By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 3 December 2018 at 3:58 pm
Dawn Borchert
ALBION – Orleans County has 1,150 campsites and wants to welcome more visitors to stay at those sites.
The Orleans County Legislature last week approved spending $5,500 for a three=page ad in a directory through the Campground Owners of New York.
The state “I Love New York” funds will pay for half of the ad, while three local campgrounds and the County Tourism Department share with the cost.
“Camping is a big industry and Orleans County is going to be part of it,” Dawn Borchert, the county’s tourism director, told county legislators last week.
A report last year from Tourism Economics said camping is a $1.2 billion industry in the state with 350 privately owned campgrounds with 30,000 campsites. There are also 16,000 campsites in state and municipal parks.
The campground report, based on 2015 data, counted 11,500 total jobs related to the campground industry in the state.
The campground directory includes 175,000 copies, Borchert said.
Provided photos: The Orleans County Highway Department installs six precast deck slabs that Highway Department workers poured themselves for the culvert in Ridgeway.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 November 2018 at 8:52 am
ALBION — The Orleans County Highway Department built a 18-foot-long culvert that opened to traffic last week on Culvert Road in Ridgeway.
The project was a first for the Highway Department, which built the concrete slabs and did the work building the short span. Doing the project in house saved the county about $180,000.
The project cost $197,408 and that factors in the cost for county employees and equipment. (Take out the employee and equipment costs, and the county spent about $120,000.) If the project had been bid to a contractor it would have cost $379,000, county legislators were told on Wednesday by John Papponetti, an engineer with Labella Associates.
Papponetti has helped the county do an inventory of its culverts and bridges. His report about five years ago showed a daunting task for the county, particularly with its culverts.
“Orleans County is definitely behind the 8-ball when it comes to our infrastructure,” Papponetti told county legislators on Wednesday.
The county bought precast concrete blocks that the Highway Department set in place for the bridge abutments. Using the precast blocks meant a concrete wall didn’t have to be poured on site.
With bridges, there are often state and federal funds to help with those projects. Culverts, which are small bridges between 5 and 20 feet long, typically are funded solely by the county.
In Orleans, there are 87 culverts, and Papponetti said 60 to 65 “need attention.”
The projects can cost several hundred thousand dollars, without state or federal assistance. Orleans tried a new approach to culvert projects this year by doing the work itself with its Highway Department. The county employees made six big concrete slabs that became the deck for the new culvert. The department made the forms and poured the concrete for the six slabs, doing that work from March through May when the schedule allowed.
Then the Highway Department did the construction work, setting precast concrete blocks for the bridge abutments. The deck slabs were set on top, and the county then added a membrane on top, followed by asphalt, and then guardrails.
The county needed to rent a crane for a half a day to set the concrete slabs for the deck. It also rented a melting pot for the membrane. Otherwise, the county did the entire project with its own workers and equipment.
“This is a good start,” Papponetti said. “The workers did a good job. They were a great group of people to have out there.”
This photo shows the Highway Department making one of the six concrete slabs that were used as the deck of the bridge.
The culvert was closed to traffic for about three months and reopened last week. Papponetti and Jerry Gray, the county highway superintendent, deemed the work a big success.
“It’s open and it’s back to traffic,” Gray told county legislators on Wednesday. “It will probably be there for 80 years.”
Gray said the county learned from the experience and can find more efficiencies in the future.
He said the Highway Department is up for the challenge of doing the projects.
“This is the first one,” he said. “In the future, we can take some time off (the projects). You can take that money and get two bridges for the price of one.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 November 2018 at 11:41 am
Orleans cites state mandates, community college hikes for budget strain
Photos by Tom Rivers: Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, goes over the budget during a public hearing on Monday. The County Legislature approved the budget unanimously on Wednesday.
ALBION – The seven-member Orleans County Legislature on Wednesday unanimously approved a $71,031,480 budget for 2019. The budget increases spending by 1.86 percent with taxes going up by 2.51 percent.
Although the tax levy, what the county collects in taxes, increases by 2.51 percent or by $419,921, from $17,150,323 to $17,570,244, the tax rate will go up 5 cents or 0.5 percent, from $10.05 to $10.10 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The county could have increased taxes by 2.60 percent and still stayed within the tax cap.
“We have put forward a strong budget for you, a fiscally sound budget that will support infrastructure, stay under the tax cap and keep the county running for another year,” Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman, said at Monday’s public hearing at the courthouse.
