6.8% is down from 8.5% a year earlier

New York State’s unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent in November, the lowest state-wide rate since September 2008, according to the state Department of Labor.

In Orleans County, the rate was at 6.8 percent in November. That was up from the 6.4 percent in October, but down from the 8.5 percent rate in November 2013.

Orleans has the highest rate among the four GLOW counties. Genesee was at 5.3 percent in November, followed by Livingston at 5.6 percent and Wyoming at 6.1 percent.

Tompkins County has the lowest rate in state at 3.8 percent while Bronx County is the highest at 9.5 percent. The 6.8 percent rate in Orleans was lower than 10 of the state’s 62 counties.

For more information on the unemployment report, visit labor.ny.gov.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature, at its year-end meeting on Monday, tapped its contingency fund to help two organizations.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension will get a $10,000 boost, while the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council was approved for $2,000.

Both organizations are in the county budget. The 2015 county budget boosted the allocation for Extension from $219,500 to $225,000, and the amount for GO ART! from $1,000 to $3,000.

The Extension sought more than the $225,000 for 2015. The group pushed for at least a $15,000 boost so it could add a part-time horticultural educator, a position that will also serve as coordinator of the master gardener program and could help with a food preservation program.

Extension Director Jennifer Wagester said the $10,000 approved Monday will be enough for the Extension to add the part-time position. The Extension will supplement the county dollars with other funding to fill the position.

“We feel pretty comfortable we can hire for the position in March,” Wagester said.

The organization also is pursuing grants and doing other fund-raising to provide programs for the community. Wagester said the Extension was recently notified that a $52,800 federal grant will pay for a food and nutrition program to be run out of the Orleans County with outreach into Batavia in Genesee County.

The coordinator of that effort will run classes and reach out to low-income families about food and nutrition.

Wagester said the Extension is working on a long-term plan “for the sustainability of our programs.”

C.L. Helt, Architect, Inc. in Charlotte, NC – The proposed new Family Dollar in Medina would be on Maple Ridge Road across from Tim Hortons in Medina.

MEDINA – A proposal for a new Family Dollar store on Maple Ridge Road has the support of the Orleans County Planning Board, although the board expressed some concern about traffic congestion in that area of the proposed store.

Planners met on Thursday and recommended the Village of Medina Planning Board approve the site plan for the 8,320 square foot structure. Family Dollar wants to move out of the Tops Plaza about ½ mile away to the next site across from Tim Hortons.

Planners suggested the driveway for the store line up with the driveway for Tim Hortons or to maximize the space between them. The Village Planning Board and state Department of Transportation will have a say in that issue.

The Durban Group, which is based in North Carolina, is proposing the new building at 11300 Maple Ridge Rd. The company anticipates construction from April to September 2014.

It is requesting 28 parking spaces, which is 14 less than the village code for a 8,320 square foot building. The County Planning Board supported the variance request.

The project includes a pylon sign and connection into the village’s sewer system.

In other action, the Planning Board:

Supported a proposal for a gift shop at 10446 Ridge Rd., about ½ mile east of the Jeddo hamlet in the Town of Ridgeway.

Terry and David Ronson want to open Plum Creek Gift Shop in the General Business District. The site also is used for Ronsons Auction Center.

Recommended the Town of Clarendon approve a special use permit for Nathaniel Lorenz to have roll-off containers at the corner of Mansfield and Hindsburg roads.

Planners say the neighborhood at 15663 Mansfield Rd. is remote, with the nearest house about 700 feet to the west. Lorenz plans to call the business, ARG Roll Off Containers. He will store the containers at the site and rent them out.

Supported Kim Rowe’s proposal to expand the parking lot at the Cobble-Ridge Co-Op, 14462 Ridge Rd.

Rowe wants to add a 100-foot wide by 66-foot deep parking to the northeast of the building. That parking area will serve a flea market, garage sale and farmers market that operate on a seasonal basis from April 1 to Oct. 31.

ALBION – An Orleans Hub calendar for 2015 makes a fine Christmas gift. They are for sale for $10 and include 25 local images (two for each month plus the cover image).

The calendar showcases the four seasons in Orleans County. The cover photo shows Marisa Hanlon of Kendall riding her horse at the 4-H Fairgrounds while the sun was setting during the fair this past July.

