EMS Council Chair Larry Barter addresses Chautauqua County Legislature (April 26, 2023)

A local law that gives volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers a break on property taxes has been approved by the Chautauqua County Legislature.

The local law provides a 10% exemption on real property taxes for volunteers who have been in the service for at least two years. For volunteers who are active and have 20 years of service, it provides a lifetime 10% exemption. A second local law approved allows the spouses of volunteers killed in the line of duty to retain that tax exemption as long as they don’t remarry.

Legislator Terry Niebel, one of the sponsors of the bill, spoke in support of the local law, “Without their services, we could easily be spending millions of dollars. Like most counties in New York State, Chautauqua County is experiencing a serious shortage of volunteers. With the two local laws on the agenda this evening, we’re offering the best benefit package allowed by the state.”
Niebel also urged other taxing districts in the county to consider offering the exemption.

The legislature also approved using $50,000 in American Rescue Plan funds toward a market study for the Jamestown Airport. The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency had approved $25,000 in funding toward the $75,000 project in January.

County Executive PJ Wendel said the study is a necessary part of the Essential Air Service (EAS) application to the U.S. Department of Transportation. He said EAS provides subsidies to airlines to reduce the ticket prices, thus making it more affordable for flyers, “Once this (study) comes back, we are ready if we need to pivot and focus from a commercial airport to a general aviation airport. Shannon (Barnhart) has the tools and the skills. We’ve already got some plans and things we’ve talked about in chatter on what we can do as far as increasing smaller what they call T-hangers, increasing the operability of the airport.”

Wendel said with the Legislature’s approval the county will now do a request for proposals (RFP) to contract with someone for the study.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist meets with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Washington D.C.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist discussed workforce development concerns with representatives in Washington D.C. on a recent trip.

Sundquist was in the nation’s capitol for the National League of Cities‘ lobby day where he was able to meet with Congressman Nick Langworthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

He said part of day was spent discussing the Infrastructure Act and the concern from the White House over there being enough people to do the work of building new roads, bridges, and more, “And there was a really great discussion from senior leadership officials in the administration on how can cities be the driving force for workforce development? And how can we create models that can replicate across this country to train people to work on those items, that infrastructure, rebuilding our infrastructure across this country.”

Sundquist said one workforce development model is being worked on with the construction trades here in Jamestown, “The City Council allocated over a million dollars in workforce development funding. Half of that going to construction trades and the other half going to workforce development in terms of manufacturers, and other builders, and things like that. So, we’re working through that process now and we’re hoping to make sure that our workforce is on the cutting edge for what’s to come.”

Sundquist also discussed the importance of SNAP benefits and the need for the return of Essential Air Service to the Jamestown Airport with representatives.

Hear his comments on those topics and more on tonight’s Community Matters at 5:00 p.m. on 107.9 FM and streaming online at wrfalp.com

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist delivers 2023 State of the City Address

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist toted the allocation of American Rescue Plan funds, and investments in public safety and infrastructure in his 2023 State of the City Address.

Sundquist, delivering his address online, called the receipt of over $28 million in ARP funds transformational to the city, “From these funds we’ve helped over 300 senior households with needed home improvements. We’ve replaced over 100 heavily damaged roofs across Jamestown cost-free to working class and middle class homeowners. We’ve given businesses affected by the Pandemic resources and investments to hire more people locally and a substantial amount of funds to demolish blighted buildings.”

Sundquist said other areas that benefited include the Jamestown Police Department which received funding for more police officers, the clean-up of the lower half of the Chadakoin River, as well as needed capital spending in city departments.

With the rise in gun violence nationally, Sundquist said Jamestown was not the exception last year. He said investment in public safety was necessary, “Working with our City Council, we approved new officers to help with the protection of citizens through a new program which brings our police department staffing up to full force. This includes the approval of a Gun Task Force officers which will continue the work of decreasing gun violence in our city as well as a Quality of Life officer to deal with nuisance complaints that continue to plague our residents.”

