Open letter to Fairfield City Council concerning Walton Lake

At the next Fairfield City Council meeting, you will be given an opportunity to endorse the following Motion that will immediately resolve all of the issues involving the Walton Golf Course Bridge.

That the City of Fairfield will require, as part of the renewed Lease with the Walton Golf Club, that the Walton Club assume all future responsibility for the building, maintenance, and repair of the Golf Cart Bridge adjacent to their clubhouse. Further, that the Golf Club will obtain standard Liability Insurance covering all legal claims relating to use of the bridge.

Your affirmative vote will result in the following:

1. The cost to the City of Fairfield will be reduced from the projected cost of $196,00.00 to 0.

2. The City will be free to spend these funds on other pressing needs of the community.

3. The responsibility for the bridge will return to where it was for the first 84 years of the Club’s existence.

4. The Club can choose the bridge design and methodology they desire (as they did for the first two bridges built using volunteers from the Club.)

5. A recent bid to build, transport and install an 80-foot-long golf cart bridge for no more than $37,000.00 is one option available to them.

6. The lake will not need to be drained at all, as has been clearly requested by every single homeowner on the lake.

7. The City’s planned installation of a massive concrete box culvert would result in a 94% blockage of the water flow under the bridge, which the DNR said is damaging to the health of the lake.

8. This would forever condemn the lake to an unhealthy condition. This will be entirely avoided.

9. The legal action against the City, alleging illegal use of public funds primarily for a private purpose, and whether the 2015 lease required the City to build a new bridge (as opposed to “repair and /or maintain)” would be dismissed.

10. The Appeal to the DNR and the Request for a Legal Review from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office of the City’s actions and proceedings would be withdrawn.

11. The City Council will show that they are willing to place their commitment to the citizens ahead of any prior procedural mechanisms or voting.

Your vote is required to have this simple solution adopted. We count on you to get this all resolved now so everyone benefits.

Sincerely, Edward Noyes and Walton Lake Residents, Taxpayers, and Concerned Citizens