ALBION – The dome on the Orleans County Courthouse will soon be repainted and coated with a rubberized material to prevent leaks in one of the county’s most iconic structures.

The County Legislature today approved a bid for $108,916 from a Cleveland company for the job. Garland/DBS Inc. will be the contractor.

County officials set aside $140,000 in the 2019 budget for the project.

The dome has several leaks. Inside the dome are about a dozen buckets to collect the dripping water after it rains.

The courthouse, which was built in 1858, is the focal point of the Courthouse Square, a district on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Nesbitt also is president of the New York State Association of Counties

Press Release, NYSAC

ALBANY – Chuck Nesbitt, Orleans County’s chief administrative officer and also president of the New York State Association of Counties, has received the Public Service Excellence Award from the State Academy for Public Administration.

The award, for non-elected public officials, was presented at SAPA’s annual meeting in Albany on Monday.

“I am humbled and honored to accept this excellence in public service award,” Nesbitt said. “We face many challenges in government. We must always find ways to be more innovative, more efficient, and more effective as we deliver public services. I appreciate the opportunity serve Orleans County lawmakers and the thousands of county residents that elected them. Being a public administrator is the most rewarding challenge of my career and I am proud to be selected for this award.”

Since 2005, Nesbitt has served as the chief administrative officer for Orleans County. Prior to that, he was an economic development specialist for Empire State Development.

He also served as President of the NYS Association of County Administrators and Managers from 2008 to 2018. In September 2018, Nesbitt was elected to serve as president of NYSAC, the state-wide bipartisan municipal association representing the interests and concerns of New York’s counties and the elected and appointed leaders who serve their residents.

“It is a pleasure to see Chuck Nesbitt receive this award,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “Chuck exemplifies the model attributes for public service.”

As CAO of Orleans County, Nesbitt acts on behalf of the Legislature to implement policy and oversee the county departments, serves as the budget officer, and maintains core county services and programs.

Under his leadership, Orleans County partnered with Genesee County to transform their Public Health Departments by sharing a health commissioner and a commonly appointed board of health and combining many of their public health functions and eliminating duplicative tasks. This is one of the only public health cross-jurisdictional sharing projects in the state and has saved the counties over $1 million.

Nesbitt serves as the chair of NYSAC’s statewide Raise the Age Task Force, an advisory group of county prosecutors, sheriffs, probation officers, and other local officials formed to monitor the integration of the new state law in the community.

“Time and again, Mr. Nesbitt has stepped up to assist members of the Orleans County Legislature, and his peers from across the state,” Acquario said. “It has always been clear to us that Chuck Nesbitt stands out as an esteemed public administrator. We are pleased today to see this recognition by the State Academy of Public Administration.”

“On behalf of the Orleans County Legislature, we offer our congratulations and sincere appreciation for Mr. Nesbitt’s efforts to continuously improve county operations,” said Lynne M. Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature.

The State Academy for Public Administration was formed 44 years ago, harnessing the energy and expertise of our academic and practitioner Fellows who are dedicated to continual improvement of public service. It is a unique organization that serves and is served by New York State’s Public Administration Professionals.

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Press Release/Governor’s Office

OLCOTT – Governor Cuomo today declared a State of Emergency for the eight counties impacted by potential Lake Ontario flooding: Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne.

The governor’s order directs state agencies to protect state property and to assist local governments and individuals in responding to and recovering from the flooding. Additionally, the declaration helps state resources and assets assist on private property, including the further placement of flooding prevention barriers.

The governor also directed the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to implement a 5-mile per hour speed limit, where the commissioner finds it appropriate, to control wakes along the Lake Ontario shoreline in the affected counties as part of the state’s ongoing response to coastal flooding in the region.

Beginning today, vessels operating within 1,000 feet of shore, unless otherwise directed by a County Declaration, must observe a 5 mile per hour speed limit to reduce impacts to shoreline residences and infrastructure caused by wave action and to promote safe boating. The no wake zone does not apply to communities along the St. Lawrence River.

