City to Spend over $330,000 to Push Out Nasworthy Walkers

The San Angelo Standard Times reported on City Council's move to take public use areas of Lake Nasworthy and commercialize them, a move predicted by Bill Cullins two years ago..

Council members voted to go forward with negotiations with Gateway Planning Group to develop the Lake Nasworthy area, essentially approving the spending of about $300,000 on a business plan.... The city is looking for firms with experience in tourism and recreational value.

Another focus is on finding a firm that can help bring development to the lake instead of merely advising how that can be done, she said.....the theme was "linking neighborhoods and tourism."

The theme is not keeping local citizens access to free recreation at the lake.  Gun Club Road walkers are referred to as a "conflict":

"...resolving conflicts such as having joggers on roads near the lake, and dealing with "sacred cows" such as businesses that are already there that might be threatened."

The City's downtown development plan repeated talked of the gap between project costs and project profitability required by developers.  Public money, public assets, tax breaks, direct subsidy are all means to shrink that gap.

The irony is local taxpayers could pay to have their access to the lake reduced or eliminated.

(Mayor) New told council members that getting city staff to go forward with negotiations would be tantamount to spending the money for the plan, although it will need to come back to the City Council for approval.

That sounds tantamount to a railroad, at least to my ears.  Adding 11-12% expense reimbursement takes the cost to $330,000 to $336,000.  To think it's already been spent...