The county continues to feel the strain of funding many state mandated programs, from Medicaid to indigent defense legal services, public assistance for adults and families, preschool special education, youth detention and other programs required by the state but needing local taxpayer dollars.
Those mandated programs account for 93 percent of the tax levy. That percentage has been dropping. It was 116 percent in 2013, and has fallen to 111 percent in 2014, followed by 105, 100, and 98 in 2018.
One of those programs has been on the rise. The county pays about a third of tuition for community college for residents of Orleans. The average community college chargeback rate has increased by nearly $1,000 in the past three years, from $2,932 to $3,846 and will cost the county $1.9 million next year.
Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, presented the budget during a hearing on Monday. He said county taxpayers pay less in taxes than in nearly all counties in the state.
The $769 per capita in taxes in 2017 in Orleans ranks 55th lowest of the 57 counties, Nesbitt said, while total government expenditures are 51st in the state out of 57 counties, Nesbitt said, citing data from See Through NY.
The budget hearing on Monday in the main courtroom at the County Courthouse didn’t draw any comments from the public. The hearing was mainly attended by county officials.
Other highlights of the 2019 budget include:
• A 23,000-square-foot addition to the County Administration Building is under construction. A new bond payment for the project begins next year at $437,629 for that project. There are two major obligations being retired in 2020 for the courthouse and 2022 for the radio system that should begin to relieve that pressure going forward, Nesbitt said. Those two payments account for $683,693 in the 2019 budget.
• The budget funds 430 positions and includes some additions. The Sheriff’s Office has added a School Resource Officer at the Kendall and Lyndonville school districts, with each district paying $100,000 for the deputy. Buildings and Grounds is adding an employee to assist with Solid Waste and Recycling as well as additional maintenance, and the District Attorney’s Office has budgeted for an additional part-time assistant DA to cover new duties related to Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility.
• The dome for the Orleans County Courthouse needs $140,000 in repairs. County officials have set aside the funds in the 2019 budget.
• The county will maintain funding to several outside agencies in 2019. The Cooperative Extension receives the most funding of an outside organization at $240,000. That is the same as 2018. Other funded organizations include the Orleans Economic Development Agency at $190,000, up from $180,000 in 2018; Soil and Water, $92,500, same as 2018; Four public libraries, $10,000, same as in 2018; Mercy Flight $5,000, same as 2018; Sportsman’s Federation, $4,000, up from $1,000; and GO Art!, $3,000, same as 2018;
• The budget also includes 2 percent raises for the seven county legislators. Their pay will go from $17,778 to $18,133 for the chairwoman, $13,442 to $13,711 for the vice chairman, and $11,850 to $12,087 for the other legislators.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 November 2018 at 12:24 pm
New radio towers will be added in Lyndonville, Kendall
ALBION – The state has approved a grant for nearly $6 million for Orleans County that will add two new radio towers and make other upgrades to the county’s emergency communications system.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the $5,897,141 grant this morning. The grant will pay for new 180-foot-tall towers in Lyndonville and Kendall, as well as technology to connect separate radio systems and new radio channels to strengthen communications between multiple jurisdictions and agencies.
The county will also add radio equipment to the Holley water tower to improve coverage in the Holley area.
The project will fund software and other upgrades for the system, which serves firefighters, law enforcement, highway employees, probation and some other municipal workers in the county.
The system currently has poor coverage in the Holley area, along Lake Ontario and some other isolated locations in the county, especially in buildings with thick walls.
The county in August submitted a grant application through the 2018 Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant through the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office. The state is allowing a maximum of $6 million per county for the grants.
Tim Warth, a consultant for the county with Radio Technologies, said in August that Orleans is one of 10 counties in the state identified as “in need.”
The proposed project would also improve interoperability with neighboring counties, allowing personnel to cross county boundaries and still have a radio signal.
The two new 180-foot-high towers in Lyndonville and Kendall would enhance coverage by the lake, and allow a lower strength signal so Orleans isn’t interfering with Canada’s system, Warth said.
The county currently has towers in Shelby on Maple Ridge Road by the Medina water tank, on Countyhouse Road in Albion by the Emergency Management Office and on Route 31A by the Clarendon Highway garage.
The county would like to have the tower in Lyndonville on West Avenue and in Kendall at the firemen’s field near the Town Hall.
