MURRAY – A town official who receives nearly $5,000 a year as a stipend for not using health insurance paid by the town may have been receiving about $3,000 a year too much the past three years.

Joe Sidonio, a local resident, reviewed the town policy for payments in lieu of health insurance. Sidonio believes the town has made a mistake in paying Ed Morgan, the highway superintendent, $4,985 as annual stipend for getting health insurance elsewhere.

The town has been paying $4,985 for full-time employees who could receive a two-person health insurance policy. The town in 2006 approved a policy where the town agreed to pay half of what the health insurance premium would cost for employees receiving health insurance elsewhere. In 2012, the Town Board revised the policy to cap it at 2011 levels – $4,985 for a two-person policy, $6,007 for a family policy, and $1,742 for a single policy.

However, for new employees hired after the effective date of the local law (first adopted on Sept. 12, 2006 and then amended in 2012), the maximum health insurance stipends would be $3,000 for a family plan, $2,000 for a two-person plan, and $1,000 for a single person policy.

The way Sidonio sees it, Morgan should be considered a “new” employee because he had a break in service when he retired for a day on Dec. 31, 2013. Morgan, like many long-time elected officials in the state, can “retire” for a day and then begin collecting their state pension, as well as their full salary. (Among elected highway superintendents in Orleans County, Larry Swanger of Clarendon and Roger Wolfe of Yates both “retired” briefly so they could receive their pensions, as well as full salary.)

Sidonio first asked the Town Board in February 2016 if Morgan had retired as superintendent, and if Morgan was receiving his pension and also the health insurance stipend.

Sidonio submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the town, and Town Clerk Cindy Oliver on Feb. 22, 2016 sent a letter to Sidonio, saying the town did not have any records of Morgan’s retirement.

Sidonio sent a FOIA to the state comptroller, which sent a letter on March 31, 2016, saying that Morgan had retired on Dec. 31, 2013 and was receiving a $3,114.18 a month for his pension.

Town Supervisor John Morriss, during the April12, 2016, Town Board meeting responded that Morgan had not actually retired, but was receiving his retirement, according to minutes from the meeting.

However, Sidonio said Morgan did retire, even if for a day, based on the paperwork with the comptroller.

The Murray local law states that current employees receiving the the stipend shall be considered new employees at the lower stipend level if they have a break in employment by not getting reappointed, not being re-elected “or otherwise.” If they then return to employment with the town, “such employees shall be regarded as a new employee and subject to the limitations on payments in lieu of health insurance applicable to new employees,” according to the town law, which Sidonio read from on Tuesday.

He believes the town has overpaid Morgan nearly $9,000 from 2014 to 2016, with a new year now begun of excessive payments.

“I would respectfully ask the Town Board to look at that and let us know what is happening with that,” Sidonio told the Town Board. “If retirement is not considered a break in service, I don’t know what is.”

Town Supervisor John Morriss and Town Attorney Jeff Martin said the town would look into the matter.

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Village also presses for more state AIM funding and bank for community

HOLLEY – Village Board members on Tuesday evening took the next step in the process to obtain grant funding under the State Department of State’s Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program, which provides financial and technical assistance to municipalities for turning dormant and blighted parcels into productive, catalytic properties.

Trustees voted to authorize Mayor Brian Sorochty to submit an application to the BOA program for a Step 2 grant. A public hearing was held on the application prior to the vote.

The village is seeking a grant not to exceed $200,000 for the development of a Nomination Study. A scope of work was prepared by the village with the help of a steering committee as part of the grant application process.

The scope lists eleven tasks including the preparation of a Nomination Study for the BOA with an updated existing conditions analysis; a Community Participation Plan; a Light Industrial Market Analysis and Strategy; a Residential Development Strategy; and Future Land Use and Conceptual Designs which focus on strategic sites identified in the Step 1 Pre-Nomination Study. Those sites include the former Diaz site; 51 State St.; the site of the former (Save-A-Lot) grocery store; 89 Public Square; and the old Holley High School.

