So it looks like we made a mistake last week when we altered the resolution regarding the Rail Trail. The latest skuttle is about whether we, as a legislative body, are entitled to create a committee to micro-manage the construction of the trail along Rt 209.As I get familiarized with the saga pertaining to old rail beds and the hiking groups that want to utilize them, I find that this has been a never ending process that has out lived some of the proponents. There are some folks who want to pull out all the rails and scream at the thought of ever sharing the beds with trains. Then there are others who wont give up on the dream of one day riding from Kingston to Roxbury. I would fall into the latter group.
This rail bed in question holds neither of those arguments because this one is but a faint memory of it's early history. It serves as a path from Kingston to Hurley. The fight today is not about the $140K that is to be used for the design, but about who gets to chose the committee members responsible for the planning. The $140K just for planning.The push to get the trail open along the rail bed is to increase the availability of health walking space in areas of the county. The County Exec and the Legislature both want additional opportunities to exercise and letting proponents of walking trails do the "leg work" makes sense.
Mike Hein was quoted: “I am in complete agreement with the core intent of this legislation, to be able to support the construction of a connection rail trail that is important to the trail system and is consistent with our desire to make Ulster County the healthiest county in New York state.”
As much as all of us are willing to work toward a solution to this administrative mess, we also acknowledge that there are still areas within the new charter that require review. Had this been looked at a bit closer before voting on the measure, I'm sure we would have come to a more unified conclusion. Speaking only for myself, I didn't see a problem with Rob Parete's amendment, turns out there was an issue, but then that's what our legal council was supposed to pick up. I miss Dan.Maybe the rail Trail advocates would like to help me clean out the Rail tunnel under Delaware Avenue right here in Kingston?
2 comments:
Like so many other examples in government, what gets in the way of most good is the process.
Get the machinery issue out of the way and get the job done.
Legislature or Exec, who cares...where's the shovel. Lets get working. You'd think this was Albany or something.
I would like to see the trails advocates join with you and your neighborhood group to clean up the Delaware/Hasbrouck Tunnel. What an asset that line would be for the cause.
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