Jim Bensley took on all kinds of tasks for the county, including marina manager and coordinator of household hazardous waste

Photos by Tom Rivers: Jim Bensley, director of the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development, speaks at a public hearing in November 2018 about the Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan. In back is Ed Houseknecht, the Shelby town supervisor at the time. Bensley worked with local municipalities on plans that are guides for future zoning and community priorities. The Western Orleans Comprehensive Plan includes the villages of Medina and Lyndonville, and the towns of Shelby, Ridgeway and Yates.

MEDINA – Many of the local officials in Orleans County, including village and town governments, are mourning the loss of Jim Bensley, who served as the county’s senior planner.

Bensley passed away at age 65 on Aug. 14, only a few days after coordinating another household hazardous waste collection day in the county. Bensley was at the Highway Department in Albion on West Academy Street for many hours on Aug. 10, helping people at the check-in while about 500 residents disposed of old car batteries, propane tanks, oils, solvents and other chemicals, as well as more than 1,000 tires.

Bensley took on that job, as well as the county marina manager for a few years, in addition to his primary job as the director of the Department of Planning and Development for the county.

In that role provided guidance for other county employees as well as the towns and villages as they updated zoning, developed comprehensive plans for the future, and reviewed site plans, requests for zoning variances and many other issues.

“This is a tremendous loss for the county,” said Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director. “He had such an institutional knowledge of the community. He knew every little town and corner in the county.”

Jim Bensley carries an old propane tank that was dropped off during the household hazardous waste collection event in August 2021. Bensley won the respect of his co-workers and staff for taking on any job, big and small.

Bensley started with the county in 1989 as a planner and was promoted to senior planner in 1996. He has served as the director of Planning & Development since January 2015.

Former County legislator Ken DeRoller has worked with Bensley since the 1980s, back when DeRoller was chairman of the Town of Kendall Planning Board. Bensley was a valuable resource for DeRoller later when he was a board member for the Orleans Economic Development Agency and a county legislator.

“Jim always had the best interest of land use policies and promoting proper use, plus programs to enhance the quality of life in Orleans County,” DeRoller said.

Bensley worked with the municipalities to develop land use policies along the Lake Ontario waterfront and the Erie Canal corridor.

“These programs enhanced the enjoyment and protection of over 75 miles of Shoreline,” DeRoller said.

DeRoller pushed the Planning and Development Department to take on more work, with the waterfront development plans, a study of the Lake Ontario State Parkway, managing the household hazardous waste collection and other projects.

Bensley didn’t shy away from the work, even as he juggled a part-time job for nearly 30 years as a professor in the urban and regional planning program at Buffalo State College. In 2018 he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching.

“He had this passion to keep moving forward and he had a love for Orleans County,” DeRoller said. “He had a strong internal drive, and wanted to move the county forward on land use.”

Jim Bensley (right), discusses the waterfront in Orleans with John Riggi, a Yates town councilman during a meeting in Carlton in April 2018. The towns of Carlton, Kendall and Yates as well as the Village of Lyndonville held a public meeting to discuss a waterfront development plan.

Bensley could bring consensus in meetings that were often contentious, with strong opinions from stakeholders, DeRoller said.

He was Orleans County representative for Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council and also the county’s commissioner on the board for the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority.

Many of the planning professionals in the region have been taught by him at Buffalo State, and he was the boss to others at the Orleans County Department of Planning and Development.

Sarah Gatti was his student at Buff State and then worked as a planner in Orleans County from 2015 to 2019. She now is a principal planner in Erie County for the Department of Environment and Planning.

She recently nominated Bensley for Michael J. Krasner Professional Planner Award, given by the Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association. Gatti found out last week Bensley will receive the honor which goes to “an individual for sustained contribution to the profession through distinguished practice, teaching, or writing.” It will be presented to Bensley’s family in October during a ceremony in Ithaca.

“I wanted to nominate Jim because he deserved it,” Gatti said. “He was supremely knowledgeable, and he was very passionate. He treated people with kindness as a boss. He was very supportive. There is a web of planners in the region who have been benefitted from his knowledge and mentorship.”