The are available at the Lake Country Pennysaver, 170 North Main St., Albion, and at Main Street TV & Appliance Sales at 430 Main St. in Medina.

Orleans Hub can mail these as well with an additional charge for shipping. For more information on that, call the office at 585-589-5641.

BROCKPORT – Two Brockport residents face multiple drug charges following a three-month-investigation into the sale and distribution of cocaine and marijuana in Orleans County and the Village of Brockport, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force reported today.

Jesus M. Vargas

The Task Force and the Brockport Police Department on Friday executed a search warrant at 18 North Main St., Apt. 111 – The Villager Apartments – and arrested two individuals on drug charges.

Police seized more than two ounces of cocaine, three pounds of marijuana, more than $5,000 in cash, and scales, packaging and other drug paraphernalia.

The following were arrested:

Jesus M. Vargas, 35, of 18 North Main St., Apt. 111. He was charged with five counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (a Class B felony).

Vargas was arraigned in the Town of Murray Court by the Judge Gary Passarell. Vargas was committed to Orleans County Jail without bail due to his previous criminal history, the Task Force reported. Vargas is to return to Murray court on Dec. 24 at 4 p.m.

He faces further charges regarding criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of marijuana in Monroe County, the Task Force said.

Tabitha L. Drager, 21, of 18 North Main St., Apt. 111. She was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (a Class B felony) and one count of criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree.

Drager was arraigned in the Town of Sweden Court and committed to the Monroe County Jail. She is to return to Sweden court on Dec. 23 at 3 p.m.

File Photo – Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson speaks at a Veterans Day service on Nov. 11, 2013.

Orleans County Legislator Lynne Johnson is featured in a Q & A for the American City & County, a national magazine that has been the voice of state and local government since 1909.

Her interview was posted to the magazine’s web site on Wednesday. She talks about the Niagara Orleans Regional Alliance. She is co-chair of the two-county alliance with Niagara County. That group has fought a plan for regulating Lake Ontario and has pushed for expanding broadband Internet access in rural spots of the two counties.

Johnson said her most rewarding time as legislator is attending the Top 10 graduate dinner in Orleans County. The most challenging time has been the three times she has witnessed the return of a local soldier killed in either a training accident or in combat.

“All three times the streets have been lined with residents paying their respects,” she tells American City & County. “The volunteer fire departments draped the American flag using ladder trucks, high over the main intersection. These soldiers were proud to serve the country they loved. Even those who didn’t know these soldiers say their deaths are a reminder of what all American soldiers do and the sacrifices they make.”

She offers these tips to be an effective elected official: “Be a good listener, attend all meetings, and do your homework.”

To see the full interview, click here.

A report from The Washington Post about the vanishing Middle Class says Orleans County peaked in 1969.

“Why America’s Middle Class is Lost” was published on Dec. 12 by The Washington Post. The story includes a database on the median household income in 3,139 counties across the United States. Orleans is one of 210 counties, or less than 7 percent of the country, that reached its inflation-adjusted peak in 1969.

About half of the counties in New York state hit their median household peak in 1969. That includes seven out of the eight Western New York counties. Wyoming County was the only one to hit its peak after 1969. Wyoming hit it in 1999 with a median household income of $55,668.

Orleans households had an inflation-adjusted median income of $56,963 in 1969, according to the database that used information from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

In Orleans, the median household income between 2009 to 2013 was down to $48,502, according to the American Community Survey.

The Washington Post says the median household incomes have fallen in many areas in the country due to the exodus of higher-paying manufacturing jobs and other positions.

“Make no mistake: The American middle class is in trouble,” according to Post article written by Jim Tankersley. “That trouble started decades ago, well before the 2008 financial crisis, and it is rooted in shifts far more complicated than the simple tax-and-spend debates that dominate economic policymaking in Washington.”

Tankersley says a smaller share of Americans are reaping the benefits of an expanding economy.

To see the article and the database of counties, click here.

File Photo by Tom Rivers – The Village of Holley received the lone grant in Orleans County last year through the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. A $65,776 grant was approved for a canal park improvement project. Other nearby counties receive far more in funding through the council.

It’s become an annual rite in mid-December. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state economic development officials announce hundreds of millions of dollars in grants for projects around the state.

Some small counties receive several awards. In Orleans County, it’s a short list. Last year there was one small grant: $65,776 to the village of Holley for a canal park improvement project.

