Lysander: Voters turn down proposed sidewalk district

By Ashley M. Casey

Staff Writer

Residents in the Country Lane and Giddings Crest neighborhoods in the town of Lysander voted down a proposal to create a 2,505-foot sidewalk along Route 48. A total of 81 people participated in the Sept. 6 referendum, with 50 residents voting no and 31 voting yes. Town Clerk Dina Falcone announced the results at the Lysander Town Board meeting that evening.

“That’s disappointing me here,” Supervisor Joe Saraceni said.

Saraceni said the proposal was not a town board initiative but was based on residents’ safety concerns.

Back in January, the town sent surveys to residents in the proposed district to gauge their interest. The town received 86 survey responses in favor of forming the district and 30 responses opposed to the district.

The board’s action to create the district would have been subject to permissive referendum, meaning that residents would have had to carry petitions to bring the matter to a vote. But the board opted to schedule a referendum.

Originally, the town board voted to schedule the vote for Aug. 27, but the date was changed to Sept. 6 to comply with New York State Town Law Section 82. Town Attorney Tony Rivizzigno said Sept. 6 that it was his error.

According to Saraceni, the New York State Department of Transportation considered the Route 48 sidewalk proposal a high-priority project. Saraceni said he “put a bug in the DOT’s ear” about possible grant funding to cover the cost.

“Unless the state calls for [grant funding] with no match required, I don’t see it happening,” Saraceni told the Messenger.

Under the defeated proposal, the town would have put $177,720 from a 2016 grant given jointly to the town of Lysander and the village of Baldwinsville by the state’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs. The town would have contributed a 20 percent match, or $22,680.

Residents would have had to pay off a 10-year bond at a rate of $19.04, plus an annual maintenance fee of $34.01.

Town board approves energy proposal

After the announcement of the sidewalk referendum results, the town board proceeded with its regular agenda. Among the items the board approved was an agreement with Good Energy, an energy consulting firm.

Earlier this year, Good Energy, the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) and the Association of Towns of the State of New York formed the New York Municipal Energy Program (NYMEP) to negotiate energy prices in bulk for multiple municipalities.

Good Energy has negotiated a deal with Hudson Energy to purchase electricity for the town. Saraceni said the deal will save the town $14,000 over a period of three years.