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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Mall Drive Bridge & Virgin River

 September 19th City Council Meeting was an example of pro-active thinking. When it came time to advance Roadway Improvements…Connecting existing roads to satisfy critical transportation needs…and in the long run save Tax Dollars…The City Acted.

At first glance you may ask why; Is it not desirable to allow an existing Bond Debt to be paid off in the near future instead of extending the Bond for an additional 15 years?
Looking at the Big Picture you may feel better knowing that the Mall Bridge project was begun about two years ago. Money has been spent on Environmental Impact Studies as the City negotiated with the Federal Agency to make the Bridge over the Virgin River a reality.

The recession caused the Mall Bridge Project to be placed on hold pending completion of other major projects which required the transfer of Mall Bridge Funds to projects deemed to have a greater priority.
WHAT the general public may not know is that early negotiations with Federal Agencies included a limited time frame for completion. It has been reported at Council Workshop Meeting(s) that failure to meet the construction dates set forth would result in the termination of the authorization to build on or over Rivers such as the Virgin River.  Building permits are no longer to be issued by the Federal Government beyond a certain date and time.

Therefore, by not acting now the City is sure to lose the money already spent on impact studies and more importantly the door would be shut on all future building over the Virgin River. The opportunity to connect a large section of the City to adjoining areas would be lost.

So, let us give credit where credit is due; for clear thinking on Financial and Transportation issues.  There is still work to be done. The door of opportunity remains open for the betterment of the City.  The Future is Bright.
When elected I will continue to work closely with fellow council members in the spirit of cooperation and service to our community.

-Ed

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