Archive: Opinions

EditorialIf it weren't for government, governments could get things done a lot faster!  And as you go higher in the pyramid of governments, it seems there are more obstacles.  Proponents of the Warren Road sewer project really wanted to form the sewer district two and a half weeks ago, but that wasn't possible because of a requirement to wait 30 days in case anyone in the proposed district wants to put it to a vote.  The 30 day period ended a few days after that meeting, meaning it would have to be done at a subsequent meeting.  Fair enough.

So the Town decided to have a special meeting a week later, hoping to at least be able to get bidding and financing for the project underway before entirely running out of time in this construction season.  A simple error in procedure forced that meeting to be canceled, and by the time another meeting was to be held it was deemed close enough to the regular August meeting to simply wait.


Everyone wants the Warren Road sewer.  At least everyone in the proposed district does, and have said they are willing to pay a lot of money to get it.  The Town wants it because it means keeping jobs in Lansing, and bringing new ones here.  Ditto Tompkins County Area Development.  Theoretically ditto the State of New York, because most of the new sewer is in an empire zone, which is supposed to encourage well-paying new jobs and business growth.

But the cost per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) will be between $900 and $1,200 per year, and that is well above the $600 threshold the State Comptroller uses to decide whether to rubber stamp or question projects.  The town can form the sewer district, but can't do anything about it (like get financing) until the Comptroller signs off.  Now Town officials are strategizing on how they can get the project to the top of the pile.  Because while costs that high would be a red flag on most projects, they are not on this one.

Maybe there should be a check box to say that nobody is contesting a project.  Maybe the Comptroller's office should closely read the engineering study.  Maybe the State should pay for a Town official to come to Albany armed with powerpoints and, to quote Arlo Guthrie, eight by ten color pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one telling what it is.

Or maybe it's just the way of government to grind along as slowly as possible, no matter what, even when it could be harmful to a community to hold things up.

Here we have a project that everyone wants, with clear benefits to the Lansing community.  The Town actually did a lot to fast-track it once Town board members realized that everyone involved in the project wanted it, and what the benefits to all parties would be.  But you have to be patient with governments.   Think about it: if an uncontested project like this hits so many delays, the larger town project would probably never have gotten done if it had any support.  All that worry and brouhaha for nothing!

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