County Legislature makes appointments at organizational meeting

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 January 2024 at 9:33 am

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature held its organizational meeting on Thursday and made several appointments including the following:.

• Lisa Stenshorn will continue as the clerk to the Legislature.

• Kathy Bogan stays as the county attorney.

• The Daily News of Batavia will be the official newspaper carrying legal notices.

• County Legislator Don Allport of Gaines is designated by the Republicans as majority leader of the Legislature and Fred Miller of Albion is designated by the Democrats as minority leader.

• The regular meetings of the Orleans County Legislature will be the fourth Tuesday of the months of January, March, April, May, June, August, September, and October at 4:30 p.m. at the Orleans County Legislative Chambers. The regular February, November and December meetings will be the third Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. The July meeting will be held the fifth Tuesday.

• The Legislature appoints the legislators Merle “Skip” Draper, John Fitzak and Bill Eick as delegates to the InterCounty Association of Western New York to represent Orleans County effective Jan. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2025. Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson will be an alternate, and so will Lisa Stenshorn, the Legislature clerk; and Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer.

• The following appointments to the board for the Orleans Economic Development Agency were reaffirmed by the Legislature: Carol D’Agostino, Jeffrey Martin, John Misiti, Craig Tuohey and Ed Urbanik. Legislators John Fitzak and Skip Draper also were appointed to the EDA board. The county will also contribute $200,000 to the EDA budget in 2024, to be paid in $50,000 quarterly payments.

• The following were appointed to the Soil and Water District Board: Albion dairy farmer James Neal from the Farm Bureau, and legislators Bill Eick and Ed Morgan.

• The following were re-appointed to the Oak Orchard Watershed Board for a two-year term: Ed Morgan, the Soil and Water Chairman; and onion growers on the muck Guy Smith, Peter Smith and Joseph Bezon.

• James Bensley, the county’s director of planning, was named as the Orleans County representative on the Region 8 Open Space Advisory Committee.

• Named Jim Bensley, the director of planning, as an Orleans County representative on the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council, for a two-year term. John Fitzak, Orleans County legislator, will be the chairman’s alternate to the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council.

• Approved paying the New York State Association of Counties $7,367 in 2024 for government consultation in Albany and Washington D.C. The services include: state budget advocacy, legislative advocacy, legal and technical assistance, training and educational programs, policy analysis, research, daily news clips, electronic newsletters, NYSAC news, other programs and services of benefit to the county.

• Legislator Fred Miller was appointed to a two-year term on the Orleans County Jury Board.

• The Legislature also approved an agreement with Benjamin J. Bonarigo, PLLC, by Kristie L. DeFreze, Esq. to be the Assigned Counsel Administrator at a cost of $35,000 for the year plus another $6,000 for administrative assistant services. Retired County Court Judge James Punch was serving in the role with Virginia Nicholson as the administrative assistant.