Photos by Tom Rivers: Dale Banker, center, the Orleans County emergency management coordinator, receives a StormReady designation from Judy Levan, Meteorologist in Charge of the Buffalo Branch of the National Weather Service, and Michael J. Fries, Warming Coordination Meteorologist for the NWS in Buffalo. The award was presented during Wednesday’s Orleans County Legislature meeting.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 February 2022 at 9:09 am
ALBION – The National Weather Service has recognized Orleans Couty with a “StormReady” designation for the county’s hazardous weather plan and other protocols to inform the public of dangerous weather conditions.
Judy Levan, Meteorologist in Charge of the Buffalo Branch of the National Weather Service, presented a certificate of recognition to Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management coordinator. She praised Banker and his staff “for the tremendous effort he has exhibited to accomplish the goals set forth in this program.”
To be recognized as a Storm Ready county, a community must meet the following requirements:
Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
Have multiple ways to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings and to alert the public
Create a system that monitors local weather conditions
Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars and education
Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises
Judy Levan, Meteorologist in Charge of the Buffalo Branch of the National Weather Service, tells county legislators the county’s Emergency Management Office has a solid plan in place in case of weather emergencies.
Orleans County not only meets the criteria for the StormReady designation, “but has substantially exceeded them in many categories,” Levan said.
The StormReady program is designed to strengthen the relationship between emergency managers at the county level and the National Weather Service. Levan said the program makes sure all aspects of communication, warning reception and response are as efficient as possible and backups are in place in case one or more systems fail.
Banker said the county and NWS have provided weather radios to the five school districts in the county, as well as two for county officials to make sure weather alerts are received.
Orleans achieved the StormReady designation on Nov. 19 and it’s good for four years until Nov. 19, 2025. The Weather Service encourages the county to renew the recognition.
The county can use the StormReady logo in official letterheads, brochures and other documents.
If the county participates in the National Flood Insurance Program it may now be eligible for 25 additional Flood Insurance Service Organization community rating system points.
“We do not look forward to another natural disaster,” Levan said. “However, if and when another one does occur, you can be confident that officials in the county have improved their communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 February 2022 at 3:28 pm
Each of 15 counties and cities of Rochester and Buffalo currently has own rep but that would change under proposal
File photo by Tom Rivers – Batavia Downs on Park Road in Batavia was a big factor in WROTB distributing nearly $5 million in earnings to its member municipalities in 2021.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is opposing legislation in the State Senate that would change the makeup of the 17-member board of directors for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.
Currently, each of the 15 counties plus the cities of Rochester and Buffalo have a member of the board and their votes carry the same weight, regardless of the population of their county or city.
State Sen. Tim Kennedy, a Democrat from Buffalo, has proposed making the board seats be based on population. Erie County, the most populous of the 15 counties, would get four seats on the board. Orleans, Wyoming and Monroe would share three directors, under Kennedy’s proposal.
Chautauqua, Cayuga, Genesee, Livingston, Schuyler and Seneca would share one member, with Niagara getting its own director. There would be one director for the counties of Oswego, Cattaraugus and Wayne; one each for the cities of Buffalo and Rochester; and a member to be appointed by the governor, another by the State Senate leader and one by the Assembly speaker.
Kennedy has also proposed capping the allowance of promotional items for certain members of the corporation to not receive a gift of any kind valued at an amount greater than $15. Kennedy also wants to prohibit take-home vehicles for OTB staff.
“Through this legislation, we’re holding members accountable, revising outdated policy, and creating fairer representation on the OTB board moving forward,” Kennedy said in a press release last month. “Taxpayers deserve better, and we intend to ensure they receive that.”
Orleans County is currently represented on the board by Ed Morgan, the former County Republican Party chairman who started as a county legislator last month. Morgan abstained from the Legislature’s vote on Wednesday when it approved a resolution in opposition to changing the structure of the board.
“This legislation will in fact have the opposite effect of the stated intention in the bill, as it will decimate the balanced representation formula determined previously by both the state legislature and governor as equitable and impartial, with a clear and explicit intent of providing each municipality that comprises the corporation an equal voice in WROTB matters,” the resolution states.
WROTB has distributed $236 million to the 15 counties and cities of Rochester and Buffalo since WROTB formed in 1974 with Orleans receiving $2.5 million.
The organization has shifted its operations away from OTB parlors to the gaming center in Batavia. The organization now only runs 11 OTB parlors, and 27 E-Z Bets at other businesses such as bowling alleys and bars.
Batavia Downs – the race track, gaming center, restaurant and hotel – is WROTB’s big money maker. It is the main reason WROTB was able to distribute $4,906,280 in earnings from 2021, the largest earnings in the organization’s history. The total shared from WROTB was $5,793,184 with surcharges on betting at horse racing boosted the number in addition to the earnings.
“The performance and accomplishments of the current WROTB Board and leadership cannot be discounted when considering this drastic and overreaching legislation,” the resolution states, and lists achievements including: the acquisition of an 84-room hotel on the grounds of Batavia Downs and countless fundraising events for charitable organizations.
The current board has a Republican majority and Kennedy’s proposal would likely tip it to Democratic Party favor.
