By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 May 2014 at 12:00 am
KENDALL – A boost in state aid is allowing Kendall Central School to narrow a tax increase. Kendall school officials were looking at a 1.9 percent hike but that was trimmed to 1.36 percent in the budget that goes before voters on May 20.
Kendall school officials cut taxes by $1 million in the 2013-14 budget, reducing the tax levy from $5.6 million to $4.6 million. The average tax rate fell from $21.51 to $17.45 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The tax levy will slightly rise in the new budget, from $4,606,613 to $4,669,245. That is about $110,000 below the district’s tax cap.
The overall budget increases spending by 5.5 percent from $14,051,383 to $14,826,116. The new budget doesn’t cut existing programs. It adds a student services coordinator and two special education teachers, one each at the elementary and high school levels.
School officials will have a budget presentation at 7 p.m. on May 7 at the Junior-Senior High School Commons. The vote will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 20 at the elementary school gym.
District residents last year approved a $25 million capitol project. The district has submitted the design specifications and other documents to the state Education Department and is waiting on SED approval, said Julie Christensen, district superintendent.
She expects the state will give approval to the project this summer and bids will go out in the fall. Some work could start in the winter, such as construction of a more secure entrance at the school.
The bulk of the work will likely be in the summer 2015, “when there will be major renovations at both buildings,” Christensen said.
Photos by Sue Cook – The hallways were packed to bursting as Marshall continued to collect presents. At the end of the walk, he had two large baskets and a cardboard box overflowing with cards, several plastic guitars and at least three beachballs signed by the students.
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
KENDALL – For 50 years – first as a student and then an employee – Kendall schools have been like a home to Bruce Marshall.
Today Marshall was greeted to a celebration from a grateful school community following 36 years of work for the district. Marshall is retiring, and Kendall Superintendent Julie Christensen says the school is sad to see him go.
“Bruce was a mainstay of the elementary school and Kendall community for over 50 years. He knows all the nooks and crannies,” she said. “If anybody needs anything, they’re stuck in a snow bank, need help with their locker or broke their glasses, he’ll do whatever he can to help. He’s been a great guy and we’ll miss him terribly.”
He began as a student at Kendall at 5 years old. When was 15, he started in the position of student helper, which is the title for a part-time custodian at the school. He moved on to full-time custodian in 1977 and became the head custodian in 1980.
Head custodian Bruce Marshall retired today from the Kendall Elementary School.
“I would like to still be able to stop in and see concerts now that I have more time and things like that,” Marshall said. “I would still like to see some of the kids.”
For Marshall’s last day today there was a cook-out style lunch celebration of hot dogs and hamburgers. The real surprise was at the end of the day.
Christensen had coordinated a surprise among elementary school staff and students for a final farewell to their head custodian. She called Marshall down to the principal’s office. Over the loudspeakers they played his favorite musician. To the soundtrack of Bruce Springsteen, Marshall walked the halls of the school followed by the administrators. In every hallway, students stood waiting outside their classrooms with cards, gifts and confetti.
Some students asked for signatures on items, as if they were meeting a celebrity. The sixth-graders sent him down their hall to the loud chanting of “Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!” The younger kids supplied their own chants of “Marshall! Marshall! Marshall!”
Teachers offered strong hugs and happy words. Even Channel 2 news out of Buffalo and Channel 13 from Rochester came out with cameras. It was a rock star sendoff that was both unexpected and touching for Marshall. In all, approximately 400 students congratulated Marshall on his retirement.
Marshall’s long-time girlfriend Karen Keck was there to watch Marshall walk the halls. They had already been talking about what it would be like when he retired.
“I think it’s going to be very exciting,” she said. “We’ve been counting down days since around 500-something. Now it’s finally here. I think it’s a good move for him and he’s really going to enjoy his time off.”
The youngest students were given glitter to toss for Marshall. At the end of the walk, the administrators joked that he wasn’t allowed to leave until every speck of glitter was off the floor.
“I don’t see him ever not being connected somehow to the Kendall schools,” Keck continued. “He’ll always find a way. Whether it’s participating in something like a community event or he does a lot of baking and he brings in his baked good, and I’m sure he’s going to continue with that.”