“It’s a huge effort, a great effort by our consultant and the county communications committee,” said Dale Banker, the county’s emergency management coordinator. “It will enhance our emergency communications, especially at the Kendall and Lyndonville schools. It’s almost doubling our capacity.”
The new Lyndonville tower would allow for a connection with Niagara County, which received a $6 million grant and is looking to add a tower in Barker. The Kendall tower or the Holley site could allow a connection with Monroe County’s system, Banker said.
“A big part of these grants is interoperability,” he said. “The state wants neighboring counties to communicate with each other.”
The towers have a generator and small shelter. Banker said the county may pursue another grant when this project is complete to add a tower in Carlton by the town highway building on Route 98 and an additional tower in Albion by the Public Safety Building.
The state today announced $32 million for seven counties to improve emergency communications.
“In emergency situations, it’s critical that first responders have the resources they need to quickly and efficiently respond to calls for help,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “This funding will allow counties to continue to upgrade and improve their emergency communications systems and in the process create a stronger, safer New York for all.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 November 2018 at 7:56 am
File photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Courthouse dome is an iconic landmark in Albion. This photo was taken on May 5, 2015.
ALBION – The dome for the Orleans County Courthouse needs $140,000 in repairs. County officials have set aside the funds in the 2019 budget.
The dome has several leaks. Inside the dome are about a dozen buckets to collect the dripping water after it rains.
The county will have a rubberized coating put on the dome to protect it from leaks, said Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer. That new coating will last for at least 25 years, he said.
“We want to preserve that asset for the county long-term,” Nesbitt said Monday during a public hearing on the county’s proposed $71.0 million budget.
The courthouse, which was built in 1858, is the focal point of the Courthouse Square, a district on the National Register of Historic Places.
The $140,000 repair on the dome is among $3,181,106 in capital projects for the county in the 2019 budget.
Most of the projects are in the highway department and include $1.5 million in road work, which is funded through the state with CHIPS – Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program.
CHIPS money will also pay $185,000 for a 10-wheel dump truck, $55,000 to replace a 3-ton dump truck and $69,365 toward dump truck leases.
The county will also do $669,000 of preventive maintenance on four bridges, with $535,000 from the federal TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) and $134,000 from the county.
The highway department will also do $100,000 of patching and sealing county roads with the county paying that expense.
Other capital projects will also be 100 percent funded by the county: $143,452 for vehicles in the Sheriff’s Office, $14,140 for a jail van lease, $9,000 to add a vehicle for animal control, $46,000 for computer services upgrade, $14,000 for wireless point to point project for computer services, $11,000 for Public Safety Building rewire for computer services, $6,645 for generator at Veterans Service Agency, $9,000 for a pickup truck lease for Weights and Measures, and $9,000 to replace the UTV (all-terrain vehicle) at the County Marine Park.
First bridge to close for work is Bennetts Corners Road, with last of 7 to be complete in 2020
Press Release, NYS Department of Transportation
Photo by Tom Rivers: Erie Canal is pictured on Dec. 8, 2017 in Albion with the Gaines Basin Road bridge in the background. This bridge is one of seven that will be worked on in Orleans County.
New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas today announced the start of a $10.7 million project that will rehabilitate seven historic Erie Canal bridges in the Orleans County towns of Murray, Albion, Gaines, Ridgeway and the Village of Medina.
The rehabilitation work, to be completed in the next two years, is necessary to raise legal weight limits on the bridges and will provide safe access for residents, local farms and businesses, which are vital to economic activity across Orleans County.
“All New Yorkers know the importance and history of commerce along the Erie Canal, especially in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, which is home to nearly 70 percent of the canal bridges in the state,” Acting Commissioner Karas said. “By investing in this critical infrastructure today, we are helping to preserve that history and maintain the integrity of these bridges for years to come.”
The project has identified for rehabilitation seven single-lane truss bridges constructed between 1909 and 1914. The locations of the bridges over the canal include:
• Bennetts Corners Road, between Route 31 and Gulf Road, in the Town of Murray.
• Telegraph Road, between Route 237 and Groth Road, in the Town of Murray.
• Transit Road, between Route 31 and West Brockville Road, in the Town of Murray.
• Densmore Road, north of Route 31, in the Town of Albion.
• Gaines Basin Road, between Albion Eagle Harbor Road and West Bacon Road, just north of the Albion Correctional Facility, in the Town of Gaines.
• Bates Road, between Telegraph Road and Portage Road, in the Village of Medina.
• Marshall Road, between Route 31 and School Road, in the Town of Ridgeway.