Last week, the state announced $709.2 million in grants. It was another light showing for Orleans County with $81,500 approved for the Orleans County Marine Park along the Oak Orchard River in the Town of Carlton. Intergrow Greenhouses also was awarded $600,000 for “grow lights” and an electric supply upgrade.

Orleans County doesn’t get many grants, especially for the local towns and villages, because they typically don’t seek any funding. The Orleans Economic Development Agency wants to encourage the Orleans towns and villages to put together projects and pursue the funding through the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council.

The EDA’s Local Development Corporation has approved $10,000 to cover grant-writing costs for projects submitted by towns and villages.

“We want to encourage them to get some money in the next round,” said Gabrielle Barone, EDA vice president of business development.

Many other communities received grants for downtown business development. Livingston County, for example, was approved for $500,000 for Main Street revitalization projects for several villages.

In Genesee County, several municipalities were awarded grants. The City of Batavia was approved for $75,000 for a “Sustainable Batavia” initiative to update the city’s comprehensive plan. The City of Batavia also was awarded $200,000 to establish the Batavia Microenterprise Assistance Program for small business owners.

The Village of Alexander was approved for $30,000 for a wastewater infrastructure evaluation study. The Village of Bergen also was OK’d for $30,000 for wastewater collection system study. Another $30,000 grant was approved for an east side sewer study in the Town of Batavia.

The Genesee Economic Development Center also hit it big, landing a $1.5 million grant for a company to build a biogas plant at the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in Batavia.

The Orleans EDA plans to work with the Chamber of Commerce on the $10,000 initiative. The money will be passed to the Chamber, which will administer the funds to the local villages and towns.

Barone said the funds could be used for the municipalities to not only seek money through the regional council, but from other sources, including foundations.

“We’re hoping in 2015 we will see some funding for projects in a couple of our downtowns,” she said.

Villages see share drop from $404,666 in 2013 to $398,110 in 2015

ALBION – The revenue-starved villages in Orleans County will see their shares of the sales tax for towns and villages drop because of a formula that ties the town and village share to their assessments.

The towns’ assessments are going up while the villages have been shrinking in recent years.

The county takes in about $15 million in sales tax. Since 2001, it has set aside $1,366,671 from that total for the 10 towns and villages. In 2013, the four villages – Albion, Holley, Lyndonville and Medina – received $404,661. That fell to $400,681 in 2014 and the apportionment for 2015 drops the village share to $398,111.

The Village of Albion will get $175,305, which is down from $180,457 in 2013. Medina’s share is $159,586 next year (down from $160,988 in 2013), with Holley at $47,746 (down from $48,596 in 2014) and Lyndonville at $15,473 (compared to $15,511 in 2014).

To determine the village share, the county divides the village taxable value by the town taxable value. As the villages lose assessed value and the towns gain, the village share gets smaller.

For example, in the Town of Albion, the village accounted for 57.14 percent of the total taxable value in 2015. The village was 57.45 percent in 2014 and 58.59 percent in 2013.

The apportionment for 2015 includes the following amounts per town: Albion, $115,666; Barre, $64,536; Carlton, $95,418; Clarendon, $116,261; Gaines, $86,558; Kendall, $86,813; Murray, $111,220; Ridgeway, $124,828; Shelby, $101,179; and Yates, $66,082.

County hires 2 full-time investigators for group

ALBION – A multi-agency task force that targeted drug and major felony crimes in the county will no longer include officers from the Albion, Holley and Medina police departments.

The Orleans County Legislature announced the village personnel are out of the task force and two full-time investigators would be added at county expense.

The county had been paying Albion and Medina $50,000 annually towards the salary of a full-time officer and $25,000 to Holley for a part-time officer.

The villages, especially Albion and Medina, have long complained that the $50,000 did not come close to covering costs of a full-time officer for the salary, overtime and benefits.

“We heard it was costing the villages more than they were receiving,” said David Callard, Orleans County Legislature chairman. “By us taking on full-time employees it will eliminate the extra costs from the villages. They’ll have their own staffing at their own costs.”

The decision announced Wednesday caught the village leaders by surprise. However, they say village police will continue to fight drug and other crime in the community.

The decision comes about halfway through the village budget cycle, which runs June 1 to May 31.

Roland Nenni, Albion police chief, said his department now faces a $25,000 budget gap for the rest of the village fiscal year.

The Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force has existed for about 20 years. Nenni said it has been controversial since its inception.

“The views of how it should run and by what funding has changed many times over the years, depending on who sat on the various boards,” he said.

The Task Force has included a supervising officer paid by the county, a member of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, and officers from the Albion, Holley and Medina police departments. An officer from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement joined the Task Force this year as a full-time presence.

Callard said the two new full-time investigators and the ICE officer will more than offset the manpower from the villages – two full-time officers and a part-timer.

Nenni said he is optimistic the Task Force will remain effective and will work closely with the local village police.

“The impact of not having an officer from each agency assigned to unit is yet to be seen and only time will tell,” he said. “The Albion Police Department is committed to serve the residents of the Village of Albion in the protection of life and property and will continue to serve in all aspects of that protection.”

Medina Mayor Andrew Meier said the loss of county funding may not be a budget blow to Medina because that officer can return to work full-time with the Medina department. The big overtime costs for the officer working at the Task Force are now gone, Meier said.

“I am pleased the county has taken an even greater leadership role in combating major crime,” Meier said. “In particular, the illegal drug trade isn’t just a problem in the villages. It’s countywide, and we must address it collectively.”

The county is capping officer overtime at $10,000 each per year. The new officers are scheduled to start on Jan. 1.

Callard said the village mayors and police chiefs will continue to be welcome on an advisory board for the Task Force.

“We’re all working together for the same purpose,” Callard said. “We’re still going to work together cooperatively.”

Photos by Peggy Barringer

ALBION – Ellie the Elephant is one of many gifts donated in a Toy Challenge by local businesses.

The toys will be sorted and given to local families by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

The Toy Drive Committee includes, from left: Kris Hartwig, administrative assistant at S & B Whistler & Sons (Phinney Tool & Die) in Medina; Leslie Blake from Western New York Energy in Medina; Wendy Hinkley, volunteer; Carolyn Wagner, human resource manager at BMP in Medina; Marsha Rivers, executive director for Orleans County United Way; and Anni Skowneski, case manager for Community Action.

Many local businesses and organizations gave to the effort. The toys will be categorized by gender and age group. The volunteers have “Wish Lists” for the kids and they come in and pick out the toy to match or closely match the wish list items.

They bag the items and then the families come in to pick up the bag of toys. Kris Hartwig said it is good method for the families to be a part of the gift-giving process. They can see the children open up the gifts on Christmas morning.

“We are thankful for every donation received,” Skowneski said. “Every child deserves a present on Christmas.”

Toys are sorted and categorized in the basement of the First Baptist Church in Albion. Community Action will try to match the toys up with about 350 local families.

Orleans County was barely touched by the big snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area last month, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo has requested Orleans be included with other counties and be eligible for federal disaster aid.

The governor today said he has requested a major disaster declaration be issued for Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Orleans, St. Lawrence and Wyoming counties due to snowstorm and flooding that occurred from Nov. 18-26.

State and local governments had more than $46.6 million in response costs and infrastructure damage verified as a result of the storm, the governor said. A major disaster declaration for these counties is the next step in seeking financial assistance from the federal government once the $27.3 million damage threshold is met to allow local communities continue to recover.

“Once again, extreme weather came to New York and once again New Yorkers came together to help our neighbors in their time of need,” Cuomo said. “The state, working with communities from every corner of New York, mobilized an unprecedented response to the storm that struck Western New York and the North County. As we continue the recovery process, federal assistance is critical to helping these communities and their residents move beyond this storm and prepare for the rest of the upcoming winter season.”

A total of 14 fatalities and six injuries were attributed to the Lake Effect Snow event. More than 370 structures experienced roof damage from the weight of snow with an additional 38 structures completely destroyed.

In rural communities, barn collapses killed and injured livestock, including cattle and horses. Dairy farmers were forced to dump more than 250,000 pounds of milk. Damages to the agricultural industry alone are estimated at more than $15 million.

Photo by Tom Rivers – Wayne Hale, left, receives a special recognition citation from Orleans County Legislator John DeFilipps on Wednesday.

ALBION – Wayne Hale is retiring after a 31-year career with the county government, leading the Planning Department and also serving as tourism director and Marine Park manager.

He was praised by the Orleans County Legislature on Wednesday for serving in multiple roles. Hale postponed his retirement to stay on in a part-time role in recent years.

