Morning News Briefing
Written by Michael Baldwin on February 8, 2021
The Batavia City Council tonight will schedule a public hearing on the new budget which contains a tax hike of just shy of 1.4%. The Council is also expected to introduce two new local laws. The first will amend the Municipal Code to establish new water rates, meter fees and a Capital Improvement fee. Local Law #2 of 2021 proposes to amend the Business Improvement Plan District. The budget public hearing is planned for February 22nd. Tonight’s business meeting is set for 7 p.m.
New York on Sunday reported the lowest COVID hospitalizations since Christmas Day. 143 virus-related deaths were confirmed on Saturday. The statewide positivity rate has dropped to 4%, the lowest one-day positivity rate since November 27th. The Finger Lakes region had 428 COVID-related hospitalizations with 397 patients admitted to an ICU.
The City of Batavia will hold a public hearing tonight at 7 PM at City Hall. Lawmakers will receive comments on the City’s community development needs, and to discuss the possible submission of one or more Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications. The City is considering submission of grant applications for public infrastructure and housing rehabilitation assistance. $20 million is available statewide for public infrastructure, public facilities, and community planning. $10 million is available for economic development projects.
Genesee County officials say that the draft of the Police Reform and Reinvention Report is open for public comments until Monday, February 22. Genesee County residents and other stakeholders can submit comments to the draft plan via email to the County Manager. The Genesee County Police Reform and Reinvention Report can be accessed at the Genesee County Sheriff Department’s website. The 20-person stakeholder committee appointed by the Genesee County Legislature that wrote the draft of the report will consider the comments at its next scheduled meeting on February 22nd.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on the U.S. Department of Defense to investigate crashes involving the UH-60 Black Hawk. Two UH-60 crashes have occurred recently resulting in the deaths of six members of the National Guard. Locally, a Black Hawk crashed in Mendon in late January killing three men. Gillibrand questions whether these incidents could fit a larger pattern of malfunction. The Senator says the deadly crashes occurred less than two weeks apart.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has received the support of the City Democratic Committee for a potential third term in office. Warren won the Democratic committee designation with 62 percent of the vote, despite being indicted by a grand jury in October on charges of mishandling campaign funds.
