It has now been more than two years since I became mayor of Lake Placid. It is amazing what has been accomplished in this short period of time. There was a major renovation to our main street, improvements to the electric substation by the fire house and upgrades to our water plant. More restrictive short term rental regulations are in place and the World University Games and the FIS sanctioned ski jumping event has come and gone.
Lake Placid's biggest industry is tourism, and the success of the World University Games was crucial for Lake Placid's future. We proved to the world that Lake Placid has the resources and the knowledge to host major events. We had unprecedented worldwide media coverage of our Olympic sports venues that are among the best in the world. The hospitality and friendliness that Lake Placid is known for did not go unnoticed. The athletes and visitors to these events will recall their experiences to family and friends across the globe. The upgrades to our infrastructure and the realization of these games will serve the area for the next 40 years and beyond.
Looking ahead, a project that is already in place is modernization of our sewer plant. We are also now in negotiations with our five labor unions, and we are committed to making sure future events are a good fit for our community.
All the work that has been done and what is planned for the future would be impossible if it were not for the wealth of knowledge and dedication of our department heads and their staff. Lake Placid is very fortunate to have employees that take pride in the work they do and care about the community they live in. We are very lucky to have understanding and caring residents that despite the adversities and inconveniences they’ve had to endure, have made it possible for the work to be accomplished. We are also extremely fortunate to have a strong and supportive volunteer base. This is reflected in our volunteer committees and boards, our Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance. The countless volunteers, who quite often work behind the scenes and get the job done, are the heart and soul of Lake Placid and make it a very special place to live.
Without the cooperation of everyone, the job of Mayor would be impossible, but with a community such as Lake Placid behind you, the job is easy. I have been on the Village board for 14 years and feel one of the areas that we have been lacking in is communicating to our residents about the services the village and town provide and the people that provide them. In conjunction with the Town, this newsletter is going to be the first of a series, which will spotlight each of our departments and try to give you an insight to the people that make it all work.
I would like to thank our two retiring board members Peter Holderied and Jason Leon for their years of service to Lake Placid and welcome Katie Brennan and Andrew Quinn to our board.
Mayor Devlin