Le Roy to join police dispatchers from county, Batavia in new center
BATAVIA — The Village of Le Roy will join Genesee County and city police dispatchers at the county’s new communications center as the result of resolutions approved Wednesday by the County Legislature.
The consolidation will take effect Sept. 1, with the county taking responsibility for the $113,850 purchase of technological infrastructure equipment and installation in the county’s year-old $2.2 million Communications Center in the sheriff’s Administration Building on Park Road.
Two Batavia police dispatchers moved into the high-tech center last Oct. 1, leaving the downtown Police Headquarters staffed only during regular weekday business hours.
Opposition by police and some Council members disappeared in the face of a property tax increase to maintain city dispatchers and the promise of $200,000 in annual savings.
The county hopes to recover its start-up costs through a state Local Government Efficiency Grant. Le Roy’s own ambulance service would be included.
In a second resolution, the Legislature approved hiring a part-time emergency services dispatcher at a cost of $13,144. The new position would be effective July 18.
Legislative Chairwoman Mary Pat Hancock, R-Batavia- Stafford, announced that she would form a nine-member ad hoc committee to study the size of the Legislature, currently at nine members; the length of terms, now two years; and whether terms should be staggered. Currently, legislators are elected every two years.
She asks that legislators select a representative to serve on the panel by the August meeting, with the hope that the study could be completed by late this year.
The legislators also:
• Reappointed Eileen Fitzpatrick to a second five-year term as social services commissioner. She has worked for the department for 29 years and oversees a client list of 6,000.
• Accepted a $162,000 grant from the state Health Department for a year of anti-tobacco initiatives conducted by the Youth Bureau in a Reality Check Youth Action program in Genesee, Wyoming and Orleans counties.
• Approved a state grant of $15,000 for video recording equipment for the district attorney’s office.
• Entered into a one-year renewable contract with Ontario County for the use of jail space there at a rate of $85 per day for each prisoner — in case the county’s jail reaches capacity.
• Agreed to replace Hawley Drive at a cost of $283,289. Hawley Drive is the access to Genesee Community College. The cost is covered by federal stimulus funding. Keeler Construction of Albion hopes to complete work by late summer.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments