YATES COUNTY PREPARES FOR BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

 

A committee led by Yates County Historian Len Kataskas has been working for 18 months to plan the county's bicentennial celebration in 2023.

Yates County Administrator Nonie Flynn says the celebration will get underway in February.

 

The Wagener apples are named after the family given credit for founding Yates County when it broke away from Ontario County in 1823.

One of the highlights of the bicentennial is an 1823 dinner in October. It will feature foods that residents would have eaten 200 years ago. Plans for the menu are still being finalized. 

There will be a traveling exhibit visiting several locations throughout the county during the year. You can get the latest schedule for the bicentennial on the Yates County Facebook page.

 

 

You can listen to my full Flx Ted Podcast with Nonie Flynn below.

YATES COUNTY MAKES MONEY AVAILABLE FOR RECREATION, RESOURCE PROTECTION

Photo: Keuka Lake from Yates County website

 

Communities and organizations in Yates County have until January 24th to apply for this year's Natural and Recreation Resource grants.

Yates County Administrator Nonie Flynn says the county sets aside up to 20% of the revenue from the four percent occupancy tax for projects that increase recreational opportunities and/or protect natural resources.  

 

According to the county's guidelines for grant applicants, the proposed project must substantially further at least one of the following objectives:

1. Substantially protects, preserves, or develops land, natural or recreational resources.
2. Provides public access to Canandaigua, Keuka and/or Seneca Lake.
3. Protects land that is adjacent to permanently protected open space, including both natural
and agricultural lands.
4. Protects land on an existing or potential inter-municipal trail corridor.
5. Protects a high concentration of Prime Soils or Soils of Statewide Significance.
6. Protects a Distinctive or Noteworthy view as identified in the Yates County Scenic
Planning Guidelines.
7. Provides for an expanded and/or enhanced recreational use for the public.
8. Protects water quality of the lakes.
9. Enables the furtherance of the policies set forth in the Comprehensive Plan.
10. Enables research studies and surveys whose purpose is consistent with the policies
described herein.

 

Entities receiving the grants are usually required to provide matching funds. The grants can be used as matching funds toward receiving state or other grants.

 

You can find the grant application here.

 

Listen to my full Flx Ted Podcast with Nonie Flynn below. 

NEW SOFTWARE HELPS YATES COUNTY COLLECT OCCUPANCY TAX

Photo from Flickr,

Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

Since 2007, Yates County has collected a four percent tax on every hotel, motel or other room rented by lodging facilities.

Yates County Administrator Nonie Flynn says not everyone knew about the tax, but they do now, thanks to new software purchased by the county that checks rental records. The software found over a hundred lodging businesses that were not collecting the tax.

 

She says most of the businesses that weren't collecting the tax were smaller establishments that simply didn't know the tax exists.

The tax money is used for tourism promotion throughout Yates County.

You can listen to my full Flx Ted Podcast with Nonie Flynn below.

THE FLX TED PODCAST - YATES COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NONIE FLYNN

Image: Yates Co. seal from county website

  

In the episode, we talk with Nonie about her announced retirement in six months, at which time she will spend some time being a grandmother.

We also covered progress on the countywide broadband rollout, construction of a new public safety/public health building, and an emergency communications upgrade, the purchase of equipment to expand the county ambulance service, events to honor veterans this month and plans for the county bicentennial in 2023.

COVID and flu vaccines are available from the County Health Department and the county is accepting for its Recreation and Natural Resources program through January 24th.

 

Our theme music is "Sugar Zone" by Silent Partner. You can find their music and other copyright-free music here.

You can subscribe to my podcasts on Google Podcasts, Anchor and Spotify.