Public works is more important than building

A recent evening news story revealed details behind lane closures along E Avenue Northwest for more than three years to replace sections of a 7-foot-wide sewer pipe damaged during the 2008 flood. Public works officials say the project will entail a 1-mile overhaul of E Avenue costing close to $9 million. What I am wondering is why the city closed the lane and let it sit idle for more than three years, yet its own public works headquarters can be rebuilt soon after the flood, serve the city as it had, and now within a month's time in 2011 is greenlighted to be razed and rebuilt from scratch?

On top of that, Mayor Corbett is saying part of that project probably will be funded with current local-option sales tax revenue. This seems to be a misguided sense of prioritization and entitlement with the LOST revenue and is another example of our city officials taking liberties with the loose ballot language that passed the LOST vote.

A new public works building may be a nice idea, but is it the best use of finances and resources in our current economic state? I challenge our city leaders to reconsider their list of priorities and start committing resources to projects that benefit the greater good of Cedar Rapids. In this specific case, utilizing LOST revenue to directly benefit a neighborhood that has been waiting for this public works project to be completed rather than spending it on public works office space.

Kevin Curl

Cedar Rapids