Calling hours will for Bensley will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cooper Funeral Home, 215 W. Center St., Medina. His Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Parish, St. Mary’s Church, 211 Eagle St., Medina.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Treasurer’s Office will soon be moving into the former Bank of America site at 156 S. Main St.

County Treasurer Kim DeFrank expects the office will be moved over and ready to serve the public on Sept. 3, just in time to collect school taxes for the Albion, Lyndonville and Medina school districts.

The Orleans County Legislature last September voted to pay $250,000 to buy the former bank site, which has been vacant since the bank closed on Aug. 15, 2017.

The bank site offers a drive-through and no front stairs, making for much easier accessibility for the public, DeFrank said.

“The drive-through is fully functional,” she said. “People won’t even have to get out of their car.”

The current treasurer’s office is in Central Hall at 34 East Park St. DeFrank said that historic building can be difficult for the public to use. Parking is in back of the building, and the handicapped accessibility ramp is on the back side of the building.

Central Hall was built in 1882 and was a school until 1934. It was the home to the Sheret Post #35 American Legion from 1935 until the county acquired it in 1980. The site has been used for the treasurer’s office, probation, computer services and historian. Currently, only the treasurer’s officer and historian’s office are using the building.

The red-brick building needs repointing and estimates have topped $100,000, DeFrank said.

The county didn’t have to do too much to get the bank site ready for the treasurer’s office. A fence was installed on the side and back, a new HVAC system was put in, as well as some carpet and flooring. Two offices also were built out by the county Department of Public Works.

The furniture from the current treasurer’s office and the front counter will be moved over next week.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature shared a proclamation on July 30 in honor of the 60^th anniversary of the Iroquois Job Corps.

Pictured from left include Luke Kantor (Admissions and Career Transition Services manager for the Iroquois Job Corps), Deshawn Knights, Logan Abeyta, Unique Weeks, Janissa Legister, County Legislator Fred Miller and Job Corps operations director JT Thomas.

The proclamation states that Job Corps has been an integral part of the employment and training system for young adults aged 16-24 throughout the United States, an essential partner in Orleans County, and the nation’s largest residential training organization with over 120 campuses.

The Iroquois Job Corps Center in Shelby has helped to train and launch the careers of young adults from Orleans County and the Northeast Boston Region 1 of Job Corps to help them earn essential, field-leading credentials in a vocational trade that will allow them to then obtain gainful employment to better themselves, legislators said.

Job Corps was launched as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Economic Opportunity Act in 1964. Job Corps has provided opportunities for individual advancement for over 3 million young Americans, the proclamation states.

“The program is rooted in a culture of support and compassion that emphasizes hard work, education, and training to serve local communities connecting with local businesses, unions, and employers to ensure that today’s youth are equipped with the necessary tools to build the future of tomorrow,” legislators said.

The program also teaches life skills that assist young adults to be successfully well-rounded individuals to obtain and hold careers and assist with breaking cycles of generational poverty, the proclamation states.

“Job Corps provides student graduates with transitional support services, such as job hunting, finding stable housing, child care, transportation, and drivers education programs as they enter the local workforce, join apprenticeship/training programs, pursue higher education at a college, and/or enlist in the military,” according to the proclamation.

Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke

Provided photo: Jeff Cole is shown with Otto. The two have worked together the past eight years.

ALBION – K9 Otto has served the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office for 8 years and is scheduled to retire soon.

Otto was born in Holland on July 26, 2014, and was imported through Upstate K9 in October 2016 where he was then paired with Deputy Jeff Cole. Throughout his career so far, Otto has worked over 22,000 hours, has 192 deployments and has patrolled over 175,000 miles in Orleans County. Otto has also loved participating in community events and putting on demonstrations.

The Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit serves all of Orleans County, including assisting the Village Police Departments when needed. We also help our neighboring counties whenever needed. When incidents occur, it is always a collaborative effort with the Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit and our law enforcement partners.

“Words cannot begin to describe how much Otto means to me, my family, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the community he has so faithfully served,” Cole said. “He has been a great partner.”

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office is looking to purchase another dog to fill the spot of Otto when he retires.