The canal bridge on Telegraph Road in Murray is pictured in February 2015.
The bridge carrying Bennetts Corners Road over the Erie Canal will be the first of seven to close, beginning on December 3rd, for up to six months. Each bridge will be worked on consecutively through Summer 2020.
The work on these bridges will include installing high-strength galvanized steel to replace steel floor systems, low chords, gusset plates, and truss elements. Bridge railing and guide rail on the bridge approaches also will be improved and each bridge will be repainted. The alignments and profiles of the bridges will not change.
“Since being elected in 2014, I have advocated for these long-awaited improvements to our canal bridges, many of which are in my district,” said State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda. “I am pleased to see that many of these bridges are getting much needed improvements. These bridges are vital in ensuring quick and reliable routes for many residents, businesses, and local farms in Orleans County.”
The improvements will require each bridge to be closed to traffic for up to six months at a time, although access to businesses, including public boat launches, will be maintained throughout construction. The approaches to each bridge will be open for local traffic. Work will be done on some of the bridges simultaneously. Pedestrian access to the Erie Canal Trailway also will be maintained throughout construction.
“Safe, reliable and robust infrastructure is the backbone to healthy economic development and one of the many aspects of a flourishing society, and there are few matters more pressing than addressing the insufficient conditions of our area’s bridges,” said State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia. “These seven bridges are not only paramount to our emergency services, daily commuters, agriculture and farm equipment and interstate travelers, but are part of the Erie Canal system’s distinct history. I am pleased to see such a large investment in Orleans County’s infrastructure and look forward to improved travel this spring.”
Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, said, “The Orleans County Legislature is extremely pleased to see that the New York State DOT is continuing to move ahead with plans to ensure the long-term viability of our transportation system. We have made significant efforts to clarify our concerns and priorities and the State has in turn made an effort to understand and respond to those concerns.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: This photo from Sept. 9, 2015 shows the Falls Road Railroad in Albion. The railroad runs through Orleans County near Route 31, and stretches from Lockport to Brockport.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced $27.1 million to fund rail and port improvement projects across New York State, including $900,000 for the Falls Road railroad, which runs from Lockport through Orleans County to Brockport.
The grants, from the Governor’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, will support projects that strengthen infrastructure and economic development vital to the movement of goods throughout the state.
“New York’s rail and port infrastructure is critical to local economies across the state, and these grants will not only support existing commercial activities but to help attract new business investments as well,” Governor Cuomo said. “With these improvements, we can keep these economic engines running, and ensure safe and efficient travel for both passenger and freight customers statewide.”
The funding for Falls Road Railroad, which is owned by Genesee Valley Transportation in Batavia, includes bridge repairs and track rehabilitation.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Pam Allen and her daughter Savannah left messages in these cards that will be sent to soldiers on a Naval ship.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 November 2018 at 2:10 pm
ALBION — The call went out for volunteers to send Christmas cards to soldiers overseas. Catherine Schmidt wasn’t sure what kind of response she would get.
On Sunday afternoon, about 40 people filled out about 1,000 cards. Schmidt had 500 with her, and needed to get more.
She said a card with a hand-written message goes a long way in making soldiers feel appreciated while they are deployed far away from family.
“It lifts the spirits of soldiers who can’t come home,” she said on Sunday at 39 Problems, an Albion restaurant and bar that hosted the card-signing.
Schmidt is the volunteer coordinator of the recently started PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer program in Orleans County. The program aims to connect veterans to services and social events.
She set a goal of 900 cards. That is how many are deployed on the Naval ship. The additional cards will likely to sent to other soldiers.
This group was among the volunteers sending cards to soldiers on Sunday. They include, from left: Fred Heschke, Jim Freas, Adam Johnson, Steve Johnson, Catherine Schmidt, Lurando Mata, Earl Schmidt and Lisa Mannella.
The volunteers added artwork, jokes and messages from the heart in their cards, Schmidt said.
Cards will be accepted until Nov. 30 and can be dropped off at the YMCA in Medina or the Orleans County Veterans Service agency on Route 31 in Albion.
Pam and Savannah Allen were happy to spend a couple hours on Sunday writing cards with a personal message for veterans deployed overseas.
Savannah Allen thanks a veteran in her message in the card.
Erica Miller, back right, brought her children and a friend to write messages to soldiers. Myleigh Miller is at right and her brother Garrett is in back. Zoe Cusson joined the family for the event. Zoe decorated her cards with reindeer and Myleigh added jokes to her messages.
