From the supervisor: Great start to 2017
By Jim Lanning Skaneateles
Town Supervisor
The town is off to a great start in the New Year. I have encouraged all the board members to meet with me individually and express their goals and aspirations for the year. There is much that we have in common and I want to focus on the common ground that exists between us.
My priorities will remain relatively the same. I will be pursuing energy saving initiatives that will reduce both costs and our impact on the environment. Reducing the cost of government will be a constant with me and I will attempt to lower property tax rates again this year. Protecting and improving the lake, the streams, and the environment are also top priorities of mine.
The Town of Skaneateles is aggressively pursuing the designation of “Climate Smart Community.” This is a DEC initiative encouraging municipalities to develop energy efficiency and move towards a more sustainable future. A list of 10 action items has been presented and an incentive has been offered. The first 4 communities in our region that achieve this designation will receive a $100,000 dollar grant for an energy efficiency project. We are halfway there and we are working diligently on the remaining items.
Our Shotwell Brook monitoring program report is in and we are in the process of reviewing the scientific data. A second testing program is underway to test the entire Shotwell brook watershed. I am taking training classes on Stream Bank erosion controls and we are pursuing a grant for some erosion control projects. Residents can help by planting trees and shrubs that enhance the Riparian buffers that exist along the lake.
We have scheduled hamlet meetings for Mottville, Skaneateles Falls, and Shepards Settlement. I believe it is important to reach out to the various areas in our town. If you live in one of these areas please consider attending and make us aware of your concerns. We want to know what is important to the people in your neighborhood.
Our contracts for our transfer station are coming up for renewal this spring. It is my desire to reduce the amount of trash that we generate as a community. It is hypocritical of us to complain about the inconvenience of the downstate garbage trucks as we generate mountains of trash ourselves. We must increase our recycling efforts. We must begin to compost organic materials at home. We must improve our systems at home so that no paper or metal ends up in the trash. Many residents are doing a great job to develop sustainable environmental practices. The days when we can simply bag up the stuff that we don’t want and trash it are over. With increasing populations and challenges to the environment we must take the next steps and move forward.
Our newly formed tree committee is planning for the spring. We have order forms for the spring tree seedling sale. With the imminent loss of our Ash trees it is imperative that we plant for the future. Please consider ordering seedlings for your home or helping with our spring planting at the Conservation area.