“We are preparing now for the reoccurrence of the 2017 flooding situation, which as people remember was devastating and caused a lot of damage and a lot of hardship for thousands of New Yorkers,” Cuomo said. “We’re talking about the entire shoreline of Lake Ontario, so it’s hundreds of miles of New York State property. The only course of action is to do everything we can to be prepared before the flooding actually happens – and that’s what we’re doing. I’m also declaring an emergency order for the affected communities that sets a maximum speed limit of 5 miles per hour 1,000 feet from shoreline because the last thing we need are boat wakes creating additional waves. The emergency order also gives us flexibility in dealing with local governments and private property so we can install AquaDam and other equipment to protect the shoreline.”

Under normal conditions, boaters are required to obey the 5 mile per hour speed limit within 100 feet of shore. With the current state of emergency in the region, and as water levels continue to rise throughout Lake Ontario, the governor is authorizing and directing State Parks to institute the expanded speed restriction to 1,000 feet in appropriate areas, unless otherwise directed by a County Declaration.

Waves created by boat wakes can exacerbate shoreline erosion, further threatening residential and municipal infrastructure. Reducing speeds will result in smaller boat wakes and lessen the wave action along the shore. Reduced speeds are also necessary to ensure safe boating, as many hidden hazards and debris have been covered by elevated water levels and can threaten boaters’ safety. State agencies are working with municipalities to educate boaters and have positioned digital message boards at strategic locations throughout the region.

In addition to the 200 New York National Guard activated by the Governor to assist with preparedness operations, 200 members of the New York National Guard are on standby for immediate deployment in the eight counties impacted by Lake Ontario flooding. To date, the State has deployed 20 sandbaggers, over one million empty sandbags and 560,000 filled sandbags, hundreds of pumps, and over 5,000 feet of AquaDam to the impacted regions.

In addition to the Division’s coordination efforts and deployment of resources the State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a General Permit to address the potentially damaging effects of high water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River due to the ongoing above average precipitation and snow melt in the Great Lakes Basin. This permit, based on an Emergency Declaration issued by the DEC commissioner, will expedite the process for shoreline property owners to quickly make necessary repairs and stabilize their properties from flood damage. High water levels are projected to continue and may cause widespread shoreline erosion, damage coastline structures and jeopardize infrastructure similar to the historic flooding that took place in the spring of 2017.

The new permit is available on DEC’s website. DEC will accept applications through April 30, 2020. The General Permit authority is in effect until September 30, 2020.

Permitted activities include:

• Repair and in-kind replacement of erosion structures;

• Repair or in-kind reconstruction of existing public roads, bridges, utilities, and other public infrastructure;

• Stabilization of existing, functional storm-damaged dwellings, decks, and walkways with temporary bracing and piling; and

• Removal of channel blockages in tributaries to Lake Ontario blocked by shoreline sediment.

Homeowners and municipalities with questions about the permits can contact their Regional DEC Permit Administrator.

State Assemblyman Michael Norris, R-Lockport, issued this statement: “I commend Gov. Cuomo for his attention to the imminent and worsening situation on the southern shores of Lake Ontario. Declaring a State of Emergency increases the commitment of state resources to assist with potential flooding and erosion due to the extreme high water levels. It is vital that we protect our infrastructure, property owners and the investment of businesses and tourism in our communities.”

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‘There is presently no immediate public safety threat’ — Dale Banker, Emergency Management director

Orleans County and the towns of Carlton and Yates today have all declared a state of emergency from the rising Lake Ontario water levels.

The Town of Kendall declared a state of emergency from the lake on May 8, the first municipality in Orleans to make the declaration.

The local municipalities have already taken action to protect properties, with sandbags and AquaDams in place at some vulnerable areas. Many of the property owners, using state funding, also put in new break walls after flooding from the lake in 2017.

“There is presently no immediate public safety threat, the situations will continually be monitored and orders will be executed based on circumstances at the time of concern,” said Dale Banker, director of the Emergency Management Office in Orleans County.