The Orleans County Legislature urged the State Senate and Gov. Kathy Hochul to not support Kennedy’s proposal “as it will cause irreparable harm to Orleans County, its interests in WROTB, the economic interests of Orleans County, and the taxpayers of this county.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Matt Jackson (left), Medina fire chief, speaks during the first meeting last week for a task force looking for solutions to EMS challenges in Orleans County. Medina has the lone paid fire department in the county and provides ambulance services to the western end of the county, as well as mutual aid outside its core service area. Jackson said Medina loses some staff members to higher-paying positions in suburban departments. He is joined up front by Justin Niederhofer, the EMS coordinator in the county and deputy emergency management coordinator; and Dale Banker, the emergency management coordinator.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 February 2022 at 3:10 pm
ALBION – A task force of about 30 local officials, fire department representatives and ambulance service providers met for the first time last week to discuss challenges to the local EMS system which often faces drop calls, slower response times, financial challenges and a shortage of manpower.
“We’re coming into this with an open mind,” Justin Niederhofer, the EMS coordinator for the county, told about 30 local officials, fire department representatives and ambulance providers during a meeting last week at the Orleans County legislative chambers. “We don’t know what the solution is.”
Orleans County Legislator Skip Draper, head of the county’s Public Safety Committee, convened the task force and urged the group to push for solutions.
He urged the group to put the past behind them, especially with dropped calls, and forge solutions for the future. A dropped call is a request for service but the agency can’t get there and the call is sent to another responding agency.
The task force members will need to decide what is an acceptable response time for an ambulance in their community, and work towards that goal. Niederhofer said it is “unrealistic to think 100 percent of the calls 100 percent of time.”
There are four ambulance providers serving the county – Medina Fire Department, COVA, Monroe Ambulance and the Kendall Fire Department – and all operate differently.
All four have seen their response times increase from 2018 to 2021.
COVA’s average response increased from 6:52 for 2,010 calls in 2018 to 8:10 for 2,214 calls in 2021. Dropped calls increased from 53 to 125 during that time period.
Kendall averaged a 9:19 response for 113 calls in 2018. That was up to 10:47 for 201 calls last year. Dropped calls up from 16 to 71 during those years.
Medina had a 6:34 average response time for 2,333 EMS calls in 2018, which increased to 7:22 for 2,311 calls in 2021. Dropped calls up from 7 in 2018 to 21 last year.
Monroe Ambulance had a 12:13 average response time for 726 calls in Orleans County in 2018. That was up to 16:09 for 950 calls in 2021. Monroe’s drop calls in Orleans increased from 19 in 2018 to 79 in 2021.
Medina Fire Department serves the west end of the county – Shelby, Ridgeway, Medina, Lyndonville and Yates – and provides the service with the only paid career fire department in the county.
Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management coordinator, said more calls are going to mutual aid, which further strains the system and often results in a slower response.
The department has 21 paid firefighters who respond to fire and EMS calls. Fire Chief Matt Jackson said the department loses valued members to suburban departments that pay about $20,000 more annually.
Medina took over as the primary ambulance provider in 2007 for the western end of Orleans County. Rural Metro had the contract before that.
Medina responded to 2,616 total calls in 2021 with two-thirds of those EMS calls. Medina FD is increasingly being asked to provide mutual aid outside its primary service area, going into central Orleans, eastern Niagara and even Genesee County as many areas have manpower shortages.
Jackson said Medina will only take those calls if it has another available crew to respond to an emergency in Medina and western Orleans.
The Kendall Fire Department is the last volunteer fire department running an ambulance in Orleans County. Clarendon, Holley, Carlton, Albion and Shelby have all disbanded their ambulances.
Kendall has seven emergency medical technicians right now, with another in training, said Shelby Willis, EMS captain for the Kendall Fire Department.
“We have every intention of keeping up with our ambulance but staffing is the main problem right now,” Willis said.
Shelby Willis, EMS captain for the Kendall Fire Department, said the volunteer group isn’t able to bill for its services and relies on fundraisers.
The training requirements to be an EMT and paramedic have gone up, and ambulances have to drive farther, often into Rochester and Buffalo and then wait longer for hospitals to accept the patients. The whole process makes it much more demanding of time from the volunteer staff.
“We’re volunteers and we can’t make every call,” Willis said. “The transports are farther. Sometimes it takes 2 to 3 hours. We’re giving up a lot of time.”
Kendall is talking with the Murray Fire District about crew sharing, with the possibility of having an ambulance stationed in Murray with Murray firefighters helping to staff it.
Kendall, because it is a volunteer ambulance, can’t bill for its services. It relies on donations and fundraisers.
Monroe Ambulance responds to about 35,000 calls in Monroe County, eastern Orleans and Wyoming County.
John Williams is Deputy Chief at Monroe Ambulance. Hospitals are pulling many paramedics away with higher pay and an easier workload, he said.
The company is down 37 percent of its paramedics in the past two years. Many have left Monroe to work in hospitals where they are paid $35 an hour to do blood draws, said John Williams, deputy chief at Monroe Ambulance.
Monroe has launched an in-house EMT academy and has stepped up recruiting efforts at local high schools. It also is taking with Monroe Community College about a program to train paramedics.
Monroe Ambulance also is offering signing bonuses and boosting pay. Right now the average wage is $17.52 an hour for an EMT and about $25 for a paramedic.
Monroe has been hurt by people not paying their ambulance bills, and what is often a two-hour wait at hospitals to drop off a patient. That ties up the crew and leads to dropped calls for other emergencies, Williams said.
Monroe doesn’t keep an ambulance stationed in Orleans.
“The economics are not feasible for us to dedicate an ambulance to Orleans County,” he said.
Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance is a non-profit organization based in Albion. The organization has struggled financially due to low Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement rates, patients who keep their insurance checks instead of directing them to COVA, and a lack of any tax support, said Wade Schwab, a paramedic and past president for COVA.
“It’s been a heckuva struggle,” Schwab said. “The biggest challenge is financial.”
Wade Schwab, a paramedic at COVA and past president, said the organization faces financial challenges. He advocates for assessing each household in central Orleans – Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton – $25 a year to keep COVA viable.
He said there is about $90,000 owed COVA in 2021 from unpaid bills. Turning unpaid bills into collections often “gets you nowhere.”
The longer wait times at hospitals also occupy an ambulance crew for more time, making them unavailable for other calls.
COVA has meet with local government leaders from the four central Orleans towns of Barre, Albion, Gaines and Carlton as well as the Village of Albion to dicuss an ambulance taxing district. None have moved to help COVA with the financial challenges, Schwab said.
COVA has suggested a $25 fee for each of the 7,793 households in central Orleans, which would raise $193,675.
With that funding, COVA could increase staff and put more ambulances in service, Schwab said.
Right now, state law limits an ambulance taxing district to a single town. COVA would like a multi-town taxing district for the four towns, or each town could perhaps create their own taxing district for an ambulance service. Schwab said COVA officials have met with state legislators to help with the issue, as well as to have insurance checks sent directly to COVA, but haven’t had much followup.
Schwab said the EMS staff should be paid more, given the training and responsibility. Right now, he said, Wegmans and Tim Hortons can offer similar pay for far less stress.
Some counties facing an EMS crisis have created county crews to supplement the local ambulance providers. Niederhofer and Dale Banker, the emergency management coordinator, said they would bring in officials from other counties who have tried that to hear how that has been working.
Schwab interjected that the county would be better served to assist its existing ambulance providers rather than create a new entity.
He said the county already has a great foundation for responding to EMS calls.
Justin Niederhofer, the county’s EMS coordinator and deputy emergency management coordinator, said the local EMS system has experienced more dropped calls and slower response times in the past year.
“We have hard-working professionals in the Medina Fire Department, Monroe Ambulance, COVA and Kendall, we just need a little help, Schwab said.
County Legislator Skip Draper convened the meeting as head of the County’s Public Safety Committee. He hears throughout the state that emergency services are collapsing.
The task force needs to offer solutions for the immediate problem and also look to future challenges. He said Medina FD is currently considered a model, but even that department is being in many directions and its future success is not a guarantee.
“Even though it’s working in some areas it’s still fragile,” Draper said about the EMS system.
The task force will next meet March 16 and will return with a survey about acceptable response times for different severities of emergency, whether advanced life support with paramedic level of care or basic life support at EMT level of care.
Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer, said the local town and village leaders need to be part of solving the problem.
“We need buy-in from the municipalities,” Welch said. “What is acceptable service? We need to agree what the problem is.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 February 2022 at 9:50 pm
‘It would be devastating if it goes through (and is approved by state)’ – Legislator Bill Eick, retired dairy farmer
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature plans to go on the record Wednesday, opposing a push to lower the overtime threshold in agriculture from 60 hours a week to 40.
That change would be particularly difficult for farmers in Orleans County who need workers for intensive hand labor with fruit, vegetable and dairy operations.
Local farms would likely have to curtail overtime to keep labor costs down. That would result in smaller paychecks for workers. Many of the workers would likely go to other states where their work weeks wouldn’t stop at 40 hours, said County Legislator Bill Eick of Shelby, who is a retired dairy farmer.
“These workers will go somewhere else where they can get the hours they want to work,” Eick said this evening during a meeting of Orleans county, village and town officials at the Black North Inn.
A three-person Farm Labor Wage Board voted on Jan. 28 to gradually reduce the overtime threshold in agriculture from 60 hours a week to 40 hours. The reduction in the OT threshold would be phased in from Jan. 1, 2024 to Jan. 1, 2032.
Many on the agriculture community, including New York Farm Bureau, are pleading with Gov. Kathy Hochul to reject the Wage Board’s decision.
“It would be devastating if it goes through,” Eick said.
Lyndonville Mayor John Belson also said he is concerned for wineries, which are growing in the region since the Niagara Wine Trail was established about 20 years ago. Three from Orleans are on that trail.
“It will crush the wineries,” Belson said.
Eick said many other counties around the state have officially opposed lowering the overtime threshold in agriculture. Genesee County voted last week on the measure, stating it was “emphatically” opposed to lowering the threshold.
The Orleans County Legislature, in a draft of the resolution, say farmers face many problems outside their control including climate change, land management policies, foreign market competition, livestock and crop diseases, natural disasters and cost increases of feed, fuel, equipment and labor costs.
“Farmers cannot pass on these increased costs as they operate in a commodities market where prices are set according to global demand,” the resolution states. “Many farmers in agriculture rely on migratory workers during the short growing season in Western New York, as they have a limited window to get the work done.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 February 2022 at 9:32 am
‘Our county is worth saving and we’ll need people like you to make it happen.’
Photos by Tom Rivers: Ken DeRoller, a former Orleans County legislator, speaks to the Leadership Orleans class on Thursday in the Orleans County legislative chambers. DeRoller graduated with the 2020 class and was named the group’s alumnus of the year in 2021.
