Sometimes people make bad decisions and then need to find excuses why they voted the way they did. I have written an EAW (environmental assessment worksheet), accomplished wetland mitigation and worked with, applied and received a Corps of Engineers permit. This project did not have any issues that would have stopped it. The DNR is well aware of the riparian rights. I would guess they understand better than Mr. Dan Belshan. If the board voted for the project nothing would have stopped it including the dealings with Mr. Greg Jensen. We have been told, even with the delay until the October meeting, that we had time to make it happen. We would need to condemn our own dam, not Mr. Jensen’s dam. It’s not his dam. The public owns it. People are saying it was the Shell Rock River Watershed District’s plan, but it was a joint project. All sides voted yes on the bridge-dam project, including Mr. Belshan until Mr. Jensen bought the land.

You need to ask why they would now vote no.

According to the quote in the paper, I have given misinformation. I would like Mr. Belshan to supply to the Tribune the letter from Mr. Jensen. Mr. Jensen made an offer that was so good that the three commissioners voted no on our project. No excuses, let’s see it so the public can see who is supplying misinformation.

What I understand about the facts in the agreement between the county and Mr. Jensen is we would be given our own dam but not the land under it and around it. A permanent easement would be given on the land under the dam. We wouldn’t own it.

Mr. Jensen would give us some of the land as permanent easement with requirements.

We are not allowed to park on the permanent easement. We must fix the dam for Mr. Jensen. No portage around dam or over it. No access onto the Shell Rock River. The letter is not binding. They have absolutely nothing. Because of the no vote, you, the taxpayer, have lost more than $220,000, plus the county will also have to redesign a new dam and redesign a new bridge. The vote cost you $400,000?

Some say we can still make this happen with Mr. Jensen. The time was up on the bridge-dam project; everyone understood that. No matter what is done now, the money is lost. The county is redesigning the new bridge.

Clayton Petersen

Albert Lea