Sundquist also lauded the Citizen Police Academy starting back up this year for the first time in decades along with the increase in the number of firefighters on staff.

He cited a record year of infrastructure improvements in the city thanks to additional funding from the state and federal government. Sundquist also mentioned the beginning of work on the new Central Garage on Washington Street that is expected to be completed this year.

In terms of what’s in store for 2023, Sundquist said he’s working with the state and federal government on addressing the lack of Essential Air Service and rail service in the area. He said his administration also will be adding new bike lanes, fixing sidewalks, and hoping to install speed cameras in school zones.

The video and text of Sundquist’s address are available at: https://www.jamestownny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-State-of-the-City.pdf

Jamestown Airport

The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency Board has approved using $25,000 toward an Airport Market Analysis Study.

IDA CEO and Deputy County Executive of Economic Development Mark Geise said the goal is to do the study as part of hopefully bringing back Essential Air Service to the Jamestown Airport.

The County had proposed in 2021 using $75,000 in American Rescue Plan funds for the feasibility study, but the County Legislature voted it down.

Geise said the IDA’s contribution of $25,000 will lower the cost of the study to the County to $50,000.

Jamestown Airport Manager Shannon Barnhart said the study will look at various data points, “You know, it’s a possibility that air service may not be the best thing for Chautauqua County, but we don’t know. We hope that it is. But without any data showing that people are actually going to fly, we hear every day people want air service back, but, ‘Did you ever fly? You know, are you going to fly? How many times are you going to fly? Where do you spend your money now?’ Someone has to get out there and do that. We do not have the resources within the county, or myself, to go out and do that study on our own.”

Barnhart said the feasibility study is the missing piece in the application to the Department of Transportation. She said it’s the County’s intention to use the study to work with an airline in the application for EAS designation.

County Executive PJ Wendel said there’s also a plan in the event that the study doesn’t go they way they expect, “And Shannon has a plan to shift gears and move towards how do we make this a general aviation airport and how do we start to gain revenue and build that base up again? So, I think this is important, it’s vital, and it’s really going to finally answer the question we’ve been asking and that question hasn’t been answered.”

Geise said he anticipates a resolution will be brought before the County Legislature in February for the remainder of the $50,000 needed to fund the study.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a point of transparency and disclosure to our audience, the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency is a corporate underwriter for WRFA and has provided a financial contribution for the general operations of the station within the past year. Funding we receive for General Operations is not used to fund our coverage of local news in the community. That is only made possible through a Community Service Grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

The Chautauqua County Airport, just north of Jamestown. (Image via Google)

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Legislature has approved a resolution that will use tax payer money to subsidize commercial flight operations at the Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown.

The decision was made Wednesday night and comes as county officials work to get commercial air service to back to the airport. The airport in Jamestown has been without commercial flights since January 2018.

The resolution was approved 16-1, with Frank “Jay” Gould being the only “No” vote.

According to the Post-Journal, the resolution states the county would fund $72,000 in cash and $52,000 through in-kind services as part of the local subsidy. County officials will also be asking the business community to fund $75,000 in cash and $87,000 through in-kind services toward commercial service.

Officials hope the move will help show the U.S. Department of Transportation the county is willing to invest its own money, say they will – in turn – authorize the return of the Essential Air Service subsidy, which would cover the majority of the cost of having a commercial air service operate out of Jamestown.

In order to return federal funding, the DOT would like a 10% local contribution to the nearly $3 million annual subsidy it provides through the EAS for three years.

Also on Wednesday, Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY-23) announced three grants valued at $660,000 to provide the Jamestown Airport with funding to renovate and improve their facilities.

The DOT awards Airport Capital Improvement Program Grants (ACIP) through the Federal Aviation Administration for the planning and development of public-use airports.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

JAMESTOWN – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) was in Chautauqua County this week to meet with officials, including County Executive George Borrello, to discuss the county airport. In addition, he made time to stop by the YWCA in Jamestown to learn more about the services it provides for the community.