In Carlton, Town Supervisor Gayle Ashbery has issued a local emergency order with no wake from boats within 500 feet of the shoreline. Boaters must be at idle speed only. This will reduce some of the flooding impact.

The order takes effect immediately and may be renewed every five days.

Jim Simon, Yates town supervisor, issued the state of emergency effective at 11 a.m. today. He wrote in the declaration that he is directing town departments and agencies “to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure, and provide such emergency assistance deemed necessary.”

The declaration will expedite state resources for the town, including AquaDams, large grain bags to hold multiple sandbags, and assistance from the National Guard and inmate crews from state prisons with the flood protection.

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo on May 9 issued a state of emergency due to high waters along Lake Ontario. The county implemented a 5 mph speed limit for all boat traffic within 500 feet of the Lake Ontario shoreline in Monroe County.

Wayne County also has declared a state of emergency for bays in Sodus, Huron and Wolcott.

The National Weather Service has issued a beach hazards warning for Niagara and Orleans counties from today through Tuesday afternoon. It will be dangerous to swim in the lake with life-threatening waves and currents are expected. Stay out of the water and stay away from dangerous areas like piers and breakwalls, the Weather Service said.

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KNOWLESVILLE – Two Orleans County seniors were recognized at the annual Senior Jubilee Friday sponsored by the Orleans County Office for the Aging at the 4-H Fairgrounds.

Kathryn Crawford and Dottie DuSett have each devoted their lives to volunteering in their community, and were nominated by the Office for the Aging as “Seniors of the Year.”

There were 140 seniors at the Senior Jubilee, and they were entertained by guitarist David of Honeoye Falls, who played and sang old favorites.

OFA director Melissa Blanar introduced staff, members of the OFA Advisory Council and Kelly Anstey from the Arc’s Nutrition Program.

Melissa Blanar, left, director of the Orleans County Office for the Aging, watches as Assemblyman Steve Hawley presents a citation to Kathryn Crawford for her volunteer work at the Eastern Orleans Community Center in Holley.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley presented citations to Crawford and DuSett.

Crawford was nominated by Deb Rothmond, director of the Eastern Orleans Community Center.

“Kathryn has made a great difference in our community,” Rothmond said. “She shows compassion and empathy for all who walk through the door at the Community Center and in public. She is a great role model for the other volunteers on work ethic and compassion for others. Kathy is very committed to her role as volunteer and has not taken a single day off since she started two years ago. She also volunteers for events that are outside of her normal position here and is always there to offer a helping hand.”

Crawford was born in Brockport and lived in Murray until she was 7. She grew up in Rochester and started working at age 15 in a perfume factory. She had her first son at age 19 and her second at 22. She and her husband moved to New Jersey in 1983, where she held many positions to support her family, including working for the police department and the local school. She has worked at a doctor’s office and as a waitress at night. Through her hard work, she became manager of the restaurant. After raising her children, she moved back to Orleans County in 1993, where she continued to work in retail for many years.

As for her volunteering, Crawford said, “Volunteering can become that thing that fills the void you may have in your life. It isn’t for everyone, but depending on where you are in life, it can be very rewarding. With an empty nest, I was looking for a purpose. Volunteering helped me find a new happiness.”

DuSett, who has been volunteering for 80 years, was nominated by her daughter Dana DuSett. Dana said her mother taught hundreds of area youth through 4-H, some for multiple generations. She taught sewing, baking, crafts, parliamentary procedure, public speaking and citizenship. The benefits of delivering meals and teaching adults to read can be seen immediately in their smiles and hugs. Dotty and her husband Guy took in dozens of Foreign Exchange students, which they both felt enriched their lives in so many ways.

Guitarist David Marshione of Honeoye Falls plays and sings for the Orleans County Office for the Aging’s Senior Jubilee Friday at the 4-H Fairgrounds.

