Civil and Municipal - Jan 2024

COMMUNITY CULTURE AND WELCOMING SPIRIT The Town of Lancaster embraces community engagement, with regular events, such as Fourth of July celebrations in the summer and concerts at the Richard E. Pascucci Memorial band shell, contributing to the town’s friendly atmosphere. To highlight this, a new banner program was launched in mid-November, extending a warm welcome to visitors at key entry points and parks. “We are an extremely open and welcoming community,” Town Supervisor Ronald Ruffino, Sr. shares. He emphasizes the town’s dedication to enhancing public spaces, including plans for a nature trail at the much-loved Westwood Park, which Ruffino describes as, “a beautiful gem of a park.” This new trail will complement the existing amenities, such as soccer and baseball fields, as well as another 4-mile nature pathway in the community. ECONOMIC POWERHOUSES AND CHANGING DYNAMICS Ruffino elaborates on Lancaster’s economic landscape, which features a diverse mix of industries, including manufacturing for aerospace, restaurants, and a growing presence in warehousing. “After we started climbing out of COVID, we noticed people coming in with projects for warehousing,” he describes. “COVID created a different sense of urgency for products. I don’t think we’ll ever go back to how we were when we had mounds and mounds of products in store, because technology changes so quickly, but I think that there’s a mix coming in the middle, where you’re going to have enough product in case we have another pandemic, and then were you’re not going to get caught with too much inventory that’s going to become a wasteful product.” ENHANCED COMMUNITY SAFETY Safety initiatives, such as the installation of LED lighting in over 2,600 streetlights in the community, not only contribute to a secure environment but also demonstrate a dedication to sustainability and fiscal responsibility. “One of the statements I use to welcome people is, 163 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 01 LANCASTER , NEW YORK