From the supervisor

By Jim Lanning

Skaneateles Town Supervisor

The town board has approved our budget and we are setting our sights on the year ahead of us.

We are constantly searching for unnecessary spending and investing in energy saving initiatives that will help the environment and our future costs.

There is a new program from New York State to encourage energy efficiency and affect climate change.  We are aggressively pursuing a designation as a “Climate Smart Community.”

This designation will provide a grant in the beginning for achieving this designation, and will increase our chances of future clean energy grants.  We are working on a checklist of items to secure this designation.  Regardless of the varying views on climate change, it is obvious that America will need to drift away from the use of fossil fuels. I am not willing to wait for someone else to come up with the solution. I would rather take regular steps towards a sustainable future and climate for our children.

We have formed a tree board of knowledgeable professional arborists. We plan to have tree planting projects and research the various diseases that trees face. It seems inevitable that we will lose our Ash trees in the coming years to the Emerald Ash Borer.

I want to be proactive about the health of our forests and tree stock.  I welcome anyone who has an interest in helping us plant trees and preserve our forests.  Trees are the lungs of the Earth!

The weather is turning and our incredible highway department is gearing up for winter.  Snow removal is a necessity but it is also expensive.  Residents can help reduce costs by not parking on the streets and roads. If we curb unnecessary travel we can reduce the accidents that seem to happen every winter.

Weather in our area is spotty and unpredictable. Local squalls and conditions can change quickly.

Our crews are devoted and they make themselves available at a moment’s notice.  We welcome residents who offer tips and report conditions throughout the Town.  We do not welcome the nasty attacks and strong criticism of the job that they do. Only negative results will come from negative thinking.

Snow removal is a balance between highway safety and costs. Our dedicated crews always lean towards safety first.  Please do your part by slowing down and reducing travel during storms.

The project to repair our swimming area is underway. We are doing some concrete work to solidify the area. We are also improving the hand rails for increased safety. It is unfortunate that Skaneateles Lake never got a state park over the years. We are doing the best we can with what we have.

A small group of lake enthusiasts and I met with the new director of the DEC last week.  We came away with strategies of cooperation to combat invasive species and preserve lake quality.  The Skaneateles Lake Association is making a difference in our lake. I am working with the Soil and Water people at the County and the city of Syracuse to preserve the quality of the lake.