Two-thirds bonds: ADA, trails or water?

The question of the two-thirds bond issue continues to work its way through City staff and the Council. Monday night's meeting provided an opportunity for Council to receive and briefly discuss the report and recommendations from City staff that we talked about here this weekend (notably including the funding provided for the American Tobacco Trail, with some diminution of funding for ADA projects until they have been identified.)

As Ray Gronberg notes in his recap of last night's Council meeting, Mayor Bell has pushed back the decision-making on the uses of the bonds until questions of funding additional interconnections to Cary's water supply, and thus to Jordan Lake, are solved. Gronberg points out that much of this could be funded by bonds against future water revenue, as OWASA does to our south.

So, the timetable: Council will discuss the bonds again at this week's work session, at which time Bell has asked for a report on the costs of the interconnection program, which if completed in summer 2008 under an accelerated project timeline will allow Durham to draw one-third of its water supply from Lake Jordan, up from less than 10% today.

A final vote on the bond issuance and its purposes will occur at the Monday, Dec. 17 Council meeting.

Expect some more fireworks at Thursday's meeting; Mayor pro tem Cora Cole-McFadden remained visibly upset over any discussion of diverting funds from ADA compliance -- and asked City Manager Patrick Baker to bring to this week's work session a copy of the Department of Justice ADA access settlement as well as a list of which ADA projects were being recommended for delayed funding because they weren't far enough along in the planning stage. (McFadden also sat with her arms crossed and a skeptical look on her face as Triangle Rails-to-Trails activist Dan Clever spoke on the bond issue, urging Council to find funding for Phase E of the ATT.)

Comments

[bennc]

What happened with the Skate Park decision? Seriously.

[Ginny]

Sounds like this is going to be a tough decision for council.

I mean, it's tough to vote against improving access for the disabled, even if the DOJ settlement was probably supposed to have been addressed years ago.

But it's probably also tough to vote against boosting the city's access to water in light of the recent drought.

And then you have the American Tobacco Trail, which no doubt benefits local cyclists, who happen to be among the city's most vocal residents.

Should be an interesting work session.

[Bill B.]

Keep in mind that the ATT is ADA compliant. The bridge will be ADA compliant. All of the ATT is accessible to those in wheelchairs, and in fact, opens up areas of the city - and the countryside, like the streams in the Corps lands, that have never been open to those who can't walk without assistance.

The ATT is used extensively by folks who can't walk without assistance. I'm amazed with how much it is used and enjoyed by folks with disabilities. One could argue that it allows those with disabilities to safely get outside and get those rays of sunlight so they can maintain their Vitamin D levels. :-)

Happy Trails!

[Kevin Davis]

Ben -- The skateboard park "skated" through (ugh...) on the consent agenda and is now fully funded, I presume.