“The next dog has big shoes to fill,” Cole said.

Deputy Cole plans to purchase Otto from the county so he can finish his retirement years in the home he has known most of his life.

The training and certification process requires a tremendous commitment of time and effort on behalf of Deputy Cole and the Sheriff’s Office, but the value of this team is beyond any monetary value. One lost child or elderly person found, one piece of evidence found by the K9 for a critical case to help a victim, drugs found in a search to keep them out of the hands of loved ones…the list goes on.

There are costs involved with obtaining and deploying a K-9 Team. In our case we have an experienced handler in Deputy Cole, but choosing the correct dog is critical to success. The dog must possess the right physical capabilities, temperament, and clarity to complete the training and become certified. K-9 training includes obedience, tracking, article search and apprehension ability for the less than lethal option we need to have available to us. We then add the Drug Detection or Bomb Detection training as well.

Sheriff Christopher Bourke and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office appreciate any support possible from businesses and community members, as we look forward to continuing the Sheriffs K9 Team with Deputy Cole and a new partner.

Thank you!

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Employees from Environmental Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati are in Albion today for the Orleans County annual household hazardous waste collection day.

More than 500 residents are expected to get rid of leftover chemicals, batteries, tires, oil and solvents.

The top photo shows and EEI employee at the solvent station where oil, anti-freeze and solvents are collected.

The county has had a contract with EEI for several years for the household hazardous waste collection. The company has 22 employees in Albion today and they will take back two tractor-trailer loads of household hazardous waste.

The county typically pays the company about $18,000 to collect and remove the household hazardous waste, with the state then reimbursing the county about half of the costs.

EEI does the collection events for communities in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Indianna.

The event is held at the Orleans County Highway Garage on West Academy Street in Albion with residents signing up for appointments to dispose of their materials in a safe and environmental-friendly way.

EEI workers took all kinds of household hazardous waste, including pesticides, motor oiler & filters, adhesives, antifreeze, solvents, tires, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, aerosols, old-based paints and empty propane tanks.

Orleans County Public Works Department employees remove tires from the back of a pickup truck. Andy Beach is pulling the tires off. Other highway employees include Vinny Zona, Cale Stinson Jr. and Keith Ward. Corey Winters, right, from the planning department also worked with the crew.

Last year about 3,000 tires were collected.

ALBION – Orleans County will be 200 years old next year. The county was officially “born” on April 15, 1825, when the State Legislature recognized Orleans as its own county, approving a separation from Genesee County.

The Orleans County Legislature wants to celebrate the milestone anniversary next year and named members to a Bicentennial Committee to help coordinate information and events for the bicentennial.

County Historian Catherine Cooper will serve as chairwoman of the group.

Other members include:

• Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County
• Mark Bower, mayor for Village of Holley
• Doug Farley, director of Cobblestone Museum and Society
• Nadine Hanlon, Orleans County Clerk
• Melissa Ierlan, Town of Clarendon Historian
• Lynne Menz, Orleans County Tourism coordinator
• Susan Starkweather Miller, Village of Albion Historian
• Tom Rivers, Orleans Hub editor

The committee is to be dissolved on Dec. 31, 2025, legislators stated in a resolution.

Cooper welcomes the community’s participation in the 200th anniversary next year. She would like to see many of the existing festivals around the county in 2025 include the bicentennial as part of a theme in parades and celebrations.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature approved a new two-year agreement with the Albion school district to have a deputy from the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office working as a school resource officer.

Matt Prawel from the Sheriff’s Office has been working as the SRO for Albion the past two years.

The new agreement runs from Sept. 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026. The Sheriff’s Office will be compensated $509.74 per day in the 2024 calendar year, $553.89 per day in 2025, and $601.99 per day in 2026.

Any additional hours requested by the school district for after-hours events will be an overtime hourly rate including incremental fringe expense rate of $60.73 per hour for the calendar year 2024, $66.02 per hour in 2025, and $71.81 per hour in 2026.

For the first two years of the agreement, the Sheriff’s Office was paid $502.10 per day in the 2022-2023 school year (about $91,000) and $510.26 per day in 2023-24. Overtime was $61.05 per hour the first year and $62.53 per hour the second year.

