No to pipe, Yes to repairs

Dear Ashland City Council Members,
I am writing to you regarding the Ashland Canal Project. I appreciate all the effort put into the studies and preliminary reports purchased by the City of Ashland. I find myself asking: Do we need to conserve water, yes. Do we need to mitigate eColi in the canal and ultimately Ashland Creek, yes. Will the proposed piping project meet those goals, NO.
The canal water begins at Howard Prairie Lake where there is a substantial population of open range cows wandering in the Lake and surrounding mud. The water then continues on flowing above and below ground, in a lined canal and sometimes in a dirt canal on private property and public easements. By the time the water reaches Starlite (the beginning of the Ashland Canal) there is eColi in the water. This eColi will enter the pipe flowing on down into Ashland Creek unless something is done at the entry point to mitigate the eColi.
Water conservation is an important factor but not the only factor. Cost to benefit ratio must also be considered. The City has voiced most of the water is lost due to seepage. The City of Ashland has deferred maintenance on this stretch of canal which has lead to areas in need of repair. The reports show the repairs would have less of a financial impact, less impact on the environment, less impact of the property owners, less impact on the wildlife and serve the community for many years.
The 3-4 million dollar price tag to pipe the canal seems wasteful and disrespectful to the citizens of Ashland. As a community we have been asked to pay more for electricity, water, and sewage in the last couple of years. We will once again be carrying the burden for a project that is overwhelming not supported by the Community or property owners along the Canal. At a meeting on January 31, 2019 with well over a 100 people in attendance a show of hand was requested for all in support of the project only four people raised their hand.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I also want to strongly urge you to vote No on piping the Ashland Canal and vote Yes for the repairs.
With great appreciation,
Darlene Beckett