What a Surprise !
Here is the entire text of a letter from FERC to Ameren.
We are in receipt of your proposal for allocation of the $5 million Project
Enhancement Fund pursuant to the October 2, 2006 Order Approving Stipulation and
Consent Agreement.
Your proposed recommendations include a broad range of projects that will provide
enhancements to the project area. The enhancements include the development and
improvement of an emergency management system as well as community-based
improvements. The process of selecting the final enhancement projects was well organized
and thorough. The licensee’s recommended enhancement projects, included as Attachments
3 and 4 of its March 21, 2007 letter, meet the requirements of the Stipulation and Consent
Agreement and are approved. The licensee is authorized to immediately begin
implementation of the approved projects.
posted by staff @ 7:06 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Ah... a community massage with a "Happy Ending."
The problem with 'quickies' is that you forget how wonderful it was by the time you get to your car.
Prediction: Reynolds County officials will have few good memories of this financial exchange by the time 2008 elections roll around.
People from outside the Reynolds/Iron County area (the 250,000 annual lowland visitors who are leery about coming back because of all the negative press and who likely will stay away until the state park is fully opened again)are probably underimpressed with the sorts of gifts Ameren has given to the local people in the attempt to win back their goodwill. Yeah! Let's head on down to look at the new truck and low water bridge. We'll bring the kiddies too!
Not. While I'm happy an impoverished area is benefitting from Ameren's (the ratepayers') largesse, it won't do a single thing to encourage the visitors to return. So sad.
While I'm happy an impoverished area is benefitting from Ameren's (the ratepayers') largesse, it won't do a single thing to encourage the visitors to return.
Since a whole 4% of the funds where directed towards tourism-related projects, you've certainly got a point. However, how much of the $50 million in local requests were tourism-related? Single-digit percentages.
Is this the fault of Ameren? Perhaps they should have paid the Forrester Group more money to meet with local COBs to find ways to use this money. Howver, it's clear to me the local tourism industry failed to meet the challenge in front of them to take advantage of these funds.
Granted, it was a short notification period and we might be asking a lot from a disparate, fragmented and relatively unorganized rural business community. But some portion of any blame for the lack of funding for recreation and tourism falls at the feet of those who stood the most to gain.
Post a Comment
<< Home