“With significant investment potentially occurring at the Village of Holley High School site, public interest in the future of the Diaz site and the community’s support for a revitalized downtown public square, active and continuous community engagement will be imperative to ensuring recommendations are consistent with the community’s vision and goals,” the Scope states.

In other business Tuesday evening, Orleans County Legislator Ken DeRoller addressed trustees, bringing them up-to-date on a number of issues.

DeRoller noted infrastructure improvements at the county level which include ongoing bridge and culvert repairs totaling $33 million; the efforts of a lobbyist hired by Orleans County to, “make our message known,” on a state level; and the NYS Department of Transportation’s plan to spend $13 million for canal bridge improvements in Orleans County.

Trustee Connie Nenni asked DeRoller if the county’s lobbyist might be able to help with an effort to get the state to overhaul its AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities) funding for villages and towns. Currently 90 percent of that money goes to cities.

“It’s something to take a look at,” DeRoller said. “Sales tax allocations are starting to erode, but AIM is the target we need to go after.”

“It would be fantastic if we could get even half of what the cities get,” Trustee Skip Carpenter said. Additional AIM funds would help villages and towns with projects like sidewalk and street repair, he noted.

DeRoller also brought trustees up-to-date on efforts to find a new tenant for the former First Niagara Bank branch in the village’s Public Square.

Petitions in support of the effort are still available around the community – at the Village Hall, local businesses and town offices in Murray, Clarendon and Kendall.

“We are in a bank desert,” DeRoller said of the east side of the county. He has been working to reach out to players in the marketplace and said the petitions will provide additional “leverage” in the effort by showing there is an interest in having banking services available in the village.

Village Clerk Deborah Schiavone said there has been a “very good response” to the petitions.

DeRoller said Key Bank has the lease on the building until September and that, “a couple of parties are interested in purchasing the property…. it’s taking time, but everybody’s working on it.”

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Convention will be on the ballot in November

Photo by Tom Rivers: Murray Town Councilman Paul Hendel, right, speaks during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting while Councilman Ed Bower listens.

MURRAY – A Murray town councilman is urging the public to educate themselves on a state-wide ballot proposition in November – the New York State Constitutional Convention.

Paul Hendel, the Murray councilman, said he is voting for the convention and he hopes it leads to some changes on how the state is operating, especially with how it treats local municipalities with land use powers.

Hendel said he is concerned about the state’s growing clout in taking away “home rule” from local governments. The state has infringed upon local communities’ home rule or their power with local zoning and land use, especially with large-scale wind energy projects, Hendel said.

“We’ve already seen a pull back (in home rule) with energy systems,” Hendel said during Tuesday’s Town Board meeting. “I am nervous the state will want to pull back that even more.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is pushing a “Clean Energy Standard” that will require 50 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources like wind and solar by 2030. That means more land, especially upstate, will be needed for those large-scale projects.

Sttae Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, has been promoting a “two New Yorks” proposal, where ultimately he would like to see New York City and upstate be separated. Hendel said he favors that secessionist push.

“I would never ask someone how they would vote but I would vote ‘yes’ on that one,” Hendel said at the Town Board meeting.

The Constitutional Convention comes up every 20 years on the state-wide ballot.

It gives voters a chance to hold a convention to change the state constitution, which was first crafted in 1777. If voters approve the convention, delegates are elected by the public in November 2018 and they would convene in April 2019.

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MURRAY – More residents in a proposed water district extension need to sign a petition in support of the project if it’s going to move forward, town attorney Jeff Martin told the Murray Town Board on Tuesday.

Several residents have already signed petitions, backing the Water District 3 Extension 1. The project would cover about 3 miles on portions of Hindsburg, West Kendall and Center roads. It would serve about 20 residences and 40 parcels.

It would bring public water to some of the last remaining sections of the town without a waterline.

“This might very well be the last water district for the town,” Martin said.

The extension is off three roads on the western end of Ridge Road in Murray.

The town had an informational meeting on Jan. 24 for the project. The project includes assessed values of $3,935,900. The property owners representing at least half of the assessed value, $1,967,950, need to sign petitions supporting the project. Martin said the town is about 42 percent of the way to that goal.

