By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 June 2016 at 12:00 am
File photo by Tom Rivers – The Orleans County Legislature approved hiring the Wendel firm to design an addition on the County Administration Building on Route 31, behind The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved an agreement with the Wendel firm to design an addition on the County Administration Building, new space that could be used for relocated county offices and perhaps as a meeting room and offices for the Legislature itself.
The Legislature on April 27 announced that is was considering new construction on the County Administration Building at 14106 Route 31 West.
The Legislature on April 27 authorized paying Wendel $30,000 for a feasibility study for an addition to the County Administration Building.
The county may shift several offices to the addition, including the Board of Elections and Public Health Department, which is leasing space from Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services.
Comprehensive purchased the former county nursing home for $7.8 million in January 2014. The county has been leasing space from Comprehensive for Elections and Public Health because those offices are part of the nursing home complex.
The county could also shift information technology (currently in Treasurer’s Office), the legislative chambers (in County Clerk’s Building), the county’s administrative office (also in Clerk’s Building) and create large multi-use rooms to accommodate training for large groups, conference rooms and offices.
The Legislature last week approved paying Wendel up to $70,000 to design the addition to the Administration Building. That scope of work not only includes designing the building, but determining parking and circulation needs, site access, utility service requirements, energy efficiency and sustainability requirements, and other analysis of the site.
David Callard, the County Legislature chairman, said in April that moving Elections and Public Health from leased space will free up money that could go towards the addition, perhaps making the project cost neutral to county taxpayers.
Callard said he and county officials have looked at existing buildings, including sites in Albion’s historic downtown, but those sites wouldn’t improve efficiency of the county government operations.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Chuck Baker of Medina tries to make contact with a ham radio operator outside the area on Saturday. Baker is president of the Orleans County Amateur Radio Club, which has 42 members.
The club is joining ham operators from throughout the country in the annual Field Days event, where ham radio operators try to make contact with other operators. The Orleans club has won awards in the past for making contacts from operators in all 50 states.
The event started at 2 p.m. Saturday and continues until 4 p.m. today. Within the first five hours on Saturday, the Orleans operators had made 300 contacts.
The Orleans County Amateur Radio Club is holding the event at the Orleans County Emergency Management Office, 14064 West County House Rd., Albion. This photo shows ham radio operators, from left: Mike Moriarty of Medina, Ed Weider of Medina and Chuck Baker of Medina.
The Field Days are also a chance to introduce the public the amateur radio. The ham radio operators have a license to operate a ham radio from the FCC. Each operator has a call sign, and must take a test.
The Orleans club meets the second Mondays each month at 7:30 p.m. at Emergency Management Office. The club welcomes more members. It currently has several members outside Orleans in Niagara, Genesee and Monroe counties.
George Lloyd of Brockport, left, takes a turn at the radio. The operators will give visitors a chance to be on the air during Field Days.
The Orleans County Club is about 65 years old. For more information about the club, click here to see its web site.
(Editor’s Note: Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard delivered these remarks during the June 22, 2016, Legislature meeting.)
Every year it seems that the Empire Center for Public Policy puts out a list of the highest tax rates in the state – and every year the citizens of Orleans County are treated to a rehash of news articles highlighting certain parts of the study and scolding local officials, whether they be village, town, county, or school, for their role in achieving that dubious ranking.
Most recently there was an article on village taxes within the county reporting them among the worst in the state. What is lacking in this news article, however, was the whole story.
Villages are constantly being ranked regardless of size. Given that premise – one benchmark that is always used is the Top 20 Property Tax Bills on Median-Value Homes. That list has never included an Orleans County village, but that is never mentioned. Or more significantly, included in the report, but is never mentioned in articles, is that the county taxes paid per capita in Orleans County are the SECOND
LOWEST of the 57 counties in New York State. Again – the second lowest taxes paid per person in New York State.
People tend to be negative without acknowledging all of the facts. This is something the state government does all the time when deriding the counties. The town of Ridgeway is a solid 816th out of 932 for towns in taxes per capita. The Medina School district is also very solid at 625th out of 702 for local spending per pupil among school districts. Even the Village of Medina’s 238th out of 557 in taxes per capita doesn’t seem so earth shattering considering the high level of services.
Let’s face it; casting blame without an acknowledgement of all the facts is something we get plenty of from people in Albany. We don’t need to do it here as well. It would be responsible to cite those other stats as they give a fuller picture.
Orleans County pays over $16,000,000 to the state in unfunded mandates- our entire tax levy. But articles and the critics constantly disregard that fact, and seldom if ever criticize the Governor and the New York State Legislature for the property taxes at the county level alone and even more at the school level.
