Letter: Support local control of our riverfront

I am writing in support of the current effort to turn control of our Tri-City riverfront over to local governments. Local control is absolutely necessary for timely decisions regarding what happens on our riverfront.

For example, the Reach museum in Columbia Park west has no sign on Columbia Park Trail indicating the entrance to the museum. Why? Because the Army Corps of Engineers will not allow installation of a permanent sign for the museum. The Corps does not have the funds or staff for routine maintenance and upkeep of the riverfront.

Kennewick budgets more than $500,000 annually for maintenance and operation of Corps lands along the Columbia River; Richland budgets more than $350,000; and Pasco budgets more than $260,000. In addition, More than $750,000 is budged by the three cities for capital improvements of Corps lands. Yet none of these cities has control over what happens along the riverfront.

City staff waters the parks, mows the grass, and cleans up after storms in our area. Since the cities are responsible for maintaining these parks, they should be given control of the parks and the waterfront. The majority of the riverfront is open and would continue to remain open under control of our cities.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 2:57 AM with the headline "Letter: Support local control of our riverfront."