in siting huge solar projects, such as the ones moving forward in Byron and Elba.

“Once it gets beyond a certain size, and I believe that it is 25 megawatts, it essentially will fall under the state Siting Board, which will make the decisions on it. It kind of bypasses your local zoning,” Farnholz explained.

“Given the political climate between New York State and the federal government on green energy, my personal view is that I would rather find a middle ground than have something forced on us. I’d rather give somebody 40 acres than have them come in and do 500 and not have any voice in it whatsoever.”

Shutting Out the Farmers?

During the planning board meeting, Baccile said he “wanted to share our concerns that this law as it was voted on it would cancel the opportunity in the R-A district for large farmers who wanted to co-locate maybe 30 or 40 acres of solar for community solar … to generate revenue and keep things on the farm going.”

“Basically, as it was voted, it's going to take that away from farmers who had come to the meeting and expressed that this would be a good way for them to support their farm,” he said.

Genesee County Planning Director Felipe Oltramari agreed that it “definitely is not the most solar friendly of local laws, but noted that it is the town board’s prerogative.

“They can decide as, as the elected representatives of Le Roy whether to he pursue, just as (the Town of) Stafford did, a local law that's more restrictive or less friendly to solar development …,” he said.

Oltramari then gave a less than enthusiastic review of wording in the Town of Le Roy’s proposed local law and zoning on solar, making observations that Farnholz said he can’t dispute.

The planning director said he wasn’t on board with the “definitions” in the text or the way that town officials determined the total surface area of a potential solar farm.

“The Town of Le Roy did not follow some of the state models, so the language is a little rough and just needs to be refined,” Oltramari said, adding that the zoning regulation lists multiple names for the same thing, such as “major solar collection system, major system, commercial use minor solar collection system, and ground-mounted solar energy systems. It makes it confusing …”

Definitions Section Needs Revision

Oltramari, in a letter to the town board, said the various terms make it hard to read and understand, and suggested settling on one term and using it throughout.

On the issue of the allowed total surface area, he said “this one can become problematic because it has a potential (where) people are going to basically ask for a lot of variances compared to most solar laws that I’ve seen used.”

He said that most laws figure in equipment pads, posts, foundations of the solar panels and the panels themselves when determining the percentage of coverage requirements.

“When you include the area of the panels it's going to become problematic and you end up creating, basically having to acquire, these large parcels so that only a portion of them will be covered by solar panels and so you end up with a lot of wasted land,” he said. “And that is probably too small to farm or too inconvenient to farm and it sort of gets wasted.”

Oltramari suggested that Le Roy use the New York State model, which includes the footers of the panels, the equipment pads and any paved roads in the lot coverage.

Farnholz had no issue with Oltramari’s suggestions to revise the definitions section and the determination of the permitted total surface area.

“Actually, we discussed that at our meeting last night and agreed that it was problematic and when it does come back from there, we’ll remove that,” he said. “That will be corrected.”

County planners reommended approval of the town’s zoning regulations as long as the revisions outlined in the letter from the planning department are considered (and applied).

Genesee County sets revenue sharing figure at $8 million for towns, villages in 2021

By Mike Pettinella

The Genesee County Legislature is proposing an $8 million revenue distribution to its towns and villages in 2021.

Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein on Wednesday said that is the revised offer for revenue sharing, noting that it represents about a 44-percent decrease in what the county originally had planned to distribute, before COVID-19 disrupted its financial outlook.

“At our last conference call with municipal leaders, I think it was on Aug. 22, we gave them a number – eight million dollars to be shared for the 2021 budget, so they have a number,” Stein said. “So, if that is something that would be easier for them to comprehend and to see, our county manager is ready to put that out in an email form to folks so they can have something they can budget to for 2021.”

County Manager Matt Landers said the legislature had envisioned allocating $14,294,065 but had to revise its thinking due to the negative effects of the coronavirus on the economy.

“We will be providing a specific figure – based on the $8 million proposal -- for each town and village to budget off of shortly,” he added.