According to every academic study ever undertaken on the subject, the fundamental differences between New York State and the other states in the country boil down to two basic things: 1) the way New York State funds Medicaid and 2) the way New York State funds education. Sure we have lots of other over-regulation and taxation issues beyond those two. But, those are the really big ones.
New York is the only state in the country to require a significant local share of Medicaid be paid by the counties and the average state funds two-thirds of public education through income taxes while New York State funds about one-third. It’s really that simple.
Indeed the village governments of Orleans County face tremendous challenges, not the least of which is the high property tax rates. The dissolution efforts in the Village of Medina, though rejected by Medina residents, if nothing else, forced a conversation, a necessary conversation.
In some areas of our local governments, we are doing business in the 21st century on 20th century terms. In some cases, we are holding on to old ways of doing business that could be changed for the betterment of the community at large. This isn’t to say that people are wrong for feeling that they want to hold on to their village, or their town, or their school district.
What it does tell us, is that it’s time for us to challenge ourselves, people on both sides of the argument, east and west, north and south. Challenge ourselves to take a hard look at what we are doing and ask ourselves “If given a clean slate, would we build our service delivery models the way they are now, or completely different?”
Inevitably, we are going to find areas where we can build a better mousetrap together. We have the ability to fix what ails us to some degree. We can work with our friends and neighbors and make changes that will raise all boats. We can realign service models, adjust cost centers, and change the landscape profoundly.
If we are going to seek honesty about mandates and education funding from the state, we also need to be honest with ourselves. This is a conversation that should take place in earnest and should seek solutions that remove Orleans County and its villages, towns and school districts from such a list forever.
Apologies to those that believe the answer is to complain that the county should give away more sales tax. The answer to this challenge is not to have the taxpayers of the county surrender cash to the village governments, to throw at their existing service models, buying them time until the inflation and expense curve catches up with them again as some suggest.
The answer is change. Change that we can all buy into that alters the equation. It requires compromise. It requires faith. And, it requires casting off old notions of provincialism.
Truth be told about sales tax, when examining statistics from 2013 on New York State Counties, there are 14 counties under 50,000 in population like Orleans County and four in the Finger Lakes Region, of which we are a part. Orleans County ranks as the fourth highest for the percentage of sales tax shared.
However, two of the 14 counties have cities (Cortland and Montgomery) that are able to preempt and capture much larger shares of the overall revenue. Dropping those two counties lifts Orleans County to number two in the state among small counties without a city in terms of sharing sales tax, second to Schuyler County, the home of Watkins Glen International Speedway.
Delving further into those same statistics, it’s evident that eight of the 14 counties do not share sales tax revenue at all, zero percent. So, the majority of small counties in New York State do not share sales tax. Orleans County is the only county in the Finger Lakes Region under 50,000 in population that actually shares sales tax revenue.
The local law enforcement community in Orleans County is about to embark on a comprehensive study of the way we are doing business. Orleans County and our partners, the Villages of Albion, Medina, Holley and Lyndonville, along with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, and all the law enforcement unions in the county have agreed to undertake a process to look at new service models and explore
what can be done.
There are ways to change the way we do business that could guarantee that our communities are never negatively reported on the annual list put out by the Empire Center again.
This is going to be hard and it will require that we work together. This legislature is bound and determined to make positive change for all within our county. We can begin to say goodbye to the dark cloud over our heads. Those that offer only criticism and opposition absent of solutions will be forgotten. This legislature will be remembered for leading and making a difference.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 June 2016 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Rob Doyle, principal auctioneer and appraiser for Absolute Auctions and Realty, seeks bids for the former Lyndonville Pennysaver Market. The property sold for $1,000 to Jonathan Daniels of Waterport in the Orleans County tax foreclosure auction on Wednesday.
The Pennysaver Market closed three years ago. The property had $37,945 in back taxes.
The county sold 41 properties for a $324,200. The properties collectively carried $497,914 in back taxes. The auction didn’t cover the back taxes, resulting in a net loss of $173,714. (Winning bidders have to pay the current year’s taxes on the properties.)
Several of the houses in the auction sold for less than $1,000.
Frank T. Pietrzak, auctioneer for Absolute Auctioneers, seeks bids for house at 134 West Bank St. in Albion. It sold for $300 to Phillip Newbould of Kendall.
Business sites also didn’t command much money. A site in downtown Medina at 333 Main St., next to the Starlite Cleaners, sold for $200 to Demetrios Bitsas.