During a regional media conference call on Tuesday, Reed said he met Monday with Borrello and others to further discuss the future of passenger air service at the Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown.

The airport has been without commercial service since early 2018 when the Department of Transportation pulled its Essential Air Service (EAS) funding for Southwest Airways Express. Since then, county officials and federal representatives have been working to return the funding under a new passenger service plan provided by new air carrier, Boutique Air. However, federal transportation officials denied that request earlier this year. Still, Congressman Reed says the effort isn’t over and a meeting took place Monday to further discuss the matter.

“We were able to meet at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel with George [Borrello], with the airport manager, and with the leaders of the community – the business community in particular – about assessing the support for the need of commercial airline service to the Jamestown airport,” Reed said.

Reed said that those he talked with have shown that there still is a need for passenger air service.

“What I heard from the room is that there is a tremendous amount of support for commercial airline service for the Jamestown airport and one of the things we’re exploring is how do we make that application to the Federal Department of Transportation Federal Department of Transportation under the EAS program that would make commercial airline service to the Jamestown airport viable,” Reed said.

In addition to meeting with officials to discuss the airport, he also stopped by the YWCA in Jamestown to learn more about its programming and services for the greater Jamestown Community.

“It was inspiring to not only be with those caseworkers, not only the department heads and leaders and hear their story and commitment to the needs of the community, but then to round table with teen mothers themselves, for example, to hear first-hand how these programs are benefiting them and how they are arming them in a positive way to take on life’s challenges that they are facing but, most importantly as demonstrated by one of the graduates of the program, are overcoming any sorts of obstacles and are thriving with the situations that they dealt with, “Reed said.

The YWCA offers a variety of programming such as early care and educational; after school programs; summer camp; transitions and supportive housing; supervised visitation; a Women2Women coaching program; the Teenage Education and Motherhood (TEAM) program; and many others.
For more information, visit www.ywcaof jamestown.com.

The Chautauqua County Airport, just north of Jamestown. (Image via Google)

WASHINGTON – The federal government has denied an application seeking federal funding to help subsidize commercial air service at the Chautauqua County airport in Jamestown.

County officials say the county and the city of Jamestown were notified on Friday by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that the joint proposal by Boutique Air and Chautauqua County to re-establish commercial air service between Jamestown and Pittsburgh was not approved for Essential Air Service (EAS) funding.

In justification of the decision, DOT officials cited the underwhelming performance record of commercial air carriers to the Airport in recent years and the availability of commercial air service alternatives at public airports in Buffalo, N.Y. and Erie, PA.

In its order rejecting the proposed route between Jamestown and Pittsburgh International Airport, the Department of Transportation did not foreclose other commercial air service options and expressly left the docket open for future action.

According to a release from County executive George Borrello’s office, county and city leaders are actively engaged in dialogue with airline and commercial aviation advocacy groups to consider alternate approaches and other options for restoration of passenger service to the Jamestown regional airport.

Congressman Tom Reed also held a phone call with EAS program officials about a new, revised application being submitted as soon as possible.

In January 2018 it was announced that commercial air service would be leaving Jamestown but by the Spring of last year, a new air service provider – Boutique Air based out of San Francisco, announced it would be working to serve the area if EAS funding could be made available. According to county officials, Boutique remains committed to the effort of developing routes that are economically viable under the EAS program and has signaled its intention to redouble its efforts.

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JAMESTOWN – Commercial air service could be returning soon to the Greater Chautauqua-Jamestown Airport in Jamestown.

On Monday Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello’s office sent out a media release updating the public on the status of air service at the airport.

The release said that the county is continuing to work with Boutique Airways to restore commercial air and is awaiting authorization from the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program.