Dotty was a 4-H leader beginning in 1942, a member of the 4-H Leaders Council, the Civil Air Patrol since 1944 and Literacy Volunteers since its inception in 1974. She was secretary of the Murray Baptist Church from 1967 to 1984, wrote publicity for the 4-H Fair for many years, was a charter member of the International Exchange of Foreign Youth, delivered Meals on Wheels from 1978 to 2005 and taught genealogy courses for free. She previously worked in the accounting office at Eastman Kodak.

She collected locally for many causes and was taught to say, “Yes, I can” to every request for assistance, Dana said.

Born in Hilton, Dotty is a fourth-generation 4-H’er. She married Guy DuSett in 1948 and moved to the hamlet of Hindsburg. Her four children always asked, “Who are these for?” before digging into any pies or cookies after school. Dotty always took care of neighbors in crisis. She has lived in the same house for more than 70 years.

Dana said she believes her mother gave of herself because she felt it benefited and strengthened her own community.

“Volunteering is the best way to know the people in your area,” Dana said. “You meet so many interesting people and mom always wanted to pay it forward.”

Blanar said April was National Volunteer Month and the OFA chose Peggy Francisco, a member of their staff, as “Volunteer of the Month.”

Blanar also announced the OFA has started a volunteer transportation program to take seniors to medical appointments, shopping or just visiting. Thirteen volunteer drivers have already been trained, but more are needed.

The Senior Jubilee ended with lunch served by Nutrifair and awarding of door prizes donated by the community.

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Recycling pickup will switch from weekly to every 2 weeks starting July 1

MURRAY – Big blue recycling totes are headed to Orleans County residents next month as the county implements changes in its recycling pickup program.

The county contracts with Modern Disposal for the service. That company, beginning July 1, will be picking up recycling every two weeks. Garbage pickup will remain on a weekly schedule.

Residents will be receiving big recycling totes with lids beginning June 10. It will take about three weeks for Rehrig Pacific to deliver them to about 15,000 addresses in the county.

Those new totes can be used right away. They will replace smaller bins that don’t have covers. Residents are welcome to keep the bins which can still be used to hold recycling inside a house and then can easily be dumped into the tote. Or if residents don’t want the bin, they should write “Please take me” and put it to the curb with their garbage and recycling.

Joe Hickman, municipal sales manager for Modern, said the new totes better contain paper, cardboard, plastics and other recycling. Larger cardboard options should be broken down so they don’t get jammed in the totes, he said.

The County Legislature in February approved spending $776,500 for 15,444 recycling carts. Those costs are coming out of the fee in the county taxes for garbage and recycling for residents. The county is seeking a state grant for half of the costs. If the grant comes through, the county will use that to pay off a lease payment it took out to cover half of the expense.

The new carts, at $50.28 each, hold 96 gallons. Rehrig Pacific Company of Erie, Pa. will begin delivering the totes on June 10, and is expected to take three weeks to get them to all the addresses.

Each tote has a number with bar code and an RFID so the totes can be tracked. Residents should write down their totes’ identification numbers to make sure they aren’t mixed up with their neighbors’.

The switch to the larger carts will make it easier for Modern Disposal to pick up recycling, and should hold off increases in the costs for picking up garbage and recycling for the next few years, county officials said.

County Legislator Ken DeRoller, R-Kendall, said the county’s recycling rate is currently 21 percent. That is a low number and he wants to see it go up. Part of the education effort will be encouraging residents to recycle more plastic, paper and metal materials.

He expects the recycling number will increase to 28 percent with the totes, which he said will make recycling easier. The material inside will be less likely to blow away.

Joe Hickman, municipal sales manager for Modern, said that rate is determined by the weight of the recycled divided by the overall weight of the recycling plus garbage that is picked up by Modern.

He encouraged residents to recycle plastics with a focus on food and beverage containers. There have been changes in the recycling program with plastics. Rigid plastics such as buckets and toys are no longer accepted with recycling.

Residents currently use recycling bins that are emptied weekly by Modern. The company has two employees per truck, with a driver and another employee grabbing and emptying the bins. It takes about a minute for each stop in the county.