The former S.A. Cook Furniture Factory, where there was a small fire on Monday, sold for $100 to William Grathouse III of Holley. The 70,600-square-foot building is located at 525 East Ave.
In Kendall, a 3,584-square-foot building in the downtown at 1841 Kendall Rd. sold for $400 to Phillip Newbould of Kendall. One of Holley’s attached row buildings in the downtown also was up for sale. The site at 89 Public Square fetched $100 from an online bidder, The Eaton Agency in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
One property was in command. An apartment complex at 218 Linwood Ave. in Albion sold for $100,000, the highest bid of the day. Brad Bokman of Albion bought the site.
The auction drew a crowd of bidders and some curiosity seekers to the Elk’s Club on West State Street.
ALBION – Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower announced that 8 children from the county are attending the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute’s 2016 Summer Camp.
The Sheriffs’ Summer Camp is designed to provide a solid recreational program combined with the development of a sense of good citizenship. This will mark the 39th year of the camp’s operation.
The Sheriffs’ Summer Camp, which is located near Penn Yan in Yates County, is supported by the Sheriffs’ Association Institute’s Honorary Members through their contributions and annual dues. This year the camp will accommodate over 900 deserving boys and girls from across New York State.
“This is a great opportunity for our county youth and I personally thank Orleans County residents for donating and making this possible,” Bower said.
The camp program provides an opportunity for children to go away for a week during the summer. These are often kids who normally wouldn’t have that chance.
“The primary objective is to create positive interaction between the kids attending camp and the Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs who participate in the camp programs,” Bower said. “We have found from experiences during the first 38 summer camps that the kids develop a renewed respect and understanding for the men and women who enforce the laws. The deputies become their friends and in some cases substitute parents for a week.”
Throughout the week-long stay, the children observe special exhibits and demonstrations presented by Sheriffs’ Offices from across the State. Included in these presentations are D.A.R.E. presentations, boat and bike safety programs, law enforcement equipment and technical demonstrations and even a talent show just for fun.
Upon completion of their stay, all children will be awarded a diploma for their participation in a program of “Good Citizenship and Law Enforcement Studies.”
Photos by Tom Rivers – The Shoe Tree is pictured Saturday at dusk at the corner of Foss and Lakeshore roads in the town of Yates.
The Shoe Tree is one of Orleans County’s quirky attractions.
It’s going to be hot today with temperatures forecast to top 90 degrees in Western New York. The Weather Channel has issued an extreme heat alert for today, urging people to have liquids readily on hand in order to stay hydrated during periods of high heat.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also has issued an air quality alert for today for Western New York, including Orleans County.
The DEC warns that there will be high levels of ozone. The alert is in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
“When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects,” The DEC said in an advisory.
“People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease.”
Monday will also be hot with temperatures again forecast to top 90 degrees.
The highs will then fall back into the 70s, with a high of 77 on Tuesday, 73 on Wednesday and 72 on Thursday.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – A new class graduated from the Microenterprise Assistance Program on Tuesday. The group includes, front row, from left: John Gonzalez of Medina, Andre Mitchell-Hurlee of Rochester, Judy Richardson of Albion, Amanda Smith of Barre, Jeff Cole of Kendall and Brian Allis of Hilton. Back row: Diane Blanchard, Microenterprise Assistance Program manager; Sam Campanella, business advisor; Dick Pettite, business advisor; Tara Thom of Albion; Samantha Marchincin of Rochester; Justin Weese of Albion; Candi Schutrum of Medina; Sarah Nolan of Medina; Jodi Sugar of Albion; Karin and Tim Menz of Lyndonville; Christine Falbo of Holley.
ALBION – Another class of entrepreneurs has graduated from a 10-week small business training program, bringing the total graduates to 435 since the program started in 1999.
A 10-week class gives a new group of entrepreneurs tips in taxes, marketing, legal issues, handling stress, computers and bookkeeping – all factors that are key to running successful businesses. They also must complete a business plan.
The graduates are now eligible to seek low-interest financing for up to $30,000 from the Orleans Economic Development Agency. The EDA also has additional assistance to help the new business owners. The EDA is offering downtown rental subsidies for entrepreneurs to move into the downtown business districts in Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina.
Jeff Cole accepts a certificate for completing the MAP class from Dick Pettite, one of the class’s business advisors. Cole is looking to start a Christmas tree and berry operation in Kendall.
Businesses can seek $3 per square foot annually if they move into the downtown. The EDA is capping the subsidies at $4,500 a year, the maximum for a 1,500 square foot space.
The EDA also has $100,000 in grants to share with small businesses (5 or fewer employees) that need working capital, equipment purchases or inventory. The grants are capped at $15,000 per recipient.
