If you read the recap of the last Cascade Council meeting in the 25 May Pioneer, you probably concluded that the most important action council took was to amend last year’s budget. Nope, that’s water under the bridge because it is money already spent.
Buried in the 3rd paragraph is the information that the city gave $70,000 of our tax money to Developer Brian Bock along with a$600,000-state grant from federal funds. So here we go again, ladies and gents: shades of Jesse Loewen and the Old Farmer’s Bank Building.
Prompting me to ask the question I have posed before, “Should a city become a transfer point for money to businesses?” Loans are one thing and they have proven to work out very well, but grants (free money) are another. Especially, when the city has to go begging for a library and has given up making the alleys in town strong enough for the garbage truck to drive on.
According to City Admistrator Lisa Kotter, I was mistaken writing that Developers Jason Rogers and Tyler McQuillen got $70,000 for their project above the New City Park; they only got $4,000. However, considering that the neighborhood opposed the project, there is not room to provide adequate fire protection or snow removal and the addition of that much hard surface is sure to flood the park, 5 cents is too much. Hosch voted against it.
Bottom line: voters put people on council who are either in business or pro-business instead of pro-community, and this is what you get. Maybe you think this is a good idea?
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