Press Release, Orleans County Department of Social Services

ALBION – Registration is now open for the Orleans County Department of Social Services’ (DSS) Lilypad Safe Harbour Program, according to DSS Deputy Commissioner Cyndi Stumer.

The goal of Lilypad is to educate young people on healthy relationships and building self-esteem, while also teaching how to recognize red flags that will protect them from online predators. The program is open to those 12 to 21 years of age.

“Many can remember a time when the internet first gained traction and the online world was limited to your home computer,” Stumer said. “Today’s youth have the constant presence of cellphones and access to the entire world in a few seconds, connecting with strangers through Tik Tok, Facebook, online gaming and host of other platforms.  And as we know too well, this connectivity is not without its own set of problems and dangers.”

The Lilypad program is structured to help protect young people form online predators, recognizing the signs of grooming and exploitation. The program consists of three sessions that will each cover a different topic. The sessions are scheduled for Sept. 19, Sept. 26 and Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hoag Library, 134 S. Main Street in Albion.

“We approach each session in a manner that allows young people to feel comfortable discussing these serious topics,” Stumer said. “We will also be providing snacks, holding raffles and handing out prizes throughout the evening to lighten things up.”

Advance registration is preferred for planning purposes, however, walk-in registrations are also welcome. To register your youth for Lilypad, please contact Orleans County Safe Harbour at Safeharbour@orleanscountyny.gov or by telephone at (585) 589-2837.

Lynne Johnson has been named vice chair of the Law Enforcement Subcommittee for the National Association of Counties.

ALBION – Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, has been named vice chair of the Law Enforcement Subcommittee for the National Association of Counties.

Johnson was appointed to the post during the NACo annual convention at the Tampa Convention Center in Hillsborough County, Florida. The convention from July 12-15 includes leaders from many of the 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs in the country.

Johnson of Lyndonville is in her fourth two-year term for the County Legislature chairwoman.

Johnson also is on the Public Safety Committee for the New York State Association of Counties, an organization working for 62 counties in the state.

“Additionally, Chairwoman Johnson has been a vocal advocate for improving access to high speed broadband in rural counties, launching the Niagara-Orleans Regional Alliance to definitively map broadband coverage needs in Orleans county and attract new investment from Internet Service Providers,” NYSAC posted on social media on Monday, highlighting Johnson.

“Congratulations Chairwoman Johnson on your new appointment and thank you for your service to Orleans County and counties across the state and nation!” NYSAC stated.

Press Release, Orleans County Local Development Corporation

ALBION – The Orleans County Local Development Corporation is pleased to announce registration has begun for the Microenterprise Assistance Program (MAP).

Beginning Sept. 19 and running through Nov. 21, MAP classes will be held on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Albion. This comprehensive business education initiative is funded in part by a Federal Community Development Block Grant and the OCLDC to foster small business growth and entrepreneurship within Orleans County.

Prospective entrepreneurs aged 18 and older, who maintain a permanent residence in Orleans County, are encouraged to apply. The course fee is $300. However, financial aid is available for qualifying applicants based on financial need.

Participants will benefit from a new curriculum designed to provide essential business education, training, technical assistance, and access to potential capital resources.

Led by industry professionals, the course spans a 10-week period and covers topics such as: legal requirements for starting a business, forms of ownership, business plan development, taxation for sole proprietors, marketing and advertising strategies, bookkeeping and record keeping, banking essentials, pricing goods and services, and cost analysis.

“The Orleans Microenterprise Assistance Program is a resource for individuals looking to establish or expand their small businesses,” said Matt Holland, MAP manager. “We are committed to providing participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in today’s competitive business environment.”

Since 2002, there have been 544 MAP participants. Over 200 of them started a variety of businesses in Orleans County, while more than 120 were already in business.

Interested individuals can complete the application online in under 10 minutes or contact the OCLDC with further program questions at (585) 589-7060 ext. 1 or MHolland@orleansdevelopment.org.