The subsidies and small business grants has created added interest from entrepreneurs to look at the downtown business districts, said Diana Blanchard, director of the Microenterprise Assistance Program. She said 18 people have already applied for the 10-week class in the fall.
Karin Menz of Lyndonville accepts her MAP certificate. She is starting an online snowmobile track stabilizer business.
The spring 2016 graduates include: Jody Sugar (dog grooming business); Christine Falbo (hearth/fireplace business); Jeff Cole (JC’s Trees and Berries); Tara Thom (Town and Country Quilter); Sarah Nolan (party supply store in Medina); Candi Schutrum (Happy Guru Loves Me/Lotions); Karin Menz (Snow Trackers/Snowmobile Track Stabilizer online business); Brian Allis (grower of hops); John Gonzalez (flipping homes); Judy Richardson (Italian deli/bakery in Albion); Justin Weese (small engine repair or deli); Amanda Smith (bakery/crafts/deli in Barre); and Samantha Marchincin (social media for musicians).
Photo by Tom Rivers – Chuck Nesbitt, chief administrative officer for Orleans County, is pictured outside the County Clerks’ office this afternoon. He is in line to be president of the New York Association of Counties.
ALBION – Orleans County Chief Administrative Officer Chuck Nesbitt was elected last week to serve on the executive committee of the New York State Association of Counties as 2nd Vice President.
NYSAC is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate, advocate for, and serve member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
“I am honored to be elected to serve on the NYSAC Executive Committee by such a distinguished group of county leaders from across the state,” Nesbitt said. “There are many common challenges that we face as we move ahead and I look forward to assuming my new role on the NYSAC board as 2nd Vice President, and to doing my part to address issues going forward.”
Nesbitt has served as the Orleans County chief administrative officer for the past decade and has been an at-large member of the NYSAC Board of Director since 2014. He was elected as the president of the NYS County Administrators’ Association in 2008 and has served in that capacity since then.
As Chief Administrative Officer, Nesbitt acts on behalf of the County Legislature and works closely with Orleans County Legislature Chairman David Callard to implement county policy and overseeing the activities of all county departments. He also serves as the county’s budget officer.
“Orleans County is extremely proud of our Chief Administrative Officer being elected to the NYSAC Executive Committee as 2nd Vice President,” Callard said. “This is a great testament to our commitment to NYSAC and our shared cause as well as Chuck Nesbitt’s dedication to bringing a new level of professionalism to the Orleans County government. NYSAC is a first class organization that does a tremendous job fighting for counties and we think Chuck will be a real asset in the fight.”
Nesbitt said he expects the association will continue to press state legislators and governor for mandate relief, easing the burden on counties to pay for state programs.
He said NYSAC has been an effective advocacy organization for counties, and the group values the opinions from counties of all sizes. He will assume presidency of NYSAC in September 2019 after serving as second vice president, first vice president and then president-elect.
“Chuck is a highly regarded county leader, and his experience will provide added value to the deliberations of the board,” said NYSAC President William E. Cherry, the Schoharie County Treasurer.
By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 6 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Orleans County 4-H member Lauren Becht (standing back to camera) models her satin prom dress. The halter-style dress featured a sheer overlay of light purple fabric.
NEWFANE – Orleans County was represented at the 2016 Western District 4-H Fashion Revue held Saturday at the Van Horn Mansion in Newfane, Niagara County.
Emma Mathes, Naomi Haberger, Lauren Becht and Peggy-Jo Gabalski were selected for the annual district event following the Orleans County 4-H Clothing Revue held in early April.
Emma Mathes sewed a brocade cobalt blue skater dress, Naomi Haberger sewed a purple print sundress with pockets edged in large white ric rack, Lauren Becht sewed a deep purple satin prom dress and Peggyy-Jo Gabalski embellished a purchased cotton/wool blend sweater with hand-felted Easter egg designs.
Participants in the 2016 Western District 4-H Fashion Review pose Saturday on the staircase of the historic Van Horn Mansion in Newfane, Niagara County.
Orleans County 4-H member Naomi Haberger (standing at center) models her purple print sundress Saturday during the Western District 4-H Fashion Revue in Niagara County.
4-H’ers from Niagara, Chautauqua and Wyoming counties also attended the event which included a Fashion Revue Show, lunch, and an educational program on the historic Van Horn Mansion, built by James Van Horn in 1823.
The historic Van Horn Mansion in Newfane, Niagara County, was the site of this year’s Western District 4-H Fashion Revue. Four Orleans County 4-Hers were chosen to take part.
