VILLAGE OF LANSING ELECTION - APRIL 23, 2024Voters in the Village of Lansing will be asked to vote for: two (2) Trustees for 2 year terms.Polling Location: Lansing Village Office, 2405 North Triphammer Road, Ithaca, NY; Polls open noon - 9 p.m.For Information and sample ballots: Contact the Tompkins County Board of Elections, 128 East Buffalo Street, Ithaca, NYwww.tompkinscountyny.gov/boeCommissioner Stephen M. DeWitt (Democratic) Phone: 607-274-5522 Commissioner Alanna CH Congdon (Republican) Phone: 607-274-5521Trustees: The legislative body of a village is composed of the mayor and the trustees. The village board has broad powers to govern the affairs of the village, including: establishing self-organization and rules of procedure, adopting a budget and providing for the financing of village activities, managing village properties, and granting approval of appointments made by the mayor.
Candidate's Name
Susan H Ainslie
Current Employment/Occupation
Placement Associate, Educational & Theraputic Consulting Services
Government Experience-elected or volunteer (e.g. committees)
Village of Lansing Trustee
Education
AAS, BS, M. Ed.
I am an Ithaca native. I felt a strong responsibility to step up and serve when asked.
As a homeowner and tenant, I have lived in several neighborhoods in the Village.
I have experienced the growth and development of the Village.
I have a unique perspective in planning for the future health and well-being of our Village.
I have strong organizational skills and a strong work ethic. I am unafraid to ask the hard questions. I seek to understand and resolve issues with respect for all parties in the transaction.
The issues include but are not limited to improving the Village infrastructure collaborating with our neighboring municipalities and keeping taxes low consistent with the interests of the Village.
Updating the Village Comprehensive Plan is vital for short-term planning and long-term planning.
I attend all of the VOL scheduled meetings. The meetings are recorded and available on the VOL website as are the newsletters that are published twice a year.
Candidate's Name
Kathleen Yen
Current Employment/Occupation
Retired
Government Experience-elected or volunteer (e.g. committees)
As a Village of Lansing Community "Citizen Observer Program" volunteer, I attend Village of Lansing Board of Trustee and Planning Board meetings and submit written highlights for distribution by the Observer Program coordinator. Writing a NYS Local Government Records Management Improvement grant, as a volunteer, provided funding to a local government that allowed them hire a records management consultant and part-time inventory/data clerk, purchase equipment, purchase records management software modules and provide on-site set-up and training for their Fire Department.
Education
B.S. in Biology and Psychology; BSN; MSED
I moved to Ithaca in the late 1980's and have lived in the Village of Lansing since 2001.
I am running for Trustee to continue the ongoing work to ensure that the Village of Lansing is a welcoming, fiscally sound, affordable, and healthy community to live and work in.
An important component of the Village government is their ability to work together with the community, regardless of national political affiliation, to ensure that current and emerging issues are addressed in a balanced, transparent, fiscally responsible and environmentally healthy and sustainable manner to benefit the entire community.
A priority for the Village government will be the review and update of the Village 2015-2025 Comprehensive Plan, with community input. It will provide the framework for future orderly growth and development and guide land use and zoning decisions.
Adopting an annual budget that meets community needs, appointing board, committee members, hiring staff, and updating the Village Code in accordance with the Comprehensive plan, are sone examples of important Trustee responsibilities.
My educational background, employment, and varied volunteer experiences provided opportunities to develop organizational, research, and data analysis skills.
Research and clinical experience at MSKCC, NY Hospital, and the Univ. of Iowa, and public school employment and volunteer district and school committee experience involved working with multiple people in a variety of settings. This required flexibility, and provided additional opportunities to develop assessment, planning, and evaluation skills, and to engage in program development.
Volunteer activities included reviewing grants for non-profit funders such as United Way; grant writing for non-profits to fund a variety of projects in Iowa and New York; and program development (e.g. after-school child care; PTA-sponsored after-school enrichment program; "Child Health & Emergency Care Heritage cable TV series and video tape lending library; and NAEYC accreditation application and coordination.
1. Infrastructure maintenance and improvements (such as water, sewer, roads, stormwater, lighting, village parks, trails, walkways);
2. Affordable housing options (including workforce and supportive housing);
3. Fiscally responsible and environmentally sound comprehensive planning and decision-making that promotes balanced land use, and development to grow the tax base, provide stable employment, and provide beneficial and accessible services.
LONG-TERM STEPS:
(1) A review and update of the Village of Lansing 2015-2025 Comprehensive Plan, with input from the community, is a top priority for the upcoming Village year. It will provide the framework for future orderly growth and development, guide land use and zoning laws/regulations decisions, and inform the development of strategies and action steps to required to address existing and emerging issues that impact economic, social, environmental and community health.
SHORT-TERM STEPS (#1, 2, 3): *committee to review/update the Comprehensive Plan, set timeline and public participation process; *with planning board, update the land use chart, determine long-range plan, priorities.
SHORT-TERM (#1 Infrastructure) * water main, sewer main replacement and repair project, lighting, sidewalk, and road resurfacing/striping (2024 approved); * complete sanitary sewer benefit area expansion; finalize the draft solar law; review/updating tree law; * draft Sidewalk policy;
(1) I would recommend and be available for a weekly "drop-in" times during Village office hours.
(2) I would recommend sending the Village government meeting notices to the local media outlets in addition to the current "official" daily print newspaper.
(3) Quarterly Village newsletter are sent to village residents.
(4) The Village website has contact information, agendas, minutes, the Comprehensive Plan, Greenway Plan, budget, Village Code (legislation) and link to the Village YouTube recordings of government meetings.
(5) The Village YouTube Channel has recordings of village government meetings and can be accessed via the link on the village website.
(6) Meeting highlights can be provided in cooperation with the Observer Program.