Marshall has been very happy with his employment at Kendall. He loves the school and believes in the staff and students continuing the positive direction.
“This has been a great place,” he said. “This school does everything it can for the students. I was glad to be able to be a part of creating an atmosphere that they were taken care of and this building being well-maintained. Just the caring that everybody shows from the superintendent, the secretaries, the cafeteria workers, the bus drivers, everybody just puts 110 percent into these kids to help them in every way they possibly can.”
Marshall has immediate retirement plans to follow Bruce Springsteen on tour for a while. His first concert stop will be in Pittsburgh later this month.
After following Springsteen’s tour for a little while, Marshall is already planning for more.
“I will be traveling to family,” he said. “Karen’s family is out in Colorado, a couple of sisters are in Florida. We have some grandkids in Reading, Pennsylvania, and Raleigh, North Carolina, that we’d like to see a little more of. We have a cottage at the lake. The main thing is enjoying the lake this summer and relaxing for my first summer off.”
‘There’s positive things that we do here 180 days a year. It’s been a great place and it always will be.’ – Bruce Marshall, who is retiring from the school
Starting Monday, Mark Kessler will move up to become the elementary school head custodian. Marshall expects Kessler to do a great job, but will be available in case there are questions.
“He has my number, and fortunately, I live one mile away,” Marshall said. “There are some little troubleshooting things that only I kind of know because I’ve been here 36 years, so I can point them out to him. There’s times you never know what’s going to hit you when you walk into this school.”
Marshall wanted to end his day with good words and encouragement before leaving to celebrate with friends over a pizza.
“There’s positive things that we do here 180 days a year. It’s been a great place and it always will be,” he said, picking glitter and confetti out of his hair.
Photos by Sue Cook – The Kendall High School Jazz Band, led by teacher Ashlea Strouse (left with arms raised), plays a rendition of “Blue Skies.”
By Sue Cook, staff reporter
KENDALL – Last night, Kendall entertained with student and teacher performances from their many music programs. The last few years the spring event has been An Evening of Jazz. This year, the teachers decided to change it up to become The Kendall Music Boosters First Annual Spring Dessert Cabaret and to include all the school music programs.
The performances throughout the evening were a mix of modern and classic. Some of the modern songs included “Flightless Bird” by Iron & Wine, which can be found on the soundtrack of the movie “Twilight” and Coldplay’s “Fix You,” which served as the evening’s finale.
Katie Richardson, Abby Rice, Tessa Vick, Sarah Gardner, Marisa Hanlon and Carley Lester sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Misèrables.”
Kendall Superintendent Julie Christensen was thrilled to have the school hold the event.
“We wanted to recognize their talents and then the money they raise will go toward some of their equipment,” she said. “Sometimes they need big pieces of equipment for when they go off to off to the Heritage Jazz Festival. We use that money to offset some of the cost for some of the kids who would otherwise be unable to go. It’s a great opportunity to showcase and do something a little different.”
Some teachers performed throughout the night. Here Ashlea Strouse is playing “Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms” on the trumpet while accompanied on piano by Leanne Swaciak who teaches elementary band. Swaciak accompanied many student performances throughout the night.
“It gives the kids more opportunities to perform,” said 7th through 12th grade instrumental music teacher Ashlea Strouse. “It’s a chance for diverse music to be performed together.”
Jayden Peniaszek took the stage with a very bluesy look that included a fedora and sunglasses. He removed the sunglasses and threw the audience a wink before starting his performance of “Trumpet Voluntary.”
The money earned from the evening goes toward funding all the music programs at the school. The students were very appreciative of the chance to perform in the cabaret.
Elementary general music and chorus teacher Jeremy Rath entertained the crowd as the worked their way through the dessert tables sampling everything from chocolate fondue to ice cream and more.
Senior Mark Washington, member of the a capella group Vocal Effect, said, “Thank you to the Kendall music department teachers.”
“And thanks to everyone for coming and supporting us,” added fellow Vocal Effect member senior Dustin Furness. Vocal Effect, led by 7th to 12th grade vocal teacher Steven Miller, will be performing the National Anthem at the Rochester Razorsharks game today.