The home was the first brick house built in the Town of Newfane and the site of the first town meeting in 1824.
Van Horn built the first grist mill in Niagara County and later a woolen factory. The home was donated to the Town of Newfane Historical Society in 1985 and opened for tours in 1992 following an extensive restoration effort.
Following lunch, participants learned about the history of the Van Horn Mansion from a member of the Town of Newfane Historical Society and toured the restored home and gardens.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 June 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers – Michael Santoro, an inmate in the Orleans County Jail, has been drug-free for about nine months after four years of using cocaine and heroin. He is pictured with Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson, left, and Sheriff Randy Bower.
ALBION – Scott Wilson has worked 20 years in the Orleans County Jail. The jail superintendent has seen the repetitive cycle with many inmates coming in for drug offenses, or drug-fueled crimes such as burglaries. They are in jail often for a few months to a year, and then are released only to commit new crimes because of the strong pull of their addictions.
Wilson said these residents never quite get control of their drug demons, leading to years of criminal conduct and time in the county jail at taxpayer expense.
“Right now there is a very high recidivism,” Wilson said Thursday at the jail on Platt Street.
A new program has started this week in the county jail to help break that pattern of drug addiction and crime. The jail will offer Vivitrol, an injection that blocks the effects of opioids, a powerful narcotic. (The drug manufacturer is making the first injection available for free at the jail.)
The Sheriff’s Office has teamed with the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to have Vivitrol available for six months after an inmate leaves the jail. The monthly injections when an inmate is released from jail will likely be covered by health insurance programs at $800 per injection, Wilson said.
GCASA also will have counselors to help released inmates transition into the community. GCASA recently opened transitional housing for residents fighting addictions. That transitional shelter is next to the GCASA offices on Route 31 in Albion. That site puts addicts in a supportive community where they are urged to stay drug-free.
Sheriff Randy Bower, Wilson and GCASA staff will screen soon-to-be released inmates to determine if they will be in the new Sheriff’s Transitional Addiction Management Program or STAMP.
The Orleans County Mental Health Department also is part of the new effort. Wilson and Bower said three other counties in the state offer transitional programs for addicts. Bower believes Orleans is the first to have both addiction and mental health services available for inmates.
“These are people who made a mistake and can’t quit,” Bower said. “These are people from our community that come to our jail. We need to give them the best opportunity to not come back to us.”
Bower said he is pleased to see the support for the program from jail staff, GCASA, Mental Health and other county officials. Bower said more services have been needed in the jail to help drug-addicted residents. Bower said it will ultimately save taxpayer money, should reduce crime, and improve the lives of addicts and their loved ones.
Michael Santoro will be released from the jail in two months. He is serving a six-month sentence for attempted burglary in the second degree. Santoro, 23, grew up in Medina.
He said he was addicted to heroin and cocaine for four years. He tried to quit by using prescription narcotics such as Methadone and Suboxone, which are used as painkillers. Santoro said he still had powerful drug cravings when he used Methadone and Suboxone.
He was constantly thinking about his next drug fix until he entered a drug treatment late last year and received a Vivitrol injection. Vivitrol took the cravings away by blocking the pull of opioids. Santoro said Vivitrol has been a key in helping him stay off drugs.
“I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be clean,” Santoro said Thursday while in the jail. “But you have to want it.”
Santoro admits he was a mess last August when he entered the jail after being arrested for a break-in in Ridgeway. Santoro was down to 140 pounds.
“Addiction, it destroys you mentally, physically and spiritually,” he said.
He went through withdrawal in jail, spending 55 days behind bars before entering a 28-day drug treatment program in Buffalo. That was when he was given Vivitrol to help fight the addictions.
“It was the first time in four years I didn’t go mentally insane,” Santoro said. “I could go all month without thinking about drugs. It worked wonders for me.”
Santoro now weighs about 180 pounds, up 40 pounds from last August. He is enrolled at Erie Community College and wants to be a drug abuse counselor. He moved to Cheektowaga because he said he needed to change his surroundings to not fall back into the trap of addiction. (Last month he was sentenced for the attempted burglary and has two months left in jail.)
Wilson and Bower see Santoro as a success story. They want to him to be an example to other addicts, to show the turnaround that is possible in fighting addictions.
Bower said an addict needs to hit rock bottom, and want to change. He will personally interview people who want to be in new program through the jail.
The sheriff and Wilson, the jail superintendent, said the program will be modified as they see what works and what needs improvement. Bower said the addicts now have the support services in place to help them when they are released from jail.
“The big thing is the hand-off from when they leave the jail,” Bower said.
