Avon
Mayor
rebounds from life-threatening accident
Avon-on-the-Green faces tax abatement dilemma
Still
more water headaches in South Avon
Host
sentenced in party alcohol death
Town
board and clerk in power struggle
Avon
Central School surmounts budget difficulties
East
Avon almost gets $150 million plant
School
commences building project
Symphony
Orchestra established
Village
office struck by lightening
Mayor
rebounds from life-threatening accident
On
February 26 Village of Avon Mayor Richard Burke was involved in
a life threatening single car accident on Route 5 & 20 in the
Town of Lima. Earlier Burke had performed a wedding ceremony at
the Avon Inn, then went to his Honeoye Falls office of Burke Group
LLC. He was returning back to his home in Avon at about 11 p.m.
when he presumably fell asleep at the wheel. His vehicle crossed
the center line, missing an oncoming car, went airborne, and landed
in a ditch. He was extricated by Lima Ambulance personnel and
Mercy Flighted to Strong Hospital.
In the wake of a highly publicized DWI charge Burke had faced
on November 24, 1998 in Henrietta, there was immediate suspicion
on the part of the mayor's detractors that the accident was DWI-related.
However,
blood tests subsequently indicated that Burke was not legally
intoxicated at the time of the accident.
Burke fortunately made a marvelous recovery. Following a six week
hospital stay and three day recovery period at home, the mayor
was on hand to preside over the April 11 Village of Avon reorganizational
meeting.
I was trying to do too muchand it caught up with me, Burke
told reporters, vowing that he would never again be placing himself
in circumstances where he might be susceptable to falling asleep
at the wheel.
Shortly thereafter the mayor entered the 136th district assembly
race as a Republican contender. After ten more days in the limelight,
Burke withdrew his candidacy, throwing his support to eventual
election winner Joe Errigo.
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Avon-on-the-Green
faces tax abatement dilemma
In
September of 1999 and January of 2000, the owners of the Avon-on-the-Green
34-unit senior citizen apartment were surprised to receive a respective
$28,000 school tax bill and $11,000 town-county tax bill.
Prior
to construction of the apartment, Avon-on-the-Green had negotiated
tax free status with the Village of Avon. The village had agreed
to exempt Avon-on-the-Green property taxes in lieu of a relatively
high interest rate (3%) the village would alternately be receiving
for HUD funding loaned to the project.
The
apartment owner Elliot Landsman had erroneously assumed that the
tax free village status automatically accrued to all other taxing
entities, so Avon-on-the-Green had been built without securing
any town, county or school tax relief.
In
a dramatic February session of the Avon Town Board, apartment
representatives claimed they would be forced to shut the apartment
down and turn the elderly residents out onto the streetunless
the tax relief was provided immediately. Under this threat, the
town board agreed to abate the Avon-on-the-Green property tax.
Because the town maintains assessment rolls, the town abatement
automatically accrued to the apartment's school and county property
taxes as well.
But
just six days later, the town board reconvened in special sessionminus
Supervisor Joe Daley, who was on vacationand rescinded the apartment
abatement. Specially appointed attorney David Henehan told the
board that 100 percent tax free status for Avon-on-the-Green would
be very unusual (although he also suggested that the owners might
need some relief from what seemed to be an excessive assessment
on their building.) Concerns were also heard from the Avon Central
School District, which was facing a financially precarious year
and could ill afford loss of the anticipated $28,000 property
tax revenue.
In
June the Village of Avon proposed a radical but final solution
to the dilemma. Under the pretense of protecting our investment
[i.e. loan to Avon-on-the-Green], Mayor Richard Burke proposed
that the Village would purchase Avon-on-the-Green and be the apartment's
landlord. Under municipal ownership, no property taxes could thereafter
be collected. Burke added that the village would not deprive the
other entities of all of their tax revenue, and would offer some
level of payment in lieu of taxes.
As
of December, the village had been hoping to engage Landsman in
discussions, but no progress on the village purchase had been
made. Meanwhile, Avon-on-the-Green still owed 1999 and 2000 property
taxes.
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Still
more water headaches in South Avon
In
March the Town of Avon terminated maintenance service for the
South Avon public water system, after Akzo and its insurer, Zurich
American, had failed to reimburse the town for maintenance-related
expenses incurred since September, 1999, when the system was built
with $80,000 of funds provided through Zurich.
