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	The Village of Lansing election is scheduled for April 22 at the Oakcrest Road Firehouse.  Two seats are open: John O'Neill is running for a third term as Village trustee, and Julia Ann Kilgore Baker is running to fill the seat to be vacated by Trustee Frank Moore. Last week the Lansing Star spoke to O'Neill about his candadacy (Click Here for interview), and this week we feature an interview with Baker.

Julia Ann Kilgore Baker is running unopposed to fill Village of Lansing Trustee Frank Moore's seat when he steps down this month.  She has lived in the Village with her husband Shefford and their two children, a daughter now in college, and a son who is currently a Junior at Ithaca High School, for ten years.  With a background in computers and software development, she is currently the General Manager of ATC New York, a company specializing in Computer security research and development, information management, and computer forensics based at the Cornell Technology Park, located in the Village near the airport.

Baker says that she brings her skills as a manager and her involvement in the community as credentials to be a Trustee.  With both her children nearly out of the house, she says she now has the time and desire to give back to the Village community.  "I'm at a point in my life now where I am interested in giving back to the community," she says.  "My children are at a point where they are getting ready to leave home and I am looking at the next chapter."


The Lansing Star met with Baker last week to talk about her candidacy and the issues she will face in her two year term as a Trustee.

Lansing Star: Why are you running, and what will make you a good Trustee?

Julia B Ann Kilgore Baker: I was asked to run by the nominating committee.  Every year the Community Party goes through the process of nominating the candidates to run for Trustee and Mayor positions as the elections come up and the Trustees decide whether they are going to run again.  If they don't the nominating committee has the job of trying to find someone to run.  Frank Moore has decided not to run this year, so they invited me.  I was delighted because I was looking for some community service to be involved in.

I am very interested in working with people and I have always had a very good rapport with people.  I like to listen to people.  I like to use ideas from wherever I can find them and I'm very open to trying to understand what issues are and make the best decisions I can, given the facts.  I am looking forward to working with the people in the community.

Orderly growth is important.  Keeping the budget on track -- the Trustees and the Mayor have done an amazing job of keeping spending in line with inflation and keeping taxes as low as possible.

LS: What do you see as the key challenges in the Village that you'll face in the upcoming two year term?

JB: I think growth is always an issue, and managing that in the Village.  There are always people who want to build, and orderly growth is important.  Keeping the budget on track -- the Trustees and the Mayor have done an amazing job of keeping spending in line with inflation and keeping taxes as low as possible.  Given all of the development that was in that Triphammer Road development I think they have done a remarkable job.

That's another reason I'm running.  I've been very impressed with the Trustees and the Mayor as I have been a Community Party observer.  I think we're very fortunate to have those people.  I'm excited about getting to know them better and working with them.

LS: Have you done anything to prepare to be a Trustee?

JB: I've been trying to read more of the past minutes, and have gone to a few more of the trustee meetings.  I have talked to people in the community to figure out what their issues are.  Most people are very happy with the Village of Lansing and they don't have burning issues.  People have talked about the deer problem.  As the deer become more numerous it becomes more of an issue.  We haven't had a severe weather problem which would cause a natural reduction.

As I did the canvassing I tried to interview people about issues.  People are, on the whole, very happy.

LS: Nothing has really been happening with the new Village fire station.  Fire department statistics show that over half of the emergency calls come from the Village.  How important do you think it is to get that thing moving?

JB: I think that is something they have been discussing.  John O'Neill was working with the fire department to find a good location and develop a plan for a new facility.

LS: What John has advocated is that when the water tower by the Village Office comes down, that will free up some space to create a central Village service area which could include a fire station.  Do you think that makes sense or would you like to see it somewhere else?

JB: I think it does make sense.  It's less of a residential street there, so the ability for the fire trucks to come and go (would be better).  It's a wider street, so it makes sense to do that.

In general people do feel they are part of Ithaca and there isn't a real strong Village identity because of the way that development occurred with the malls and whatnot.  I think the neighborhoods have a feeling of neighborhood identity.

LS: The topic of Village identity comes up from time to time, and that is hard to define because of the history and topography of the Village of Lansing.  Several Trustees have noted that many residents think they live in Ithaca.  When you talk about development the last big frontier is the Murray Estates property, that big farm.  That might present an opportunity to create a village center if people wanted to.  How do you view the Village identity?  How far would you like to see that go?

