The Batavia Town Board is gearing up for public hearings on a budget as well as water and sewer rates. The public hearing on the $5.1 million preliminary spending plan is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Town Hall. As reported first on The Batavian last week, the board raised the amount of its unexpended fund balance to be allocated to balance the 2021 budget after receiving news that Genesee County authorized a final $1 million revenue distribution payment for 2020 and pledged about $1.7 million for 2021. The budget public session will follow a 7 p.m. public hearing on the sewer rate for District No. 1 and No. 2 in the town, and a 7:05 p.m. public hearing on the water rates.

The Alexander Central School District board of education will be conducting a superintendent job search to replace Catherine Huber, who has accepted the position of district superintendent of the Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES in Delaware County. Board President Brian Paris confirmed that she has left the Genesee County school after nearly four years as its chief administrative officer.

The City of Batavia Fire Department joins fire departments nationwide in promoting the annual “Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery” campaign on Sunday. Fire Chief Stefano Napolitano encourages all residents to adopt the simple, life-saving habit of changing smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks back from daylight saving time to standard time. Today’s home fires grow in size faster than ever, typically allowing as little as one to two minutes to escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds, due to current home furnishings burning faster and producing more toxic gases and smoke.

New COVID-19 cases have returned to Genesee County. In Wednesday’s update, officials said three new cases were confirmed. The latest infections involve people age 40-70. Five new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. Health officials say six new cases were identified in Orleans County while officials in Wyoming County confirm six new cases as well.

An Elmira-based bank is extending its reach to the Buffalo market. Chemung Canal Trust Company has announced that it will expand its lending operations to serve the City of Buffalo, as well as Erie and Niagara Counties, with the intention of opening a Loan Production Office in the near future. Chemung Canal Trust Company, headquartered in Elmira is a full-service community bank with full trust powers. Established in 1833, it is the oldest locally-owned and managed community bank in New York State.

Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Tom Reed and Congressman Josh Gottheimer, along with 26 of their colleagues within the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, sent a letter to Congressional leadership and President Trump urging both sides to work together to get a bipartisan COVID-19 relief deal across the finish line as soon as possible. The group of lawmakers said they are just days away from the election, after which the prospect of moving stimulus legislation forward is very dim until early February. The lawmakers said in a press release every day that passes, is another missed opportunity to deliver relief for American families and businesses who will continue to suffer needlessly as a result of Congress failing to do its job.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is celebrating his endorsement and continued partnership with the Business Council of New York State as he continues his reelection campaign. Hawley says he is both thrilled and humbled to continue his push for better business laws and fair treatment in government with the backing of the Business Council.

The City of Batavia Planning & Development Committee this week approved a special use permit that opens the door for the creation of two apartments on the second floor of the Main Street Pizza building at 206 E. Main Street. The next step is to finalize the engineering drawings and move the project into the construction phase.