Kanan funds could be jeopardized

Now that the Agoura Hills City Council members have finished patting only themselves on the back for securing federal funding to help fund a redesigned Kanan Road interchange, perhaps there is value in looking at what has actually been accomplished.

The Kanan Road interchange has needed to be redesigned for decades. That is why it was part of the City’s General Plan passed in 1992. Our city “leaders” have delayed this project for 13 while years the cost of completing it has skyrocketed. They claim that they were pursuing federal funding, but was it really worth it to wait for $4 million while the cost increased by $10 million?

And in this week’s news, Congressman Tom Feeney (Rep.-Florida) proposed delaying implementation of the new Transportation Bill to pay for much needed hurricane relief, the same transportation bill that is supposed to fund the Kanan Road interchange.

So here we are today, tenuously waiting for a few extra dollars to help fund a project that is 13 years too late and many millions of dollars over budget. This is hardly something to celebrate.

Why hasn’t our city’s leadership taken a more proactive stance on long-range planning and financial prioritization? Why haven’t they been more honest with themselves about their inability to execute a project that is so vital to our city and its residents? Why should we entrust our future to anyone on the current city council or planning commission? Louis Masry President, Agoura/Oak Park/ Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce