Again Citizen Questions the Council

To All COLA LO Members,

This week another article was published questioning the councils current direction.   

It exemplifies what many are now saying privately in the community.    In the article below many hear the echo of a common refrain spoken amongst residents throughout LO.     

The article and others below can be found at Reader letters

‘What is the present plan’ for Lake Oswego?
The mayor and council members show great glee and are patting themselves on the back for finally disposing of the practically empty 89,000-square-foot West End Building to end the money drain. I would pat them on the back too if I thought this was part of a long-range city plan, which it isn’t.

The former council thought nothing of spending more than $40 million of taxpayers’ money to build a new 60,000-square-foot library and multistory garage at the far east end of town, when they could have saved $20 million by moving to an upgraded WEB with a large parking lot and near the city’s center of population.
What is the present plan? Not to move the library? Or place the library in an empty school? Or spend $40 million to move it to another eastside location? Same with the city hall. What’s the plan, and how much will it cost us?
Will it be another whopping expenditure like the $115 million water plant we don’t need, that brings in water that is polluted frequently with gasoline, over very costly river and city crossings, when abundant, cheap, Willamette River water is a few blocks away?
Voters preferred not to fund the WEB for an unwanted $80 million recreation center, and polls of certain voters chose not to keep an empty WEB. So? The city should first formulate its long- range plan and poll voters of the entire city (not just eastside residents) to determine if they want to use the WEB to replace crowded facilities cheaply. William Barbat

Will the council pivot its direction or will it continue on its current path?   Many in the community are wondering and asking themselves about the nature of recent decisions.    Its a growing concern within the community as many residents are beginning to feel slightly betrayed.

 How much of an impact will all this have on the election in 12 months?    Only time will tell but its clear residents have strong feelings regarding the matter.  

Please notify all members, contacts, and friends.