ALBION – The 26 members of the new class of Leadership Orleans were encouraged to get involved in local government by serving on Planning and Zoning Boards, and then looking to be elected officials at the town, village and county levels.
“We need you to run for office,” Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, told the Leadership Orleans class last week. “We need you on village, town and county offices.”
Johnson spoke to the leadership Orleans class last week. She has been as county legislator for 14 years, and the leader of the Legislature for more than four years.
Orleans County Legislature Chair Lynne Johnson and Lyndonville Mayor John Belson discussed their roles as local government leaders. State mandates drive many of the local tax dollars, they said.
She was a member of the Lyndonville Board of Education when she was asked by former State Assemblyman Charlie Nesbitt to pursue the Legislature with the retirement of former Legislator Jack Beedon.
Johnson spoke to the Leadership Orleans class last Thursday during a focus on Legislative Affairs. Several local officials spoke with the class, and the group toured the Orleans County Office Building, and then broke up into smaller groups and visited the Orleans County Public Safety Building, Village of Albion Sewer Treatment Plant, Village of Albion Water Treatment Plant, Orleans County Department of Public Works, Orleans County Emergency Management Office, and Orleans County Clerk’s Building, Real Property Tax Services, and Treasurer’s Office.
Ken DeRoller, a retired county legislator, gave the opening presentation. DeRoller graduated with the 2020 Leadership Orleans class.
He talked about the importance of “being in the room” with other officials and decision makers, and advocating for the county.
He said connecting with other officials at the local, state and federal levels has paid off for the county in recent years with seven canal bridges overhauled, more of the Lake Ontario State Parkway getting repaved, $17 million in projects along the Lake Ontario shoreline including rebuilt roads, erosion protection, a new boat launch, an expanded Yates town park and more public sewers in Kendall and Hamlin.
DeRoller said the officials also need to do their homework and lay the foundation for projects. He is excited about the possibilities with new waterfront plans along the lakeshore and also the Erie Canal.
Barre Town Supervisor Sean Pogue said the town supervisor position is demanding, with many phone calls during the day and frequent meetings during the month.
“Participate, be a little aggressive and get in the room,” DeRoller told the class. “Our county is worth saving and we’ll need people like you to make it happen.”
DeRoller, during his eight years as a legislator, also said he was proud of the county’s success in collecting more recyclables and electronic waste, and collecting more unused medications through drug take-back days. He also cited the transformation of the long vacant former Holley High School into the village offices and 41 senior apartments, a $17 million project.
DeRoller said he is concerned for the county as the population declines, especially with a student enrollment that has been cut in half in the past 20 years.
“How do we entice the next generation to stay in Orleans County, to live, work and play here?” DeRoller asked.
He said more housing options are needed for residents and families. He also wants to see the waterfront – Lake Ontario and Erie Canal – better utilized for business and recreation.
Besides DeRoller and Johnson, other local government panelists included Sean Pogue, Barre town supervisor; John Belson, Lyndonville mayor (and former Yates town supervisor); John Papponetti, Orleans County commissioner of public works; Jack Welch, county chief administrative officer; Joe Cardone, district attorney, and Charlie Nesbitt, retired state assemblyman.
Belson, the Lyndonville mayor, shared with the Leadership Orleans class that running a local government is challenging, especially when public infrastructure needs to be fixed or replaced. A repair to the Lyndonville dam topped $100,000. The village is facing a $1 million upgrade to its sewer plant in response to mandate from the state. Lyndonville has about 800 residents – not many people to spread out the costs.
“The biggest struggles are how to buy a new pickup truck, keep the residents happy and keep up the quality of life,” Belson said.
Sean Pogue said the role of Barre town supervisor has been very time consuming in recent years with two major energy projects – one with wind turbines and the other with solar panels.
The projects will drastically reduce the town tax burden for property owners, possibly wiping out the town tax bill, Pogue said.
Much of the review process and approvals are out of the town’s control, with a state siting board determining the final say in the project, he said.
The local officials can’t let a big project totally consume their efforts. Pogue said there are still budgets to put together and other initiatives in town. Barre, for example, is talking about a new water tower in the Pine Hill area to boost supply and water pressure in that part of the town.
Pogue said he networks with other local officials, delegates rather than micro-manages, and tries to pump up the town employees with praise.
“This is a part-time job but really it’s full-time,” he said. “It’s a lot of time on the phone, in meetings and the office.”
The Leadership Orleans Class for 2022 is pictured in the stairwell at the Orleans County Office Building on Thursday. The class heard from local government leaders and toured local municipal operations.
The class includes:
Jennifer Ashbery, High School Principal, Albion Central School District
Miranda Bennett, Bookkeeper, Town of Shelby
Dawn Borchert, Tourism Director, County of Orleans
Gloria Brent, President/Owner, MDS Consultants
Gabe Bruning, Owner, Mountain Mule Ciderhouse
Christopher Cappetta, CFO, Garden Trends, Inc., DBA Harris Seeds
Katrina Chaffee, Director of Community Services, Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 February 2022 at 3:22 pm
2 adults also will be honored for service to children
The Orleans County Youth Board wants to honor local youths for their community service and adults for their work on behalf of children in Orleans County.
The Youth Board for the past 40 years has recognized youth, usually about 20 each year for their outstanding community service or if they have taken on an extraordinary role in their family. The nominees must reside in Orleans County and be at least 14 years old and under 21.
