Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Officials cut the ribbon on a new transportation facility for RTS Orleans on Wednesday afternoon. The new 13,000-square-foot building is behind the Orleans County Highway Department at 225 West Academy St.

Pictured from left include: Chuck Nesbitt, Orleans County chief administrative officer; Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Geoff Astles, Board Chairman of the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority; Bill Carpenter, Regional Transit Service chief executive officer; Henry Smith Jr., RGRTA commissioner from Orleans County; Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature; Eileen Banker, Albion Mayor; John LeFrois, vice president of LeFrois Builders; and Justin Vollenweider, architect with Passarell Associates.

About 50 people attended a ribbon-cutting celebration for the building.

The facility has eight indoor bus bays, three bus maintenance bays, a vehicle wash bay, storage for parts and materials, administrative office space, a break room with kitchenette, and designated parking.

The new facility cost about $4 million. Federal aid funneled to the state is covering 80 percent or about $3.2 million of the cost, while the state pays 10 percent and RTS pays the other 10 percent. It took about 15 months to construct the building.

Henry Smith Jr., center, shakes hands with Bill Carpenter, CEO of the Regional Transit Service through RGRTA. Smith, a former county legislator, has been the county’s representative on the RGRTA board for about a decade. He is stepping down from the unpaid position on Dec. 31.

He praised the RGRTA for providing public transportation in Orleans County since 2003. RTS Orleans serves about 40,000 riders a year. (Before it was RTS Orleans, the local agency was originally called Orleans Transit Service or OTS.)

Smith said the agency has tweaked bus routes and added bus shelters. The new $4 million facility shows RGRTA’s commitment to public transportation in the county, Smith said.

Lynne Johnson, right, also praised the partnership between RGRTA and the county. She is hopeful the agency will expand ride options to include Saturday service and more connections with neighboring counties.

The county will provide mechanics to work on RTS Orleans buses. The agency is in a 50-year lease for the county to have the transportation facility on county-owned land.

A tour of the site followed Wednesday’s ribbon cutting. RTS Orleans previously kept its buses outside by the county highway garage. Now the buses can be stored inside. RTS bus drivers previously had to arrive to work 20-30 minutes ahead of bus runs to clear off buses in the winter. Keeping the buses inside keeps them more secure and will get them on the road sooner in the mornings during inclimate weather.

RTS Orleans currently has six buses in the county. The transportation facility was built with eight bays to accommodate future growth for the service if it expands to eight buses.

The site includes new offices, bathrooms and a conference room.

Dave Belaskas, director of engineering and facilities management for RTS, gives a tour of the building. He is shown in the maintenance area, which includes lifts and three bays.

The facility has a wash bay to keep the buses clean after they have been out on their daily runs.

RTS Orleans staff started moving into the building Wednesday evening. RTS Orleans should have the operations fully shifted over by Monday.

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ALBION –  A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday for the new transportation facility for RTS Orleans.

RTS is moving into a new 13,000-square-foot building behind the Orleans County Highway Department at 225 West Academy St.

Dignitaries planned to attend the event include State Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature; Geoff Astles, RGRTA Board Chairman; Henry Smith, Jr., RGRTA Commissioner from Orleans County; and Bill Carpenter, RTS CEO.

The new facility cost about $4 million. Federal aid funneled to the state is covering 80 percent or about $3.2 million of the cost, while the state pays 10 percent and RTS pays the other 10 percent, Bill Carpenter, CEO of RTS, said during a ground-breaking for the project in June 2017.

RTS has run a public transportation service in Orleans County since 2003. It has six buses in the county, and they have been parked outside by the County Highway Department on West Academy Street.

The new $4 million facility will allow the buses to be parked inside. The facility will be behind the County Highway Department, with RTS in a 50-year lease with the county for the land.

The facility will include eight indoor bus bays, three bus maintenance bays, a vehicle wash bay, storage for parts and materials, administrative office space, a break room with kitchenette, and designated parking.

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Provided photo: State Sen. Robert Ortt, center, this morning presented ceremonial checks to the leaders of the four public libraries in Orleans County as well as the Cobblestone Museum and Medina Railroad Museum.

ALBION – The four public libraries and two museums in Orleans County will share $40,000 in state funding to boost their educational programming.

State Sen. Robert Ortt this morning met with the museum and library leaders at Hoag Library in Albion and presented them with ceremonial checks.

The four public libraries – Hoag in Albion, Community Free Library in Holley, Yates Community Library in Lyndonville and Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina – will each receive $5,000.

The Cobblestone Museum and Medina Railroad Museum will each get $10,000.

This funding will go toward the creation of educational programs within the various facilities, as well as the updating of technological resources, Ortt said.

“I am proud that I was able to secure this funding for some of the wonderful educational facilities we have located across Orleans County,” said Sen. Ortt. “These institutions play such an important role in preserving the history of Orleans County, and in educating our county’s future generations and I am thankful that we have such great leadership at each one of these entities to foster their continued successes.”

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Press Release, New York State Association of Counties

Last week, nearly 150 county leaders from New York and New Jersey, including three Orleans County legislators, attended a conference at the White House. The meeting was policy-oriented and included opportunities for discussion between the states’ county leaders and White House Administration officials.

Lynne Johnson, Don Allport and Skip Draper from Orleans County joined other county leaders in hearing presentations from 10 administration officials, including senior presidential counsel Kellyanne Conway. The event was part of a series the White House has been holding with county-level officials from around the country. County officials from across the state, representing both parties, were invited.

“It was an important and productive visit to the White House,” said Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature. “New York county officials have never been invited to hear first hand the direction of the country. This provided us to present our concerns, locally and understand the policies of the Federal government. Agriculture, veterans issues, infrastructure, the opioid crisis were some of the issues we raised. We will be following up with the contacts we made to help our communities.”

The event was run by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Officials from the departments of energy, agriculture and education, a U.S. trade representative, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement addressed the delegates as well.

“This was an unprecedented event – it’s the first time any White House has reached out to counties and opened up the discussion,” said Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties. “Counties administer federal programs at the local level, so open communication between the levels of government is crucial to developing sound policy.”

Policy discussions focused on agriculture and dairy, the opioid crisis, immigration reform and the impact on New York State, drinking water safety, infrastructure, and changes in tax policy. Each of these issue areas greatly impact New York’s counties and communities.

The New York delegates convened before the White House event for a briefing on national county priorities, hosted by the National Association of Counties.

Select federal issues of concern to New York counties include:

The Proposed Federal Infrastructure Program

On the plus side, the President’s proposed program would reduce regulatory barriers to road and bridge projects and public private partnerships. For example, the proposal would allow for only one environmental review for a project to get green lighted.

On the negative side, the funding proposed would require a 20 percent federal and 80 percent local match. For many current projects this amounts to a complete reversal of federal/local match levels, where federal support can be as high as 80 percent today for major projects. Given the fiscal constraints facing NY counties, local governments would be hard pressed to leverage much of the $200 billion in federal funding for county and town road and bridge projects in NY. The President’s focus on infrastructure is welcome but counties, states and congress will need to work to find a better balance.

Federal Tax Reforms and the Cap on State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction

While many New Yorkers will benefit from several provisions in the Federal Tax Reforms enacted late last year, many other New Yorkers will be hurt by the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction. New Yorkers pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation, so many homeowners, particularly in downstate area pay much more than $10,000 in combined income and property taxes. It is important to note that the federal tax changes related to SALT will impact downstate areas much differently than most of upstate. However, the negative fiscal impacts generated downstate, because of their large size, will hurt the whole state and over time these impacts will grow.

For many years, going back decades in fact, New York State has been a donor state to the federal government. This means we send far more in federal income taxes to Washington DC than we get back in federal grants and aid. In the most recent year this imbalance was nearly $50 billion. The new federal SALT limitations unfairly shifts even more revenues from New York State, and a handful of others, and redistributes that money to the rest of the nation. The imbalances experienced by donor states like New York, reduces our overall GDP growth compared to the “donee” states – a better balance needs to be found on the SALT provisions going forward.

Battling the Opioid Crisis and Federal Funding

Counties are on the forefront of the battle against the opioid epidemic across the nation and particularly in New York State. We appreciate the President appointing a commission that is focused on reducing over-prescription, cutting off the supply of illicit drugs, and helping those struggling with addiction. We ask that federal funding be streamlined to states and counties to allow us to invest in more community-based programs such as jail-based substance abuse programs.

Immigration Reform and New York

We appreciate the President’s focus on curbing illegal immigration, but we ask the White House to recognize the reliance of New York’s farmers and tourism businesses on immigrant labor. Reforms should allow current, trained workers to stay on farms as well as improve the guest worker H2A visa program to address seasonal and year-round labor needs on our farms and allow for J1 visas for foreign students to work in communities that rely on summer tourism.

US EPA PFOA MCL/US DOD Funding for cleanup and testing near military bases around NY

PFOA and PFOS are fluorinated chemicals used to make carpets, clothing, cookware and other products that are resistant to water, grease, or stains. When they get into drinking water, they are linked to cancers and immune system impairments. The federal budget includes $63.8 million for remediation and research efforts for communities contaminated by PFOS and PFOA. The Department of Defense will receive $43.8 million for identifying and cleaning up former waste disposal sites on military property for the remediation of those two chemicals. New York has several sites in need of remediation.

Local governments also urge the EPA to establish a maximum contaminant limit for PFAS in drinking water.

Passage of the Farm Bill

Agriculture is a significant part of New York’s economy and a central pillar of New York’s agriculture production is dairy farming. Recent trends have hurt dairy farmers significantly and there are provisions within the Farm bill that can help New York’s farmers and we strongly encourage congress to finish deliberations on the Farm Bill to protect all of our farmers.