The winner of the 2018 Orleans County Tourism Photo Contest has been announced. Sharon Gavenda won with her picture, “Summer Morning on Lake Ontario.”
This is the third year the Orleans County Tourism Department has sponsored the contest. There were 11 judges who picked their top five photos, and five honorable mentions from 45 images. Those photographs captured the essence of Orleans County – including 11 sunsets, landscapes, wildlife and architecture.
“Blue Heron” by Ann Kimmel came in second.
Judges were asked to consider:
Does the subject have a tourism draw? Is this an interesting attraction worth traveling to? Is it current?
Quality: Is the photographer skilled in using interesting design elements such as depth-of-field, perspective, texture, symmetry or contrast? Is this image “Magazine Cover Worthy”?
“Only in the OC” – Is the image iconic to Orleans County or could this picture be taken anywhere? Does it represent Orleans County’s character?
The WOW Factor: Does the image spark a positive emotion in you?
The I-GOT-IT! Factor: Was the photographer in the right place at the right time?
Photographer’s identities were not disclosed to the judges. Results were based on responses the judges ranking the images from 1 to 10 and the highest score determined this year’s winners.
Photos by Tom Rivers – Pictured front row from left: Deputy Joe Laudico, Sheriff Randy Bower, Deputy Adam Hazel, Albion police officer Robert Wagner, Albion police officer Christopher Glogowski and Dr. Don Kamin, a clinical psychologist and instructor in the Crisis Intervention Training Program. Back row: Orleans County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. John Doyle, Medina police officer Richard Messmer, Deputy Joshua Martek, Orleans County Jail Superintendent Scott Wilson, Medina police officer Stephen Gross, Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward, Albion police officer Will Francis and Albion police officer Sean McElhinny.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 18 November 2018 at 5:04 pm
Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower congratulates Sgt. John Doyle for completing the week-long class in crisis intervention training. In back are Danielle Figura, mental health clinic coordinator for Orleans County, and Medina Police Chief Chad Kenward.
MEDINA – About a dozen law enforcement officers in Orleans County took a week-long class last week in crisis intervention, learning techniques to de-escalate situations with people suffering a mental health issue.
This is the second time the class has been offered in the county. The first was about two years ago. There are now about 30 officers trained through the program, which was funded with a state grant by the New State Office of Mental Health. State Sen. Robert Ortt is chairman of the Senate’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee. Ortt has been a strong supporter of the program, which has been offered throughout the state.
Medina had two officers take the class last week. Police Chief Chad Kenward said the techniques have been used in the field, and have helped officers recognize a person with a mental health issue and better respond to the crisis.
“It has helped us to talk them down from hurting themselves and others,” Kenward said after the class’s graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon.
The state has been funding a Crisis Intervention Team Training Program for law enforcement officers to better understand the myriad of mental health issues, and to learn strategies to de-escalate a potentially volatile situation.
A goal of the training is also for police to connect people in crisis with treatment, rather than jail, when appropriate.
Sheriff Randy Bower said the skills through the program has helped reduce the inmate population at the county jail, and better connect people to the help they need.
“It has helped us to better serve the people we are tined to protect,” Bower said.
Dr. Don Kamin, a clinical psychologist and instructor in the program, shared many scenarios and strategies with officers to help them identify if a person if in a mental health crisis and how to lead them to accept help and not be combative.
We went over different disorders and how officers can recognize those and respond to people in distress. The class reviewed behavioral health issues such as trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide assessment and intervention, excited delirium, anxiety and emotional distress. Officers learned communication skills with a focus on de-escalating the crisis.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 November 2018 at 10:39 am
Photo by Tom Rivers: County officials on April 25 break ground on a new $10 million addition to the County Administration Building. The 2019 budget includes the first debt payment of $437,629 for the project.
ALBION – Orleans County officials have put together a tentative $71,031,480 budget for 2019 that increases spending by 1.86 percent and would raise taxes by 2.51 percent.
There will be a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 26 on the budget. That hearing will be at the Orleans County Courthouse. To see a copy of the budget, click here.
The tax levy, what the county collects in taxes, would increase by $419,921, from $17,150,323 to $17,570,244 for 2.51 percent. However, the tax rate would go up 5 cents or 0.5 percent, from $10.05 to $10.10 per $1,000 of assessed property.
