I hope the people attending the Bridge Avenue informational meeting will watch it when it is replayed and try to get some information the second time around. Most of the people who spoke came to the meeting with preconceived ideas of what they thought was going to be announced and didn’t listen to the speakers. The public attendees commented on what they thought they were going to hear and not on what was actually said. They as much as called the presenters thieves and liars with comments about consultants lining their own pockets, and requests to see reports referenced during the meeting out of disbelief regarding the number of accidents or volume of traffic. Why didn’t I get up and talk at the meeting? It doesn’t do any good to talk when people are obviously not listening.

Some of the things I heard:

Nothing is going to happen for at least a couple of years. The road and sewer and water lines are going to need to be replaced in the near future due to age and obsolence. No decision has been made on how the road is going to be rebuilt, only recomendations by the consultant. Now is the time to apply for federal and state 2010 through 2013. The money is for rebuilding this state-aid road so we will not have to do it all with city funds.

John Forman

Albert Lea