Lacking are substantive comments on what the City bureaucracy thinks they can do for a reasonable cost. Unfortunately, cost effectiveness for the City has, to this point, meant allowing a culture of pollution to prevail. This is a false choice. Council members should be demanding that the City Manager produce estimates of what can be done without grand budget increases. One can only wonder how many taxpayer dollars are going to be spent battling over the legal technicalities and seeking to reduce liability while the polluting practices and attitudes in both the institutions of the City and the County are allowed to dominate.
Practices make imperfect Politicians are in tough spot.
Defending the City's legacy of pollution is no easy task and they must be given a chance. But if politicians are in a tough spot, imagine the plight of the folks who want to use the water for recreation, not to mention the plight of wildlife. Make no mistake, the permit is no panacea. I have little doubt that the City and County could and will prevail on certain legal and regulatory aspects. It's not like they haven't had ten years to get something going.