Chuck Nesbitt, the county’s chief administrative officer, filed a copy of the tentative budget on Wednesday. He is the county budget officer.
“The $71 million budget recommendation continues a consistent and stable approach to investment in the county infrastructure, the organization and ongoing fiscal stability,” Nesbitt said in his budget message.
Nesbitt, county legislators and department heads wanted to maintain core county services and stay within the tax cap. The budget complies with the tax cap, leaving a $25,393 cushion under the cap, Nesbitt said.
The budget bears the burden of funding about 40 state programs, Nesbitt said. The state offers partial reimbursements for some of the programs. But the costs left to the county are a main driver in the tax levy, especially the Medicaid program.
“Counties are charged with responsibilities by New York State,” Nesbitt said. “The state then under funds these programs or doesn’t fund them at all.”
The tentative budget includes $16,662,210 to cover the nine state mandated programs, which is 95 percent of the property tax levy. The county contribution to the state programs is up $359,700 from 2018.
A 23,000-square-foot addition to the County Administration Building is under construction. A new bond payment for the project begins next year at $437,629 for that project. There are two major obligations being retired in 2020 for the courthouse and 2022 for the radio system that should begin to relieve that pressure going forward, Nesbitt said. Those two payments account for $683,693 in the 2019 budget.
The budget funds 430 positions and includes some additions. The Sheriff’s Office has added a School Resource Officer at the Kendall and Lyndonville school districts, with each district paying $100,000 for the deputy. Buildings and Grounds is adding an employee to assist with Solid Waste and Recycling as well as additional maintenance, and the District Attorney’s Office has budgeted for an additional part-time assistant DA to cover new duties related to Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility.
In his budget message, Nesbitt notes the county continues to share some funds with the towns and villages, including $1,366,671 in sales tax, a number that has been frozen since 2001. However, county officials say many smaller counties do not share any sales tax with towns and villages. The county is budgeting for a $560,000 increase in sales tax next year, which will help absorb some of the rising expenses.
The county will pay $1.9 million for the local chargeback for community colleges in 2019. In some counties, that bill is sent to the towns.
The county will maintain funding to several outside agencies in 2019.
The Cooperative Extension receives the most funding of an outside organization at $240,000. That is the same as 2018. The organization didn’t seek an increase in 2019.
Other funded organizations include:
• The Orleans Economic Development Agency is budgeted for $190,000, up from $180,000. The EDA requested $190,000.
• Soil and Water, $92,500, same as 2018, requested $100,000
• Four public libraries, $10,000, same as in 2018, requested $42,883;
• Mercy Flight $5,000, same as 2018;
• Sportsman’s Federation, $4,000, up from $1,000, requested $4,000;
• GO Art!, $3,000, same as 2018, requested $4,000
• The Cobblestone Museum also requested $7,500 but remains out of the budget as a line item. The Legislature the past two years have approved $3,000 in end-of-the-year funding,
The budget also calls for 2 percent raises for the seven county legislators. Their pay will go from $17,778 to $18,133 for the chairwoman, $13,442 to $13,711 for the vice chairman, and $11,850 to $12,087 for the other legislators.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 November 2018 at 8:10 am
The unemployment rate for Orleans County in September was 3.7 percent, the lowest rate in nearly 20 years. It was also 3.7 percent in October 2000. The 3.7 percent rate is the lowest level for Orleans since at least 1990, according to statistics from the state Department of Labor.
The county’s unemployment rate in September 2017 was 5.2 percent. The number of people working in the county increased from 16,700 to 17,200 from September 2017 to September 2018, while the number of unemployed dropped from 900 to 700.
The unemployment rate for the county has been steadily decreasing in recent years. In Orleans, the annual average unemployment rate has declined from 9.7 percent in 2012, 9.1 in 2013, 7.7 in 2014, 6.4 in 2015, 5.7 in 2016, 5.9 in 2017 and 5.5 percent the first nine months this year.
The county’s unemployment rate was over 10 percent not that long ago. It was 11.2 percent in January 2013 and 10.6 percent in February 2013.
Statewide, the rate fell to 3.8 percent in September, down from 4.6 percent in September 2017.
Bronx had the highest unemployment in the state at 5.4 percent in September. In upstate, St. Lawrence and Allegany had the highest at 4.5 percent. Columbia County had the lowest rate at 2.8 percent.
