Resident urges commission to drop $7.2M tunnel project, cites FOIA budget shortfalls

During general public comment at the Nov. 17 meeting, resident Jacob Cooper delivered a detailed critique of the proposed tunnel project, saying FOIA-obtained budget documents show the city faces significant shortfalls if it proceeds.

Cooper told the commission the project was expected to be funded by a $3.5 million state earmark and a $3 million federal earmark (totaling $6.5 million), but said FOIA budget materials show alternative expense options that would leave the city responsible for additional costs ranging from $554,000 to $2,240,000 beyond grant funding. He also raised $186,000 in landscaping and water-main-relocation costs as city-funded expenses, and estimated an overall project cost "over $7,200,000," a figure he said will be higher when adjusted for inflation.

Cooper questioned the project’s value, noting the tunnel would connect 0.46 miles of trail when an existing, signalized pedestrian crossing is 0.15 miles away, and warned the commission that the city is already confronting infrastructure maintenance needs — citing bridge repairs estimated at about $2 million and the recent Bone Pool closure — that he argued should take priority.

The commission did not take immediate action in response to Cooper’s remarks during this meeting. City staff and commissioners said they are focused on grant documentation and internal controls in response to audit work presented elsewhere on the agenda; no formal reply to Cooper’s specific FOIA figures was given in the meeting record.

What’s next: Cooper’s documents and assertions will need verification against the final audit and project budget documents; the commission did not schedule a formal response at the meeting.