By
determination of the New York State Attorney General, Akzo and
Zurich are responsible for supplying 14 households in South Avon
with water, because the households' private wells were damaged
in the wake of the salt mine flooding. In the absenceof the Town
of Avon, Akzo has subsequently enlisted the private Culligan company
to perform maintenance on the system.
The
Livingston County Water & Sewer Authority had earlier withdrawn
from South Avon at the encouragement of the Town of Avon. In 1999
the Town of Avon interceded upon Akzo's plans to bring Town of
York water across the Genesee River and into South Avon. Subsequently,
the water connection was made with the Avon system via Ashantee.
The South Avon water service area has never been formally organized
into a water district. To date, customers have never been billed
for their water. Small diameter lines, incorporated into the system
for the purpose of minimizing water stagnation and discouraging
development in the area, were a violation of town standards.
Because
of its spread-out nature, distance from the treatment plant and
small number of customers, the South Avon system has been plagued
with unique problemsstagnate water, low chlorine, high THMsince
its inception. In an effort to end their responsibilities in South
Avon once and for all, in August Akzo and Zurich proposed making
a secondary connection with the Town of York system, supplying
some water to York, thereby increasing system flow and hopefully
diminishing the flow-related problems. However, the idea met with
little enthusiasm on the Avon and York town boards.
After
some additional Ôtough talk' sessions with Akzo attorney Ken Payment,
the Town of Avon has finally received remuneration for its water
maintenance service to date. However, the water administrative
and engineering problems persist in South Avon.
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Host
sentenced in party alcohol death
The
trial of Leslie Welch was set for June 15, timing apparently meant
to remind parents of graduating high school seniors of the danger
of serving alcohol to young people.
On
July 10, 1999, Joseph L. Kingsbury, 20, of Caledonia, died at
the graduation party Welch was hosting at her Linden Street home
for her daughter. Cause of death was later determined to be acute
alcohol poisoning.
Welch
faced charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and
eight counts of unlawfully dealing with a child. The manslaughter
and homicide charges related to the fact that Avon Village Police
officer Michael Miller had been summoned to the Welch party on
a noise complaint and had observed Kingsbury in an intoxicated
state. Welch sent Officer Miller away, assuring him Kingsbury
was all right, was of legal drinking age, and would be watched
and cared for. But Kingsbury's lifeless body was discovered in
the Welch garage the next morning.
Welch
was defended by Rochester attorney Felix Lupine. An the eve of
the trial, Welch plead guilty to reduced charges. Manslaughter
was dropped in a bargaining agreement.
On
August 17 Welch was sentenced to four months of weekend jail time
by Livingston County Judge Gerard Alonzo. On August 30 Joseph
Kingsbury's parents, Louis and Joann, followed the sentencing
with a civil lawsuit seeking pecuniary damages from Welch, the
Village of Avon Police Department and officer Miller who, the
Kingsburys contended, were responsible for their son's death.
In
November, the suit against Welch was settled for an undisclosed
sum. The suit against the Avon Police Department and police officer
awaits resolution.
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Town
board and clerk in power struggle
With
the retirement of the last hold outs from the former James Steele
administration long time Town Clerk Beverly Luther and veteran
council members Richard Coyne and George CullinanTown Supervisor
Joe Daley anticipated some clear political sailing at the beginning
of 2000. However, Daley and the board immediately encountered
the strong will of newly elected clerk Sharon Knight.
Knight
raised a variety of Ôclerk's rights' issues, letting Daley and
the board know that an elected clerk has a great degree of legal
autonomyand is more than just a secretary to the board. In the
wake of disagreements between Knight and the board, the clerk's
personal hours and town office hours did not entirely coincide.
Knight delayed her appointment of a deputy clerk (Kim Bishop)
pending resolution of the office hour issue. In May the board
discounted the mailed office hour preference survey Knight was
making in the community.
The
board had further disagreements with Knight over the specific
content of the meeting minutes. Kim Bishop, who was also named
secretary to the supervisor, was, for several meetings, enlisted
to take alternate meeting minutes which were subsequently incorporated
by board resolution into Knight's official minutes.
The
disagreements had yet to subside at the end of the year, when
Bishop announced her resignation and Daley maintained an interest
in Ôfarming out' town office duties. Accounting responsibilities
had been handed over to the Nunda firm of St. John & Baldwin in
1999. Daley hopes to hand over water billing duties to the Village
of Avon in 2001.