Other nearby counties and their unemployment rates include: Genesee, 3.3; Livingston, 3.5; Wyoming, 3.2; Niagara, 4.1; Monroe, 3.8; and Erie, 3.7.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 November 2018 at 4:03 pm
File photo by Tom Rivers: District Attorney Joe Cardone is shown speaking at a community forum on Nov. 30, 2017. He is leading the effort for the new program to compel motorists to get insurance.
ALBION – Orleans County is expanding a traffic diversion program to include people caught driving without insurance.
The county since 2010 has had a traffic diversion program for many first-time traffic offenders for infractions such as speeding, failure to yield, and failure to obey a stop sign.
They pay a $200 fee and enroll in a defensive driving class. In exchange, the ticket is dismissed. In fact, it will never show up on the driver’s record. In more than eight years, the fees paid just passed $1 million, said Susan Howard, the coordinator of the program and also the assistant district attorney.
That money has all stayed with local municipalities, and has been shared by the county, towns and villages.
About 5,000 people have participated in the program since its inception. The county beginning on Nov. 1 expanded the program to include people without automobile insurance.
If there are no other infractions, the drivers will likely be accepted in the program. The fee is $400, and they must get car insurance and complete a test about safe driving.
District Attorney Joe Cardone has been leading the effort to expand the program. The county is partnering with the New York Public Safety Company, which will provide mobile license plate readers to patrol cars for law enforcement agencies in the county.
New York Public Safety Company will receive $140 of the $400 fee. The company will also help manage the insurance diversion program and is looking to open an office in Albion.
“There is a great cost to community of people driving without insurance,” Cardone said.
With the diversion program, people who are caught without insurance won’t face criminal charges. And they will be spared up to $2,500 in fines and other costs. They also won’t lose their license.
If they complete the program, pay the $400 fee and show proof of insurance, the ticket will be dismissed.
“Our diversion program has been extremely successful,” Cardone said today. “Orleans County is now first in state to do it with insurance. We expect some of the other counties will do it.”
Lou Piccone, a former Buffalo Bills wide receiver, is the New York director of New York Public Safety Company. He said the goal of the program is compliance, to have all motorists get insurance.
That should reduce the premiums for the people who have been paying for insurance, because right now they pick up the costs for those in accidents without coverage, he said.
“No one should be on the road uninsured,” Piccone said today by phone.
The company is partnering first with Orleans, and then expects to expand the program in the state.
“It’s a manageable county,” Piccone said about Orleans. “There is a diversion program already in place and that allows the county to put this in play very easily.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2018 at 4:46 pm
Photo courtesy of Lisa Stenshorn: June Seager, left, was recognized today as the Orleans County Employee of the Year. She is congratulated by Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature.
ALBION – June Seager was honored today as the Orleans County Employee of the Year during a recognition program at Tillman’s Village Inn.
Seager has worked the past 15 years as a caseworker for the county, including the past three as an adult protective caseworker with residents 18 and older.
Most of the cases involve elderly residents at risk. They may be financially exploited, or suffer from a physical disability or mental health issue.
“I love my job,” Seager said today. “It’s rewarding knowing that you’re helping someone else who would otherwise be alone.”
The Employee Assistance Program through the county government workforce recognizes an Employee of the Month. An Employee of the Year is then picked from those 12 exceptional workers.
“This employee provides assistance with those that are neglected by others, self-neglected, financially exploited and homeless,” said Jack Welch, the county’s personnel director. “This employee has been able to connect with the adults, assisting them with whatever they need, advocating for their needs and truly improve the lives of some of the hardest to serve in Orleans County.”
He praised Seager for exuding kindness and compassion.
“She has the ability to handle tough conversations with the clientele when needed,” Welch said.
Seager spent her first five years working for the county in the Child Protective Unit of Child and Family Services. She was then a school-based caseworker in Holley.
Seager then transferred to the county’s Foster Care unit and continued to work with children and families. In that role she provided needed services, including transportation, casework counseling, networking with county agencies, court representation, supervising and modeling proper supervision during visitation.