Academic or athletic achievement will not be considered in the selection of award recipients.
In addition to the youth awards, at least two adults will be honored for their service to young people.
The Helen R. Brinsmaid Memorial Youth Worker Award recognizes a youth-serving professional whose work surpasses normal expectations. Last year’s winner was Vickie Scroger, the manager of food service at Holley Central School where she makes sure the students have delicious, balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks.
The Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award is given to an adult who provides service as a volunteer to Orleans County youth. Jason Requa of Kendall was the winner last year. He has been a youth coach and mentor.
Click here to be directed to the Orleans County Youth Bureau website where there are nomination forms. The nominations are due by April 1.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 February 2022 at 6:17 pm
In past 2 years sales tax revenue up $4.1 million in Orleans or by 23.2 percent
Photo by Tom Rivers: Gas was selling for $3.77 a gallon for regular unleaded and $4.19 for diesel at the Crosby’s on Route 31 in Albion on Wednesday. Higher gas prices and inflationary increases helped push up sales tax revenues in the county in 2021, according to report from the state comptroller.
ALBION – Sales tax revenue took another big jump in 2021, increasing by $2.4 million or 12.7 percent from $19.4 million in 2020 to $21.8 million last year.
Over two years the sales tax revenue is up 23.2 percent from $17.7 million in 2019 to $21.8 in 2021.
This is the 4 percent local share of the sales tax and doesn’t include the state’s 4 percent share.
The local sales tax is mostly used to fund county government. The county shares $1,366,671 with the 10 towns and four villages. They have been frozen at that level since 2001.
State-wide the sales tax revenue for local governments increased 19.1 percent in 2021, after a year when they dropped by 10 percent due to restrictions in the Covid-19 pandemic, when many businesses were closed.
“The pandemic substantially changed consumer spending for goods and services and from brick and mortar to online,” State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli stated in a sales tax report. “While local sales tax collections were robust in 2021 as the economy rebounded from the pandemic, some of that growth is attributed to inflation, which was the highest it has been in over 30 years. If inflation remains high, consumer spending on many taxable goods could decrease due to the rising cost of basic staples.”
Here is a breakdown of the sales tax revenue changes from 2020 to 2021 among some nearby counties:
Finger Lakes counties
Orleans, up 12.7 percent from $19.4 million to $21.8 million
Genesee, up 19.9 percent from $41.4 million to $49.7 million
Livingston, up 16.2 percent from $36.3 million to $42.2 million
Monroe, up 17.4 percent from $511.2 million to $599.9 million
Ontario, up 21.5 percent from $86.0 million to $104.5 million
Seneca, up 20.2 percent from $25.7 million to $30.8 million
Wayne, up 13.1 percent from $52.4 million to $59.2 million
Wyoming, up 13.3 percent from $20.0 million to $22.7 million
Yates, up 22.8 percent from $14.7 million to $18.0 million
Western New York counties
Allegany, up 15.8 percent from $23.6 million to $27.3 million
Cattaraugus, up 16.9 percent from $41.0 million to $47.9 million
Chautauqua, up 18.4 percent from $72.2 million to $85.5 million
Erie, up 16.4 percent from $814.6 million to $948.1 million
Niagara, up 17.1 percent from $129.1 million to $151.2 million
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 9 February 2022 at 9:29 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Michelle Figueroa is chair of Orleans County’s Emergency Food and Shelter program board, funded by FEMA. She is shown here at her desk at Community Action, where she is the emergency services case worker.
ALBION – Organizations which provide emergency assistance to low-income or homeless individuals need to apply for funds from the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program by Feb. 25 or attend the board meeting at 10 a.m. that day at Community Action.
This program, funded by FEMA, provides money to each county in the nation, but comes with strict responsibilities and requirements, according to Michelle Figueroa, who has been chair of the local board which oversees this program since 2016.
EFSP was authorized by a federal act of 1987 to aid people with non-disaster related emergencies and can be used for a broad range of services. Monies allocated to each county are determined by the unemployment rate and the poverty level of that county. A county has to have at least 300 unemployed. This year, Orleans County will receive $58,916 Figueroa said.
To receive these funds, each county is required to convene a local board which must include the highest ranking individual in that county. In Orleans County, that is County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson. The rest of the board is made up of members from the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, domestic violence support, Salvation Army and United Way. These members, in addition to Figueroa and Johnson, include Ronnie Barhite, Ann Vail, Dean Bellack, Nyla Gaylord, Kelly Kiebala, Margie Aldaco, Ken Turner, Skip Helfrich, Katrina Chaffee, Jayleen Carney, Bruce Schmidt and Carol Whalin. This committee meets semi-annually, as required.
The main purpose of this notice is to inform local organizations they must apply to the local board to receive funds, Figueroa said. Local organizations which applied in the past and/or have received funds from this program include the American Red Cross, Housing Development Council, Lyndonville-Yates Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul, United Way, Ministry of Concern, Community Action, Rural Opportunity, the Medina Emergency Food Pantry, Faith Bible Baptist Church, Meals on Wheels, Independent Living and Calvary Tabernacle Food Pantry.
“We have to let the community know there are funds available to provide food, temporary lodging, utility assistance, transportation costs, minor equipment repairs and efforts in an emergency to comply with building codes for people with disabilities,” Figueroa said.
