05.17.2016 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes May 17, 2016 about safety due to the dam's current condition. He stated that just because the dam is gone doesn't mean that you can't enjoy kayaking. He stated that he is basing his opinion on the science. He stated that there are a lot of emotions surrounding this issue. He thanked the Council. Morgan Egan, thanked all of the veterans and stated that she was moved by their stories, and that it has done a lot of good for their recovery. She stated that the science is in and that this has been decided by scientists with an interest in saving the river. To us that means returning it to its natural state. She spoke about the fountain darter and how you have to look at the entire report and not just pieces of it. She stated that recreation will still exist. David Wagner, spoke in support of the restoration of Cape's Dam. He stated that he feels that facts and data can be skewed to benefit your side. The money to restore it would impact the tax payers one time, but there would be larger economic loss to businesses that benefit from the use of the river. There seems to be other things at play that he doesn't understand. He asked the Council to reconsider their vote. Cori Schwartz, encouraged the Council to continue on course. She stated that there are a lot of misinformation being circulated. For example, what was actually happening today was debris removal on Thompson's Island by FEMA from the October flood. She also stated that the study that Brian Olson read was a study that was published in 2014 and not the most recent one. She stated that if you take only partial parts then you are only putting out half of the information. Drake Scallon, addressed the Council and thanked Council Member Jude Prather for coming to their fraternity for coming and speaking to them about being a leader in their community. He spoke about his experiences as a kayaker and growing up with a love of the sport. He spoke about his personal experiences with his grandfather and how much they loved spending time together kayaking. He stated that the river defines San Marcos and that we trust you and we want to protect the things that we love and memories that we love. Adam Higdon, addressed the Council regarding his concerns with the cost associated with removing the dam vs. filling in the Mill Race and reconstruction. He spoke about the facts not being correct on either side and that the Fountain Darter is breeding in that low flow area around the Mill Race. City of San Marcos Page 5