ALBION – Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R-Batavia) today announced new summer hours for his district office in Albion. The office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday from June 1 to Labor Day (Monday, September 5). Hawley’s office is located at 121 N. Main Street, Suite 100 in Albion.
“With summer on its way I have made the decision to change my district office hours slightly,” Hawley said. “I will still remain very accessible as your representative and encourage my constituents to stop by my office or my bi-weekly office hours to discuss issues or questions they may have about state government. The summer is an important period for legislators to spend time in their home districts gathering input, talking with residents and bringing those experiences back to Albany when the legislative session reconvenes.”
Proposals include limiting state senators, assemblymen to no more than 12 years in their elected positions
Press Release, State Sen. Robert Ortt
LOCKPORT – Senator Rob Ortt (R-North Tonawanda) today unveiled his “Shake up the Status Quo” plan partly aimed at rooting out corruption and cleaning up the scandal-ridden State Capitol.
Surrounded by local leaders on the steps of the Niagara County Courthouse, including Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone, Ortt laid out a total of seven ethics reforms bills he’s in support of that would improve conduct in state government and help restore public trust.
According to a recent Siena College poll, 82 percent of New York voters believe addressing corruption in state government before session ends in June is very important. It also showed that 97 percent of voters said the time for lawmakers to address ethics reforms is now.
“New Yorkers are sick of the scandals in Albany and sick of the business as usual mentality,” said Ortt, a member of the Civil Service and Pensions Committee. “They’re demanding action and they deserve it, especially after two of our legislative leaders were convicted of public corruption. My Shake up the Status Quo Plan touches on ethics reforms that will put an end to corruption in Albany. We must continue our work to restore the public trust, and ensure that public officials can no longer use their posts for private gain.”
The proposals supported by Ortt include:
Forfeiture of Pension and Retirement Benefits:
Senator Ortt co-sponsors S1923, which proposes the forfeiture of pension and retirement benefits from any elected official who is convicted of certain felonies involving a breach of public trust. The bill would amend the Constitution preventing elected officials from collecting their pension benefits earned while in office if their felony offense occurred during their time in office.
Under current law, legislators who came into office after August 15, 2011 and are convicted of a felony are automatically be stripped of their pensions. The proposed bill ensures the same goes for all legislators, regardless of how long they have served in office.
This bill is closely related to bill S4611, which was included as a part of the 2015-2016 state budget. The budget bill passed in the Senate at the end of March last year, but was never acted upon in the Assembly. As a result, the budget bill died.
Term Limits:
Senator Ortt is in support of implementing internal safeguards to prevent any politician’s reach from becoming too powerful. He is a co-sponsor of two bills that would set term limits for certain public offices. The first bill (S2722D) limits the tenure of the Temporary President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State Assembly, and Majority and Minority Leaders of the State Legislature to eight years. The term for the Chairman of any single legislative committee is limited to eight consecutive years.
Senate Chamber rules currently prohibit any leader or committee chair from serving more than eight years in that capacity. Those term limits were enacted voluntarily. Legislation to enact it into state law failed in the Assembly earlier this year.
The second bill (S4470) would set term limits for the offices of the governor, comptroller, attorney general and members of the Legislature. A person elected as governor would not be able to hold the seat for more than 2 four-year terms.
Currently, the governor has no term limit. The state comptroller and attorney general would also be limited to two terms. And, members of the Senate and Assembly would be limited to serve no more than 6 two-year terms.
Transparency and Accountability across Government:
Senator Ortt is a co-sponsor of three separate bills that would bring transparency and accountability to the Executive Branch. The measures include:
Reforming JCOPE (S7353): An individual who is appointed to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics would be ineligible for the position if he or she has been a New York State registered lobbyist, an elected official, or a state officer or employee, or legislative employee within the last 10 years.
Lobbyists, elected officials and commissioners are currently allowed to serve as a member of JCOPE after three years in those roles. Legislative employees, state officers or state employees are currently barred for one year. Additionally, the bill would expand the ban to include all elected officials as opposed to just covering statewide elected officials. Mandatory Ethics Training (S7355): This bill would require all state officers and state employees in the executive branch, not just the legislative branch, to complete mandatory ethics training once a year. Under current law, legislative members and employees receive annual training, but training topics vary. This bill would also align training requirements across the board, and would be at least two hours long.
Strict Ethics and Oversight for the State’s Regional Economic Development Councils (S7356):
Would establish statutes for Regional Economic Development Councils, including Senate consent of council members appointed by the governor. Additionally, the bill would mandate Regional Council members to comply with the financial disclosure filing requirements. And, the bill would mandate that council members be subject to the code of ethics, in the same manner as public officers, legislative employees and members. That section of law states that any member, employee or officer who knowingly violates the code of ethics may be fined, suspended, or removed from office or employment in the manner provided by law.
