Letter to the editor: City of Jamestown should not own the Icehouse Dam

I was disappointed to read James Jungroth’s letter to the editor in The Jamestown Sun “attacking” Leslie Horgan’s editorial, which reasoned that the City of Jamestown should not own the Icehouse Dam. Apparently, Jungroth considers expression of one’s opposing opinion an attack and evidence of negativism. Well, I apologize now for my attack and negativism, but in my opinion, the City of Jamestown should not become the owner of a dam.

In my reading of Horgan’s editorial, I concluded that he did not support city ownership but never expressed direct opposition to any other governmental entity ownership. Or for that matter any reservations about supporting the assigned functions of other government entities such as the airport board, the Library Board or the public School District. Rather, he alluded to the Park District having previous ownership of the dam. A logical conclusion would be Park District ownership. State ownership might also be considered as water rights are a state matter. What about the local water resource district?

Jungroth says that an attractive river is an asset to the town as well as a direct benefit to those who own land on it. Is a river only made attractive by a dam? If the dam did not exist, would the river cease to be attractive? I contend that the directly benefiting parties (waterfront landowners and the “River Committee”) would say yes? Why? Because they bought property along a reservoir to which the dam was not owner by a public entity. They now need a public entity to own it so they can tap public funds for its repair. Their folly should now be my public responsibility?

I agree with Horgan. There are inequities with respect to this matter. The city should not be “bailing out” this special interest group (“River Committee”) while the city streets are narrowing to one lane and will soon be flooding with the spring thaw. The city has its functions, the School Board its, the Library Board its, the airport board its and the Park District its.

Know that on Monday at 5 p.m. the City Council will take action on this subject and the “River Committee” (including the mayor) will be there. If you oppose the present recommendation of the Finance and Legal Committee to accept the dam, then you better make your voice known because the “River Committee” will!

Kirk Ripplinger

Jamestown

Tags: ice house, opinion, dam, jamestown