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The Lansing Town Board approved replacing the front entry doors to the Town Hall Wednesday.  The new doors will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible, and are expected to be simpler to lock and unlock than the original entry doors.  Lansing Director of Planning C.J. Randall told the Board that a $15,000 Justice Courts Assistance Program (JCAP) has been awarded to the Town to go toward what is estimated to be an approximately $60,000 project.

Town officials have discussed growing demands of the Lansing courts on and off for many years, in particular potential expansions to the Town Hall and safety measures especially for non-court offices when court is in session.  As the Board became more focused on problems with the existing entryway, including ADA accessibility, Randall consulted with Justice John Howell, asking him whether the Lansing courts had plans to apply for the grant for other purposes.  Randall said that Howell assisted her in applying for the grant, which may be up to a maximum of $30,000.

The State says that "Funding available pursuant to this Part may be used for any purpose having as its end enhancement of the Justice Courts' ability to provide suitable and sufficient services to their respective communities. These purposes may include, but shall not be limited to, automation of court operations; provision of appropriate means for the recording of court proceedings; provision of law books, treatises and related materials; provision of appropriate training for justices and for nonjudicial court staff; and the improvement or expansion of court facilities. Funding shall not be used to compensate justices and nonjudicial court staff, nor shall it be used as a means of reducing funding provided by a town or village to its Justice Court."

Toward the end of last year Councilman Doug Dake and Code Enforcement Officer Lynn Day developed the scope of work and an estimated cost for the project, which came to $60,000.  The existing conventional doors will be replaced by motorized sliding doors.  Anticipating that some amount of money would come from the grant the Town Board took $43,688 from reserves to include into the 2020 budget for the project.  In November the Board decided that the project would go forward this year regardless of whether the grant was awarded.

The Town Board reviewed the bid documents, and Wednesday approved the project, to be paid for with the 2020 budget allotment, unallocated fund balances, and the JCAP Grant.  They directed Town Clerk Debbie Munson to advertise the bids, and Supervisor Ed LaVigne to draft and negotiate any non-material amendments to the contract with the winning bid.

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