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Avon
Central School surmounts budget difficulties
Facing
the reality of flawed budgeting from previous years, including
a $142,000 accumulating cafeteria debt, the Avon Central School
Board emerged from an April 11 session with a proposed $14 million
budget for the 2000-01 school year. That budget would have translated
into a record 17.6 percent increase in the local tax rate.
In
a 954 to 608 vote, the budget was defeated in the May 12 school
district election. The election also saw 14 year school board
member and 12 year school board president Norm Barrett defeated
by newcomer candidate Russell Leberman.
Avon
Central School Superintendent Jeanne Dangle told the board the
vote was ...a clear message from the community that the expenditure
level is not acceptable. Dangle, school business administrator
Patricia Roach and the board proceeded to schedule an intensive
series of work sessions in order to produce a revised budget for
revote. Public comment was encouraged.
The
modified budget trimmed the increase down to 13.5 percentstill
a very high figureand did not attempt to wipe out all cafeteria
debt.
Under
new State Education Department rules, failure of the second budget
proposal would have forced a rigorous austerity upon the Avon
District, because only two votes may now take place. However,
voters did approve the modified budget on June 26, by a reasonably
strong 667 to 547 margin.
When
taxpayers received their bills in September, the actual increase
was 11 percent, because the district was able to apply an unanticipated
$100,000 to the current year budget, obtained from last year's
fund balances.
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East
Avon almost gets $150 million plant
From
February until May, hopes ran high that East Avon would the site
of a major new industrial plant, A-Mold, whose contracts included
manufacture of wheels for Chrysler's P.T. Cruiser. A new 390,000
square foot $150 million factory would have employed 400 people.
That
is, hopes ran high among the very exclusive group of about 60
individuals who were involved in marketing the East Avon location
to A-Mold. Due to the highly competitive nature of the siting,
the Livingston County Industrial Development Agency had secretly
assembled a team of local government officials, utility representatives,
real estate agents and others who made an all out effort to convince
A-Mold that East Avon was the ideal location for the new factory.
The team operated under the code name of project siren.
The
effort came very close to being successful. A-Mold's contracted
and prestigious site selector, Deloitte, Touche & Fantus Corp.,
reportedly advised the East Avon location, which was also the
preference of A-Mold CEO Russ Davis.
However,
the ultimate decision was in the hands of UBA, the Japanese holding
corporation which owns A-Mold. Instead of going to East Avon,
the new plant went to Sarina, Ontario, allegedly because ...Canada
is a friendlier country to the Japanese.
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School
commences building project
Groundbreaking
for a long awaited Avon Central School building project took place
March 31. The $14.9 million project is to be completed in the
late summer or early autumn of 2001.
The
project is bringing a great number of improvements to school facilities:
a new gymnasium with seating for 1,000; two new Primary School
wings containing eight new classrooms; a new Middle School wing
with ten new classrooms; expanded Primary and Middle school libraries;
improved cafeterias; renovated science classrooms; new technology
rooms; a new band music room; a district learning room; resurfaced
drives and parking lots; a six lane track; reconfigured football
field; upgraded security systems; Middle School art room and bathroom
renovations; a new maintenance building roof; ramps and stairs
in compliance with ADA; and drainage improvements for the school
grounds.
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Symphony
Orchestra established
2000
was the year that Avon Central music teacher Lisa Toth decided
that the Avon community should have a symphony orchestraand she
then proceeded to organize one.
Lisa
began auditioning musicians in March and soon had a 40 piece orchestra
in place. Membership included both adult and talented high school
and college musicians from Avon and the surrounding region.
Following
an intensive rehearsal schedule, the symphony's first public performance
took place May 15 at the Middle School Auditorium. Another concert
followed in October. The symphony's most recent performance was
a December 19 Festive Holiday Concert. A February 13, 2001 dance
concert is the next scheduled.
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Village
office struck by lightening
A
lightning bolt struck the antenna of the Avon Village Fire Department
communications room during a May 12 afternoon thunderstorm. The
occupants of the room felt the static electric presence, but were
fortunately uninjured. The electronic systems and wiring throughout
the fire station and connected village hall were not so fortunate.
Most
of the village's computers, computer cable connections, the fire
station siren, fire station communication equipment, and other
building wiring were destroyed by the strike.
Several
weeks went by before everything could be returned to ordinary
working order. The village's insurance policy covered all or most
of the replacement costs.
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