The area has been without passenger air service since January when Southern Airways Express – the previous airline serving the county – abruptly halted service in Jamestown.

In May, Chautauqua County announced it had partnered with Boutique Air, a commuter airline based in San Francisco and had submitted a joint proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation to reestablish commercial service between Jamestown and Pittsburgh under the EAS program.

In October the DOT extended the EAS program for five years. That meant funding would be available to bring back service to Jamestown if the proposal is approved by the DOT.

In November, Boutique Air was awarded an EAS route contract with Johnstown, Pa. that connects with both Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and Pittsburgh.

“With a newly established operating base at the Pittsburgh airport, Boutique is able to offer greater operating efficiencies in its planned service to Chautauqua County,” said Ron Almeter, Chautauqua County Manager of Airport and Parks. “This presents Chautauqua County and the U.S. Department of Transportation with a more attractive business plan that leverages the economies of operating multiple routes from a common hub.”

Not only is Boutique proposing to bring down the cost of the potential service between Jamestown and Pittsburgh, but the airline continues to improve and expand its portfolio of interline and code share agreements with United Airline and other major carriers. Officials say this will provide travelers connecting on flights beyond Pittsburgh to have an extensive range of travel options available through their network of airline alliances.

“We recognize in Chautauqua County and Western New York State, a community that has a demonstrable growing need for commercial air service,” said Shawn Simpson, CEO of Boutique Air. “The synergy between the County’s economic development trajectory and Boutique’s unique capability to bring high-quality passenger service to emerging markets gives us high confidence that we can be successful in this endeavor.”

“Returning commercial air service to the Jamestown Airport is critical for our county’s residents, visitors, and established multinational companies with visiting clients and management teams,” Borrello said. “We are working with Congressman Tom Reed and his team to further engage with officials of the USDOT’s EAS program. I believe this latest improvement to our joint proposal with Boutique has strengthened our plan and improved our strategy for a successful operation at the Jamestown Airport.”

The revised route proposal is now under review by EAS program officials. Boutique Air and County leaders await the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision on approving Jamestown Airport’s return to the EAS Program.

The Chautauqua County Airport, just north of Jamestown. (Image via Google)

WASHINGTON – Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand say a new, five-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill has been passed in congress and signed into law by the president.  The new bill includes funding for both the Essential Air Service (EAS) program and the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Five airports in New York receive EAS funding, while Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport is in the process of reapplying to regain its EAS status.

In January, the U.S. Department of Transportation terminated the EAS agreement in Jamestown due to a lack of passengers. Shortly after, Southern Airways left the Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport because of the funding cut.

In May, it was announced that Boutique Airways had submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide air service to the Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport under the EAS program, which provides essential funding for small airports.

With the new funding secured for five years, officials now anticipate a ruling on that request for a return of the EAS status in Jamestown in the coming weeks.

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JAMESTOWN – Chautauqua County executive George Borrello is hoping residents who travel a lot for business and/or pleasure will consider using Boutique Air when it comes to the Chautauqua County Airport.

Both Borrello and Congressman Tom Reed recently announced that the county has reached a deal with the California-based airline to provide commercial air service to the Chautauqua County airport through the federal Essential Air Service program. That program provides funding to communities that wouldn’t be able to support commercial air service on their own.

Borrello recently told WRFA that unlike previous airlines that have operated at the Jamestown airport, Boutique Air should be far more reliable and convenient. Specifically, Borrello says the type of aircraft Boutique uses will be able to fly at higher altitudes, meaning the flights will be less affected by weather that has become problematic at times for previous air services. He said the airline will also have a permanent aircraft presence in Jamestown, meaning it won’t have to rely on planes flying in to the County in order to provide a flight.

As for when the airline will begin operation, that all depends on the federal department of transportation and when it will be able to sign off on EAS funding. Borrello added that there is no increase in local tax dollars funding the airport. Instead, the airport will be better off financially because Boutique Air would pay rent for using the airport.