Three weeks ago, Pat Nichting (5th District) asked the council to grant the privilege of the floor to Mike Rucker of the Recreational Trail Advocates. Rucker proceeded to hand out binders full of information to each council person and give a 10-minute presentation on why the council should continue to support the trail.
On Tuesday’s agenda, the first item is, “PRESENTATION by FORMER MAYOR RICHARD CARVER and Communication from the City Manager and Corporation Counsel Regarding REPORT on ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE Regarding the KELLER BRANCH RAIL LINE with a Request for Direction from the City Council.” Carver is, of course, on the Peoria Park District dole to help facilitate the conversion of the Kellar Branch to a recreational trail. He’ll probably have all the time he wants.
Meanwhile, rail supporters — e.g., Michael Carr of Pioneer Railcorp, former mayor Richard Neumiller — will probably be told to limit their comments to five minutes each. Are trail proponents afraid they’ll lose the argument if they have to give equal time to rail supporters?
Alexis Khazzam is expected to produce some sort of expert testimony that a shared use of the trail with the rail line is impossible or too expensive, and there are some other presenters lined up to present how great of a boon this trail is going to be to our economy, raising property values and improving Peoria’s “quality of life.”
Be sure to bring your pooper-scooper on Tuesday. The RTA and Park District’s dog and pony show should be a memorable event. Most of the council members’ minds are already made up at this point, so this is all just a formality anyway. They’ll hear what they want to hear and vote like they planned to vote all along. If you want my take on the issue, you can read it by clicking here.
It seems like the existing Peoria to Morton trail should be turned into a railroad for light commuter service between Morton and downtown Peoria. Anyone care to bring that up Tuesday at the council meeting?
Currently the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission is awaiting a report from David Browne from Perteet. This report is going to be on the future transit solutions to our area for the next twenty years. This report will include both bus and rail. The report is due about June of this year. You can contact Nicole Nutter of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission to get information on how to get in touch with David Browne. He is more than willing to listen to any input from the citizens of the area. He wants to hear I ideas and our needs so that this report reflects all of us.
Its interesting that only Dick Carver is on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting as an invited speaker. We have been trying to get on the agenda for several weeks and can’t seem too. Why does this “former” resident of the area and person whose expenses are being paid by the park district allowed the special privilege? Any just how does the PPD get away with spending taxpayers money to shuttle Dick Carver back and forth from Virginia to Peoria and house him overnight for the meeting. Is he listed as an official consultant? Who authorized our tax dollars for this?
Dick Carver is the epitome of the type of political character that does not fit Peoria… I’m not certain that he ever did. He was a decent mayor, but also always made me… uneasy. Now, I know why. We should really care less what Carver has to say about anything regarding Peoria, any longer. He’s been away long enough to where he should just immerse himself into Virginia politics, and leave the rest of us alone.
Train freight helped to make this region economically strong. A “walking trail” filled with Cub Scouts and long-distance bikers does not jibe with the needs of the area. Stay home, Dick… have a martini, and possibly a power lunch with Dick Cheney.