Dear Editor,

The Nederland Board of Trustees uses an excellent decision-making process. They should be proud of a sophisticated system with citizen advisory boards to provide input, a legal review process, and superb Town administrators. For example, any new town project with obvious ramifications will need to undergo a Special Review Use application before approval.

A professional approach to governance, however, does not always result in wise decisions.

For example, the Nederland Board of Trustees recently used its SRU process regarding a proposal for paid parking to be implemented in downtown Nederland. It has now decided to approve the application.

But how will this change actually improve the town? Will it somehow create more parking spaces to be available during the peak-use days? Will it create a more favorable impression of little Nederland to those who visit the town for a day? Does it preserve the small-town qualities we all cherish?

Will locals in Nederland somehow be pleased that these new parking funds are being collected from tourists even when they, the locals, cannot find a free space for themselves?

I hope those who have apparently succeeded in winning BOT approval for this paid-parking initiative will answer the above questions in an article for The Mountain-Ear.

Larry Tasaday
Eldora