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JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council has approved a resolution to move forward with selling the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC).

The Jamestown City Council during the Dec. 18, 2017 voting session.

During Monday Night’s City Council voting session, nine different people spoke to the council and asked members to vote against or table the waste water treatment resolution.

Despite the concerns, the council eventually voted unanimously to approve the resolution. However, prior to the vote city councilman and finance committee chair Tony Dolce assured those in attendance that the vote was not to sell the plant, but only to keep the process moving forward.

“There have been some excellent questions/concerns brought forward by many of the members tonight,” Dolce said. “I just want to assure the public and the people that are here that this marks the beginning, or the initiation, of the possible process…. This has to go through JLDC, it has to go through the BPU board, it has to come back through a series of resolutions to the city. Many of the questions that came up tonight are questions that will have the be answered before an actual sale can take place.”

Some in attendance said that matter appeared to be an 11^th hour effort by the city to address its financial challenges, which Dolce said is simply not the case.

“tonight’s vote is not an eleventh hour thing. It has to take weeks and possibly months to vet this out, look at the possibility, and if there are legal objections, or either of the boards or this council feel that that this is not an appropriate way to go, there will be plenty of time to put a halt on it, to stop it, and go in a different direction,” Dolce said.

Earlier this Month Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi announced the city was looking into selling the plant to the JLDC as a way to inject a large amount of capital into the city coffers so it could be used to pay for infrastructure and equipment needs that will run into the millions of dollars, while also putting some of the money into a tax stabilization fund.  The plant is valued at $18 to $20 million. The BPU would then pay the JLDC to use the plant, with the money coming from wastewater fees collected by the BPU and used to pay off the bonds the JLDC would have to take out to make the purchase. The plant itself would be used as collateral.

• VIEW CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT PROGRAM (PRESENTED DEC. 4)

Teresi said that because the city has reached its constitutional tax limit, it can’t borrow money through traditional bonding methods. He said that the proposal gives the city an alternative method of raising a large sum of money and instead of using taxes to pay it back the city would use rate payments from wastewater customers, located both inside and outside of the city.

• LISTEN TO WRFA’S INTERVIEW WITH MAYOR REGARDING WASTEWATER PLANT PROPOSAL

PUBLIC CRITICAL OF PLAN, REQUESTS MORE DETAILS

Some of those who voiced concerns about the proposed sale of the Wastewater Treatment Plant during Monday’s city council meeting included (clockwise from upper left): Todd Tranum, Greg Lindquist, Dan Heitzenrater, and Edward Premo.

Members of the public, including the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST), question the plan and feel that it will hurt business and economic development while also risking the stability of the BPU and JLDC.

Attorney Edward Premo – from the Rochester area law firm Harter Secrest & Emery – is representing MAST on the matter and spoke to the council about the issues the organization has with the proposed sale.

“Members of MAST are very concerned about what the city council is considering doing. They are very concerned about this being a step in the dismantling of the BPU,” Premo said. “We believe that the sale of the wastewater treatment plant and facilities not only violates the laws in the city of Jamestown, but also violates the laws concerning the JLDC.”

Premo then raised five legal concerns MAST has with the proposal. They are:

1. The Wastewater System cannot be sold without a majority vote of all residents, per the city charter;
2. The Wastewater System cannot be sold while it is still in use;
3. The BPU cannot pass through JLDC debt service to system users;
4. Users will be charged double for the same system;
5. As a lending agency, the JLDC doesn’t have the power to acquire nor bond for the Wastewater System.

• READ FULL LETTER TO CITY OUTLINING MAST CONCERNS/ISSUES

Also addressing the council and raising concerns were Todd Tranum, president of MAST and the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce, former BPU chair John Zabrodsky, former BPU member and Weber Knapp financial officer Wayne Rishell, who said that so far there has been no transparency regarding what impact the sale would have on waste water rates, as well as specific details on how the money from the sale would be spent.

Others who voiced concerns included labor representative David Wilkinson, town of Ellicott councilman-elect Dan Heitzenrater, and residents Doug Champ, Greg Linquist,  Raven Thompson.

The matter will continue to be discussed, perhaps as early as Tuesday afternoon when the JLDC board meets at 4:30 p.m.

During his 2016 State of the County address, Chautauqua County executive Vince Horrigan mentioned that he would create a Regional Solutions Commission as a way to identify and assess shared government service proposals.

The commission will hold its first meeting Thursday at 10 a.m. in the training rooms at the office of emergency services in Mayville.

The commission will be chaired by Chautauqua County Legislator George Borrello (R- Irving).

Several other government and community representatives will also serve on the commission, including Jamestown development director Vince DeJoy, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Tranum, and Chautauqua County Labor Coalition chairman David Wilkinson.

The Regional Solutions Commission will focus on the areas of public safety, infrastructure and local government as it facilitates public forums, identifies regional initiatives, and develops initiatives into proposals for implementation.

According to Horrigan, Thursday’s meeting will provide an overview of the commission’s goals and include presentations from guest speakers. The meeting will be open to the public.

Jamestown legislators David Wilfong (left) and Elisabeth Rankin both won reelection in their respective legislature seats. The two join 13 other Republicans who won legislature races on Election Day 2015.

MAYVILLE – With only eight of 19 contested races in the Chautauqua County Legislature, there wasn’t expected to be much of a change, and that sentiment held true following the 2015 Elections, with only a handful of new faces joining the ranks of the legislature.

FOUR NEW NAMES ADDED TO 19 MEMBER LEGISLATURE

The legislature will have just four new members starting in January, with only one incumbent being unseated in a contested race on Election Day.

In District 2, challenger Robert Bankoski (D-Dunkirk) defeated incumbent Shaun Heenan (R-Dunkirk) 679 to 365.

Two other newcomers were also elected after winning their respective contested races. In District 1, Kevin Muldowney (R-Dunkirk) defeated Democrat William Rivera (D-Dunkirk) 693 to 385. Muldowney will take the seat currently held by long-time legislator Keith Ahlstrom (D-Dunkirk), who did not seek reelection.

And in District 7, Mark Odell (R-Portland) defeated David Wilkinson (D-Cassadaga) 653 to 289. Odell will take the seat vacated by outgoing legislator John Runkle (R-Stockton), who is not seeking reelection.

The final newcomer is District 4‘s Christine Starks (D-Fredonia), who ran unopposed and will take over the seat held by legislator Janet Keefe (D-Fredonia), who also did not seek reelection.

REPUBLICANS SWEEP REMAINING CONTESTED RACES

There were two contested legislature races in the Jamestown area, and both Republican incumbents won reelection. In District 11 David Wilfong (R-Jamestown) defeated Robert Whitney (D-Jamestown) 347 to 305. In District 12, it was incumbent Elisabeth Rankin (R-Jamestown) defeating challenger Beth Kresge (D-Jamestown) 430 to 399. Both races were rematches from the 2013 election.

Other incumbents being reelected despite having opposition on the ballet were Legislature Chairman and Jay Gould (R-Ashville, District 17), Bob Scudder (R-Fredonia, District 3) and Terry Niebel (R-Dunkirk, District 5).

As a result of the elections, the GOP gained a seat in the legislature, strengthening its super-majority. Of the 19 members, 15 will be Republicans, 4 will be Democrats.

WINNERS OF 2015 CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY LEGISLATURE ELECTIONS

D1: Kevin J. Muldowney (R-Dunkirk) (Won Contested Race)
D2: Robert Bankoski (D-Dunkirk) (Won Contested Race)
D3: Bob Scudder* (R-Fredonia) (Won Contested Race)
D4: Christine Starks (D-Fredonia)
D5: Terry Niebel* (R-Dunkirk) (Won Contested Race)
D6: George Borrello* (R-Irving)
D7: Mark Odell (R-Portland) (Won Contested Race)
D8: Pierre Chagnon* (R-Bemus Point)
D9: Charles Nazzaro* (D-Jamestown)
D10: Paul Wendell* (R-Lakewood)
D11: David Wilfong* (R-Jamestown) (Won Contested Race)
D12: Elisabeth Rankin* (R-Jamestown) (Won Contested Race)
D13: Paul Whitford* (D-Jamestown)
D14: Mark Tarbrake* (R-Jamestown)
D15: Lisa Vanstrom* (R-Jamestown)
D16: Ronald Lemon* (R-Frewsburg)
D17: Jay Gould* (R-Ashville) (Won Contested Race)
D18: David Himelein* (R-Findley Lake)
D19: John Hemmer* (R-Westfield)

* – Incumbent

A map of the legislative districts for Chautauqua County.