Orleans County has been receiving funds from this Emergency Food and Shelter program since 2013. Figueroa again stresses that any faith-based organization which helps low income individuals or the homeless and wishes to apply for funding from the EFSP must contact her at 589-5605 by Feb. 25 so the board can compile and file its report to the Federal board by March 11. Anyone may also call her at that number for more information.
Photo by Tom Rivers: A Genesee Valley Transportation train travels through Albion in this photo from March. Some Albion students were doing a cleanup day near the railroad tracks.
Staff Reports Posted 4 February 2022 at 1:14 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $76.4 million in funding for 38 projects to renew and modernize New York’s freight rail infrastructure, including $985,000 to the Falls Road Railroad Company.
Genesee Valley Transportation in Batavia owns Falls Road, a railroad that runs from Lockport to Brockport, and includes about 25 miles in Orleans County.
The funding for Falls Road will go toward safety and service reliability enhancements, including the replacement of the rail bridge deck over the Erie Canal and ties along the mainline.
The $76.4 million announced by Hochul’s office on Thursday are 100 percent state-funded grants. They complement the more than $100 million annually in private infrastructure investments made in New York by the freight rail industry.
Strategic investments in freight rail improvements are essential for maintaining and enhancing market access for manufacturing and agricultural businesses across the State, including Alcoa in the North Country Region, Corning in the Southern Tier Region, and Lackawanna Products in the Western New York Region, Hochul said.
“The infrastructure projects funded with these grants will further fuel our economic comeback with new construction jobs, while making regional economies more competitive in the long term and enhancing the movement of commodities in an environmentally sustainable way,” the governor said in a news release. “As New York leads the nation in its efforts to combat climate change, we will continue to prioritize funding for initiatives that promote economic growth in a responsible manner while mitigating threats to our environment.”
The Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, administered by the New York State Department of Transportation, supports investments that enhance the safe movement of freight goods, improves service reliability to retain and grow manufacturing jobs, and supports economic development, especially upstate, Hochul said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 January 2022 at 9:19 am
Database lists local products and services from Orleans County contractors, vendors and suppliers
Photo by Tom Rivers: Art Hill Excavating did the site work for the new hotel in on Maple Ridge Road in medina. That hotel will be a Comfort Inn & Suites and is expected to open in March.
ALBION – The Orleans Economic Development Agency is urging local businesses to register or renew their listing with the “Only in Orleans” database.
The EDA created the site in 2017 as a database of available products and services from Orleans County contractors, vendors and suppliers. Companies doing projects in the county could then easily see options for working with local businesses for new construction or other projects. There is no charge to be included on Only in Orleans.
“The Only in Orleans database gives us an overview of the local products and services that might be available for projects coming down the pipeline,” said Michael Dobell, chief executive officer of the Orleans EDA. “A reliable list of local companies that can be plugged in to new development or expansion projects gives us a competitive strength.”
General, electrical and mechanical contractors and those who perform site work, masonry, roofing, paving, excavating, survey, engineering and landscaping services can review the criteria and registration form at Only in Orleans.
Vendors that also supply equipment or materials for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing or excavation projects or have lumber, computers, fixtures, furniture or greenhouses in Orleans County are also encouraged to register on the website.
The Only in Orleans database is a resource for companies doing construction in the county that are looking to hire locally for the work.
The Orleans Economic Development Agency cannot advocate for one business over another. There are no guarantees or incentives tied to anything related to registration or listing in the local database, the EDA said.
The “Register” page of “Only in Orleans” contains a link to the registration form which is submitted to the portal upon completion. The database is simply a way for the agency to maintain active contractor and vendor information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 January 2022 at 4:17 pm
ALBION — Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke was authorized by the County Legislature to pursue leasing five new patrol vehicles and have them up-fitted, at a cost not to exceed $86,000.
There is currently a state-wide shortage of patrol vehicles as well as multiple microchip shortages due manufacturing shutdowns from Covid-19, county legislators said on Wednesday.
In other action, the Legislature:
• Approved an agreement between the Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Public Works where one full-time DPW employee will be assigned to do maintenance at the county jail at a rate not to exceed $84,679 during 2022.
• Authorized the Sheriff’s Office to spend $39,168 for new handguns, $5,247 for ammunition, and $17,244 for the less-than-lethal Tasers.
• Authorized the treasurer to use $188,268 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for payroll in the Public Safety Communication System, Sheriff’s Office and Jail.
• Approved a $12,500 stipend for full-time attorneys in the District Attorney’s Office to bring the pay on par with attorneys in the Public Defender’s Office. A state grant has increased the pay for full-time attorneys for the Public Defender’s Office. The disparity in pay between the two offices was making it difficult to hire full-time attorneys in the District Attorney’s Office, legislators said.
The county will offer the $12,500 stipend in the DA’s Office for as long as the Public Defender’s Office receives the grant from the NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services.
• Appointed County Legislator Fred miller of Albion to the Orleans County Jury Board for a two-year term.
• Appointed County Legislator Skip Draper of Medina for a two-year term as a trustee representing Orleans County on the 8th Judicial District Law Library Board of Trustees.
• Authorized the Health Department to spend up to $100,000 for an anti-rabies vaccine for post-exposure treatment for Orleans County residents.
• Appointed County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson to a two-year term on the Genesee Transportation Council Board and John Papponetti, the County DPW superintendent, to serve as an alternative. Papponetti also was appointed to serve on the GTC Planning Committee.
