Planning incomplete for west side protection

Here we go again. An old song with a new theme. The problem with the 1-cent local-option sales tax is that it again is not being explained correctly. The flood protection plan for the west side is not completed and will take millions of dollars to finish. While the east side would be building, the west side would be in the planning mode.

The plan for Penn Avenue to be the beginning of the west-side flood plan will not work as the water will be coming from the high rock area and flowing behind the west-side wall.

If the east-side wall is completed and the west-side wall is in the planning or not completed and we have another large flood, we will have water flowing to the Johnson Avenue Hy-Vee. I hope you realize that it is all about downtown and not much thought for the west side.

Whatever happened to the green space that was to be located on the east side of Ellis Boulevard? Now we are building on it with no protection again and the very same disaster could happen if the wall on the east side is completed and nothing completed on the west side.

I have attended several LOST committee meetings and when a member cannot obtain documentation of how much LOST money has been spent on homes alone, there is a problem.

Billie Bilsland

Cedar Rapids