Response from Army Corp

Dear Paul Ogren,


We were very happy to see you and your wife tonight. The response was great and it probably overwhelmed many of us. The purpose of the meeting was fulfilled in great measure by the numbers and the overall positive attitudes of the community. Our planning group walked away with a much better understanding of the problems, attitudes and need for change.

Our goal was not to bargain or discuss which project is more important. As stated we came to listen to everyone's concerns and record them, which we have. I know as we continue the process of discovery you will be able to add more subtle concerns that will help us formulate a presentation for when we next meet.

The project is really unprecedented in the cast of partners and the speed that it is being accomplished. Three months is just one breath for a federal agency and the same for our fellow state DNR, so when we put our heads together to answer all those great question you are getting a great product which alone will decrease conflict by shedding light on many myths and form a foundation in which we can find consensus as we discuss the pros and cons or all of our ideas. As a planner I am always amazed how I never know what the final product will look like.

We needed your information to propose a plan and that is exactly what you give us so no worries. We really enjoyed meeting you and value your input.

Please contact us at anytime.

The next time we meet we will have rough cost estimates for features that the community has proposed and will have answers to 50 some questions. My hope is that we can begin discussions about sustainability and what the future may hold. Our next product will be a rough draft of a planning document that will address operation of the lake in a comprehensive way.

Sincerely,

Steve Russell - PM
ACOE