The 96-gallon totes will have covers that are green. Those totes can be grabbed by a mechanical arm, lifted up and emptied into the recycling truck. The green covers make it clear the totes hold recycling.

Using the mechanical arm allows Modern to have one employee on the truck, reducing the company’s costs. That has prevented a big increase for county residents with the garage and recycling pickup the next five years.

Chuck Nesbitt, the county chief administrative officer, said the switch in recycling will reduce costs in the contract by about $3 million over he next 10 years.

Residents in 2018 paid $212 for annual garbage and recycling collection. The cost will stay about that price for the next few years with the recycling change, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer.

Without the change, the county would have faced a 10 to 15 percent increase, he said. The County Legislature in October approved a new five-year contract with Modern for garbage and recycling collection. The annual cost is $3,001,495 with the current system of weekly recycling, but drops to $2,707,160 when the new system is fully phased in with the larger recycling totes.

There will be another open house and public information meeting about the recycling change on May 25 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, 12690 Route 31, Knowlesville.

Modern has sent newsletters to residents, detailing the changes and the new schedule for pickup. Click here for more information.

“Your day of collection will not change and for example, if your day is Monday it will remain Monday,” the county states on the website. “The difference will be that a portion of Mondays recycling customers will be collected on an ‘A’ week and the balance of the Monday customer will be collected the following week or on the ‘B’ week. This alternating cycle continues week after week, month after month.”

Modern employees met with residents inside the Murray highway garage to discuss the recycling program on Saturday. Modern also met with residents at the Shelby Town Hall. There will be another public meeting for residents to learn about the recycling program at the 4-H Fairgrounds on May 25 from 9 a.m. to noon.

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KNOWLESVILLE – Having just wrapped up the 2019 Home, Garden and Outdoor Show, the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is ready to embark on another successful year with a new slate of leadership.

In April, Rebecca Charland announced she would be stepping down as director, effective April 30.

“I have been working two jobs for the last three years and my husband recently retired, so I am cutting down to only one part-time position to spend more time with him and my family,” Charland said. “I have enjoyed working with the Chamber and am very happy with the accomplishments I have brought to the organization.”

Darlene Hartway of Medina was approved as the new director at the Chamber’s May 1 board meeting.

“Darlene will be great and she will work for the entire county,” Charland said.

Other leaders approved at the 20th annual board meeting were Paula Knaak of Albion as president, replacing Kathy Blackburn, who has held the position for several years; Liz Midkiff, vice president; Adam Johnson, treasurer; and Bryan DeGraw, secretary.

Blackburn praised Charland’s accomplishments during her three years as director.

“Becky will be missed,” Blackburn said. “She has done an exceptional job and it’s been wonderful working with her. She has made our virtual office work, saving the Chamber the cost of rent, electric and other miscellaneous costs of running an office. This allows us to do more for our business community and members. Becky has helped immensely in obtaining new members and running our programs.”

The Chamber is also looking forward to their leadership under Knaak. Blackburn, who has served the chamber for decades as a board member, director and president, is looking forward to scaling back.

Blackburn said Hartway will bring a different aspect to the Chamber as its new director.

“She has a diverse background in businesses and world travel,” Blackburn said. “She has the personality and many new ideas to bring to the Chamber. I believe she will be an exceptional director and will work well with the communities and businesses and you will see our Chamber continue to grow and be our voice in this ever-changing world of business.”

Hartway said she is excited to get out in the community and talk to businesses.

“I want to make sure they know the Chamber is here to support them and let them know what the Chamber can do for them,” Hartway said.

At the annual Chamber meeting, they also recapped a very productive year.

The Robin Hill Wine Walk in Lyndonville was a success, Blackburn said. Attendance at the annual dinner was fantastic, and the Legislative Luncheon was one of the most successful, with the largest panel they have ever had. She thanked Medina attorney Nathan Pace for being moderator.

Blackburn said the Chamber is always looking for new board members, new Chamber members and participation on various committees.

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