Internet Sales Tax

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the collection of Internet sales tax by states provided an outcome positive for states and that the White House supported. There have been efforts in the past by Congress to change federal laws to create a nationwide standard, but it has been many years since there has been any serious attempt. With the new Supreme Court decision in place, states now have a clear blueprint for how they can move forward and still maintain the rights of all parties impacted. Because of recent events, we do not believe Congress needs to enact any new federal law that imposes a federally mandated one-size-fits all solution. The Supreme Court has provided a clear path forward and states should be allowed to proceed on their own without congressional intervention.

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Photos by Tom Rivers: Dale Banker, Orleans County’s Emergency Management coordinator, is pictured at a fire in Carlton on May 20. He is a member of the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs radio communication committee/board.

ALBION – Two Orleans County employees are serving on state boards for emergency communications.

Dale Banker, director of the Orleans County Emergency management Office, has been named to the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs Radio Communications Committee.

Banker, a former Albion fire chief, has served as the EMO leader for about four years, during which time the county has worked to upgrade its emergency communications system.

Allen Turner is the communications coordinator for the dispatch center at Orleans County. He has worked nearly 26 years for the county starting as a dispatcher. He is a member of the East Shelby Volunteer Company.

Another county official has been named to state Interoperable and Emergency Communications Board.

Allen Turner, the county’s 911 communications coordinator, is the first from Orleans County to serve on that board which has 25 members. The term is for four years.

The group will make recommendations to the commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services on the expenditure of grants and other funding programs related to interoperable and emergency communications.

The board also will make recommendations related to the development, coordination and implementation of policies, plans, standards, programs and services related to interoperable and emergency communications, including but not limited to ensuring compliance with federal mandates for interoperable communications and compatibility with the national incident management system.

The board also will:

• Establish structures and guidelines to maintain interoperable communications planning and coordination at the statewide level.
• Establish, promulgate and revise standards for the operation of public safety answering points.
• Establish guidelines regarding the creation of regionally based radio communications systems compatible with the structures and guidelines consistent with federal mandates and best practices.

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Radio towers would be added in Lyndonville and Kendall with boosted coverage in Holley

Photo by Tom Rivers: Moving telecommunications equipment from a tower in Clarendon to the Holley water tank on Route 237 would improve coverage in Holley without hurting Clarendon, county officials were told by a consultant on Wednesday.

ALBION – Orleans County is seeking $6 million in state funding to upgrade the emergency communications system by adding towers in Carlton and Lyndonville, and also move the equipment from a tower in Clarendon to the Holley water tower.

The grant would also pay for software and other upgrades for the system, which serves firefighters, law enforcement, highway employees, probation and some other municipal workers in the county.

The system currently has poor coverage in the Holley area, along Lake Ontario and some other isolated locations in the county, especially in buildings with thick walls.

The County Legislature on Wednesday voted to seek a grant through the 2018 Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant through the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office. The state is allowing a maximum of $6 million per county for the grants.

Tim Warth, a consultant for the county with Radio Technologies, said Orleans is one of 10 counties in the state identified as “in need.”

The proposed project would also improve interoperability with neighboring counties, allowing personnel to cross county boundaries and still have a radio signal.

The two new 180-foot-high towers in Lyndonville and Kendall would enhance coverage by the lake, and allow a lower strength signal so Orleans isn’t interfering with Canada’s system, Warth said.

Warth put together a budget for the project that total $5,880,730, just below the $6 million cap.

If Orleans is approved for funding this grant cycle, Warth said the county could pursue additional money from the state for phase 2 that would include a tower in Carlton and also in Albion by the Public Safety Building.

In the cunty application for funding, Warth states the $5,880,730 project would represent 8.6 percent of the county budget in 2016, compared to 1.5 percent of Niagara’s and 0.3 percent of Monroe County’s.

“This project is not possible without financial support,” Warth said.

He also said Orleans has received far less in state funding for emergency communications in the past five years than other nearby counties. The grant funding from the state totals $2.9 million for Orleans, compared to $10.1 million for Genesee, $10.7 million for Livingston, $4.1 million for Niagara, $5.1 million for Erie and $12.1 million for Monroe.

“There is quite a disparity with other counties,” Warth said.

The county’s application is due Aug. 31 with the grants to be announced in late September or October.

“We’re very confident we’ll get a large portion of the grant,” Warth told county legislators.

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Lynne Johnson

ALBION – Three Orleans County legislators will be at a meeting at the White House on Thursday for county officials from New York State.

Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson of Lyndonville, Legislator Don Allport of Gaines and Legislator Skip Draper of Shelby will leave Wednesday for the meeting and will return on Friday.

Because of the White House meeting, the County Legislature’s meeting scheduled for Wednesday was moved up to today.

Johnson said the county leaders will be meeting with “White House leaders to be determined.”

All three legislators had to pass background checks by the Secret Service.

“It should be interesting,” Johnson said about the session. “It’s the chance of my lifetime.”

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