Archive: News

The Lansing Schools Facilities Committee came to an impasse Wednesday when two factions spent the entire meeting arguing about the process. The agenda called for the group to choose alternative solutions to problems that affect programs in the High School, including insufficient space for music, science, computer lab, and classrooms.  But the group was unable to get past procedural issues, with the two and a half hour argument getting heated and personal at times.

As the August 16 Town Board meeting draws near, the Sewer Committee continued work on several fronts to prepare to make their recommendation to build a $18.24 million sewer in Lansing.  Engineer Jim Blum continued to solicit comments from committee members on the Draft Wastewater Facilities Plan and on the fact sheet the Town plans to mail to all residents in the proposed district.

Lansing's Town Board put Local Law #4, a lock box law, into effect at their meeting Wednesday.  A lock box is a device that is attached to buildings that contains keys, plans and other information that can be used by fire fighters when responding to emergencies.  The boxes are opened by a master key available to the fire department, allowing them instant access and saving time that could mean the difference between saving the house or losing it.  Getting in sooner with advance information about the premises is safer for fire fighters as well.

"Lock boxes are high impact, very strong permanent construction device that is attached to a building or built into a building that allows access to keys, material data sheets and other information needed in the event of a fire or other emergency," explained Town Attorney Guy Krogh.  "If there's a fire in a commercial building or there's no one home, it gives the Fire Department immediate access to the building and knowledge of where water is, where drains are, where hazardous chemicals are, what the floor plans look like, is there an elevator where someone might be trapped?  Are there residential units in the building?"

Village of Lansing Trustees considered two laws that would allow the Village Planning Board to make exceptions to current zoning laws governing cell towers and buffer strip requirements.  The changes would give the Planning Board the authority to adjust their rulings to specific circumstances of proposed building.

Local Law D is in response to a new cell tower to be erected by Omnipoint and T-Mobile in the McDonald's parking lot on Triphammer Road.  Laws aimed at large towers require a protected 'fall zone' that is one and a half times more than the height of the tower.  But the tower proposed for the McDonald's location is similar to a light poll.  Smaller towers like this are being placed to fill in holes in coverage according to Mayor Don Hartill.  "The industry has advanced to the point where they are using smaller and smaller structures," he said.

With major decisions behind them, the Lansing Sewer Committee focused its attention on public education and outreach at their regular meeting this week.  Engineer Jim Blum presented a first draft of a "facts sheet" that explains the goals and scope of the $18,240,000 sewer project and answers questions about costs and benefits.  The document was developed after committee members expressed concern that rumors and false information could kill the project.

The meeting began a bit unusually with District Clerk Jodie Rusaw calling Monday's Board Of Education (BOE) meeting to order.  That's because there was no board president to do so until newly elected members were sworn in and officers elected.  The first order of business was to swear in Anne Drake and Sandi Dhimitri, who were both reelected in an uncontested election in May.  Rusaw asked each, "Do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of New York, and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of the position of member of the Board of Education of the Lansing Central School District according to the best of your abilities?"  Both agreed to do so.

The Lansing Democratic Committee tonight elected Greg Lawrence of Meyers Heights Rd. Chair, Steve Kyle of Lansing Station Rd. Vice Chair and Hurf Sheldon of North Lansing Secretary.

Many thanks were offered to outgoing Chair John Cawley and outgoing secretary John Hitsous.

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With the sewer route choice behind them, Lansing's Sewer Committee focussed on the final scope of the project, finances, and public outreach in their Wednesday meeting. Mayor Donald Hartill attended their meeting two weeks ago to report that the Village had acquiesced to the Town's decision to construct the sewer trunk line along Cayuga Heights Road to bring effluent from Myers Point to the Cayuga Heights Treatment Plant.

After almost two years without a permanent Business Administrator Larry Lawrence has been hired by the Lansing School District for that post.  The post has been filled with interim officials since August 2004 when Gary Alger began.  He was replaced by the current Interim Business Administrator Larry Dirscoll on October 1, 2005.  Lawrence is currently the Comptroller of the Cerebral Palsy and Handicapped Children's Association of Chemung County.

Lansing School District voters passed the 2006-2007 budget 706 to 413 Tuesday in a vote that nobody could predict.  The $21,366,209 budget was hotly contested by taxpayers who defeated a $21,553,679 version for the first time in 28 years last month.  The top issue was high taxes, but conflicting interpretations muddied the debate.  Fear and uncertainty about what would be cut if the budget failed motivated some voters to pass the budget.  If it had failed a contingency budget would have been required by the State, forcing an additional $378,530 in cuts along with mandated management of school funds.

Around 15 taxpayers joined Lansing's Board of Education and school administrators Tuesday for an explanation of the $21,366,871 budget that will come up for a vote Tuesday (June 20).  This budget shaves $186,809 from the one that failed in the May 16 vote.  Nobody seemed happy with the proposal, but many expressed the fear that if it does not pass the State mandated contingency budget would cause too much disruption to programs people care about.


The so-called 'June 20 Budget' is $1,359,209 higher than this year's budget, or 6.79%.  The failed May 16 Budget would have been $1,546,018, or 7.7% higher.  If the June 20 budget fails, a contingency budget will automatically kick in.  The State limits it to 120% of the Consumer Price Index, which comes to about 3.1%.  The total would be $21,009,819.  The State adds other restrictions on how the District can spend its money if the contingency budget goes into effect.  The schools would be prevented from buying new equipment or capital expenditures, and making any but emergency repairs.  The administrative budget would be capped at this year's level and public usage of the buildings would be restricted and subject to fees.

"I really wonder how the rest of the Village would weigh in," said Village Trustee Lynn Leopold.  Many residents of Cayuga Heights Road attended Monday's Trustee meeting after the Town of Lansing made the final choice to build a sewer trunk line from Myers Point down along Cayuga Heights Road to the Cayuga Heights sewage treatment plant.  Residents in the neighborhood oppose the route, favoring a route along East Shore Drive (Route 34).


But the East Shore option came to a grinding halt last Friday as the difference in cost between the two routes went up from an estimated $400,000 to more than $500,00 when the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) insisted on more regulations than previously anticipated for building on the State road.  Village officials had hoped those regulations would be relaxed after Mayor Don Hartill presented the DOT with a traffic study showing how a detour onto Cayuga Heights and Triphammer Roads might allow the closing of East Shore.  If the DOT had allowed that the cost of the two routes would have been approximately the same.  Town officials have said that it is simply a matter of cost and that they would use the East Shore route is costs were the same.