From the supervisor: Summer is underway
By Jim Lanning
Town Supervisor
I want to thank everyone that came out to honor our fallen heroes on Memorial Day. I believe it is fitting that the most beautiful piece of real estate in our community is dedicated to those that sacrificed their lives so that we could enjoy freedom and prosperity. It was nice to see the new memorial wall dedicated to the more recent conflicts our nation has endured. This wall serves as a reminder that the struggle for peace and justice is an ongoing and continuing effort.
I had the honor of attending the 5oth anniversary celebration of SAVES last week. The history of the organization is fascinating. I can’t help but think that “we’ve come a long way baby.”
The lifesaving equipment and training are exceptional and we are fortunate to have such a dedicated crew. The volunteers have subsided a bit and the business model is challenging. I would encourage folks to consider volunteering or perhaps make a donation to preserve this vital community service.
George Newton was recognized for being with SAVES since the beginning. His 50 years of volunteer service were recognized and appreciated. I would like to thank Jorge Battle and others who have been with this great organization for almost as long. Their families deserve recognition as well for sharing these great men for the benefit of the community.
The town board held our annual hamlet meeting for Mandana last week. The residents packed the fire hall and we appreciate their enthusiasm. We are debating changes to the use of the town owned parking lot in Mandana.
We sought, and have been approved for, grant funding of $50,000 to build a boat washing station. The new DEC regulation is in effect that requires boats to be Clean, Drained, and Dry before being launched in any body of water in NY.
This area is a town taxpayer funded facility. We will be debating the idea of charging out of town residents who use the facility a small fee.
The floating dock proposal from the Mandana Marina was a hot topic of debate. The town board recognizes the convenience that this might offer to their customers. The shortage of public access and marina facilities in Skaneateles Lake is unfortunate.
We understand that there is tremendous demand for this type of facility. The town board is not trying to limit access to Skaneateles, quite to the contrary, we want to enable residents to utilize our Town launch site on Lacy Road. We are trying to work towards a solution that works well for everyone.
While the applicant’s proposal has merit, their formal application and notification were extremely deficient. The application was filed with the State in January. We were not notified until the end of April.
There were many conflicting statements and assertions made that were later retracted. The design of the application has changed four times in the span of a month.
We were not able to see formal design plans until May 12. The issues of parking and environmental impact need to be explained in detail and worked out.
The town board should not be asked to sign off on pencil sketches and verbal descriptions. The ultimate decision will be made by the NY State OGS. A public comment period is underway with the State and people can find contact information under the news tab on our website. This debate should have been taking place all throughout the winter and spring. The Marina has since offered a compromise solution that we are reviewing.
The summer season is now underway. Please use extra caution to avoid the tragedies that we seem to experience every year.