It also needs at least 50 percent of the owner-occupied houses, which represents a total assessed value of $3,050,700. Martin said the signatures so far represent $789,900, which is short of the $1,525,900 threshold for the the project to move forward.

“Hopefully people are out there pounding the pavement getting those signatures,” he said.

If the town passes the 50 percent threshold for the district, Martin said Murray can move forward with legally creating the district.

For more information on the project, call the Town Hall at (585) 638-6570, or click here to be directed to the Murray town website.

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Photo by Kristina Gabalski:  Ryan Frank and Kameron Walch pose with Holley Elementary School Principal Karri Schiavone. Schiavone presented the two sixth graders with a district Soaring to New Heights Award Monday evening during the Board of Education meeting.
“Kameron and Ryan have both been taking an active role in stopping bullying around the school, especially at school recess,” Schiavone said. “When they see bullying happen, they talk to the targeted student, and help remove that student from the situation and tell the bully to stop. Both boys are great role models on what a good friend looks like, and great role models to stop bullying in the sixth grade.”
Schiavone said the boys’ efforts show that they practice great character traits even when no one is looking.

District also working on policy for bed bug issues

HOLLEY – The Board of Education members unanimously approved the formation of a new district trap shooting team during their regular meeting Monday evening.

Board member Melissa Ierlan said a meeting is planned Feb. 28 at the Holley Rod and Gun Club at which time students can learn more about the team and sign up. Safety training will then begin during the month of March.

Board members discussed forming the team during their January meeting, but members of the administration requested more details.

Middle School/High School Principal Sue Cory said information gathered over the past month has helped her to decide that forming the team is, “very good, very beneficial. I think it’s a great option.”

School attorney Jeff Martin said he will draft a waiver for parents and guardians of students on the team to cover any liability issues, although club activities will take place off-campus at the Rod and Gun Club.

In other business, Board members discussed the creation of a district procedure regarding bedbugs. Bedbugs were found in an elementary classroom in January and again last week.

John Sherman, director of facilities, reported that exterminators treated two rooms last  Friday and no more bugs have been found. “We are in good shape,” Sherman said.

Board President Brenda Swanger noted that the building has been thoroughly searched.

“I witnessed you myself crawling all over the place on your hands and knees,” Swanger told Sherman.

Swanger said she wants the district to prepare a written policy for dealing with bug-related issues. “I don’t care if no one else has one,” she said of the policy.

Superintendent Robert D’Angelo said a policy will be drafted for board approval at the next regular meeting.

Board member Melissa Ierlan questioned what the State Education Department recommends. “People think we can do things we can’t do,” she said.

The district does have a policy for dealing with head lice, administrators said, and noted the bedbug policy could be similar.

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Provided photos

The new student organization at Holley Central School, the Holley Interact Club, spent Thursday helping at the Open Door Mission in Rochester.

The Interact Club is sponsored the Rotary Club and includes high school students.

The Interact Club formed after two Holley students, Jessica Mandigo and Makenzie Ferranti, attending a Rotary sponsored youth conference last year.

Evinn Neadows, a Holley art teacher, is the Interact advisor. She was the Interact president when she was in school at Lewiston.

Students helped make sandwiches at the Open Door Mission.

Jessica Mandigo, the Holley Interact President, posted this statement on the Holley Rotary Club Facebook page:

“Today I had the opportunity to go to Open Door Mission with our school’s Interact Club, and it was truly such an eye-opening experience. I am so very grateful to have been given the chance to volunteer at such an amazing place and make over 50 lunches that they necessarily wouldn’t have without the help of volunteers. Doing what I did today makes me appreciate the things that I have like food, heat, hygiene products, a place to sleep, etc, so much more now.

“We take everything for granted because that is just human nature. Take a minute and really appreciate the things that you do have because they are things that, unfortunately, not everyone has. Go out and volunteer at a place like Open Door Mission. It costs nothing, and means more than the world to people who don’t have the things that we take for granted.”

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Press Release, Holley Central School

HOLLEY – The Holley Girls’ Basketball program on Wednesday will be hosting their fourth annual “More Than a Game Fight Against Cancer Basketball Fundraiser.”

The JV game will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Holley Middle School/High School Gym with the varsity game to follow at 7:30 p.m. The Hawks will be playing against the Alexander Trojans.

Spectators are encouraged to wear lavender to support all cancer research. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to the More Than a Game Foundation. Holley has raised over $10,000 the past three years.

At the game, there will be a chance to purchase tickets for a Chinese auction gift basket raffle, a 50/50 drawing, and grand prize raffle; the opportunity to participate in a half-court shooting contest; and other activities. Grand prize tickets can be purchased from a girls’ basketball player or coach.

Keith Roth Allstate Insurance Company has donated a 49″ LG Ultra 4K TV and a brand-new Xbox One S as one of the grand prizes. The other grand prize, donated by Holley Central School District Faculty and Staff, is a pair of tickets to the Maroon 5 concert on Sunday, March 5, and a gift card to Blu Wolf Bistro. Raffle ticket holders do not have to be present at the event to win a prize.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, shown speaking in Holley on Aug. 14, 2014, at the former Diaz Chemical site. John Kenney, Holley’s mayor at the time, is in back.

HOLLEY – U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer told Holley officials today that a “freeze” on all contracts and grants from the Environmental Protection Agency shouldn’t slow down the transfer of eight homes owned by the EPA.

Those houses were abandoned by previous homeowners when they feared the homes were contaminated by a release at the former Diaz Chemical in January 2002.

The EPA has had the sites cleaned. The village has been trying for years to have them put back on the market, boosting the village’s tax base and population.

Schumer sent a letter to the EPA today, Schumer’s office notified Holley Mayor Brian Sorothcy and Dan Schiavone, chairman of the Village of Holley Development Corporation – the entity that would take possession and then try to resell the properties. Some of the proceeds from the sale would go to the village to be used for other economic and community development.

“In light of the reported new policy requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to freeze and review action on all pending EPA contracts and grants, I write to strenuously oppose any delay or any reversal in the EPA’s long anticipated and soon-expected transfer of eight houses in the Village of Holley to the Village of Holley Development Corporation (VHDC).

“When the EPA purchased these eight houses a decade ago as part of its response and clean-up of the 2002 Diaz Chemical toxic chemical release, the Village of Holley lost an estimated $700,000 from its tax base and neighboring homeowners suffered from vacant properties marring their community.

“Fortunately by 2014 the EPA determined the eight houses were free of any contamination from the Diaz release and together with the VHDC initiated a plan to transfer ownership of the houses to the VHDC, which in turn would put the houses on the market for sale to new owners.

“This agreement was codified in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the EPA that the Village of Holley signed in September 2016.  Prior to enacting this new freeze and review policy on January 24th, quitclaim deeds to the properties were being prepared for the EPA by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers  (USACE) along with related materials needed for the EPA to process the deed transfers within a matter of weeks. ‎

“This new freeze and review policy must not side-track or derail the transfer of these properties.  A promise is a promise and the signed Memorandum of Agreement directing the transfer of these properties back to the Village of Holley must be abided.  I request your immediate assurance that the transfer process will not now be reversed or delayed.”

Sincerely,

Charles Schumer

U.S. Senator

Schumer also issued this statement to the media about the Trump administration decision’s to freeze all EPA grants and contracts:

“EPA’s fundamental mission to protect clean air and clean water for public health and safety is being impeded by the unprecedented decision to freeze all grants and contracts. This decision could have damaging implications‎ for communities across New York, from delaying testing for lead in schools to restricting efforts to keep drinking water clean to holding up much-needed funding to revitalize toxic brownfield sites. The Administration should reverse this damaging policy immediately.”

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Photo by Kristina Gabalski: The former First Niagara Bank sits empty in a prominent spot of the Public Square in Holley.

HOLLEY – There has been “quite a response” to a petition in support of an effort to bring a new bank to the Village of Holley.

