LFP Citizens Raising Concerns About Burke-Gilman Project, City Web Site

Some Lake Forest Park citizens have voiced concerns over the pending improvements being made to the Burke-Gilman Trail and a proposal to overhaul the city's Web site.

At tonight's City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m., the proposal to pay a Kansas company that develops government Web sites is up for approval. Public comment will be taken.

Some residents want more specifics before the Council goes ahead and approves the plan.

"The fact that they were going to decide on the Web site before deciding what was going to be in it, was ludicrous," said Lake Forest Park resident Tony Holman.

 The Burke-Gilman Trail reconstruction is an on-going project that will soon include work on the stretch going through Lake Forest Park. Several detours are being considered while the trail is closed, and some concerned about bicycles, pedestrians and other traffic going through nearby neighborhoods.

"Accidents are going to happen as a result of huge influx of bicyclists," Holman said.

Holman is also part of a group of concerned LFP residents who are calling themselves LFP Government Watch. The group stems from the "No on Proposition 1" group that helped defeat the city's tax levy last year by a 78 percent to 22 percent count.

The group wants the city to adhere to five main priorities: 1. Preventing crime and protecting the community; 2. Maintaining infrastructure and sewers; 3. Managing development to protect creeks and reduce flooding; 4. Maintaining city parks and trails; 5. Providing programs to benefit residents.

They also want to limit tax and fee increases, including no business and occupation tax, utility or sales tax increases over the next four years, and evaluate the staff compensation of LFP city employees compared to similar cities.

Using volunteers effectively, improving efficiency and planning and creating transparency in government are also on the group's agenda.