9/4/23
Because the City of Two Harbors (CTH) says these street/side-walk projects are unaffordable, unfeasible, impractical yet, seems to have no qualms about assessing property owners extra monies on projects that are unaffordable and Citizens speak and no one seems to be listening, I support Mark Cullen’s letter.
The CTH has shirked its responsibility many times. There is a lack of long-term planning, It seems there is not a viable plan for these projects. There seems to be no standard consistency of how these projects are managed. Not only can’t the CTH consider character, ambiance and /or aesthetics, from the 2022 Street Project there is a whole section of Sixth Avenue missing and a Two Harborite lost all access to the front of his house. Yet, a judge’s order hasn’t had any consequences for the CTH. Why? Hopefully, the CTH abeyance of federal law won’t last much longer.
On Sixth Avenue 4 lots don’t have any sidewalks yet, they are all assessed for sidewalk. On Fourth Avenue one party got street and sidewalk without receipt, while on Fifth and Sixth Avenues some parties got to replace and restore their lot and others did not. Why?
The CTH knows the general citizen doesn’t know these little dark secrets, putting a hardship on every single person in a project, with their “presumptively valid’. The CTH is using a development pattern that creates (for a while) the illusion of wealth by al-lowing cities to exchange near term cash benefits associated with new growth for long term liabilities associated with infrastructure maintenance. We are in the long term and, financially, everything is breaking down. We need maintenance that we have already paid for and are disproportional paying for the new growth rich portions of town that are developing. The CTH has turned laws on us, weaponizing the law to escape their duty and responsibility. The CTH has no good faith and no fair dealing, when dealing with us. For the CTH know as, the City of the Trees, PHOOEY!!
