By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

When Bob Wicks was elected Lysander town supervisor in 2019, he was a political newcomer. While Wicks had served as Marcellus police chief, the top job in Lysander is his first elected position. Just as Wicks was settling into office and beginning to tackle his agenda, the coronavirus pandemic hit.

The freshman supervisor reflected on a tumultuous yet productive 2020 in an interview with the Messenger.

“Throughout the year, the problem for me has been this COVID thing that we have. It has taken the better part of 50% of my time,” Wicks said. “We’ve accomplished a lot this year despite the distractions [of COVID].”

Wicks’ first order of business at town hall was to meet with each department and its employees, discussing his expectations for how the town’s employees treat each other and the public. Now, he meets with department heads twice a month and holds the occasional all-hands meeting to “make sure that everyone’s on the same sheet of music moving forward.”

The town is in the process of reviewing all its policies, including those governing sexual harassment in the workplace.

“It certainly starts at the top and it starts with me. I make sure to conduct myself professionally and I make sure everybody else conducts themselves professionally,” Wicks said. “If there are complaints or issues within the organization, I address them immediately and there are consequences.”

The culture of professionalism and respect that Wicks is trying to foster extends to the public as well. Each town board meeting agenda is accompanied by a list of “rules of procedure” governing the public’s participation and decorum.

“I think there is a difference to how our meetings are compared to how they were in the past,” Wicks said.

Throughout the year, Wicks’ administration has been restructuring operations at town hall, including job classifications, finding cost-effective solutions and generating revenue.

The parks department, for example, received a bid to remove 40 ash trees that would have cost $27,000. Wicks worked with the parks crew and local businesses to remove the trees for just $5,000.

The town is continuing the previous administration’s practice of renting out space in town hall to other tenants. Town hall is now home to the Heart, Home and Community B-Share co-working space and the new office for the Baldwinsville Volunteer Center.

“The revenue we’re generating is providing a service,” Wicks said.

As COVID-19 descended, Wicks knew Lysander would have to deal with the economic difficulties that came with the pandemic. He decided to tackle the 2021 budget early. The town cut spending for 2021 by about 7% and managed to keep taxes stable.

“I went to the employees early on this year in March. I said I know this is going to be a tough year and next year is going to be even worse and maybe even the next year. … They stepped up to the plate,” he said. “Grants are going to dry up, the county’s in a tough situation and the state is in a worse situation. We’re going to get a lot of things done next year with the same tax rate.”

Wicks said the highway department accomplished a lot in 2020, including much-needed improvements to Mott Road.

“They did a lot of infrastructure work. Not only did they do the road, they also took away a lot of water issues,” he said. “That road’s going to be in good shape for a while.”

Connell Terrace is next on the list of roads that the highway department is making a priority, Wicks said.

This year, the town has also restructured the highway budget, allowing Lysander to purchase an additional plow truck and roadside mower. Wicks said the move saved the town $30,000.

The parks department completed a great deal of maintenance work at Lysander Park, including fence repair, painting buildings and repaving the parking lot. The parks department has implemented a vehicle exchange program that has already saved money as well.

As for 2021, Wicks has a number of goals in mind. He said he wants to modernize equipment, training and facilities at town hall; tackle solar and smart development in the town code; and make upgrades to Lysander Park, including replacing sand in the volleyball court, resurfacing one tennis court and converting the other into a pickleball court, and installing cornhole boards.

“Change does not come overnight. It takes time to turn the corner,” Wicks said. “I’m not doing things to get elected; I’m doing them because they’re the right thing to do.”

Above all, Wicks said, his goal is to make Lysander the “most well-run town in Onondaga County.”

“Hopefully our residents feel that we are,” he said. “If they feel that we are, I’m happy with that.”