JB: I have a story about arriving in the area.  When we first moved here we rented a home which we subsequently bought.  We had moving trucks bringing our belongings into our house, and two weeks after we arrived the moving trucks came.  There was a huge snow storm and the moving truck got stuck.  We called the City of Ithaca.  They said, 'You must be in the Town of Ithaca.'

We called the Town of Ithaca.  They said, 'No, you must be in Lansing.'

So we called the Town of Lansing.  They said, 'No, you're in the Village of Lansing'

So we called the Village of Lansing and very quickly the snow plow came and we got service.  So from the very beginning we knew we were in the Village of Lansing.  We were very impressed with the responsiveness of the Village. 


I think in general people do feel they are part of Ithaca and there isn't a real strong Village identity because of the way that development occurred with the malls and whatnot.  I think the neighborhoods have a feeling of neighborhood identity.  People are very busy.  Everyone is so busy and there is such a diverse population in the Village.  You've got people who live in the apartments who might be students, might be professional people.  Then you have a variety of people who live in the more low density residential areas.  So it is a challenge.

I'm not even sure that people care.  As long as it's a nice place to live I think people feel an identity with their neighbors.  If it were important to people it might be something to consider, but I think it would need to be driven by the residents, both renters and homeowners.

LS: Zoning was one of the main reasons the Village was incorporated in 1975.  The Town is currently doing a major rewrite of their zoning ordinances, and the village contracts the Town for a lot of services.  Do you think that there would ever come a time when they would merge?

JB: It depends on the people and what they want to do.  I don't know that there would be a lot of interest in doing that right now.  I haven't heard that is something that people would like to see.

LS: Well, on the one hand there is that extra level of government, which means an extra level of taxes.  On the other hand it seems like there are different cultures within the Village and the Town.  You go to a Village Trustee meeting or a Town Board meeting and they are very different atmospheres.

JB: I know that it was very difficult to incorporate in the beginning.  I think a lot of the people who were involved in that are still very active in the Village.  I think they would argue that the way things have come about is an advantageous arrangement.

LS: As a Trustee, what kind of growth would you advocate?

JB: I don't see a lot of available land.  I know that the Sundowns Farm (Murray Estates) area is a fairly large piece of land.  Other than that things are pretty well developed.  For the most part I've been very happy with what I've seen so far, so proceeding along an orderly path is what I would like to see.  Are you thinking of some piece of land in particular?

It takes people to make things happen, so it depends a lot on what people are interested in doing.

LS: No, but Sundowns Farm is pretty big and it continues along the commercial strip that cuts through the Village.  Would you like to see more commercial development, at least along that strip?  And then more residential, perhaps further back?  Or do you think there is enough commercial in the Village as-is and all new development should be residential?  Or would you just like to stop and say, 'The Village is nice the way it is.'?

JB: I think the Village is nice the way it is, but if someone comes along with a good idea for either a business that is needed or housing that is appropriate for the zoning there, then each thing needs to be considered as it comes along.  It takes people to make things happen, so it depends a lot on what people are interested in doing.

LS: Is the one party system the best way to elect Trustees?  Should there be more choices in Village elections?

JB: I joined the Community party because I was impressed with what they are doing and I agree with the platform and what they are all about.  If there is another group of people who have another agenda then they are more than welcome to get together.  I don't think anyone is limiting the ability of people to come together and build a party.

LS: Then instead of two people being put forward for the two positions, should there be four?  Then again there is usually low turnout at Village elections, and if people don't care, what's the point?  So I am asking this more as a theoretical, philosophical question, than, perhaps, as a practical one.

JB: They do a lot of work to make sure the people they put forth are people who they want to see in those positions.  I think you raise a good point.  But these are all volunteer contributors, and their time is also very valuable.  It's a matter of putting forth people that they believe in and making those people succeed.  I think it might dilute their resources (to put more people forward).

LS: Finally, what would you like people to know about your candidacy that we haven't already discussed?

JB: I really want to work with people in the community, and I welcome input from people.  I like people to communicate what they think are important issues that I need to know about to represent them.

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