Is the Editorial Board serious that if we don’t do the bumpout work downtown now, we would have to wait 75 years for another opportunity? Economically, this is not the best time either. Even though I haven’t heard of any problems with the sewer or water lines downtown failing, I do believe that they will need to be replaced. Maybe some of the older residents of the city can remember the last time they were replaced. I think the problem people are having, and I know I’m having, is the design of the project the council is interested in. I cannot believe that this was the best design that could have come forward.

We live in a state where normally we spend six months with snow falling, sometimes more, sometimes less. When we have snow, the city workers put the snow in the middle of the streets downtown so they can clean it later in the evening. Now, imagine that snow going down the middle of Broadway with a smaller road. Where are the cars supposed to drive? Even some of the city’s own employees think it’s a bad idea because of the problems with plowing snow.

My other problem with this project is the fact that we’re now looking at an increase in property tax for the Fire Department, which I have no problem with, and the Housing and Rehabilitation Authority, which I also don’t have a problem with. If the city wants more tax money for this project, then I believe they need to come up with a better proposal, one that makes more sense for this area of the country.

I’ve seen these bumpouts in Tennessee and they’re pretty, but they don’t have the weather we have up here. I wish the council would rethink the project as far as the particular plan they’re looking at. Be more realistic for this area. When this idea first came out, I thought the council said that there would be no tax increase to cover the costs, and now we’re going to have to pay extra for it with tax money. Well, come up with a plan that a majority of the citizens can agree on. If we’re going to have to pay extra, which I don’t want, then make it something we want and can live with. I don’t believe that the majority of citizens here don’t understand the need to have to tear up the street and replace the sewer and water lines, but they want to see a plan that makes more sense.

 

Kathy Diaz

Albert Lea

 

Editor’s note: Please don’t confuse bumpouts with streetscape. The Editorial Board said if the city doesn’t install a new streetscape, it would have to wait 75 years for the same opportunity to do it at the same time as sewer and water work needed to be done. Doing the two projects together is economically sound. The editorial we wrote didn’t take a yes-or-no stance on the bumpouts, but it did mention they would be less expensive than new stoplights and safer than crossing from the existing corners.