PRECA 04-06-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~~~]~ ~~ ~~~~J~]~rJ 2429 Gregory Dr. New Brighton, Minnesota 55112 612/784-9680 March 28, 1994 Mr. Matt Fulton, City Manager City of New Brighton 803 Sth Ave NW New Brighton, MN 55112 Dear Mr. Fulton: Thank you for your courtesy in taking some time out of your busy schedule last Friday for an unscheduled meeting regarding the bicycle trail with me. I left the meeting however very disturbed having gotten the impression that you had made up your mind regarding this matter and that you and Greg Mack were probably going to meet privately and resolve the crossing issue at Silver Lake Road by forcing a solution come what may without any public discussion or a Parks and Recreation Board meeting. What I believe I heard at the City Council meeting last Tuesday, which is confirmed by playing back my taping of the bicycle discussions, was that the Council had directed that the concerns of the testifying citizens, including but not limited to the Silver Lake Road crossing, be sent to the County for resolution recommendations, subsequently, to be discussed at a public Parks and Recreation Board meeting that was to occur out of its regular schedule being specifically emphasized that it had to occur before the next City Council meeting where a report would be due. What I believe I am hearing from you is the same problem that got us to where we are now, that of having private or unannounced meetings to conclude public actions without any concern for those who may be directly involved, is going to occur again. I am one of the owners of this City and I pay taxes to the County as well and expect therefore to participate as I may desire in the discussions and decisions that directly affect me. As I said in my testimony before the Council, had there been an open discussion of the trail alternatives 14 years ago and had the majority opinion concluded that ,the railroad tracks was the best selection then I could live with it. As you heard at the Council meeting I am not alone in these concems. Many other residents are equally upset by this public decision made privately or without notice for public testimony from those directly affected. The real question is, however, whether the railroad tracks offer that best solution. Has the influence and politicking of those affected and against the best solution been the driving force in this entire matter to force the trail from their back yards to someone else's? Recall that the County has documented that they preferred the Rice Creek area. This would certainly provide the trail users a natural environment that the County is trying to achieve and has elegantly described their plan for the trail before the railroad track selection as a "lateral extension of recreational experiences." I hardly believe that the railroad tracks is the best area to achieve this goal.