Governor Cuomo established the Regional Councils in 2011 as part of his initiative to redefine state investment and spur economic development in the 10 regions. This bill does not change the mission of the Regional Councils. The governor would still appoint members to the 10 regions of the state, however, the Senate would be responsible for confirming those members.
This bill provides oversight for the governor whose economic development projects have recently come under fire amid an ongoing corruption investigation. The governor currently has the unrestricted ability to unilaterally appoint the individuals responsible for determining the future of the state’s economic development.
Those individuals are not currently subject to financial disclosure requirements, which means there is no way to ensure they are serving in the best interest of the state. Subjecting the council members to the code of ethics would also remove any doubt of self-serving activities, and would help to gain public trust by ensuring that their tax dollars are not being misused.
Ortt’s Shake up the Status Quo Plan lays out his top priorities as the 2016 legislative session comes to a close. In the coming weeks, he will hold more events highlighting Second Amendment rights, homeland security, college affordability, and job creation.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Superintendents from school districts in Orleans County discuss safety issues with law enforcement leaders last week at the Orleans County Public Safety Building. The group has been meeting regularly for about two years.
ALBION – Orleans County school leaders have been getting together regularly the past two years with law enforcement officials to discuss safety plans, emergency responses, drunken driving awareness programs and other initiatives, including bringing mental health counselors into schools.
The collaboration was called unprecedented in Western New York by a state police official during a meeting last week at the Orleans County Public Safety Building.
The group discussed drug trends in the community, including a rise of prescription narcotic abuse, heroin and meth. Just recently, law enforcement have discovered meth labs in Holley and Albion.
The crackdown on prescription drug abuse has led more people addicted to drugs to seek out heroin, methamphetamine and other drugs, District Attorney Joe Cardone told the group.
“It’s here,” said Joe Sacco, the supervising investigator of the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force. “You’re going to see it more.”
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office has displays warning students and community members about drunk driving. Sheriff Randy Bower said he is working to bring in displays and experts to tell students and parents about the dangers of using painkillers and prescription narcotics, how they can often lead to addictions.
“We want to press prescription drug abuse,” Bower told the school leaders. “We could bring programs into the schools.”
Sheriff Randy Bower shows a “Shattered Lives” pamphlet that gives victim perspectives from drunken drivers. Bower would like the pamphlet to be widely distributed in the community.
The Sheriff’s Office also will go to schools to discuss Internet safety with students, and the dangers of sharing some photos, Bower said.
Schools are planning drunk driving simulations where a smashed car is brought to schools, and students role play being injured or killed from a crash. Those simulations are start reminders about drunk driving, especially with the upcoming proms and graduation parties.
School and police leaders are also planning an active shooter drill over the summer. All teachers in the county may be at the exercise, which is tentatively planned to be at Holley Central School. The county last had an active shooter drill on May 31, 2014, and that one was at the former Towne Primary School in Medina.
Since then, there has been a significant turnover with law enforcement officers and leaders of the departments, said Roland Nenni, Albion police chief.
He also advised the group that Albion will again host a National Night Out at Bullard Park on Aug. 2, with activities for children and families, as well as demonstrations by police agencies. Last year’s event drew 250 people, despite rainy weather.
Nenni also offered to make Albion’s K9 unit available to other communities, including school districts for drug searches.
The school leaders all said there have been significant efforts in recent years to make their buildings more secure. Kendall and Albion are working on capital improvement projects that will add even more security.
Robert D’Angelo, superintendent at Holley Central School, was among the school leaders at last week’s meeting.
Cardone, the district attorney, said his office frequently gets calls from parents of students who complain their kids are being bullied or harassed through social media. He suggested the school officials create a subcommittee to create a policy for using social media.
Julie Christensen, Kendall school superintendent, said she urges parents to take their children’s phones away if they are harassing others. She said turning the phones off at night is also a good idea.
Michael Bonnewell, Albion school superintendent, said kids should adhere to the age limit for being on social media. Facebook says users need to be at least 13. Districts already must follow the Dignity for All Students Act, a state law ensuring children to the right to attend school in a safe, welcoming and caring environment, free of bullying.
Cardone said parents need to talk with their children about social media, especially when so many kids have Smart Phones with access to the Internet and social media sites.
“Hardly a week goes by when a parent doesn’t call upset,” Cardone said about cyberbullying. “Parents are besides themselves.”