Hale stepped up to manage the Marine Park in the late 1990s. The site was largely underutilized but quickly had nearly all of its 80 boating slips rented and became a popular spot for concerts and picnickers.

He said he is most proud of the Marine Park and the $350,000 in grant funds directed to upgrade the site. (Another state grant is expected to be announced for the park today.)

The county also has worked to improve public fishing access and promote local events and attractions, Hale said.

Hale thanked the county legislators and chief administrative officers for their support over the years. He also praised Jim Bensley, the county’s senior planner for 25 years, and Mike Waterhouse, the sportsfishing tourism coordinator.

Hale the past two years took on a leadership role for the southshore lake counties, leading the effort to develop a dredging plan for about 20 harbors.

Hale’s willingness to delay his retirement gave the county a chance to transition to a new approach for tourism services. Waterhouse will continue as sportsfishing coordinator at a cost not to exceed $19,070 in 2015.

The county hired Lynne Menz of Kent for tourism coordination services at a cost not to exceed $13,000 for 2015. She will focus on the non-fishing side of tourism, working with businesses and organizations. She already had been working with Hale on the county’s tourism web site.

She is active with the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association and the Medina Sandstone Society.

The county also approved an agreement with Corporate Communications, Inc. in Rochester for $12,000 for 2015. The company will administer state tourism dollars through the I Love NY program and also work with the tourism web site.

Photo by Tom Rivers – From left: Dale Banker, Orleans County Emergency Management Office director; John DeYoung of the Clarendon Fire Company; Bob Freida, Clarendon fire chief; Rocky Sidari, Albion fire chief, Stan Farone, Albion firefighter; County Legislator Lynne Johnson, Jason Watts, Shelby fire chief; Joe Morlino, captain with Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Company; and County Legislator Ken DeRoller.

The Orleans County Legislature commended volunteer firefighters who went to the Buffalo area after a monster snowstorm hit beginning Nov. 18.

In all, 60 firefighters from the county would serve at least a shift in the Buffalo area, with many of those volunteers staying for several days.

“Our volunteers stood ready and were available to help our neighbors,” County Legislator Lynne Johnson said today during the Legislature meeting.

Firefighters went from the following fire departments: Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, East Shelby, Fancher-Hulberton-Murray, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville, Ridgeway and Shelby. Some of those departments brought along fire trucks and off-track four-wheelers.

Dale Banker, the county emergency management director, coordinated the efforts from the local firefighters with Erie County fire departments that needed help.

Banker said the 60 firefighters collectively gave about 3,000 hours in Erie County.

“Everybody did a great job,” he said.

Orleans has seen growth in sales tax, but that could stop with cheaper gas

Photo by Tom Rivers – The gas prices are getting close to $3 at the Crosby’s gas station at the corner of routes 98 and 104 in the Town of Gaines. This photo was taken Monday evening.

Consumers are getting relief at the gas pump with prices locally falling near $3 per gallon, down from prices that were closer to $4 in the spring.

Prices nationally on average have dropped below $3 for the first time since 2010. The falling gas prices could cut into the sales tax revenues for the state and county governments.

Gas is taxed 8 cents per $1 with the state and county splitting that for 4 cents each. Every time someone fills up, a few dollars is typically generated in sales tax.

But a smaller gas bill means less in sales tax.

Orleans County officials opted not to forecast higher sales tax revenues in 2015, even though the county is currently 5.4 percent ahead of the 2013 pace.

“We’re seeing gas prices drop dramatically and we could see our revenues drop dramatically as well,” Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said during a county budget hearing last week.

The county has budgeted $13,785,000 in sales tax revenues for 2015, the same as in 2014. In addition, another $1,366,671 from the local share goes to towns and villages in the county.

Orleans in 2013 was about $363,000 below its sales tax budget. This year, through the first nine months, it’s up by $601,482 (from $11,111,414 to $11,712,897) for the first three quarters of the year, according to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

The percentage growth in Orleans is the ninth highest of 57 counties in the state. State-wide, sales tax receipts are up 2.7 percent for the nine months, compared to 2013.

Sales tax is important for the local and state governments because it helps offset the need for other revenue, including higher property taxes. If the sales tax revenues fall, Orleans might have to either raise taxes or dip into its reserves to maintain existing services.