About the Orleans County Local Development Corporation:

A division of the OEDA, Orleans County Local Development Corporation (OCLDC) is committed to fostering sustainable economic growth in Orleans County, New York. Dedicated to building a supportive ecosystem that nurtures entrepreneurship, OCLDC improves access to small business development opportunities, education, and training, while ensuring greater equity for our rural communities to thrive in the global marketplace.

About $3 million in state funds will go towards replacing two bridges and one culvert in Orleans County, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

The projects in Orleans include:

• $959,000 million to Orleans County for the replacement of Gillette Road bridge
• $1.151 million to Orleans County for the replacement of Lakeshore Road bridge
• $1.035 million to Orleans County for the replacement of Eagle Harbor-Knowlesville Road culvert carrying the tributary to Oak Orchard Creek

The governor announced $484 million state-wide has been awarded through the Bridge NY program, which includes 216 bridges or culverts in 137 communities. The bridges and culverts will either be replaced or receive major rehabilitations to enhance safety and improve the resiliency and sustainability of New York’s transportation infrastructure, Hochul said.

“As New York continues to experience the effects of climate change firsthand, we need to make critical infrastructure upgrades so our communities can withstand the extreme weather to come,” Hochul said. “Working closely with local governments, we are investing millions to harden more than 200 bridges and culverts across the State, enhancing public safety and make these structures ready for whatever mother nature can throw at us.”

As part of $33 billion capital plan adopted in 2022, $1 billion was committed to Bridge NY, effectively doubling the size of the program. The projects selected were picked based on input from Regional and Metropolitan Planning Organizations and the funding will support all phases of project delivery, including design, right-of-way acquisition and construction.

The projects approved last year in Orleans County included:

• $1.295 million to Orleans County for the replacement of the Route 279 bridge over Beardsley Creek.
• $1.535 million to Orleans County for the replacement of the Groth Road bridge over East Branch Sandy Creek.
• $952,000 to Orleans County for the replacement of the Eagle Harbor Road culvert carrying the tributary to Otter Creek.
• $1.038 million to the Town of Albion for the replacement of the Phipps Road culvert carrying the tributary to Otter Creek, Orleans County.

Press Release, Orleans County Mental Health Department

ALBION – The Orleans County Care & Crisis Helpline – (585) 283-5200 – will be down for two hours between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. this Wednesday, July 10th, according to Danielle Figura, Director of Community Services in the Orleans County Department of Mental Health.

The system will be undergoing scheduled maintenance during that time.

Figura said anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis or mental health distress, and needs immediate support during that time, should call the Orleans County Mental Health Department at (585) 589-7066 or call or text the National Suicide and Crisis helpline at 988.

“We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we recognize there is never a good time to do this maintenance work that takes our system down even for a couple of hours, but it is necessary to keep our system in good working order,” said Figura.  “We do have our backup plans in place and encourage anyone who needs our help to call the alternative numbers.”

Press Release, Orleans County government

ALBION – Orleans County Clerk Nadine Hanlon today announced that the county’s Department of Motor Vehicles will be closed from July 22 through July 26 to complete Phase II of the DMV office renovations.

In addition, beginning Friday, July 19, the DMV will cease issuing new permits, enhanced and real IDs, and license renewals that require a photo, as the camera will be temporarily removed at that time.

During the week of closure, DMV staff will continue processing dealer transactions and items that are either mailed to the office or deposited in the drop box located outside the main entrance of the County Office Building.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but these are necessary renovations that will upgrade our office for both customers and employees,” Hanlon said. “If you have transactions that cannot wait, please visit us during the next two weeks or take advantage of the mail-in or drop box options that many people have found to be very convenient.”

According to Hanlon, the work done in Phase I – which was completed June 12 – and Phase II includes repainting the office, installing new floors, updates to the back office, and a new back counter for customers that has outlets for charging cellphones and hooks to hang belongings while completing their paperwork. The office will have ADA compliant counters.

“When we reopen on Monday, July 29, I think our residents will like the changes we have made,” said Hanlon, who noted the camera for licenses will not be available until Tuesday, July 30.  “I want to thank everyone in advance for their patience while this work is completed.”