Stein repeated the refrain she has used since the county, in May, decided to rescind the county treasurer’s authority to make voluntary quarterly revenue distributions to the towns and villages – effectively ending agreements with the municipalities passed in 2018 and 2019.

Despite that action, the county made distributions of $1.1 million and $2 million to the municipalities in the second quarter of 2020, following a (pre-COVID-19) $3 million distribution in the first quarter.

“We are all in this together,” she said. “We’re all working through this in the same way but it’s still ‘mud’ until we get out of it.”

She said payments are determined by the taxable assessed value of each community.

“(It’s) a process that has been used in the past – so that seems like a fair and equitable way to distribute it,” she said. “We all need something from which to budget to, and realize how difficult it is without any foundation to build a budget from – so absolutely.”

Stein said that the picture could brighten (or become dimmer) as revenue comes in this fall, but was quick to point out that the closure of Six Flags Darien Lake throughout the summer is a major blow.

Landers said he is hopeful the county could do more to help keep town and village property tax rates as low as possible.

“This is a conservative estimate of what the county will be able to provide in funding for 2021 to the towns and villages,” he said. “As the county’s budget season progresses, we will re-evaluate that amount.”

He provided a snapshot of distributions since 2018, explaining that the county budget is comprised of a variety of different revenues, from state and federal reimbursements, property taxes, sales tax, fees for service, interest income, etc.

“When the county determines what it can share in revenue, it is looking at the overall financial picture,” he said.

  • Distribution in 2018 -- Genesee County shared sales tax with towns and villages amounting to $14,335,643.41.
  • Distribution in 2019 -- Genesee County shared sales tax with towns and villages amounting to $14,368,445.17.
  • Distribution in 2020 -- Genesee County has not distributed any sales tax to towns and villages because it only shares sales tax with the City of Batavia for the next 40 years. Genesee County has distributed $6,179,543.09 in other revenue to towns and villages for the first two quarters – a 7.6-percent decrease from what was originally planned.

News that the county has provided a tentative distribution amount will make the jobs of town supervisors and village mayors a bit easier as they devise their budgets for 2021.

“We have been calling upon the county to put a number in writing, and if it is $8 million, then that’s a step in the right direction,” said Le Roy Town Supervisor Jim Farnholz. “Without something to go by, it’s not possible to put a budget together.”

Farnholz, who took office in January after two years on the town board, said the Town of Le Roy budgeted $1.2 million in revenue sharing from Genesee County in revenue in 2020.

A 44-percent decrease would put that figure at $672,000 for 2021.

“If I know that we would have to mitigate $300,000 or $400,000 or so, it puts us in a much better position, considering that we have $1.6 million in reserves, he said. “But it needs to be in writing -- what number is the county willing to share? -- so that we can budget.”

The retired Le Roy Central School teacher said most of his counterparts at the town and village levels agree that a working dollar amount is necessary.

“Our position is that we’re even willing to take a little bit more of a hit (due to the county being stuck with so many state-mandated costs),” he said. “Back in May when this started, we had a discussion – one of the plans put forward at a GAM (Genesee Association of Municipalities) meeting was whatever percentage in revenue the county is down, the towns should be down the same percentage.”

He said he had a conversation with Stein prior to learning that the $8 million was a solid number.

“I told Shelly, this is business. When we conduct business – when I go buy a car or Stein Farms goes and buys a tractor, we have an agreement that has dollar figures attached to it. I don’t think Bob Johnson (Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac in Le Roy) is going to give me a Chevy if I promise to pay him just on good faith,” he said.

Town of Le Roy: valid punch cards again needed to use Transfer Station, Bunnell Park playground, courts closed

By Billie Owens

Public Notice

Le Roy Transfer Station:

  • Effective Saturday, April 4, residents WILL NEED to provide a valid punch card once again in order to dispose of items at the Transfer Station on Circular Hill Road. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • While the Town Hall is closed, residents can mail a check for $30 payable to Town of Le Roy, 48 Main St., Le Roy; or leave the money in the drop box in front of Town Hall and the card will be mailed back to you.  
  • Transfer Cards, if available, may also be purchased at Crocker’s Ace Hardware on North Street Road or Village Hardware on Main Street.  
  • Transfer Station will be CLOSED on Wednesdays for brush disposal until further notice. You may dispose of brush on Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • TRANSFER STATION IS FOR LE ROY RESIDENTS ONLY.

