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You may receive a telephone call in the near future asking your opinion on the future of Lansing.  It is not a solicitation call -- your municipalities actually want to know what you think.  The Town and Village of Lansing are both updating their long range comprehensive plans, in part, on what you tell them.  The two municipalities are splitting the $18,610 cost of a professional scientific telephone survey conducted by a local firm, Survey Research Institute (SRI).

"365 interviews will be conducted on behalf of the Village," said Trustee Julie Baker.  "That represents half of the work so we will be paying half of the estimated cost."

The population of the Town of Lansing was 11,033 in the 2010 census.  3,529 of those people live in the Village in 1788 housing units.  There are 5,130 housing units in the Town outside the Village.  Survey questions were developed by a Town survey committee along with Baker and Village trustee Lynn Leopold.  They contain questions about future growth, development, infrastructure, community services, housing options, and agricultural land preservation.  While the survey is largely the same for town and village respondents, it splits off into separate 'paths' to collect information specific to one or the other.

The survey includes 50 items each for the town and village that can be tabulated.  For example, a question that can be answered 'Strongly Agree', 'Agree', 'Disagree', or 'Strongly Disagree' counts as four items.

Baker said she participated in a trial run Monday, and that the survey took about 15 minutes.  Trustee John O'Neill said that is too much time to expect a respondent to agree to spend on a telephone survey, but Baker said she answered at length, and it may take less time for the average respondent.

Trustees voted Monday to sign a contract that will commit the Village to pay up to $9,305.  The Town will pay the other half plus an additional $2,100 for a Web-site version of the survey focussed on townspeople who live outside the village.

Officials of both municipalities have been split on the value of a professional survey.  On the Town Board Councilmen Ed LaVigne and Robert Cree have questioned the science of statistics it would yield and LaVigne has said he prefers a survey conducted by volunteers.  Village Mayor Donald Hartill resisted the idea of a survey for a long time, and O'Neill objected again Monday on the grounds that he thinks the cost is too high.

With Hartill and Leopold absent Monday, O'Neill could have quashed the motion to sign the contract.  All three of the remaining votes would have to be 'yes' for the motion to pass.  Recognizing the vote would likely have passed 4-1 if the full board were present he reluctantly seconded the motion, then chose to pass it with a sardonic, sour-sounding 'yea' vote.

"I want to make clear that I am against the survey," he said.  "I don't like that.  It is too much money.  I don't think we have to do that, but because two of our members are not here I will second it."

Town and village officials say that while the survey will be statistically scientific, it is only one way they will collect information from their residents.  Both municipalities are encouraging input from all citizens, no matter what the format.

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