Mary Price served chocolate cake at the dessert intermission. She is a Music Booster supporter because two of her sons are in the Kendall music programs. Her son Jonathan is a junior and her son Kenny is a freshmen.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 March 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Justin Tese, a Holley special education teacher, tries to drive by two Kendall defenders during a faculty basketball game.
KENDALL – Two schools with a long-lasting rivalry joined forces for a good cause on March 20 when Holley and Kendall teachers laced up their sneakers for a game of basketball.
The schools sold 500 tickets at $2 each. The fund-raiser netted $500 each for the Kendall Food Cupboard at the United Methodist Church and the Holley Loaf and Ladle at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
“I knew the two towns would come together for something like this,” said Jason Cole, who graduated from Kendall and teaches high school math at Holley.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Justin Laureano of Kendall drives with the ball.
The Kendall faculty won the game, 55-44. Kendall Principal Carol D’Agostino served as the public address announcer and she mixed in a lot of banter when teachers nailed three-pointers and shot air balls. Colt Tooley, the junior high boys basketball coach, was the top scorer, hitting several three-pointers.
Kendall faculty have played state troopers and teachers from Albion and Byron-Bergen in recent years. Kevin Watson, Kendall’s athletic director, thought a game with the school’s top rival would draw a big crowd, and could net some funds for a good cause.
He approached Dan Courtney, Holley’s AD, about a benefit game between the two schools. Courtney agreed and the game – “Cause for the County” – was talked up in both communities.
“Holley was willing to do it right off the bat,” Watson said after catching his breath from the action on court. “It’s a big rivalry so it makes sense to play each other.”
Photo by Tom Rivers – The Kendall cheerleaders performed at halftime and cheered throughout the game.
The game was such a success that the two schools hope to make it an annual tradition.
“We’ll do it every year, although we may pick different causes in the community,” Watson said.
The game had the added gimmick of a wrestling match between two Kendall teachers. The match between biology teacher Tige Noni and math teacher Dan Boyd was supposed to be a low-profile battle at a wrestling practice.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Dan Boyd gets a take down on Tige Noni.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Tige Noni is the winner of a wrestling match between two Kendall teachers. Dan Boyd did score a takedown in the battle.
But students and staff heard about it and the match was worked into the benefit game. Boyd is a newcomer to the sport, and he managed a double-leg takedown on Noni, the more experienced wrestler. Noni then reversed the takedown, and was able to pin Boyd with a half nelson. The match drew loud cheering. Noni was presented with a trophy and a championship belt.
“I figured we would wrestle at practice but this really blew up,” Noni said. “It was fun and we were both willing to do it for charity.”
Kendall students videotaped both wrestlers earlier in March and prepared promotional videos that were shown in school. Boyd was shown training with the Rocky theme song.
After the wrestling match, Noni and Boyd both played in the basketball game.
Photo by Tom Rivers – Dan Kelly, a high school senior, offers instructions to the Kendall faculty team.
The Kendall squad was coached by Dan Kelly, a high school senior. He was animated by the team’s bench, shouting instructions. His coach, Justin Laureano, played for the Kendall faculty team.
“It’s been fun spending time with the teachers,” Kelly said about coaching the team. “I got to yell at my coach the way he yells at me.”
KENDALL – A Canandaigua man is hospitalized after falling from the operator’s platform on a hydraulic boom truck this morning.
The incident occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m., in the 900 block of West Kendall Road. Allen L. Harter, 62, had climbed up to the platform and was preparing to sit down in the boom operator’s chair when he lost his footing and fell to the ground, a distance of between 7 and 8 feet.
Harter was transported by Kendall FD ambulance to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He is employed by J.F. Electric Inc., of Edwardsville, Ill. The company leased the truck from Global Rental Co., in Indianapolis, Ind.
The incident was investigated by Deputy M.C. Mele.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Last year, 23 new houses were built in Orleans County. That’s not too many for an entire county, noted Ken DeRoller, a county legislator and member of the Orleans Economic Development Agency board of directors.
DeRoller, a former Kendall town assessor, said Kendall typically sees one new house go up a year. That pace of development makes it difficult to grow the tax base for the community.
The Cottages at Troutburg, a seasonal resort community in Kendall by Lake Ontario, has the chance to attract 400 new homes to Kendall. The developers of the project, The Wegman Group, believe the site could be full in a decade with houses ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.
“We have to take advantage of one of our best assets here and that’s the lake,” DeRoller said. “The resource of the lake is our main attraction.”
The Wegman Group acquired former Salvation Army Camp by Lake Ontario for $1.5 million. The site had been tax exempt for about a half century. The company has stated the 126-acre site is one of the finest sites along the south shore of the lake.
The Wegman Group expects to spend $2.5 million for a sewer system, new roads and other amenities to make the project attractive to cottage owners.
The company requested a tax incentive plan over 10 years, which would save The Wegman Group $227,000 and also commit it to $186,000 in taxes. The proposal was opposed by town officials and many residents during two public hearings in the past month.
But today the EDA board unanimously approved it. DeRoller sees the project as a big benefit for the community, providing more tax base, more sales tax for the county and more customers for local businesses.
The tax incentives are for the property at a $1.3 million assessment, its current state. As cottages are completed, a sewer system installed and other improvements made, they will be put on the tax roll at 100 percent valuation without any tax breaks.
EDA officials estimate the project, when fully built with 400 cottages, could boost the community’s tax base by $30 million or more. That would help knock down the tax rates for town, county and school district taxpayers.
During public hearings about the proposal in the past month, residents and town officials said they feared the cottages may not get built, resulting in a tax giveaway for a doomed development.
As part of the 10-year tax abatement plan, the EDA added a stipulation that The Wegman Group needs to add at least $500,000 in assessment at the site annually over 10 years or else the tax plan could be voided, with the entire property reverting to full assessed value.
“There were some concerns if it failed or stalled,” DeRoller said. “This gives us an opportunity to cancel the incentives.”
Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata asked during the public hearings that no incentives be given to a residential project. Cammarata attended the EDA meeting today and said he was disappointed by the vote.
Al Lofthouse, a Kendall resident and Conservative Party chairman, said he didn’t think it was fair to other residents – “stressed taxpayers” – who don’t get tax discounts.
The EDA classified the project as a commercial endeavor. DeRoller believes it has the potential to benefit many other merchants in the area, including farm markets, fishing charters, wineries and restaurants.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 February 2014 at 12:00 am
EDA stipulates $500K annually in cottages need to be built or else no deal
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency this morning approved $227,000 in tax incentives over 10 years for The Cottages at Troutburg. However, if the developer fails to grow the tax base by at least $500,000 a year with new cottages or other projects, the incentive deal could be cancelled.
Kendall residents and town officials spoke out against the deal in two recent public hearings. Town Councilman Bruce Newell asked that any incentives be tied to performance or new development at the 126-acre former Salvation Army Camp along Lake Ontario.
The EDA board acknowledged today the agency doesn’t typically make performance part of a tax incentive package. But the board added that stipulation.
“That was great language that was negotiated in the process,” said Ken DeRoller, an EDA board member and county legislator from Kendall.
Orleans Hub will have more on the tax incentive deal later today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 February 2014 at 12:00 am
Marisa Hanlon advanced to zone competition
File photo by Tom Rivers – Marisa Hanlon, a junior at Kendall, delivers a speech about the Constitution during the Jan. 8 Orleans County Legislature meeting. Legislature Chairman David Callard is pictured in back listening to Marisa. Her mother Nadine Hanlon is the Legislature clerk. She is pictured at right. Hanlon won the county contest and advanced to the district and then zone levels.
KENDALL – After winning the oratorical contest at Orleans County and advancing past the district level competition, a Kendall student’s journey ended on Saturday in the American Legion’s annual competition.
Marisa Hanlon won a $500 scholarship after making it to the zone competition. The top two finishers from five zones in the state advance to the finals in Albany next month.
Hanlon was the only public school student in the zone competition in Mount Morris. The other participants all had speech coaches.
Marisa recited her memorized speech “A Perfect Union” on Saturday and also had to be prepared to give a 3- to 5-minute speech on a random Constitutional amendment. The amendment chosen was the 1st Amendment – “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Marisa was joined in Mount Morris by Charles Eberhardt, her escort from the American Legion. He is the commander of the Jewell Buckman Post 529 in Holley.
She thanked her Kendall social studies teacher, Mr. Petrosino, who helped her to prepare for the competition. Marisa also credited the Kendall school district for encouraging students to compete in the contest.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 February 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Kendall Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata (back to crowd) stands and tells Jim Whipple, chief executive officer of the Orleans Economic Development Agency, that Cammarata opposes any property tax breaks for a residential project along the lake at a former Salvation Army Camp.
KENDALL – Town officials and residents maintained their opposition to $227,000 in tax breaks for a residential project at a former Salvation Army Camp along Lake Ontario.
The Wegman Group wants to develop a 400-cottage community to be called The Cottages at Troutburg. Construction has started on a few of the cottages. The developer has requested a 10-year tax plan that would shave $227,777 off the tax bill for the 126 acres and the existing structures. The new cottages are not part of the tax break plan.
“I’m not in favor of it,” Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata said during a public hearing this evening. “They should pay their taxes like everyone else.”
About 50 people attended a public hearing at the Kendall Junior-Senior High School this evening. The Orleans Economic Development Agency also had a hearing on Jan. 15 about the Troutburg proposal when residents criticized the tax abatement plan. The EDA board is scheduled to vote on the tax incentives on Feb. 14 at 8 a.m. at 121 North Main St., Albion.
There were 11 speakers at today’s public hearing and they all opposed the tax breaks. The plan would give the Wegman Group 100 percent off of the taxes for the first year on a $1.3 million assessment.
Each following year another 10 percent of the tax bill will be added until the full amount is billed after 10 years. The developer would get a $41,414 tax break the first year and would then pay $4,141 the second year with another $4,141 added until it’s at full value. The school district accounts for 54 percent of the tax bill, followed by the county at 32 percent, and the town at 14 percent.
The agreement would require the developers to pay $186,363 in taxes over 10 years on the land, with the new cottages boosting the tax base. If it’s fully built, the site could increase the tax base by about $30 million.
Town Councilman Bruce Newell would like to see the tax incentives only offered once the Wegman Group meets targets for the project, such as when the staff is hired for 13 jobs, or when there are 50 cottages, and then 50 more. With each benchmark met, the developer could get 5 percent off the taxes, Newell suggested.
He would prefer the company pay the full shot of taxes.
“It’s the principle,” he said after the hearing. “It’s corporate welfare. Why would you do that when you have the economic conditions that we have in Orleans County?”
Resident Kim Gillett said the Wegman Group should pay its fair share of taxes. She said the cottages and land already seems to be assessed at a discount, compared to the big tax bills for other homes along the lakefront. She said her tax bill for a 1,300-square-foot home along the lake is $6,000 a year.
“It’s outrageous that the Wegman Group would trade goodwill with the town, their civic responsibility, and the support of a generation of school children for a mere $41,000 per year,” Gillett said. “It’s even more disheartening that the EDA board seems to think this is a good deal for this community. Let the Wegman Group joyfully pay their fair share and be satisfied that they’ll get a lot for their money.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 January 2014 at 12:00 am
EDA is proposing $227,777 tax break plan for project
KENDALL – Residents on Monday can chime in on a proposed $227,777 tax abatement plan over 10 years for the Cottages at Troutburg.
A hearing on Jan. 15 on the proposal drew about 75 people to a packed Town Hall. The hearing on Monday has been moved to the more spacious auditorium at the Kendall Junior/Senior High School, 16687 Roosevelt Highway. The hearing begins at 7 p.m.
The tax plan would save The Wegman Group $227,777 in taxes with the bulk of the savings in the beginning of the arrangement. That will help the developers with their cash flow during the capital-intensive early stages of the project, said Jim Whipple, chief executive officer of the Orleans Economic Development Agency.
The tax abatement deal only applies to the land and the existing structures. The new seasonal homes will boost the Kendall tax base and are not subject to the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes).
Whipple said during the Jan. 15 hearing the projected 400 cottages could boost the community’s tax base by $30 million when the project is done.
“This is a property tax creating opportunity for the county and town that you don’t normally have,” Whipple said at that meeting.
The agreement calls on The Wegman Group to pay $186,363 in taxes over 10 years on the land, a 126-acre former Salvation Army camp along Lake Ontario.
The property did not generate any taxes for about a half century. The Wegman Group bought the site for $1.5 million and has been paying taxes on about a $1.7 million assessment the past two years.
The plan would give the developers 100 percent off of the taxes on a $1.3 million assessment the first year. Each following year another 10 percent of the tax bill will be added until the full amount is billed after 10 years.
KENDALL – Three people were transported to the hospital this morning following a two-vehicle crash in the town of Kendall.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. in the 16800 block of Roosevelt Highway (State Route 18).
William A. Ireland, 85, of Kendall was operating a 2001 Ford Ranger Pick-Up truck eastbound on Route 18. He attempted to make a left turn into Crosby’s Mini-Mart and crossed into the path of a westbound 2005 Ford F-150 Pick-Up truck operated by Thomas Johnson, 50, of Waterport.
Ireland’s daughter, Denise M. Norton, 53, of Kendall was a passenger in her father’s vehicle. She was trapped for about 30 minutes before being extricated by Kendall firefighters. Both she and her father were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Thomas Johnson, who was the sole occupant of his vehicle, was transported to Unity Park-Ridge Hospital in Greece.
The incident was investigated by Deputy T.C. Marano.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 January 2014 at 12:00 am
Agency sees 53:1 cost benefit ratio for incentives
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency will have another public hearing on a tax abatement plan for the Cottages at Troutburg, a 10-year proposal that would save the developers $227,777 in taxes with the town of Kendall, Orleans County and Kendall School District.
The abatement plan applies to the 126 acres by Lake Ontario, and doesn’t include future improvements. Any of the new cottages, a sewer plant and other land improvements would taxed by the three government entities.
The tax breaks drew a crowd of 75 residents to a public hearing on Wednesday morning at Kendall Town Hall. Many of the speakers objected to giving tax breaks for residential development.
The EDA board was scheduled to vote on the PILOT (payment of lieu of taxes) plan this morning, but instead will take up the issue on Feb. 14. The board and EDA chief executive officer Jim Whipple will give residents another chance to comment on the plan on Feb. 3 during a 7 p.m. meeting at Kendall Junior-Senior High School.
The EDA sees the project as a significant benefit to the community, boosting the tax base by about $30 million if the 400 cottages planned for the site come to fruition.
The EDA completed a cost-benefit analysis of the project. It counted $12,139,093 in benefits to the community over the 10-year tax abatement schedule.
If 300 cottages are built, the EDA calculated $7,139,250 would be paid in property taxes for the 10 years, about $900,000 would be generated in sales tax by the residents of the cottages, and $2.9 million would be generated in wages for 13 workers at the site. Other benefits identified by the EDA: $425,000 in building material, $425,000 in building labor, and about $200,000 in other expenditures for equipment and “soft costs.”
For every dollar that is given up in the tax breaks, the EDA calculated $53 is coming back to the community over the 10 years. The EDA uses a 10 to 1 ratio as a minimum for a tax abatement plan.
“This is well above that,” Whipple told the EDA board this morning.
Although the tax break proposal would save the Wegman Group $227,777 in taxes on the land, it also sets a schedule for the company to pay $186,363 to the three local governments over 10 years.
The PILOT sets the value of the land and existing structures at $1,305,200. The tax bill for that assessment would be $41,414 per year based on a combined $31.73 tax rate for the town, school and county.
The Wegman Group would pay no taxes on the land the first year of the plan, and would pay 10 percent more of the $1,305,200 assessment each following year until it’s at the full tax bill.
The land had been a Salvation Army camp and was tax exempt for about a half century. The Wegman Group paid $1.5 million for the property and is spending about $1 million for site improvements, including a sewer plant and new roads.
“He’s investing a lot of money,” Whipple told the EDA board about the Wegman Group.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 January 2014 at 12:00 am
Julie Christensen, superintendent of Kendall Central School, said a tax savings plan for The Cottages at Troutburg is too generous for a community with a high poverty and unemployment rates.
KENDALL – A big crowd of Kendall residents turned out for a public hearing this morning for a tax abatement proposal for The Cottages at Troutburg.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency is proposing a 10-year tax plan that would save The Wegman Group $227,777 in taxes. The bulk of the savings are in the beginning of the arrangement and will help the developers with their cash flow during the capital-intensive early stages of the project, said Jim Whipple, executive director of the EDA.
The tax abatement deal only applies to the land and the existing structures. The new seasonal homes will boost the Kendall tax base and are not subject to the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes).
Whipple said the projected 400 cottages could boost the community’s tax base by $30 million when the project is done.
“This is a property tax creating opportunity for the county and town that you don’t normally have,” Whipple said during a two-hour public hearing attended by about 75 people.
Photos by Tom Rivers – Jim Whipple, chief executive officer for the County of Orleans Economic Development Agency, discusses a tax-saving proposal for The Wegman Group, which is working to develop a 400-cottage community in Kendall.
The agreement calls on The Wegman Group to pay $186,363 in taxes over 10 years on the land, a 126-acre former Salvation Army camp along Lake Ontario.
The property did not generate any taxes for about a half century. The Wegman Group bought the site for $1.5 million and has been paying taxes on about a $1.7 million assessment the past two years.
Residents balked at a tax discount for the site, which is targeted to wealthy people who want a second home.
Julie Christensen, Kendall Central School superintendent, was among the chorus of residents who didn’t want to see such generous tax breaks for the Wegman Group in an impoverished community.
The school district would give up $123,544 in taxes as part of the 10-year deal. The county would give up $72,432 while town abatement totals $31,801.
Those lost taxes would have to be redistributed to other residents, Christensen said. The community struggles with a 25 percent poverty rate and the fifth highest unemployment rate in the state.
She asked the benefits proposed to the Wegman Group be cut in half to reduce the sting to the community. Christensen said she supports the overall project and believes the 400-unit site could lead to other improvements in the community, including upgrades to the Lake Ontario State Parkway, expanded Broadband Internet access and more customers for Kendall businesses.
The EDA board was going to vote on the tax incentive plan on Friday, but Whipple said that vote has been pushed back until Feb. 14. The EDA also will have another public hearing about the abatements for more Kendall residents to comment about the proposal.
Dan Gaesser, a former Kendall town supervisor, speaks against a 10-year tax-savings plan for The Cottages at Troutburg. A big crowd turned out today for a public hearing at Town Hall.
Tony Cammarata, the town supervisor, said tax breaks generally aren’t offered to residential projects. Typically they are targeted to manufacturing, tourism and other commercial projects. Cammarata wants to see the Troutburg developers pay more in taxes.
The plan would give them 100 percent off of the taxes on a $1.3 million assessment the first year. Each following year another 10 percent of the tax bill will be added until the full amount is billed after 10 years.
Dan Gaesser, the town supervisor until Dec. 31, said the Wegman Group never indicated it wanted a 10-year abatement with the 0 to 100 percent sliding scale, until a letter arrived in Kendall Town Hall on Jan. 2. He said he would support an incentive that was about half as generous as the current proposal.
Whipple said the developers are turning a site that has been largely underutilized into a significant asset for the community. He said the Wegman Group will be a big taxpayer for the community as the project is developed.
“This is someone putting their butt on the line,” he said about the investment in the site.
The project won’t be a major job creater, Whipple acknowledged. The developer says it will create 13 jobs with the project. The big advantage to the community will be the growing tax base as the cottages are constructed, Whipple said.
“This is a tax base project not a job development project,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 January 2014 at 12:00 am
Kendall resident pushed for countywide garbage
KENDALL – One of the best deals we get in Orleans County is the low cost for garbage pickups. We pay $190 annually per household, about half of what you’d pay outside the county.
It was 25 years ago when Lyndon Billings was chairman of the County Legislature and pushed for the county-wide solid waste contract. The service used to be sporadic and costly for residents, especially in the outlying areas.
The push for county takeover of the contract was controversial, but Billings convinced the towns and villages to support a county-wide contract for the service. The county would handle negotiations for the contract and assume all the headaches when residents called with complaints.
“One of his major projects was bringing in county-wide garbage,” said Marcia Tuohey, a former Legislature chairwoman who served on the board with Billings.
“He was the one who instigated and brought it to the county.”
Billings died at his Kendall home after a brief illness on Jan. 3 at age 88. He taught science at Lyndonville and Kendall, and was the former owner of Nationwide Insurance Company in Holley. He and his sons ran Billings Farms in Kendall for many years.
Billings was part of the first County Legislature in 1980 and stayed on the board for 20 years, serving as its leader for eight years.
The Orleans County Legislature paused for a moment of silence during the group’s meeting on Wednesday to remember Billings.
Tuohey said he was also instrumental in the upgrade of the county’s emergency radio system in the early 1990s. That system is now being upgraded again after more than 20 years.
I remember Lyn from my early days as a reporter out here. He was a master of parliamentary procedure. He was low-key, but engaged in the communities he served.
I saw him a couple years ago when I had a flat tire and ended up in his driveway on Center Road. Lyn helped me with the tire and got me back on the road.
His funeral service was this past Monday at Kendall United Methodist Church.
For a previous article about the county’s garbage collection, click here.
To see a Vintage Orleans feature about the first County Legislature, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 January 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Tony Cammarata, Kendall’s new town supervisor, takes the oath of office while his wife Sharon holds the Bible during Tuesday night’s swearing in which was administered by Town Justice Debbie Drennan. Cammarata is retired from a 34-year career in sales with Georgia Pacific, a paper products and plywood company.
Tony Cammarata, center, presides over his first meeting as town supervisor. Other town officials include, from left: Councilman Patrick Snook, Councilwoman Lynn Szozda, Town Attorney Andrew Meier, Cammarata, Town Clerk Amy Richardson, Town Councilman Bart Joseph and Town Councilman Bruce Newell.
KENDALL – New town officials were sworn into their public offices on Tuesday, a new administration that includes Town Supervisor Tony Cammarata.
Cammarata is retired from a 34-year career in sales with Georgia Pacific, a paper products and plywood company. He succeeds Dan Gaesser, who didn’t seek re-election in November.
Cammarata began Tuesday’s organizational by thanking Gaesser for his service. The new town supervisor also thanked former Town Board members Dave Schuth and Donn Pritchard for their service. Their spots are now filled by Patrick Snook and Bruce Newell.
Bruce Newell, one of three new Town Board members, is sworn in. A Kodak retiree, he works as a business consultant.
Patrick Snook takes the oath. Snook works as an auto technician at Brockport State College.
Cammarata and the Town Board appointed one new town official on Tuesday. Andrew Meier is the town’s new attorney, replacing John Sansone of Lockport. Sansone was paid a minimum $750 monthly retainer. Meier of Medina will be paid a $600 monthly minimum.
Cammarata said Meier, who also works as municipal attorney for the towns of Gaines and Yates, is “extremely responsive.”
The board also approved a shared services contract with the Town of Carlton for Kendall’s assessor Gene Massey. Massey is scheduled to be paid $52,000 in 2014 with Carlton paying $30,000 of that salary plus a portion of the benefits. Massey will work for both towns, with more of his time in Carlton.
Some of the other appointments include:
Gay Smith as chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals (annual salary of $1,040); Raymond Wenzel as chairman of the Planning Board ($1,450); Barb Flow as director of youth and adult recreation ($13,525); Joseph Canale to the Youth Recreation Commission; Shirley Cataladi as Adult Recreation representative; and Kim Corcoran as town historian ($500).
The board also reappointed Paul Hennekey as code enforcement officer ($11,000) and Dan Strong as deputy codes officer ($7,700); Charles Patt as Custodian for Beechwood Cemetery ($500 a year); Walter Steffen Jr. as custodian for Greenwood Cemetery ($500 a year); Cheryl Cole as court clerk ($5,500 a year); and Nick Schicker as building maintenance worker at $11 an hour.
Wenzel will serve as Kendall’s representative on the Orleans County Planning Board, replacing Paul Gray who served in the role for nearly three decades. Gray didn’t want to continue in the position that pays $110 for the year.
The board also named First Niagara Bank as official depository for the town and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald as official town newspaper for public notices.
The salary for town supervisor is $8,400 a year with the four board members each paid $3,120. The two justices are each paid $7,500, while the town clerk has a $26,600 salary. The highway superintendent is paid $49,250.
Town Justice Debbie Drennan takes the oath from fellow Town Justice Stephen Cliff.
Town Justice Stephen Cliff takes the oath from Debbie Drennan.
