Nov 22, 2013.  Supervisor Gonser had previously (July 29 2013) announced a trail project that I dubbed his “Good News Trail”.  That project was unbuildable because of the terrain.  It was clear that he had not looked at the land before deciding to build it and we have heard nothing of it since.  At Wednesday’s Board meeting he tried again, asking the Board to approve a sidewalk to connect the planned pedestrian  crosswalk on the replacement bridge on Orion Road with the Paint Creek Cider Mill parking lot.  His documentation for the project was a sketch drawing with few dimensions.  The estimate was not included in the information provided to the Board.  This plan had never been seen by either the Planning Commission or the Trails Committee.  2013_11_20 BOT Trail Sketch

The Board of Trustees indicated dissatisfaction with the plan.

Treasurer Langlois “I don’t know if this is the right place for this trail” 

Trustee Buxar  “You are putting Pedestrians and cars awfully close here”

Trustee McKay “Where does it go?  It ends at the bridge!  Where do the people start?”

Supervisor Gonser sees  where this is going and blames Federal Government safety regulations.

Let’s review Gonser’s accomplishments on trails and safety paths:

1. He kills (by deliberate inaction) the $1.1million in approved grant funding for the Adams Rd. Safety Path.
2. He proclaims the unbuildable “Good News” trail. (see the first paragraph)
3. He spends Parks and Trails funds on engineering work for a parking lot because he wants to get it done really fast.   All that work needs to be re-done.
4. He appoints a person to the planning commission and tells him that it would be ok to ask to join the Trails Committee so he can pursue the idea of using taxpayer money to repair safety paths  owned by his subdivision.
5. And now this, an ill thought out sidewalk proposal that goes nowhere and has serious safety concerns.

The Trails Committee will have a public meeting Dec. 4th at 7PM at the Paint Creek Cider Mill.  This will begin their practice of having public meetings.  Anyone who is concerned about the fate of the tax money that we are paying into the Safety Paths and Trails Millage should attend.

Jim Foulkrod