A map of the legislative districts for Chautauqua County.

MAYVILLE – 2015 is a local election year in Chautauqua County with several races shaping up for the 19-member Chautauqua County Legislature.

Currently, the Republicans hold a super-majority in Mayville, with 14 of the 19 seats held by the GOP.  And with six GOP incumbents running unopposed, the odds are pretty slim that Republicans risk losing their majority status.

Still, county Democrats are hoping to regain a few seats by challenging six of the seats currently held by the GOP. A seventh contested race will feature two registered Democrats vying for the same seat, with the incumbent Democrat being endorsed by the GOP and Conservative parties. And an eighth contested race will feature an independent taking on the current legislature chairman.

The legislature will have at least three new members. That’s because current legislators Keith Ahlstrom (D-Dunkirk, District 1), Janet Keefe (D-Fredonia, District 4) and John Runkle (R-Stockton, District 7) will not seek reelection.

The legislature elections, which involve two-year terms for each seat, will be the only county government race in 2015. The county executive and county clerk each have two years remaining on their four-year terms.

For a complete listing of all local elections, visit www.VoteChautauqua.com.

Election day 2015 is Tuesday, November 3.

CONTESTED LEGISLATURE RACES

• District 1 (OPEN SEAT): Kevin Muldowney, R-Dunkirk; William Rivera, D-Dunkirk
• District 2: Shaun Heenan, D-Dunkirk (incumbent, running on Republican line); Robert Bankoski, D-Dunkirk
• District 3: Bob Scudder, R-Fredonia (incumbent); Wayne Dorler, D-Fredonia
• District 5: Terry Niebel, R-Dunkirk (incumbent); Martin Anderson, D-Forestville
• District 7 (OPEN SEAT): Mark Odell, R-Brocton; David Wilkinson, D-Cassadaga
• District 11: David Wilfong, R-Jamestown (incumbent); Robert Whitney, D-Jamestown
• District 12: Elisabeth Rankin, R-Jamestown (incumbent); Beth Kresge, D-Jamestown
• District 17: Jay Gould, R-Ashville (incumbent, chairman); John Suroviec, i-Clymer

UNCONTESTED LEGISLATURE RACES

• District 4: Christine Starks, D-Fredonia
• District 6: George Borrello, R-Irving
• District 8: Pierre Chagnon, R-Bemus Point
• District 9: Charles “Chuck” Nazzaro, D-Jamestown
• District 10: Paul “PJ” Wendel, R-Lakewood
• District 13: Paul Whitford, D-Jamestown
• District 14: Mark Tarbrake, R-Jamestown
• District 15: Lisa Vanstrom, R-Ellicott
• District 16: Ron Lemon, R-Frewsburg

Labor was out in force Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2104 as hundreds of striking workers and representatives from other union groups attended a solidarity rally for employees at RHI Monofrax in Falconer.

FALCONER – More than 300 people were at RHI Monofrax late Wednesday afternoon and early Wednesday night in a show of solidarity for workers who’ve been on strike since the end of September.

The strike includes 120 members of the Service Employees International Union and 14 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union.

With the strike now in its tenth week, SEIU local chief steward Karl Kraus told WRFA Wednesday night that workers are now feeling the financial impact. He said some workers are the primary source of income for their families and as a result of not working for over two months, they are even having a difficult time making house payments, car payments and even paying for groceries.

“It’s been really tough,” Kraus explained. “We are just now this week starting to get unemployment compensation [for the last two weeks] so that’s helping out a little bit but for the first seven weeks we had nothing.”

To show support for the workers and offer help to those who’ve felt the financial burden, the Jamestown Area Labor Federation has reached out to all local labor groups and other community members seeking non-perishable food items as well as cash items to help out the workers. Those donations were presented during Wednesday’s Solidarity rally.

