Tenney seeks $2 million for repairs to Public Safety Building in Orleans County

Photo by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Public Safety Building, which opened in 1998 at a former furniture store building, needs roof repairs and other upgrades.

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 May 2024 at 8:27 am

ALBION – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney announced she is seeking $2 million towards repairs and upgrades of the Orleans County Public Safety Building.

That site needs a major repair to part of the roof, especially on the western side of the building, a former furniture store with a sizable flat roof.

The county is moving the Probation Department and District Attorney’s Office out of the building and into the former Genesee Community College campus in Albion. When the roof is fixed, the DA’s Office is expected to come back to the Public Safety Building.

The county is working on a full assessment of the Public Safety Building that would include the roof, the HVAC system, drainage and other issues with the building and site, said John Papponetti, the commissioner of the Department of Public Works for the county.

Tenney announced the roof work on the Public Safety Building as one of 15 projects she has selected to submit to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 Community Project Funding process.

Tenney said those projects will benefit New York’s 24th District by improving water infrastructure, creating essential public facilities, supporting public safety, and promoting community revitalization.

The CPF process allows localities and non-profits to submit federal funding requests for high-priority community projects. Each application is subjected to a rigorous review process to ensure that it is a sound use of taxpayer dollars and that applicants have a clear and accountable plan to spend funds on targeted projects within a year, Tenney said.

“The Orleans County Public Safety Building is a vitally important epicenter for several functions of our government, housing the Sheriff, 911 Dispatch Center, District Attorney and Probation, so we are very appreciative to Congresswomen Tenny for making our project to upgrade this facility one the priority initiatives to be sent to the House Appropriations Committee,” said Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature. “Our DPW team has worked closely with Sheriff Bourke and DA Cardone to design a project that addresses critical structural issues with the facility in the most cost-effective manner possible while also helping improve the overall functionality of the building. This is not just a building project, it is an investment in our community’s safety and security.”

The full list of projects submitted by Tenney through the Community Project Funding process include:

$4,528,000 for the Town of Phelps Sanitary Sewer Distribution Project
$2,500,000 for the Cayuga County Lake Protection Plan Project
$3,000,000 for the Village of Geneseo Water and Sewer Upgrades Project
$3,500,000 for the Village of Waterloo Rock Storm Sewer Replacement Project
$3,000,000 for the Town of Newfane Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades Project
$1,500,000 for the Village of Mexico’s Water System Improvements Project
$10,000,000 for the Genesee County Section 219 Environmental Infrastructure Project
$2,250,000 for the Town of Torrey Water District #2 Project
$2,000,000 for the Orleans County Public Safety Building Project
$1,000,000 for the City of Oswego New Police Station Project
$800,000 for the Town of Macedon Ambulance Relocation Project
$5,000,000 for the Town of Lyons Revival and Community Empowerment Project
$3,600,000 for Phase III of the City of Lockport’s Erie Canal Flight of Five Locks Rehabilitation Project
$3,000,000 for the Wyoming County Silver Lake Dredging Project
$4,050,000 for Jefferson County Installation of Runway 10 Omni-Directional Approach Lights at Watertown International Airport Project