Holley Village Clerk Deborah Schiavone said two pages of the petition at the village offices are full (there are about 30 signatures per page). Local businesses have the petition available and they have requested more pages as the ones they have fill up.  Schiavone said she planned to get petition sheets to the Town of Clarendon offices this week.

The First Niagara branch in Holley closed this past October as part of a consolidation by Key Bank.  Prior to the closing, local officials made a concerted effort to convince KeyBank to keep the Holley First Niagara branch open.

Those stakeholders included officials from the Towns of Kendall, Murray, Clarendon, the Village of Holley, the Holley Central School District, the Kendall Central School District, the Holley Community Free Library and the Holley Joint Fire District.

That effort didn’t sway KeyBank, but the local group is now focusing on finding another bank to take up residence at the Public Square site.

Orleans County Legislator Ken DeRoller has been working to reach out to players in the marketplace.

“It’s a very important issue,” he said of bringing a bank back to the community. “We are all trying our best to bring some kind of banking opportunity to Holley.”

DeRoller said that might come in the in the form of anything from full service banking to an ATM.

“We believe there is an opportunity here,” he said, while noting, “banking has changed.”

The former First Niagara branch building has everything necessary for full-service banking, including safety deposit boxes and a safe, but DeRoller said he is finding that the footprint of the building is considered large.

He said it is important that the community makes it clear through signing the petition, that they want banking opportunities in Holley and that they will make use of the service if an interested bank is found.

“You’ve got to use it or lose it,” DeRoller said. “We still have hope (of finding a new bank) if people step up and sign those petitions.”

In addition to municipal offices in eastern Orleans County, the petition is also available at local businesses.

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Photo courtesy of Holley Central School

HOLLEY – Close to the holidays, some familiar faces were seen at a Holley Middle School/High School home basketball game. Five students from last year’s senior class attended the game together in their military uniforms. They are pictured from left: Ronnie DeWaal and Ross Pinson from the Marines, Thomas Kelly Jr. from the Air Force, and Clarence Moyer and Santino Morales from the Army.

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HOLLEY – The school district has found bed bugs in two elementary school classrooms recently. It brought in an exterminator to treat the classroom, as well as adjacent rooms and the hallway.

“We’re staying on top of it,” said Robert D’Angelo, the school district superintendent. “At this point it looks like we’re in good shape.”

Karri Schiavone, the elementary school principal, sent a notice to parents urging them to be on the look out for the bugs.

They are “hitch hikers” and can attach to student backpacks, coats and clothes, and move from one location to another, D’Angelo said.

The district has advised people to wash and dry clothes on the highest heat for 60 minutes. That heat is effective at killing bed bugs and their eggs.

Clothing, linens and other items that cannot be washed should be dried on high heat for 20 to 30 minutes, the district suggested.

Schiavone told parents in a letter that two live bed bugs and two dead ones were discovered. D’Angelo said district staff continue to be looking closely for any of the bugs. He urged the community to also take precautions.

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Provided photo: Students received a limo ride on Wednesday as a reward for leading their grade levels in reading.

HOLLEY – Winners of the Holley Elementary Pick A Reading Partner (PARP) program were treated to a very special lunch Wednesday – a chauffeured limo ride to the Brockport McDonald’s.

The PARP program is designed to encourage kids to read with their parents on a regular basis.

This year’s program began Dec. 5 with students reading either on their own or with a partner. Minutes spent reading were tracked through Jan. 6 and two winners from each grade level were announced during an assembly Jan. 13.

This year’s winners are Ian Bannister, Jayden Rivera, Julianna Church, Caiden Murray, Kaitlyn Dodson, Felicity Virgilio, Dylan Warner, Brianna Pellegrino, Addison Probst, Parker Tower, Dawson Arnold, Hailey Gonzalez, Alyssa Armstrong, Allison Merle, Kayla Neale, Matthew Bull, Sarah Kelly and Casey Onisk.

The annual event is sponsored by the PTSA to encourage students to enjoy reading.

The students were recognized during an assembly on Jan. 13.

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