• The following were appointed to three-year terms on the Orleans County Planning Board: Bruce Kirby representing Gaines, Chris Watt as alternate for Gaines, Mylynda Kuba representing Holley, and Monica Seeler as Holley alternate.
• Reappointed the following to the Oak Orchard Watershed Board: County Legislator Ed Morgan who is chairman of the Soil and Water Conservation District Board, Guy Smith of Albion, Peter Smith of Albion and Jon Peglow of Barre.
• Reappointed the following to the Orleans County Board of Ethics: Julie Christensen, retired Kendall school district superintendent; Russ Martino, retired Yates town supervisor and Lyndonville principal, and John DeFilipps, retired county legislator.
• Appointed county legislators Bill Eick of Shelby and Fred Miller of Albion to two-year terms on the Local Development Corporation Board.
• Authorized the Health Department to spend $130,880 to make an emergency purchase of KN95 masks and iHealth OTC test kits from Vizocom in El Cajon, Calif. The department will coordinate with local school districts on their reopening plans and will include Covid-19 testing. There is no county cost in the purchase.
• Approved spending $17,182 for 26 Panasonic cameras and mounting junction boxes, 10 Ubiquiti POE switches and two level 4 Ubiquiti Enterprise switches. The equipment is needed “to protect Orleans County assets from external threats to safety and security and provide robust connectivity throughout the county,” legislators stated in a resolution.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 January 2022 at 9:41 am
The unemployment rate was at 3.1 percent in Orleans County in December, which is the lowest rate in at least 30 years.
The county has only dipped below 4 percent a few times in the past three decades:
During 1990s, Orleans was below 4 percent twice – 3.8 percent in September 1999 and 3.9 percent in October 1999.
From 2000 to 2009, the rate dipped below 4 percent twice – 3.8 percent in September 2000 and 3.6 percent in October 2000.
From 2010 to 2019, the unemployment rate was below 4 percent five times – 3.5 percent in September and October 2018, 3.7 percent in November 2018, 3.7 percent in September 2019, and 3.8 percent in October 2019.
Since 2020, the rate only dropped below 4 percent the past two months – 3.8 percent in November and then 3.1 percent in December.
The state Department of Labor reports about 500 people in the county are on unemployment, the lowest since at least 1990. (Click here to see a database on the labor force in Orleans County since 1990.) There were 1,100 unemployed in December 2020.
The labor force currently totals 16,900 in Orleans County, which is down from 17,200 in December 2020, 17,500 in December 2019, and a drop of 2,000 from the 18,900 in December 2012. Going back to December 2005, the labor force was over 20,000 at 20,100.
During the pandemic, the unemployment rate hit a high of 16.8 percent in April 2020. In 2021, the rate peaked at 7.6 percent in February and has steadily declined from 5.7 percent in July, 5.6 percent in August, 4.2 percent in September, 4.1 percent in October, 3.8 percent in November and 3.1 percent in December.
State-wide the unemployment rate is at 5.0 percent in December, down from 8.5 percent in December 2020. The US unemployment rate is at 3.7 percent in December, down from 6.5 percent in December 2020.
The unemployment rate among the GLOW counties in December includes 2.7 percent in Genesee, 2.6 percent in Livingston, 3.1 percent in Orleans and 3.1 percent in Wyoming.
Among New York counties, the rate is highest in the Bronx at 11.1 percent and lowest at 2.2 percent at Columbia, Saratoga and Tompkins.
Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office
The Orleans County Emergency Management Office is asking the public not to call for an ambulance in a non-emergency situation so ambulances and EMS crews can focus on those with medical emergencies.
There has been a large increase in ambulances being requested for non-emergency situations causing a burden on the limited number of ambulances available in our region, the EMO said in a news release.
An ambulance should only be requested when a true emergency exists. Many ambulances, hospitals and urgent cares are overwhelmed right now by patients who are not experiencing medical emergencies.
When should you call 911 for an ambulance?
If someone is experiencing a true medical emergency, call 911.
Some examples of true medical emergencies include the following: cardiac arrest, choking, chest pains, difficulty breathing, sudden confusion, altered mental status, if moving a patient could cause further injury, too weak to move or unsteady, seizures, allergic reaction, unconsciousness, falls with injuries and uncontrolled bleeding are a few examples but not all.
If you have any doubts about whether a condition may be a true medical emergency call 911
An ambulance will not get you seen in the ER faster. Going by private car, using a taxi or ride-sharing service are often cheaper than an ambulance and will get you seen just as fast based on the hospital’s triage system.
Common colds, low grade fevers, stubbed toes, tooth aches, chronic pain, etc. are all conditions that are not life threatening and do not warrant the need for an ambulance.
Seek treatments from urgent cares and your primary care doctor for conditions that are not emergencies.
“The ambulance you call for something that isn’t an emergency could take an ambulance away from someone who truly needs it, delaying their care and potentially causing them greater injury or even death,” the Orleans County Emergency Management Office said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 January 2022 at 10:07 am
Municipalities develop ‘comprehensive strategy to transform the waterfront communities’
Photo by Tom Rivers: Ed Flynn, director of planning at LaBella Associates, goes over a Canal Corridor Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the villages of Albion and Holley, and the towns of Albion, Murray, Gaines, Ridgeway and Shelby. He is speaking at a recent County Legislature meeting. The Village of Medina has developed its own waterfront plan.
