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A special Lansing Town Board meeting, called on Friday, was held Saturday to decide whether to ask the New York State Legislature whether the town may hold an early vote on sewer.  An official early vote does not actually create a sewer district, but Supervisor Kathy Miller said an official vote would allow property owners to decide whether or not they want sewer, and would enable specific institutions and businesses to plan how to replace failing septic systems and package plants.  Councilman Robert Cree said that holding a last-minute meeting would anger townspeople, especially those who do not favor the $10.8 million sewer project.

"This project has become quite divisive," Cree said.  "We've heard from many people coming to these meetings saying it feels like you're shoving this down our throats.  I suspect people will say the Town's trying to pull a fast one because this meeting was called yesterday.  I don't disagree with what we're trying to do here.  I'm concerned with the timing."

Miller called the special meeting because of a timing issue.  She pointed out that waiting would mean waiting until January when the State Legislature goes back into session.  Recently she asked Town Attorney Guy Krogh whether it would be possible to hold an early vote, fearing that local schools and businesses on the brink of replacing their septic systems or package plants may not be able to wait for a vote next Spring.

School officials are playing a figurative game of chicken with two of their three failing septic systems, and state officials are also anxious to replace a package plant at the juvenile detention facilities on Auburn Road.  Miller says an early vote will provide a clearer path for planning for these institutions and businesses within the proposed initial service area.

Krogh told her that an early vote is only an option if approved by the State legislature.  Yesterday (Thursday) was the Assembly's last day in session this year.  If the state legislature didn't consider it this week it would be another six months before they go into session again.  By that time an early vote would not be of benefit.  Miller said if the Town Board had waited until its regular meeting Wednesday it would have been too late.

Cree said that even though the timing issue is legitimate he doesn't think townspeople will believe the explanation.  But Miller said the board would just have to take that.

"Sometimes you have to serve and you have to do the best job you can," she said.  "Here's the thing: this may not pass.  If this doesn't pass what do we do?  You know a lot of people who are against it. I have a long list of people who want it."

"I'm fine with the town saying 'no thank you.'  I'm fine with it," Councilwoman Katrina Binkewicz said.  "I'm willing to move on to other stuff."

Miller said that pro-sewer townspeople are keeping quiet because they are afraid of retaliation by nay-sayers, who have been quite vocal at town meetings and writing letters to the Lansing Star.

"The bottom line is they want a vote," Miller said.  Even if they vote yes and they get defeated, they have said to me 'at least we'll have our say.'  So I was thinking if the legislature doesn't allow an early vote, could we run a straw poll in the Fall?  We could run it like a real election but it wouldn't be official.  The people who don't want sewer - they don't care.  But if we have an early vote the people who really do want it will feel like they were heard."

If the state approves an early vote it will be held when the Town originally hoped for a sewer vote in late August or some time in September.  Environmental review and approvals are currently estimated to be completed by May or possibly later.  Once that is done the Town Board approves a Public Interest Order forming the district.

That is subject to a permissive referendum, meaning that at that point if people on any side of the issue want it put to another vote the Town must hold a new vote.  If no qualifying petition is proffered or if a new vote is affirmative the Public Interest Order becomes final and the next step is to obtain bids for construction.

"It's not a 'fast one'.  It's not until Fall," Miller said.  "It's an opportunity"

Councilwoman Ruth Hopkins said the people Cree thought would object to the special meeting and an early vote might not react as he feared.

"At the garden tour on Lansing Station Road this morning three people who are probably not in favor of the sewer said they were thrilled to hear I was coming to a meeting (to bring sewer to a vote) before we spend more money," Hopkins said.  "So I didn't get the immediate reaction you are worried about.  That was not the reaction I got at all.  I got, 'Wow, great!'  Regardless of this initiative we need to get a straw vote fast because we're moving forward and we really didn't have enough feedback."

Cree said he is concerned about potential future cost rises as the service area expands.

"Those polices haven't been set yet," Hopkins said.  "They have to be set before the final Public Interest Order.  This is to get at least some idea whether the Town's going to buy into it before we spend $200,000 on it."

Binkewicz noted that a sewer extension plan is on the Sewer Committee's agenda.

"The Town wants to know what the extension policy is and what the associated costs will be," Binkewicz said.  "That is one of the big three (things people are concerned about)."

Hopkins said that if the state approves an early vote it really serves as an official straw vote because townspeople may vote again at the end of the process.

"It's an official straw vote," Miller agreed.  "I wanted it to be official so that if we abandon the project it really is the town's decision.  Some way we need a a vote."

"It's no longer the same project we started out with," Cree said.  "All five (board members) are not on board.  As we continue to learn more the support is going.  Conceptually I agree, let the Lansing residents tell us if this is even feasible before we spend another dime. It's not a matter of the cost of it right now. We would be putting something in place that impacts the Town for many many years."

The board passed the resolution to ask the legislature to allow an early vote 3/1 with Cree voting against.  Councilman Ed LaVigne was unable to attend the meeting.  To meet the deadline Miller drove the paperwork to Aurora later Saturday to meet a staffer from Senator Mike Nozzolio's office who was en route to Albany.

At Wednesday's Town board meeting Miller reported that Nozzolio's office had called with the news that the State Senate passed the resolution.  If the State Assembly passed it yesterday (as of this writing there was no word on an Assembly vote.  Yesterday is the Assembly's last day in session in 2014) the Town Board is split on whether to actually hold the early vote.

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