Stuck in cement

When the city council of Pequot Lakes votes to give municipal consent to MnDOT this summer, that vote will be virtually written in cement. No future city council can undo it - only Mndot can.

Now folks, let's be clear. This is a project that won't happen until 2018 at the earliest. It could even be another 20 years or more down the cement road due to lack of federal funding. In the meantime, many unanswered questions abound.

We would like clarification from the city council on their decision before they make it.

The people have a right to know how will this bypass affect the tax base? Will it really be safer? How much will it cost to update the municipal wastewater facility since they gave 17 acres of it to Mndot. Who will pay the costs to maintain the old 371?

Businesses that currently depend on 371 and property owners will also be held hostage for untold years. Fear and uncertainty is prevalent. This uncertainty has caused division in our town.

It must be said, to be fair, this decision affects everyone. Not just in Pequot Lakes, not just in Minnesota, but in the entire country, since it is 80 percent federally funded. The city council owes us a detailed explanation before this vote is made.

Debra Canniff,

Pequot Lakes taxpayer