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Commission urges funding plan before trail design; $67,000 planning estimate flagged
Summary
Commission members said a clear funding and usage plan is required before spending about $67,000 on design for a proposed trail/rail switch; members flagged the need for business commitments for FRA funding and urged caution about design costs.
After approving the property transfer paperwork, commissioners discussed a separate development question: whether the commission should fund a $67,000 design plan for a proposed trail and rail switch. Speaker 3 said a funding and spending plan is needed before any design request is accepted and cautioned that a $67,000 planning cost is significant. "In order to have a request in front of you guys...a design request for funding, we need a plan, a spending plan, a funding plan," Speaker 3 said.
Speaker 5 noted that Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) funding generally requires explicit business commitments showing freight volumes and that applicants must supply detailed haul projections for a funding application. Commissioners emphasized they did not want to spend design funds without clear evidence the project is feasible or that businesses would sign on to use rail freight.
No formal vote was taken on the trail planning; speakers agreed the project proponents should return with a detailed funding package and usage commitments before design funds are approved.
