The Geneseo Village Board of Trustees’ March 20 elections determined that democrats Ben Gajewski and Bob Wilcox will take over two trustee seats in the coming term. Gajewski and Wilcox beat out republican incumbents Thomas LaGrou and John Fox. Gajewski is an alumnus of Geneseo and currently serves as stewardship director of the Genesee
Valley Conservancy. He is also a committee member for the Geneseo Farmers’ Market, a small business owner and a board trustee with the Association for the Preservation of Geneseo.
Wilcox served as a trustee from 2004 - 2008. He is on the Art Stroll, Geneseo Tourism and Geneseo Farmers’ Market committees and is the village liaison for the fire and police departments.
In a phone interview, Gajewski said he is most excited about helping improve the community through a $400,000 New York Main Street grant. This grant will specifically go toward investing in businesses and refurbishing and developing buildings.
The village of Geneseo also has $45,000 in a streetscape grant meant to improve public streets.
Wilcox said in a phone interview that he is most looking forward to making sure that people know about all of the positive things that go on in the town, citing the water and sewage department that operates with only nine employees as a good example.
Both trustees said the relationship between the village of Geneseo and the college is important. Gajewski said that, though there will always be areas of tension between the different groups, the two have “a very positive relationship.”
Wilcox said that students who live off campus need to be conscientious of other village residents and should live “in a safe, clean, sanitary situation.” Wilcox added that he loves the college, and he hopes that the town sees past the small amount of students that causes problems and that the students realize all of the helpful things that the village does and provides.