Archive: Opinions

I feel compelled to write to the Lansing Star after last night’s Public Information meeting on the sewer. I am a Town Board member and have served on the Board for three years. Prior to running for office I attended just about every town board meeting for two years. The reason: so I could be informed as to what was going on in the town and make a responsible decision as to whether I wanted to be part of the governing body.

I’m not sure how I feel about the sewer at this point, I believe it would be good for the town, but the cost at this time is rather prohibitive. A lot of people have spent a lot of time working on this project for the past 10 years and are to be commended for their time and dedication. At the same time I understand the concern of the residents we heard from last night concerning the cost of the project and justifiably so.

I know exactly how those opposed to the project feel, for several years I was opposed to water coming down Algerine and Lansing Station Roads, and openly fought against it. I voted No as a Board member on the resolution to form the District. Petitions were passed for a permissive referendum and it passed by an overwhelming majority. I still feel this will be a hardship for some of the residents in the area, but in the end it was decided by the residents of that area. The town has worked to secure low interest financing that will bring the cost down to a reasonable level.

I spend a lot of time working on committees for the town. I am a Commissioner for the Bolton Point Water System, liaison for the Lansing Fire District, Lansing Housing Authority and the Lansing Older Adults program. For residents to stand up and say that we “ram things down their throat”, don’t inform them as to when we are having public information meetings and secretly pass resolutions without their knowledge is appalling to me. I have worked very hard to keep people informed as to what is going on in the town. We probably have the most open board there has ever been as far as communication goes.

I don’t know what else we can do to get the information out to people short of personally going to their homes and handing it to them. We are required by law to publish legal notices, and these are published in the Ithaca Journal, and at the town hall. The sign board in front of the town hall lists all our meetings, and anyone can call the Town Clerk’s office for an agenda. We have a difficult time getting the Ithaca Journal to put anything in pertaining to the town unless it is a paid legal announcement. The Lansing Star does an excellent job of keeping people up to date as to what, where and when.

My message to town residents, attend all the town board meetings that you can, come to public information meetings and ask lots of questions. I can’t speak for the rest of the board, but I am more than willing to speak to anyone at anytime on any issue and if I don’t have an answer I will get one, my email address is published on the Lansing Town Web site.

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