EMAIL TO THE EDITOR: Patti LaVigne Seeks GOP Nod for Geneseo Town Council

The following is an email submitted by Patti LaVigne to the GeneseeSun.com for publication. The attitudes and ideas expressed below should not be interpreted as the opinion of the GeneseeSun.com.

Dear Republican Voter,

I am writing to inform you that I am seeking re-election to the Geneseo Town Council. I have been honored to work for you over the past 4 years and hope you will support me at the Republican Caucus on June 29, 2017.

When people are asked why they run for re-election, a common reply is to continue the work they have started. This is true for me as well. But, four years on the board has also helped me identify areas where we need to improve. The work of this board has put us on firm footing, but it is time to look forward, become more proactive and change our focus to provide a better Geneseo for our taxpayers.

The Town Offices are the first point of contact for most taxpayers. Unfortunately, the town has experienced significant turnover during the past year. Like most problems, the causes are multifaceted, but the results affect all involved. High rates of turnover impact cost, efficiency, continuity, service and morale. We need to take a good hard look internally so that we can implement practices that allow us to hire and retain qualified staff.

During my term, we have made major changes to organizational structure at the town. The Assessor and Code Offices have been made part time positions. Other job related activities have been reallocated. We need to evaluate the impact these changes have had on customer service, staff efficiency and taxpayer value.

We need to be more creative in finding alternative pathways for funding projects. To do that we need to be more proactive so that when grant or funding opportunities arise we better positioned to meet application criteria.

Long Point Park provides a unique opportunity for recreation, education and open space for family events. I would like to continue my efforts at Long Point Park to reforest the area impacted by the Emerald Ash Borer, improve the playground and other actives. I am evaluating cost and usage data for the lifeguard program to guide future decision making. I am also investigating alternative funding sources to support projects in the park. Finally, I am looking at how to use social media to increase awareness of the park as a travel destination.

Lastly, I would like to increase civic engagement, improve the way we provide feedback to taxpayers and improve options to communicate with the board.

I am enclosing a brief outline of my professional life and accomplishments since my election in 2014. Please review it and then support me at the Geneseo Republican Caucus, June 29, 2017 at 7:00 PM at the Livingston County Government Center.

Sincerely yours,

Patti E. LaVigne

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LaVigne also submitted the following list of accomplishments:

Education: Geneseo Public School K-12 , graduated 1969
The Genesee Hospital School of Nursing 1972
Alfred University – BSN, 1973
The Ohio State University School of Nursing MSN 1977
The University of Rochester, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner 2004

Professional: I have worked at Strong Memorial Hospital for the past 27 years, mostly in the areas of emergency and critical care. Currently, I am a Nurse Practitioner for the Pulmonary Critical Care Service in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. I also served as a Nurse Practitioner for the Heart Failure Transplant Service and as Nurse Manager for the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. In that role I was responsible for a staff of 60 employees and a 3.5 million dollar budget

Prior to moving back to New York in 1990, I worked at Saint Anthony Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio in various positions including Nurse Manager, Assistant Director of Nursing, Oncology Services Coordinator and Account Executive working on special projects and development.

Lastly, I was a member of the Town of Geneseo Planning Board from 1997-2013, and member of the Geneseo Republican Committee since 2007, acting as Chairwoman from 2012-2016.

First Term Town Board Accomplishments: 2014- current

LONG POINT PARK: Chairman Long Point Park Master Plan –I led a committee of 9 members in 2015 whose task was to develop a long range plan for the park including goals, objectives and recommendations. As a part of this effort we conducted 2 surveys (one open-ended and one randomized). The plan was approved in December of 2016

Chairman of Long Point Park Steering Committee: 2016- current. The purpose of the committee is to prioritize and implement the recommendations of the Master Plan

In first year we recognized the Emerald Ash Borer as risk to large number of ash trees in the park. We researched alternative options. The committee made recommendations to board to save one stand alone tree and harvest remaining trees.

I coordinated efforts with Urban Forester Diagnostics to develop species list and planting plan based on soil types. The tree species list developed reflects, wherever possible, replacement with native species.

This spring I authored a grant with the US Forestry Service to address tree replacement and flooding issues in the park. It is a non-matching grant that would cover implementation of green infrastructure to address flooding in the North West corner of the park and replace trees lost to the Emerald Ash Borer and other natural causes.

Playground: The Committee is meeting with Parkitects to investigate playground options based on survey done in initial master plan. The goal is to determine best location, size and type of playground to recommend to the board. We are also investigating ways to pay for the playground including private, volunteer and grant options rather than relying totally on taxpayer dollars.
Museum: The Town renovated an area in what was the old biergarten to re-establish the Walter Kingston Museum. The hope is that this area will also serve as an area for public education about the park, Conesus Lake and invasive species threatening the lake and surrounding areas
Lifeguards: I have overseen the lifeguard program for the past four years. During that time we have streamlined hiring, orientation, and are collecting cost and usage data to evaluate program effectiveness.

Community Outreach: Working with various groups and resources to increase activities and utilization of the park.
Boat House: I am currently working with Geneseo Crew Team on a project to repaint the boathouse.
Love Your Park Day, sponsored with the Friends of Long Point Park of Livingston County a day where volunteers from the community and SUNY students have helped with spring clean up at the park. This program just completed its second year.
Sponsor of the Fiddler’s Picnic and compile data to support future funding.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:
Office Safety: Worked with the Livingston County Sheriff Department to do a walkthrough of the Town offices to evaluate ways to improve employee safety and building security. I made recommendations to the board and we made changes based on study findings.
SUNY Outreach: Included SUNY Crew representative as a member of the LPPK Steering Committee. I have consistently attended the SUNY Community Breakfasts and participated in the search committee for Associate to the President and Provost. I work closely with the Crew Team, facilitated repairs to the Boathouse and support their team.

ADMINISTRATION:
Policies: I drafted policies for donations to the town, use of alcohol at the park and updated rules and regulations. I surveyed 13 area parks to determine how our pavilion rental fees compare to other municipal and privately own parks and made recommendations to the board. I have drafted job descriptions for all positions. I am currently working with a task force to update the Employee Handbook