Bunnell Park, Summit Street Road:

  • Playground and basketball courts are CLOSED, per directive from Genesee County Health Dept. until further notice.

James Farnholz, Town of Le Roy, Supervisor

Town of Le Roy to benefit from USDA rural water infrastructure program

By Billie Owens

Information from the USDA:

The Town of Le Roy is the recipient of an $89,000 loan and a $34,000 grant from the USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program to build Water District #11.

According to today's announcement by the USDA, in Washington, D.C., this project will extend public water service to eight residential users in the town who currently do not have safe potable water. The announcement did not specify where Water District #11 to benefit eight households is located.

The investment will eliminate health concerns, lower costs and provide better water quality and quantity as well as fire protection.

Le Roy's project is one of 40 approved in 20 states intended to improve rural water infrastructure. The investments will benefit 111,000 rural Americans, according to USDA.

“These investments will have a far-reaching, positive impact on rural residents, businesses and communities,” said Joel Baxley, acting assistant secretary for Rural Development. “Improving water and wastewater infrastructure enhances quality of life, helps support economic development and ensures that rural areas have safe and abundant water supplies.”

USDA is investing $82 million through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program. Rural communities, water districts and other eligible entities can use the funds for drinking water, stormwater drainage and waste disposal systems. The projects must be in rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents.

Saving Frostridge Brings Revenue to Local Small Business in Our Community

By lucie griffis

As I think of all that is going on with Frostridge I am frustrated at the lack of open mindedness at the revenue that their growth has brought to small business around Le Roy.  Those campers and concert attendees shop in our Village for groceries, propane, and other essentials while at the campground.  Local take out eateries deliver out there or they come into shop.  

We have lost revenue from this weekends Music show to Caledonia Fireman who openly took over where we were not able to.  The next show is John Michael Montgomery, I believe and they have been talking to Genesee County Fairgrounds to have it there if still cease order on.  

Why are we losing out on much needed revenue when our Zoning Board of Appeals states they made a decision on this in 1998 and again in 2013?  Why are we paying a attorney for the Town to sue and retaining one for the ZBA to stand by what they already made a decision on?

WHEN DO WE STEP UP TO THOSE ELECTED OFFICIAL AND STOP BEING A  BEDROOM COMMUNITY?  WHEN DO WE LIVE HERE, INVEST HERE, AND MAKE THEM LISTEN TO WHAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WANTS?  Not just a select few?  

 

Did anyone realize that the Town Board changed the noise ordinance in the Town from 11pm to 9 pm last year?  The Village is still 11pm.

Just so my Village and Town friends realize this~we pay Town and Village taxes, we have the ability to vote for the officials. That means both Town & Village residents need to speak up , sign the petition, and go to the mtg June 12@7pm. Our zoning board of appeals is standing by their decision that Frostridge is already been grandfathered in as non conforming and those were all pre-existing buildings. I am a lifelong resident here and watch how we need more small business here and we are always told how we can't do things! That small business brings people from all over who travel into our Village to support our small businesses. LET'S SUPPORT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS AND BECOME A WE CAN DO THIS COMMUNITY! They didn't want to give us the pool back and look we are at capacity everyday!

 

Please read below the information that is open to all to read on the Save Frostridge Campground on Facebook.  Contrary to what everyone believes this is a neighbor and small business owner in our community that just happened to be at a board meeting for separate issue and heard what was happening running this page.

