Trail Repairs Underway

For nearly a year now, a section of the Lenoir City walking trail has been closed. The trail was closed by a judges order due to safety concerns. The repairs are now underway. Gabion walls are being installed along the portion of the trail where concerns had been raised about the stability of the land above the trail. The cost of the repairs is estimated to be around $58,000.00.

The construction of the trail along this area was in question from the beginning. The city had illegally seized the property where the problem was later identified. The original owners had warned the city repeatedly that the land in this area was very unstable and the trail should be located on the other side of the creek. City officials ignored the warnings and completed the trail through the unstable area.

Ultimately, the property owners settled with the city for $39,000.00 for the loss of their property.

So between the settlement with the business owner on Broadway, the settlement with the property owners along the trail and the trail repairs themselves, you the tax payers have dropped about a quarter of a million dollars that should have never been spent. Just what if elected officials had to pay for their foolish decisions out of their own pockets? Bet their decisions would be a lot different.

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7/6/09