The employees of the months for the past year were:
October 2017 – June Seager (Social Services),
November 2017 – Brian Marsceill (Sheriff)
December 2017 – Cathy Williams (Social Services),
January 2018 – Samantha Koons (Office for the Aging)
February 2018 – Pamela Chatt (Job Development)
March 2018 – Cynthia Troy (Public Defender)
April 2018 – Michael Schultz (Sheriff)
May 2018 – Marc Petrin (Buildings & Grounds)
June 2018 – Katrina Rodriguez-Paeth (Public Health)
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Orleans Economic Development Agency’s Microenterprise Assistance Program graduated its latest class Tuesday night at Tillman’s Village Inn in Childs. Seated from left are class leaders Dick Petitte, business adviser with the Small Business Development Center in Brockport; Diane Blanchard, manager of MAP; John Costello, consultant with SCORE; and Sam Campanella, a consultant with the SBDC. Standing are Will King of Medina, Julie Sanford of Albion, Gabrielle Gugino of Brockport, Laura Kemler of Albion, Heather Colella of Clarendon, Katrina Chaffee of Lyndonville, Jose and Ashley Casanova of Lyndonville, Tiffany Smith of Albion and Courtney Allchin of Albion.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 November 2018 at 7:13 am
Skip Draper of Medina, left, an Orleans County legislator and member of Orleans Economic Development’s board, and Paul Hendel of Murray, chairman of the EDA board, watch as Diane Blanchard cuts the cake during the MAP graduation.
CHILDS – The Microenterprise Assistance Program graduated its latest class Tuesday night at Tillman’s Village Inn.
The 10 who received their diplomas brings the total of budding entrepreneurs to 495 who have gone through the program since its inception in 1999, said MAP manager Diane Blanchard.
“Taking the Microenterprise Class enables new start-ups to access expert consultants from the start of their business to when they open and thereafter to keep their business going,” Blanchard said. “The course covers all aspects of operating a small business, including going into business, taxes/financial statements, legal/business law, budgeting/record keeping and marketing.”
The program is run through the Orleans Economic Development Agency. Consultants help MAP students develop a business plan. Those consultants include John Costello with SCORE, Sam Campanella with the Small Business Development Center in Brockport, and Dick Petitte, an adviser with the SBDC and teacher of small business management and entrepreneurship at Brockport State College.
MAP sponsors two 10-week classes per year, and the ideas for new businesses never ceases to amaze Blanchard, she said.
Tuesday’s graduates included Courtney Allchin of Albion, who got the idea for a clothing boutique as a stay-at-home mom; Ashley Casanova of Lyndonville, who has purchased Fastan in Medina; Katrina Chaffee of Lyndonville, who plans to open an Early Head Start child care program; Heather Colella of Clarendon, who with her family operates a hauling and excavating business; Gabrielle Gugino of Brockport, who plans to open a drop-in child day care facility; Laura Kemler of Albion, whose business is Vintage Inspired Gifts; Will King of Medina, a personal trainer who hopes to attract teens, young professionals and families with children to his business; Julie Sanford of Albion, who sells custom vintage lamps; Tiffany Smith of Albion, who operates the only local gym which offers 24-hour fitness; and William Young of Albion, who runs a machine shop.
Ashley Casanova and her husband Jose of Lyndonville sit at the Microenterprise Program graduation, where Ashley shared her plan for success after purchasing Fastan Tanning Salon in Medina.
The graduates shared their business plan and why they chose that particular business.
Heather Colella, who has owned DC Hauling and Excavating with her husband for eight years, said they were both unemployed and running out of options when they decided to invest their last $3,500 to go into business for themselves. They started out doing snow plowing, and within seven months, made a profit.
Heather Colella of Clarendon shared her success story during the MAP graduation.
Four years ago, she got her woman-owned business certification, and this year they are on track to do $1.5 million in revenue.
This month they will hire their first year-round, full-time employee. They plan to use a $25,000 loan from Economic Development to buy a 10-wheel dump truck to be able to operate more efficiently.
Rick and Michelle Gallo, who graduated from MAP in the June class, returned to tell their success story to the class. She had been working for Dunkin’ Donuts and helped open their stores in Medina and Albion when they decided to go into business for themselves. Their idea was to develop a business their kids would some day take over.
They began by towing cars and collecting scrap metal. As their business progressed, they had to rent two storage locations, one in Orleans County and one out of the county. They are working to obtain contracts with AAA and Onstar.
“Your mentor in this class is everything,” Michelle said. “I call him two or three times a week.”
She also said the connections made through the class are priceless.
“You meet new people and bounce ideas off each other all the time,” she said. “Having a mentor and relationship with EDA is invaluable.”
“This EDA is the big brother you always wished you had,” Rick said.
Graduates from MAP are eligible to apply for grants when they are available, Blanchard said.
“I love that the program makes dreams come true for these entrepreneurs,” she said.