The meetings among school and law enforcement have expanded to include some agency leaders, include representatives from the Orleans County mental Health Department and Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
Marc O’Brien, director of the county’s mental health department, has worked with four of the five school districts to establish satelite mental health clinics in the schools this year. The county and Albion Central School also are planning to make a county mental health therapist available at Albion beginning next school year. That therapist would likely work out of the elementary and middle schools, and be open to high schoolers as well.
The mental health therapists help students with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Having those personnel at schools eliminates the transportation issue for students, and also means they are out of class for less time because they don’t have to travel to the Mental Health building in Albion.
O’Brien announced last week the county also is working with Medina Memorial Hospital to have a satelitte mental health office at the hospital in Medina.
“Every school has been fantastic to work with,” O’Brien told the school leaders during the meeting.
The therapists are on the county payroll, with the service paid for by the students’ insurance companies.
The school-law enforcement meetings also include Jim Simon, dean of the Genesee Community College centers in Albion and Medina. He said those sites have also bolstered security wth staff members receiving “bystander training” from law enforcement personnel.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 May 2016 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
MEDINA – Flags have by placed by the graves for veterans at Boxwood Cemetery in Medina in time for Memorial Day.
Here is the list for Memorial Day parades in Orleans County for Monday:
Albion – Parade starts near the Orleans County Court House on Main Street at 10 a.m. and proceeds to the Albion Middle School front lawn where there will be a service near the Vietnam Memorial.
Holley – A ceremony will start at the American Legion Post at 9 a.m. and proceed to the VFW Post. Veterans will also visit cemeteries.
Kendall – A parade will start 7 p.m. at the Morton Fireman’s Field and end at the Morton Union Cemetery where a ceremony will be held.
Lyndonville – The parade will start at 9 a.m. at the Catholic Church and end near the library. A ceremony will be held there.
Medina – The parade will start at 11 a.m. at the Olde Pickle Factory building and proceed to the State Street Park where a ceremony will be held.
KNOWLESVILLE – The state has approved a $25,675 grant for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County to establish a teaching kitchen at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The funds will go towards a kitchen at the Trolley Building.
The funding was announced today by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said $1.1 million in state funds will be used for projects to strengthen the research, promotion and development of New York State’s agricultural industry.
The funding, approved by the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, supports efforts range from upgrading equipment at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, to developing a marketing plan for the Lake Ontario Wine Trail, to boosting the craft beverage industry through research at the New York State Agricultural Experimental Station.
The Upstate revitalization Award-winning Finger Lakes Forward plan for investing state resources recognizes the centrality of agriculture in the region’s economy. The Finger Lakes produces approximately a quarter of New York State’s total agricultural output and the industry supports 19,000 jobs in the region.
“Agriculture remains a key economic engine for New York and we must do all we can to ensure its continued strength,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will support the thousands of farms and agricultural businesses that call the Finger Lakes home, as well as the research that has been critical in the growth of New York’s craft beverage industry.”
The Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, solicits applications each year to assist in the development of agriculture and agriculture-related businesses in nine counties in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates. The Authority has awarded more than $6.5 million to 60 projects in the region through the Agriculture Development Grant Program since 2011.
The Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority Board of Directors has voted to fund the following projects in 2016:
New York Wine and Culinary Center: $192,000 for the purchase of audio visual equipment, purchase of new kitchen equipment, food truck improvements, 2017 CSA Fair, guest chef events, and marketing and promotion material and collateral.
New York Wine & Grape Foundation: $195,000 to support the NY Drinks NY program.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orleans County: $25,675 to establish a teaching kitchen at the Orleans County fairgrounds.
Lake Ontario Wine Trail: $27,750 to implement the Lake Ontario Wine Trail Marketing Plan.
New York Apple Association: $82,701 to assess the economic contribution of the apple industry in New York State and to enhance the industry’s economic development activities.
New York State Agricultural Experimental Station: $100,000 for plant growth chamber renovation and purchase of a bench top refractometer.
New York State Agricultural Experimental Station: $220,000 for research to support accelerated production of organic grains, corn and soybeans.
New York State Agricultural Experimental Station: $200,000 for the third year of a multi-year plan to research malting barley production.
New York State Agricultural Experimental Station: $56,874 to support the development and testing of apple varieties for the production of hard cider.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “These counties are home to some of New York’s most diverse agricultural producers and are vital to the success of the industry throughout the State. These key investments in research, facility upgrades, and marketing will benefit both the producers and the public, and this funding will help to ensure the success of agriculture in the state and drive the industry forward.”
For more on the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, click here.