Copied from Saving Frostridge Campground on Facebook:

My first post this morning I want to do things a little differently. I want to point out what LeRoy does have to offer. We live in a community that is absolutely beautiful. LeRoy is a great village, and town to be involved in. There are many things we have. We have many fine dining establishments. We have the Jello museum,
Oatka Creek (which I heard the village board is working on some projects that would be great.) We have some of the best Farm markets (Pullys, Crinkovich, and McPhersons) and also a great weekly Farmers Market. We have some of the best volunteer organizations any town could ask for LeRoy Volunteer Fire Department(and I thank you one and all), LCCP, LeRoy Healthy Community, LeRoy Main Street Revitalization. In all my years I have been in LeRoy may favorite thing is the Woodward Memorial Library. They have so much to offer. If you live in LeRoy and can't find something that the Library offers to you, you need to look again. You can download music, books and you can even borrow a fishing pole and fish the Oatka. One of the best things LeRoy also has is FrostRidge. Take the time and look around and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery. Most of all "See ya around town." Embrace the beautiful things we have to offer but stand up for what is right also.

 

Copied from Saving Frostridge Campground:

Morning everyone. I want to say first and foremost that I for one like to look at the facts. I started out not having a side or a vested interested on Frost Ridge. It didn't take long after looking at all of the information to realize that someone had to get involved. If we all sit back and watch one thing after another get shut down soon there will be nothing left. 

Fact of the matter is that Frost Ridge was bought by David and Greg pretty much how it sits today. The Town Board puts it out there as they have done all of the upgrades. That is simply not true. They now say that when the swimming pool was put in it makes them non-compliant. Then my question would be why would they have passed all of the inspections and been issued more permits for everything if they were non-compliant. 

They say they were to get a special use permit. It was advised to them they didn't need one. They tried 3 different times to obtain that goal. Oops one time their paperwork even got lost only to be found later and told once again they didn't need one. 

Fact, they went through the proper channels and were given permits and permission to do everything they were doing. The Zoning Board of Appeals has looked at this different times and always found that they are a Pre-exisiting non conforming campground. Meaning in short that they were there before zoning laws. 

Fact, when they went to court their attorney asked why the ZBA was not there to argue their side of the case. The Towns attorney then stated that they chose not to be and he would represent them,

Fact, the ZBA didn't even know that there was a lawsuit against them nor that they should have been in court that day.

Fact, the ZBA still stands behind that Frost Ridge is operating in a legal fashion and should not have to do anything else to continue to operate.

Fact, the Town Board went over the ZBA ruling and filed a lawsuit against Frost Ridge.

There are many more arguments that I could state but the fact of the matter is that Frost Ridge has operated in a legal fashion, unlike some of the Town Representatives would have you believe.

Fact, they bring much more to the community than the things they take away. They are not a cancer to the town and it only takes a minute to get to know these guys to see what a well run operation they have. I would invite each and every person to just take the time to stop out there say hello and really look around at how the campground it run. 

So I would say to all of this stand up for what is right. I for one am a taxpayer in the town of LeRoy and do believe that they should be able to continue to operate within a mannerly fashion just as they have done in the past.

Thanks for the vent time. Keep Smilin' and "See ya around town."

 

Just so my Village friends realize this~we pay Town and Village taxes, we have the ability to vote for the officials. That means both Town & Village residents need to speak up , sign the petition, and go to the mtg June 12@7pm. Our zoning board of appeals is standing by their decision that Frostridge is already been grandfathered in as non conforming and those were all pre-existing buildings. I am a lifelong resident here and watch how we need more small business here and we are always told how we can't do things! That small business brings people from all over who travel into our Village to support our small businesses. LET'S SUPPORT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS AND BECOME A WE CAN DO THIS COMMUNITY! They didn't want to give us the pool back and look we are at capacity everyday!

Sign both the petition to have our elected officials withdraw the lawsuit and to change the Town noise ordinance to what the Village is.  

Invest where we live, support small business in our community, show what a great place that people can open a business and grow- not be told this is not allowed.  How can we fill all those empty homes or store fronts on Main St. or develop that Thruway exit if a profitable business  for all is not allowed to operate?  (REMEMBER THOSE PEOPLE COME INTO THE VILLAGE TO SHOP.)

It is not just as simple as them getting the right permits.  By the way would they really change the zoning and give those permits if it was?  Probably not, that is why we are in this situation as a community!

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