Labor Federation president David Wilkinson (IBEW) was on hand for the rally and explained why he and other union members in the region wanted to show support.

“there was 10 labor affiliations on hand tonight and we brought down donations to try and show solidarity with the striking workers,” Wilkinson said. “It’s important to show that labor is going to stand together in hard times and in good times.”

That help from other labor groups has been greatly appreciated.

“This was incredible to have the Jamestown Area Labor Federation come down and support us,” Kraus said. “We’ve had numerous people come down over the past nine weeks. We’ve had labor unions from all over the area, they’ve come down and given us support. Just everyday Joe Americans have come down and offered support for us, and we’re down here 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we’re going to continue to be out here whether its cold, snowing or raining until we can get a contract that we can live with.”

Company officials and union reps have been unable to come to terms on a new contract since the old one expired at the end of September, with the main sticking points being increased insurance contributions for workers and lower pension benefits from the company, although Kraus says there are a few other issues as well.

The impasses in negotiations has resulted in one of the longer strike’s the area has seen in quite some time.

“This is a large strike and its very important for us to get it resolved. It puts a lot of people out of work,” Wilkinson told WRFA. “We haven’t seen a strike of this magnitude in many years and it seems like the company is not fairly negotiating with the representatives from the union. It’s a different approach that we haven’t seen in a long time.”

Austria-based RHI has owned the Falconer-based Monofrax operation since 2007. The plant makes fusion cast refractories primarily used in the glass industry. The federal government buys materials from RHI Monofrax to clean up nuclear waste, by converting the waste into a form of glass.

With no end to the strike in sight, the company has resorted to bringing in non-union labor to complete work orders that has been delayed since the strike first began the final week of September.

Kraus says the two sides will be meeting again this week to try and finally reach agreement on a new contract.

The Economic Development Award will be presented to Southern Tier Brewing Company.  One of the fastest growing companies in Chautauqua County, Southern Tier Brewing is known for its craft beers that are now distributed far and wide. Locally, its facility in Lakewood has become a destination for residents and visitors alike who are interested in brewery tours, tastings, and a myriad of festivals and events held there each year.

The Person of the Year Award is going to David Wilkinson, Business Manager of IBEW Local 106.  Mr. Wilkinson was instrumental in organizing regional labor unions and local groups to rally to save the NRG plant in Dunkirk in the past year. His leadership and dedication to the project was extraordinarily important to its success.  As a result of that work, NRG will convert its plant on the Dunkirk shoreline from coal to natural gas, providing a cleaner and sustained power source as well as maintaining jobs and the county’s single largest taxpaying entity.

Each Community Chamber also chooses a Community Service Award Winner as well.

The Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce selected Tim Shults for its Community Service Award.  While overseeing the Shults Auto Group as President and CEO, he serves on the boards of the Salvation Army, Chautauqua Striders, and Southwestern Schools Education Fund.  He has also served the Jamestown YMCA and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, among others.

The Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, October 9 at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia. ]]> https://www.wrfalp.com/county-chamber-to-recognize-several-during-annual-awards-banquet-thursday-night/feed/ 0 11801 https://www.wrfalp.com/morning-news-ibew-local-106-business-manager-receives-regional-award/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=morning-news-ibew-local-106-business-manager-receives-regional-award https://www.wrfalp.com/morning-news-ibew-local-106-business-manager-receives-regional-award/#respond Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:18:47 +0000 http://wrfalp.wordpress.com/?p=5967 BUFFALO – A member of a local labor group recently received a prestigious award from the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation.

During the organizations annual Awards Dinner in Buffalo in April, IBEW Local 106’s David Wilkinson received the groups top award for the year – known as the “We Are One” Award. Wilkinson was praised by both Dunkirk Labor Council President Doug Stock and Jamestown Labor Council President Jack Rudy, who singled out Wilkinson for leading the Chautauqua County Labor Movement to victory in stopping the Privatization of the Chautauqua County Home in Dunkirk last year.

Wilkinson currently serves as the business manager of the IBEW Local 106, headquartered in Jamestown.