According to an article in the Ottawa Herald (Officials taking neighborly position on rail trail deal), Franklin County commissioners have decided to delay completion of the Flint Hills Nature Trail in their county by failing to respond to a bond offer from the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy. The trails group has offered a bond of $200 per mile of trail, which would total about $5,000 for Franklin County. This is in line with the amounts that several other counties have agreed to.
However, Miami County, which is just east of Franklin County, has demanded a $76,100 bond for the small amount of trail within their borders. Miami County and the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy are currently involved in a lawsuit to settle the matter.
According to county commissioner Don Stottlemire, he wants to delay acceptance of the proposed bond to avoid “stepping on Miami County’s toes,” because “They’re our neighbors,” and accepting the proposed bond from the Kanza group would “undercut Miami County’s position.”
But what about the thousands of county residents and visitors who’d use the trail? They don’t seem to be part of the discussion.
How very neighborly.
It has been very interesting to have a Google Alert for Blogs on “Kansas Flint Hills!”
Yours came up today!
We have a 22 county Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, Inc. promoting visits to the Kansas Flint Hills – this is the website: http://www.kansasflinthills.travel/
Our web site is to promote the Kansas Flint Hills; and we were so happy to be in the 22 page color photo spread in National Geographic’s April Issue on the Kansas Flint Hills, as a distinctive landscape. We are now working to get the Kansas Flint Hills designated as a National Heritage Area.
We would appreciate a link from your site, to ours, if you are willing to do so. THANKS!
Best wishes!
Bill 😉
Personal Blog: http://flinthillsofkansas.blogspot.com/
How “neighborly” of the Franklin Countians! Why is building a trail that will help to revitalize so many dying communities fought against with so much passion by the people it will help?