ALBION – A group of local officials that studied how to better utilize the Erie Canal has completed its plan and submitted it to the state for a final review.
A steering committee developed a Canal Corridor Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan for the villages of Albion and Holley, and the towns of Albion, Murray, Gaines, Ridgeway and Shelby. The Village of Medina decided to work on its own waterfront plan and has submitted it to the state for a final OK.
The plan outside of Medina along the canal includes upgrading downtown buildings, developing a new marina in Albion, installing kayak launches and signage.
The county received a state grant for $62,000 to develop the plan and hired LaBella Associates as a consultant on the project. Ed Flynn, director of planning at LaBella, presented the final plan to the County Legislature recently.
He called the plan “a comprehensive strategy to transform the waterfront communities.” It is the first plan in the county that is focused on better utilizing the Erie Canal. The plan, which identifies many priority projects, will be an asset in helping the municipalities pursue state grants for the initiatives and also setting a clear course for the future, Flynn said.
Courtesy of Labella Associates: A committee looking at ways to better utilize the Erie Canal has suggested a privately owned marina that offers gas and other services would draw more boating traffic to the Albion area.
The steering committee set four goals with the plan:
1. Leverage the Canal’s Recreational Resources – capitalize on the canal’s wealth of land and water-based recreational sources.
2. Stimulate Tourism along the Canal – attract local, regional and national visitors to promote the long-term sustainability of the Erie Canal.
3. Accelerate Revitalization of Corridor Communities – investments in villages, downtowns, and anchors along the corridor will improve the economy and quality of life for Orleans County residents and benefit businesses and tourists.
4. Promote the Corridor’s Identity, Sense of Place, and History – protect, promote and leverage the canal corridor’s unique character and culture to advance the revitalization of Orleans County and the corridor communities.
The steering committee identified eight priority projects that provide access to the waterfront, increase recreational opportunities and advance economic development opportunities.
Some of the proposed priority projects include:
Canal Corridor Building Assistance Program: would provide grant funding of up to $600,000 to assist multiple buildings or an anchor building with interior and exterior improvements. Albion and Holley have both received New York Main Street grants for building improvements in the downtown.
Small Business Assistance Program: A countywide program with grant and loan funding to assist new and existing businesses with growth, with restaurants and culinary operations getting the priority.
Activate the Canal Waterfront: Repurpose underutilized spaces, including parking lots, which could be turned into performance space and improved aesthetically with landscaping and lighting. The initiative would include rear facade upgrades and enhanced water recreation opportunities. The committee used the Village of Albion’s parking lot by the canal near Platt Street as an example of space that could be improved. The committee suggested Albion redesign and resurface a parking lot by the canal, adding lighting and landscaping and making the space available to be used for concerts and events.
The committee suggested Albion redesign and resurface a parking lot by the canal, adding lighting and landscaping and making the space available to be used for concerts and events.
Increase Water-Based Recreation Facilities: Add kayak and boat launches, piers and tie-ups in the villages of Albion and Holley. The area needs private entities to offer kayak rentals.
Construct a marina in Albion: A private marina is needed that offers gas services, tie-ups and other services.
Install signage along the Canal: There needs to be signs with distances to the next ports and nearby canal communities. There should also be signs directing people to businesses and services.
Winter Recreation Program: This could include “pop-up” temporary ice skating rinks, cross country skiing and winter festivals.
Siphon for agriculture: Siphoning water from the canal reduces agriculture costs and also can be used to provide water for creeks and fishing.
Some other projects identified by the steering committee include: Arts along the canal with statues and public art relevant to the canal and county; Trail connections to natural areas (Groth Road in Murray and Presbyterian Road in Knowlesville area); Celebrate the Holley canal loop with pavement, lighting and signage; Attract a rental business offering bikes and kayaks; Promote tugboats; Upgrade the towpath trail surface for bikes, increase the number of events and redevelop the Murray quarry ponds for recreation.
The plan has been submitted to the Department of State for a final review.
ALBION – The Pistol Permit “Recertification” Process, also recently referred to in the news as “renewal” of your pistol permit, has been a topic of much discussion and also has caused many inquiries through the Orleans County Pistol Permit Office.
Nadine Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk, would like to provide the following information to make the recertification process easy.
The “New York State Pistol/Revolver License Recertification” is a process handled entirely by the New York State Police Pistol Permit Bureau in Albany. The Orleans County Pistol Permit Office cannot accept these forms for filing.
The recertification process is in addition to the usual local processing of activity on your Orleans County Pistol Permit – it is a summary of your current pistol permit status to Albany, which is mandatory every 5 years.
The Orleans County Pistol Permit Office does not have information on your current recertification status.
If you do not have internet access, please call the NYS Troopers in Albany at: 1-855-lawguns (1-855-529-4867) to determine your recertification status with them, and for further inquiries.
For those with internet access, you can access the New York State Police Pistol Permit website through the Orleans County Pistol Permit website, by clicking here, or search “Orleans County, NY – Pistol Permits.”
From our website, you can then access the following links on the NYS Police Pistol Permit website, as follows:
• Recertification – New York State Pistol/Revolver License Holder: New York State firearms laws require pistol/revolver license holders to recertify their status every five years. Click here for more information.
The status of submitted recertification forms can be conveniently checked by clicking here. You will need to have your New York State Driver License or Non-Driver Identification Card in order to check or complete your recertification status.
Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office
